First time the trains from Brighton to Falmer worked for me at about 1:30 pm. Got to the ground too early really.
West Coastway was just as horrendous as usual though.
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Fourth season and transport, catering issues are still not sorted!
- Thread starter Return of the Rev
- Start date
First time the trains from Brighton to Falmer worked for me at about 1:30 pm. Got to the ground too early really.
West Coastway was just as horrendous as usual though.
supergeorge
Member
- Sep 7, 2009
- 44
FFS, what the hell is wrong with you, you cannot come on here and NOT moan about something, it is your duty to find something to complain about.
Surely the weeds in the pavement at Mill Road hampered your journey?
Was the air conditioning not working on the bus?
The weather, sure the weather was not up to standard?
Balti Pie was too hot surely?
Pint of Harveys, were the pipes really that clean?
Wrong TV channel, wasn't a repeat of Home Under The Hammer better suited for pre match entertainment?
Football was rubbish?
Would 5.25 not have been a more convienient time for you (sack the transport manager!)
I am joking for those that don't recognise it!
Just making a point, some people just love to moan, and moan about anything and everything. Trains break down, get cancelled/delayed, it happens. Beer runs out, Food runs out.
It happens.
Rant over.
What time train do you get from Lewes and what about the return journey, is it much of a wait?
Moved from West Upper to West Lower for this season, so a new concourse and seating experience!
- Got on train at 2pm at London Road, expecting chaos and the usual cattle truck experience, to find three completely empty front carriages. Wonderful for me. But smells of a cock up at Brighton...
- Arrived onto West Lower concourse, hardly any pre-match queues loads of space to stand and rest a pint (massive upgrade on West Upper)
- Lovely pint of Harveys, usual red hot but extremely pleasant Chicken pie
- Take our new seats for the first half. A far greater feeling of being at the match rather than watching on TV. Though slightly worried about getting rained on in the winter!
- Half time pint time. Again hardly any queue compared with the Upper. Noticed the sale of pulled pork baps that I hadn't tried before. Impulse purchase. Waistline didn't need it. Tastebuds didn't need it - dry roll, dry pork - never again!
- Watched the whole of the second half including injury time.
- Post match pint. Plenty of catering options left, didn't partake due to aforementioned waistline. However, stark contrast again to West Upper.
- Strolled down to station got on next available train at 17.38. The carriage doors stopped exactly in front of where I was standing on the platform, another nice empty train. Home for 6pm for kids bath and bed. Amazing.
The almost perfect Amex experience (baring the pulled pork) that it has taken three years to get to. Shame about the sh1t on the pitch.
- Got on train at 2pm at London Road, expecting chaos and the usual cattle truck experience, to find three completely empty front carriages. Wonderful for me. But smells of a cock up at Brighton...
- Arrived onto West Lower concourse, hardly any pre-match queues loads of space to stand and rest a pint (massive upgrade on West Upper)
- Lovely pint of Harveys, usual red hot but extremely pleasant Chicken pie
- Take our new seats for the first half. A far greater feeling of being at the match rather than watching on TV. Though slightly worried about getting rained on in the winter!
- Half time pint time. Again hardly any queue compared with the Upper. Noticed the sale of pulled pork baps that I hadn't tried before. Impulse purchase. Waistline didn't need it. Tastebuds didn't need it - dry roll, dry pork - never again!
- Watched the whole of the second half including injury time.
- Post match pint. Plenty of catering options left, didn't partake due to aforementioned waistline. However, stark contrast again to West Upper.
- Strolled down to station got on next available train at 17.38. The carriage doors stopped exactly in front of where I was standing on the platform, another nice empty train. Home for 6pm for kids bath and bed. Amazing.
The almost perfect Amex experience (baring the pulled pork) that it has taken three years to get to. Shame about the sh1t on the pitch.
I find it bizarre that there are so many reports of "staff can't tell the fillings apart" when the pies themselves have a label on them telling you what flavour they are. I've NEVER had the wrong one given to me!
A couple of minor issues for me on Saturday.
Transport:
The "Bus Controller" for the Mill Road P&R spent ages trying to get people to move down a bus. He got the driver to open the back doors and wouldn't give up until people had moved down. The bus then left without anyone else getting on it! What was that all about?
Catering:
We need something to help us decide which queue to join.
I queued for about 10 minutes and when I got to the front, I was advised that all the pies on the shelves labelled "Steak and Ale" were actually Balti pies and that outlet didn't have any Steak & Ale ones. I therefore joined a queue at another outlet and about 15 minutes later (after someone had held the queue up with some sort of issue for ages), I got to the front, only to be told by the serving girl "I'm not serving any more. I've been told to stop serving". It was 2.50pm. Obviously, once the supervisor was called, I was served and I assume so were all the other people in the queue behind me!
Peter Grummit
Well-known member
Captain Sensible
Well-known member
Spot on might as well leave earlier and pay less in a nicer environment. Rather than outside a kiosk where the staff are trying to close and or have run out of beer.
Captain Sensible
Well-known member
Why of course? It was reasonable a few years back and the most expensive last year but at least it was still just about ok for the price. Now it's the most expensive with the poorest service.
