The albion let down disabled supporters tonight

[Surrey_Albion]

Sky Execs: Hello Mr Bloom, we would like to screen your game against Liverpool and we will pay you £100k but we need to have parking spaces within a close vicinity of the stadium to facilitate the moving of our camera equipment and press box.
Mr Bloom: Thanks for the offer, but I cant accept it because I am going to get it through the neck from some whingers on NSC.
Sky Execs: OK, fair enough. We will do West Ham instead.

Thats how it could have gone.

Funny becuase its true

 

[middletoenail]

Sorry, but you are so wrong here! We should never take extra revenue above addressing the needs of our disabled supporters. If they missed the kick off because of this, then that is disgraceful, as for offering an alternaive, then OK as long as the alternative does not put them at any further disadvantage.

Yes we should, PROVIDING we offer a alternative. Didnt Craig Noone cost approx £300k?

 

[oldalbiongirl]

Sorry, but you are so wrong here! We should never take extra revenue above addressing the needs of our disabled supporters. If they missed the kick off because of this, then that is disgraceful, as for offering an alternaive, then OK as long as the alternative does not put them at any further disadvantage.

Agree completely. As fans we should be looking out for our interests too. Are we supposed to agree with everything the club does now just because its getting revenue? We want to be careful about actually what type of club we want. If the initial post was correct, its disgraceful.

 

[Pete and Sarah]

Are we really making choices here, surely if Sky needed space, couldn't this have been anticipated, resolved & everyone who needed to be should be advised..in good time...as someone said its not rocket science. Perhaps for the Leeds game 1901 car spaces could be given up for disabled supporters moved by Sky - or am I being naive?

 

[tinytears]

We cant turn down that sort of money for 40 people if we want to be a progressive club. What we should have done though, is informed the affected supporters beforehand and offered alternatives.

If we wanted to be progressive then they should of been progressive thinking enough to make arrangements for these situations when planning the ground. Why take the disabled bays when there are over 700 other parking spaces? There were also issues of the sky cameras in the disabled areas meaning several w/chair users couldnt sit in their seats. Also a camera in front of the west stand disabled area meaning the w/chair users couldnt see from there. it was a problem last night & will be again on Friday.

 

[Vegas Seagull]

How many of the 40 missed the game as a result?

 

[Ken Newbury]

I was at the ground at 4pm yesterday to pick up an away kit for my son and I noticed around 8 very large white trucks in the top car park behind the south stand - so I assume these are not the vehicles that the OP was reffering to - but what struck me was around 100 cars were already parked in Bennetts Field at that time which I can only assume were not either 1901 club members or disabled fans as it was too early for them to be there.

Are we correct to assume that these 100 cars were ALL sky vehicles (seems very unlikely) or did some belong to club and catering staff and that this happens every game?

 

[magoo]

So did disabled people actually turn up last night to find they couldn't use their 'paid for' space and had to find somewhere else? Or were they notified in plenty of time and given alternative parking?

 

[tinytears]

They turned up. There was no prior notification. The lady I sit next to had to park in the coach park. As I said before it wasnt just the parking it was the cameras blocking our view & several w/chair users losing their spaces in the ground & having to squeeze in to non existing spaces. I just wonder weather any of the able bodied supporters were affected in the same way. Like others we paid for the parking permit & paid for a ticket to sit in our usual seats.

 

[Barnham Seagull]

Absolutely awful if true and also why are disbled supporters not able to take their normal seats? Surely when designing the stdium they considered where the camers were etc?

Bennetts field was a joke last night, 1hr 15min to get out.

Respect to Tony Bloom for his backing etc but some of the people on the age bill at BHA need to up their game Perry, Hibbered etc

As I have said before the devils in the detail best they start earning their money. Prices went up in 1901 last night shame they can't supply enough tables and chair to sit down and eat the over priced snacks.

 

[The_Real_SussexSeagull123]

Thats not on

 

[tezz79]

I sit just behind the w/chairs in the WSL & at first the cameraman was right in the way, he'd run down the sideline in the way of every attacking move Liverpool made.
At first a steward went to ask him to sort it out & he was shaking his head & carried on but then when we shouted at him to point out he was making 1 young boy cry as he really couldn't see anything he kind of moved to the side of the w/chairs and although still made the odd run down the sideline he Definetly tried to be a bit more thoughtful.

To be fair it must be hard & they can't really win either way but I think everyone appreciated the fact he at least tried his best to not get in the way so much when he realised he was ruining the game for a fair few people.

As for the parking I don't know

 

[tinytears]

Absolutely awful if true and also why are disbled supporters not able to take their normal seats? Surely when designing the stdium they considered where the camers were etc?

Bennetts field was a joke last night, 1hr 15min to get out.

Respect to Tony Bloom for his backing etc but some of the people on the age bill at BHA need to up their game Perry, Hibbered etc

As I have said before the devils in the detail best they start earning their money. Prices went up in 1901 last night shame they can't supply enough tables and chair to sit down and eat the over priced snacks.

There were cameras in the disabled area so they were placed in wheelchair spaces. The people who should of been sitting there had to be squeezed in wherever they could be fitted. I felt really sorry for the stewards . They were trying their best but they were put in an impossible situation. A couple of games ago they had to shuffle us all around because the club had sold more season tickets than there were places.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

There were cameras in the disabled area so they were placed in wheelchair spaces. The people who should of been sitting there had to be squeezed in wherever they could be fitted. I felt really sorry for the stewards . They were trying their best but they were put in an impossible situation. A couple of games ago they had to shuffle us all around because the club had sold more season tickets than there were places.

Out of interest, do any of the people who were moved have a private seat license?

 

[clapham_gull]

Can't believe this situation hasn't happened or wasn't foreseen.

Same thing used to happen at Withdean with the press photographers.

When I found myself in there one of the first thing I did was make a complaint to the club that er.. they stop many disabled supporters from actually watching the game.

Easy solution - move to the other side of the goal.

We even managed to stop the subs stopping and chatting in a huddle round the corner flag. Sounds petty, but if you were sat that side of the area they COMPLETELY blocked the view of the away goal.

When it pointed out the club were very understanding as it goes.

This current problem must never happen again.

 

[ees complicated no?]

sorry but 300k is more important than 40 car spaces, im sure a little extra walk is not going to be hard even if disable (im not being a **** for saying this as my mum is disabled with a blue badge for parking)

 

[Barrel of Fun]

sorry but 300k is more important than 40 car spaces, im sure a little extra walk is not going to be hard even if disable (im not being a **** for saying this as my mum is disabled with a blue badge for parking)

Apart from it not just being about the loss of 40 car spaces, £300k income varies in importance depending on who you are.

We seem to be very good at taking the plaudits for our award winning AITC scheme, but (seemingly) tend to ride roughshod over our paying disabled fans.

 

[willow147]

With a £300k income the club could have afforded to lay on private transport for those disabled people who were affected.

 

[oldalbiongirl]

sorry but 300k is more important than 40 car spaces, im sure a little extra walk is not going to be hard even if disable (im not being a **** for saying this as my mum is disabled with a blue badge for parking)

I dont think its about a little extra walk to be fair. I think its about letting the fans know so they are not then inconvenienced and delayed for kick off and providing a suitable alternative. Im sure none of us would like it if we missed kick off because the club had decided that sky took the priority. "Sorry you are going to have to get off at Brighton today as falmer station is closed for Sky... don't worry they have paid" "Oh thats alright then. As long as they have paid."

 

[Barrel of Fun]

With a £300k income the club could have afforded to lay on private transport for those disabled people who were affected.

Quite! They could have collected and delivered our affected disabled supporters for a mere fraction of that price!