[Albion] The traffic today...

[heathgate]

I am a btt younger at 62, but my travels to/from Somerset have finally caught up with me.... if it isn't Chichester, Arundel or Worthing traffic carnage...it ends up being one of the many queues in or out of Falmer to endure... parking, train, food, toilet....I called it quits recently too, cancelled my ST renewal at a cost of £20....

1st game Palace in Aug 74,
Last [regular] game Leicester Apr 25

 

[timbha]

I am a btt younger at 62, but my travels to/from Somerset have finally caught up with me.... if it isn't Chichester, Arundel or Worthing traffic carnage...it ends up being one of the many queues in or out of Falmer to endure... parking, train, food, toilet....I called it quits recently too, cancelled my ST renewal at a cost of £20....

1st game Palace in Aug 74,
Last [regular] game Leicester Apr 25

Shame to lose you as a STH but Somerset is a long trek even in perfect conditions.

 

[Seasider78]

Well definitely putting people off as loads of empty seats across the stadium today so plenty thought better of spending hours of the weekend fighting their way to and from a football match.

 

[timbha]

Well definitely putting people off as loads of empty seats across the stadium today so plenty thought better of spending hours of the weekend fighting their way to and from a football match.

25k did bother.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Has anyone ever seen a worker on those road’works’ yet?

No, which makes the “CCTV in operation, abuse to road operatives will not be tolerated” signs questionable

 

[tedebear]

No, which makes the “CCTV in operation, abuse to road operatives will not be tolerated” signs questionable

yes that was actually the sign that started our conversation about whether we should go home when we got to the next or ANY flipping exit…that combined with the police motorbike riding back down the coned off area, really wound me up….the Newcastle fans were saved though, thank heavens for that…

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

25k did bother.

Okay....

Not sure how relevant that is to the clearly developing situation where many of our fans are now reconsidering their options or simply not turning up.

 

[El Presidente]

Bizarrely the queues for the train back to Lewes were the shortest I can remember.

 

[S'hampton Seagull]

Did someone post about a breakdown in the single lane a27 section? I went through there about 11.30 or so and it was fine. I was lucky enough to be able to park in Coldean mind. Getting back to the a27 after was fine too, was honestly surprised to read this thread.

Agree with some others though, lots of STHs not turning up is a worry. I would hope the fact yesterday had a lack of trains and the roadworks too was the main reason, with the game being on Sky too.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Did someone post about a breakdown in the single lane a27 section? I went through there about 11.30 or so and it was fine. I was lucky enough to be able to park in Coldean mind. Getting back to the a27 after was fine too, was honestly surprised to read this thread.

Agree with some others though, lots of STHs not turning up is a worry. I would hope the fact yesterday had a lack of trains and the roadworks too was the main reason, with the game being on Sky too.

Yep, my mate was driving from Portslade with his step-son and texted that they were scheduled to arrive at about 1pm. Soon after he said they were stuck on the A27, there was a broken down bus (maybe the one carrying Newcastle fans?) and just before half-time he texted and said they were giving up. He spent 2 hours on the A27 trying to get to Falmer and 15 minutes once off, getting back to Portslade. Wonder if he'll get a snotty email?

 

[dazzer6666]

Parked in Woodingdean as usual, and went via Lewes both ways. Only hold up was at the temporary lights by the prison on the way home. With no Racecourse P&R the Drove was much quieter than usual post-match going down (there was a big queue going up, presumably people avoiding the 27).

 

[Talby]

Bizarrely the queues for the train back to Lewes were the shortest I can remember.

Watched from the Brighton side as two trains came in (whilst we waited for 17 minutes) and they left with plenty of space still available on them. I reckon they could have cleared the queue if they’d enforced the move up the aisle protocol.

Geordies very disgruntled with the service - connections in London were not going to be met.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I am sure “they” appreciate the difficulty fans have because it’s been an ongoing bone of contention ever since the stadium was built.

However, genuine question: What do people suggest the Club does about the public transport situation in this Country, or roadworks and accidents? Or the Falmer Station conditions or TV scheduling?