There's no 'of course' about it. The beer used to be reasonably priced and now it's overpriced. I could be wrong but I think it's gone up by about 90p a pint since we've been there. And no, I don't expect to pay more in a sporting venue, if anything I expect it to be less to conpensate for the inconvenience of having to drink standing up out of plastic (with nowhere to put your 'glass' down). In my usual pub just off the Lewes Road (which isn't a million miles from the Amex) I pay £3.60 a pint for Harveys. The Swan's about the same for Palmers. And even if you thought the price was ok there's the whole 'Transport Plan' to think about as originally the club wanted to encourage people to come earlier and leave later. That's obviously not so important now.
I guess the whole thing is another step in the gentrification of football. I guess if you're the sort of person who pays £5 for a pint of 'craft' beer then I'm sure the Amex is super value darling and not nearly so much as we pay in our local wine bar. (Not saying you are, just making a point). As has been pointed out by others I don't have to pay the prices, no one's holding a gun to my head - so I won't.
I'm with you on this but paying £5 for a well crafted beer which probably has processes and/or ingredients which justifiably increase the price is very different to paying the current AMEX Harvey's price which is a plain rip off.
Dick Knights Mumm
Take me Home Falmer Road
Dick Knights Mumm
Take me Home Falmer Road
I don't think that is how the world works. You expect to be compensated for purchasing a pint ?
It is expensive but being at the ground with friends I am happy to purchase a pint and enjoy the moment. I am not going to be thinking about the few more pence.
kevo
Well-known member
- Mar 8, 2008
- 9,127
Seven pages of moaning about non-issues.
I travel from London for every home game, and have rarely encountered any serious "transport issues". The first season there were often long queues for the train but it seems much better now. On Saturday, I left on the final whistle and got straight on a train (no queue) at a station adjacent to the stadium. I don't think there are many grounds in the country where you could do that!
As for the food, Piglet's Pantry have won just about every award going for the quality of their pies. I'd rather pay for one of them than the offal you get at most grounds. Great beer too - not just your usual pissy lager. Yes, it is comparatively expensive - but if you are really so skint you are desperate to pay £1 or 50p less for your pint, go to the pub before coming to the match. Simple.
I travel from London for every home game, and have rarely encountered any serious "transport issues". The first season there were often long queues for the train but it seems much better now. On Saturday, I left on the final whistle and got straight on a train (no queue) at a station adjacent to the stadium. I don't think there are many grounds in the country where you could do that!
As for the food, Piglet's Pantry have won just about every award going for the quality of their pies. I'd rather pay for one of them than the offal you get at most grounds. Great beer too - not just your usual pissy lager. Yes, it is comparatively expensive - but if you are really so skint you are desperate to pay £1 or 50p less for your pint, go to the pub before coming to the match. Simple.
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It's simple supply and demand. If Barber can increase revenue by jacking up beer by 30p ever year then fine. If not then he needs to have a rethink. We will have to wait and see. One thing for sure is that the community AMEX angle is becoming less and less.
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 70,434
Certainly the queues on the concourse are as annoyingly long as ever. Maybe try 60p price raise next season?
wigman
Well-known member
Always go by train and always make it back to Brighton for the 17.33 back to Angmering.
I do not think there is a problem with the trains.
I do not think there is a problem with the trains.
Captain Sensible
Well-known member
So you can't buy beer if you think it's too expensive?
I bought 2 pints on Saturday, when I would have bought 4 or 5. I went without at half time, then didn't bother after the game. Also I bought a burger and a pint pre game but as there is no discount for 1 burger and 1 pint, I was charged £8.70 and so won't buy again.
So there you have it, you can still moan but just buy less. I will probably buy my pre match beer but nothing at half and full time. I think a lot are doing the same as I haven't had the customary, record sales for catering email, that we usually get after the first home game.
- Aug 8, 2005
- 26,625
Travel related issue on Saturday. Having previously been in Bennett's Field car park this season we have been moved to the Uni.
I hadn't received my parking permit by Saturday morning despite chasing twice. I phoned customer services and was told my name would be on a list
I arrived at the Uni car park at 1.30pm and was met by a steward who asked where my permit was. I explained. He said sorry don't have a list you'll have to go to the racecourse park and ride. I explained again. He said if you don't move I'll get security. I said fine, get security. He called a lady over. I explained for the fourth time. She said oh that's fine and let me go in. I never saw anyone with a list, and no one checked after that.
Odd, very odd.
My friend's smart card was refused at the turnstile. He was sent to the three different parts of the ground before it was finally sorted.
I get you can have IT issues but why aren't the staff better informed?
I hadn't received my parking permit by Saturday morning despite chasing twice. I phoned customer services and was told my name would be on a list
I arrived at the Uni car park at 1.30pm and was met by a steward who asked where my permit was. I explained. He said sorry don't have a list you'll have to go to the racecourse park and ride. I explained again. He said if you don't move I'll get security. I said fine, get security. He called a lady over. I explained for the fourth time. She said oh that's fine and let me go in. I never saw anyone with a list, and no one checked after that.
Odd, very odd.
My friend's smart card was refused at the turnstile. He was sent to the three different parts of the ground before it was finally sorted.
I get you can have IT issues but why aren't the staff better informed?
Captain Sensible
Well-known member
But I can afford it, I just think it's too expensive. It like getting charged a £5 for a pint of milk.
Dick Knights Mumm
Take me Home Falmer Road
Oh I totally agree. I will be drinking fewer pints - part price, part self-preservation. Interestingly on Saturday there was still Harveys as they started closing the concourse - and they frequently ran out last season. But we did lose.