My idea goes one step further than this.
The best way to regularly raise the money to keep the server running would be to charge an annual membership for certain special privileges, namely the ability to purchase tickets through Club Arnage. I'm not for one minute suggesting that we become a ticket agency but I think we have enough interest to make an approach to the ACO.
Plucking numbers out of the air I reckon we could go to them and say we want at least 200 camping tickets (numbers and locations as specified by us) and 300 GA's. We would like ACO discount prices on the GA's if possible but we will pay full price for the camping tickets. The only thing we want is a guarantee that we will receive exactly what we ask for (i.e. 100 MB, 20 bleu, 50 HA etc.). Point out that all orders are from people who already order directly with the ACO and instead of 100 orders to deal with they will have only one.
At our end people have to get their orders to us by June the year before (so we would be looking at starting for the 2009 race) and then confirm and pay for their order by the end of November. We can then confirm with the ACO and pay from the Club Arnage account.
Someone from the committee would then collect all the tickets as early as they become available and they would be sent from England first class recorded delivery (charged for on top of the tickets).
Logistically it requires a spreadsheet with all order details, someone to collect and bank the cheques, someone to liaise with the ACO (Hi Debs!), someone to pay the ACO, someone to collect the tickets and people to send them out from the UK.
If the committee see any mileage in this idea then I would be happy to collate orders and send out tickets.
As for the membership fee, I reckon most people would be happy to pay £10 a year and an extra £5 for postage (seeing as the ACO charge around €15 anyway) to guarantee their ticket allocation and early delivery.
Just an idea!!!!!!!!!!!
Love from RobTheReject