[Albion] The declining quality of my match day experience

[southstandandy]

Quite a few complainants on here just seem to want to watch football with the least amount of hassle and expense. That’s not what being an Albion fan gets you!

It does when you get into your retirement years.

 

[timbha]

Supporting Albion for the past 40 odd years has never been hassle free, three long seasons of trekking to Gillingham and returning with no points being amongst them.

It might have seemed like 3 seasons, but it was only 2. Some people forget those dark days.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

It might have seemed like 3 seasons, but it was only 2. Some people forget those dark days.

Well there you go, so turgid that two seasons seemed like three!

 

[BN9 BHA]

It’s the trains that are a huge issue for me. For every home match I use them and take advantage of subsidised travel. I make sure that I have left home in plenty of time to allow for potential train disruption and cancellation. Which these days is an absolute given. On two recent occasions I have been told that my ticket is invalid because I am travelling too early and should not be on a train more than 3 hours before kick off. Once I was forced along with a few others to pay for my journey at Brighton station. The second time I was let off. Yesterday we sat on a train that couldn’t leave for Falmer due to a safety issue. If kick off hadn’t been delayed we would have missed 20 minutes of the match. Once on a train you can barely move due to lack of carriages. I know this has been said before but I do believe people are wondering more if it’s worth the effort.

If a match is supposed to kick off at 3pm I see no reason for anyone from that shower of shite train company to not let anyone travel for free at say 11.45 AM on a match day.
I don’t blame you giving yourself plenty of time to travel on a match day when Southern can not be trusted.

 

[hart's shirt]

Even better become an armchair Chelsea or Liverpool fan and you’ll win a piece of silverware today from the comfort of your own home

Any excuse for this.

 

[Hastings gull]

A decade into Amex Stadium match days, I am slightly disappointed that some niggling issues haven’t ever been resolved and some areas this season, have been getting worse. I think it would be good for the club to re-evaluate some aspects to ensure it is a high quality experience.

Rail Travel - since we moved to Falmer, getting home from evening kick-offs has always been a struggle. So many times, Southern announce an enhanced service only for the extra coaches not to be added and cancellations aplenty. It really shouldn’t be too difficult, especially when they are being paid a lot of money. I believe that if I had an actual ticket rather than the BHA ticket, I could have claimed a refund on at least ten matches so far this season. In the main, the ease of travel (apart from evening games) used to be a plus about the Amex but last night, taking one and a half hours from leaving the concourse to getting home to Polegate is ridiculous.

Seats - Whilst applauding the desire to maximise the capacity of the stadium, our row of seats were all squashed up to get extras in during the closed season. The seats are all mounted close up together whereas they used to be at least 40mm apart on each side. Neighbouring rows haven’t been altered. The width of the seats is now almost on the legal minimum and it is not comfortable at all. We didn’t initially notice but since people have started coming back properly, it makes for a poor experience. So far, the club have just suggested that we move? I like sitting where we do with some really nice people. I hope that they can put it back to how it was, we can see on the mountings where they used to be which is how we know how much space has been lost.

Atmosphere - we really seem to have lost something, can we get it back?

Post match, we have always been encouraged to stay post match rather than join the queues of people who left five minutes early, waiting for trains. This season we have regularly been pushed along the concourse early, toilets have been closed and it has been much less welcoming. Do the club want us to stay or not? Happy if you want to reduce the areas but be clear in what you can provide.

We should be really enjoying this season but it takes the gloss off.

To be fair the appalling situation with eastbound trains after the match may not have been Southern Rail's fault. I counted 4 trains going to Brighton before the first lewes-bound one arrived and yes, it was a real pain. It may well have been due to the delayed kick-off time, which might have meant that the timetabling was totally mucked about. You were lucky that you got off at Polegate -those of us travelling further east were then delayed ,another 30 minutes due to some xxxx trespassing on the line. And all that after yet another poor display on the ptch!

 

[South west gull]

Engineering works have been the biggest bug bear with regard to rail travel. Pretty much every away game this season has been affected and this coming week there are engineering works between York and Doncaster!!

Yesterday we needed to get back to Lewes and trains were delayed. I think at least 4 trains arrived heading west before the first one heading east. Not sure what the problem was or whether the delayed kick off affected the 'enhanced' service.

The atmosphere isn't great but then I suspect that is down to what is happening on the pitch. We play smart football but for most of the time it's not scintillating to watch. As for post match, Cowfold Seagull has probably hit the nail on the head.

After the game I get a Brighton train then 1 back to Lewes been doing it for years quicker & easier

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

 

[maresfield seagull]

Only aspect of my matchday experience that has declined massively is spending quality time with my Albion loved ones on the concourse. So many no longer attend, either due to covid worries or financial constraints. As for transport, I find it no better or worse than it ever was. Same major pain in the arze it always was for evening games, which accounts for most of our homes games nowadays. Or maybe we just all got older...

It’s the trains that are a huge issue for me. For every home match I use them and take advantage of subsidised travel. I make sure that I have left home in plenty of time to allow for potential train disruption and cancellation. Which these days is an absolute given. On two recent occasions I have been told that my ticket is invalid because I am travelling too early and should not be on a train more than 3 hours before kick off. Once I was forced along with a few others to pay for my journey at Brighton station. The second time I was let off. Yesterday we sat on a train that couldn’t leave for Falmer due to a safety issue. If kick off hadn’t been delayed we would have missed 20 minutes of the match. Once on a train you can barely move due to lack of carriages. I know this has been said before but I do believe people are wondering more if it’s worth the effort.