Well, their scope is limited. But they could:

* Pressure the train operating companies, and communicate that dialogue to the fans
* Pressure the highways people, and communicate that dialogue to the fans. To cripple that road for months before any tangible work has even started, is criminal.
* Search for any additional car parking (parkers pay, so the cost gets covered)
* Search for possible additional P&R sites EAST of the stadium

 

[HeaviestTed]

Probably be better off speaking to the local mp than the club

 

[brighton_tom]

Straight after the final whistle I pretty much walked onto a mill road bus with no queues, but then spent 1 hour 15 mins sat on that bus crawling through the traffic. Horrible.

 

[el punal]

I feel sorry for those of you caught in the shitfest of traffic jams. Experience in such matters played a big part in our travel plans. We drove from Southampton leaving at 9.30 and parked up at Brighton station at 11.00. Early doors and all that proved the best option as traffic was already heavy around the usual ‘pinch points’ of Arundel and ‘stop, go, stop’ Worthing and Sompting. Luckily, because of our early start, we were in the pub by 11.15 and enjoying a few pints before catching the Falmer Bullet Train. After the game an hour was spent in the Terrace and then a gentle stroll to catch the train waiting for us at Falmer to go back to Brighton. No problems at all on the road going home. To quote ‘Life Of Brian’ - “You Lucky, Lucky Bastard!”.

 

[Zeberdi]

Well, their scope is limited. But they could:

* Pressure the train operating companies, and communicate that dialogue to the fans
* Pressure the highways people, and communicate that dialogue to the fans. To cripple that road for months before any tangible work has even started, is criminal.
* Search for any additional car parking (parkers pay, so the cost gets covered)
* Search for possible additional P&R sites EAST of the stadium

Good luck with “putting pressure” on train companies - they can’t even run a normal service on time or without numerous cancellations and delays, let alone for football fans. It has been asked time and time again that they provide more coaches and fill them up!

Same with highways - I have not ever seen roadworks tbh where they haven’t closed roads for weeks even months on end with no workers actually on the job! We may think as football fans that we should be the centre of the transport universe but we are small fry as far as the overall rail and road networks are concerned and the many millions of people using them in Sussex alone.

I think the only way anything will change is if it becomes/is a public safety issue, especially if that can be demonstrated in the case of the station management at Falmer - in which case, I’d be concerned highlighting such risks could negatively impact the licensing/operating of the club.

I think searching for additional parking is also problematic as limits to permitted local private parking were part of the licensing conditions of the Club - these were deal breakers in getting the Falmer site through.

I’m not pushing back on these suggestions just to be difficult - I genuinely think that if the Club had as much power over these external factors as some fans imagine they do, these issues would have been ironed out long before now…

Additional P&R sites would be helpful (and realistically achievable) but it doesn’t help the many thousands of fans that use the train to get to the Amex.

I think as someone said yesterday (was it you?) that Sunday was the ‘perfect storm’ where road, rail and the Bank Holiday weekend combined to create travel chaos for fans travelling to the Amex.

 

[bluenitsuj]

Pre-match was MUCH worse, IMHO.

1h35ish from EDF, 35ish back to EDF.

Bored, on the way there, I poked PBOBE - mainly to see how quickly he would reply.

Got one back at 4.25pm saying they have no influence on the P&R or the routes they take...

The club don't give a shit as long as they sell tickets. We are expected just to accept it. Crap travel in this country is generally accepted these days because it is so common but that should not be the case.

 

[LANGDON SEAGULL]

Even the buses going east from Lewes were awful yesterday. Walked to my normal stop at Houndean Rise around midday to wait for the 28/29. Three buses went past without stopping, assume they were full up. Two other fellow fans were at same stop - we are now best of friends and know each others Albion life story. An hour and a quarter of waiting so decided to bite the bullet and get a cab . Going back was empty but did stay behind for a couple of beers

 

[bluenitsuj]

I am sure “they” appreciate the difficulty fans have because it’s been an ongoing bone of contention ever since the stadium was built.

However, genuine question: What do people suggest the Club does about the public transport situation in this Country, or roadworks and accidents? Or the Falmer Station conditions or TV scheduling?

Maybe sit down and have serious discussions with all transport companies involved rather than just use the lame excuses we always get.