It just depends on how much of a jobsworth they re being
Only had a few occasions over the ten years at the Amex
Once this season at HH on one of those 1730 KO s guy wanted us to pay for a ticket as not quite within the 3 hrs either side of KO
And once a few seasons back after watching the Rugby in the Elly post match
The bus driver on the 29 charged me a few quid No option but to pay to get home Or else it was a cab

 

[maresfield seagull]

After the game I get a Brighton train then 1 back to Lewes been doing it for years quicker & easier

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

If you are doing that on a regular basis I ll take your word
But the one occasion I’ve gone that way in quite some time was against Arsenal
When I had to go to a party in HH post match
Found it just as bad as going the other way

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

I think we'll always find some sort of reason to moan...especially now we've got used to watching high class football in a superb stadium. It's easy to start to take things for granted. I have to say that I was getting mighty pissed off by the traffic yesterday (post match, that is - I avoided the pre-match issues, thank God). Then I think back to the "delights" of Priestfield and Withdean - and even the Goldstone.

Priestfield was a dream for parking. I remember being 10 minutes late for a game and still parking opposite the turnstiles. There was good reason for that though.

 

[BN9 BHA]

If you are doing that on a regular basis I ll take your word
But the one occasion I’ve gone that way in quite some time was against Arsenal
When I had to go to a party in HH post match
Found it just as bad as going the other way

I’ve spoken to fans from this way that get the train to Brighton and then the 12 or 12A bus to Newhaven, also heard of fans getting on another train back to Lewes etc.
I believe the train after matches doesn’t stop at other stations between Falmer and Brighton.
The Lewes bound platform at Falmer is a nightmare as many fans are waiting for various trains on the platform rather than just going to Lewes to change.
I’ve watched many trains from the ramp leaving Falmer towards Lewes with empty seats. I now pay to use the Seagull Travel bus after games to get home because of the long queues.

 

[British Bulldog]

To be fair the appalling situation with eastbound trains after the match may not have been Southern Rail's fault. I counted 4 trains going to Brighton before the first lewes-bound one arrived and yes, it was a real pain. It may well have been due to the delayed kick-off time, which might have meant that the timetabling was totally mucked about. You were lucky that you got off at Polegate -those of us travelling further east were then delayed ,another 30 minutes due to some xxxx trespassing on the line. And all that after yet another poor display on the ptch!

That would have been it with the trains, the time table is worked out well in advance and can't be changed for a late kick off.

 

[Clive Walker]

Fan zone. Embarrassing

Think the pre match atmosphere build up thing could do with some serious uplifting.

 

[BN9 BHA]

Fan zone. Embarrassing

Think the pre match atmosphere build up thing could do with some serious uplifting.

It’s great for kids and happy clappers

 

[maresfield seagull]

I’ve spoken to fans from this way that get the train to Brighton and then the 12 or 12A bus to Newhaven, also heard of fans getting on another train back to Lewes etc.
I believe the train after matches doesn’t stop at other stations between Falmer and Brighton.
The Lewes bound platform at Falmer is a nightmare as many fans are waiting for various trains on the platform rather than just going to Lewes to change.
I’ve watched many trains from the ramp leaving Falmer towards Lewes with empty seats. I now pay to use the Seagull Travel bus after games to get home because of the long queues.

Is that still a problem
Rail staff / stewards should just make people get on the first train to clear the platform as quick as possible as a safety requirement
As you say it’s easier / safer to change at Lewes as more room
To go Eastbourne or Seaford

 

[BN9 BHA]

Is that still a problem
Rail staff / stewards should just make people get on the first train to clear the platform as quick as possible as a safety requirement

I have seen it suggested many times by different posters on here, it makes perfect sense.
The first few home games this season there was still a very large queue to the Lewes bound platform an hour after the final whistle.

 

[maresfield seagull]

I have seen it suggested many times by different posters on here, it makes perfect sense.
The first few home games this season there was still a very large queue to the Lewes bound platform an hour after the final whistle.

Very likely I was one of them
Making that suggestion and sometimes in the Q

 

[LamieRobertson]

Only thing ruining my match day experience recently has been on the pitch

 

[Deadly Danson]

Priestfield was a dream for parking. I remember being 10 minutes late for a game and still parking opposite the turnstiles. There was good reason for that though.

Ain't that the truth. Only missed a couple of games at Gillingham and in truth it was all fairly hassle free, generally an easy drive, easy to park and plonk yourself where you wanted on the terraces and normally watch TERRIBLE football. Have to be honest, it's all a bit of a faff nowadays - I'm another ex-university parker and the Bridge is generally awful and the whole nonsense of mobile tickets pisses me off. I do wonder how quickly a lot of these things would be solved if PB had to use the train each game, remember to be around for the 5 minutes car parking goes on sale each time or fanny around with bottles with no lids.
I'm incredibly grateful for the lovely stadium and Premier League football but, with the addition of endless side to side football, it's getting dangerously close to being a bit of a chore now (at least in my aging mind).

 

[chrisg]

Fan zone. Embarrassing

Think the pre match atmosphere build up thing could do with some serious uplifting.

Well 80% of the North stand are in the concourse until 2.57pm. So never going to be a good pre match atmosphere