Falmer pay on gate?

[Notters]

I hope these transport planners have done their homework because I'm actually quite worried if those figures are correct. The lack of car parking spaces is only a minor inconvenience if the rest of the transport is in place, but I thought (assumed?) the trains would be taking up the slack. You can't rely on park & ride buses to do the job - some people wait forever at Withdean for these when the gate is only 6,000.

If there is too much inconvenience, people simply won't turn up.

P.S. I don't recall discussing this time and time again, myself.

Well I'm afraid it's more fixtures than even fixtures!

Try:

This thread

This thread

This thread

This thread

 

[Easy 10]

Without trawling old threads, has anyone "asked the club" on this issue ?

 

[clippedgull]

And what about when the trains aren't running? Aside from London to Brighton there are no trains on Boxing Day. Also at least twice each season the line to Preston Park is closed for engineering works so we have to use replacement buses. There might be enough for 6000 at Withdean but where will they find all the buses to shift 12,000, 15,000 or even 20,000 to and from Falmer when that line has to be maintained. Don't tell me that it will never happen because you just know it will.

Assuming planned engineering works (usually known weeks ahead) or known days like Boxing Day then I would guess the club would ask to move the fixture.

 

[Brovion]

Having an irrational hatred what will probably be the simplest method isn't going to help your argument.

Sorry, I'm really not with you, that's the second time you've had a little dig without backing it up.

Anyway it isn't about ME, in the broader scheme of things I am just one casual fan out of thousands, my individual opinion is irrelevant. However my point is still valid, if attendances aren't that good people WILL say it's because gaining admission is harder than it is at say Lewes. And the club, rather than saying "Yeah, good point, we'll see about overturning the 'no pay at the gate' planning restriction" will berate the fans for being too bone idle to use the oh-so-simple advance ticketing system.

 

[Simster]

Well I'm afraid it's more fixtures than even fixtures!

Try:

This thread

This thread

This thread

This thread

Cheers. Here's the best answer I could find - not surprisingly, it is from Lord Bracknell:

The signalling on the line is such that they can't run more than five trains an hour. The option of putting on longer trains isn't available either - 8 coach trains won't fit into the Coastway platform at Lewes.

The other factor that will affect supporters is that the line is very busy with other passengers - not every seat will be available for Albion fans.

Having said all that ... travel to games will probably be OK (since arrival times at football matches are spread over quite a long period). If the club can find a way of spreading post-match departure times (like a decent post-match bar), things won't be too bad for people who are prepared to delay their rush for the platform.

There will, however, have to be some way of "penning in" queuing fans waiting to get on to the Brighton-bound platform. You can't simply allow more people on to a station platform than is safe.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I do have faith in the new regime sorting it out. Tony Bloom must be a smart bloke. But it does need to be as easy as possible to get tickets on the day. And it must seem easy.

The scenario that used to occur with me was that after Saturday morning football (Horsham Leagues) it would have been great on a nice day when everyone was up to suggest going to a game. Tickets at the park and ride may well cover it. But the casual supporter turning up will be critical.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

There you go...

The signalling on the line is such that they can't run more than five trains an hour. The option of putting on longer trains isn't available either - 8 coach trains won't fit into the Coastway platform at Lewes.

The other factor that will affect supporters is that the line is very busy with other passengers - not every seat will be available for Albion fans.

Having said all that ... travel to games will probably be OK (since arrival times at football matches are spread over quite a long period). If the club can find a way of spreading post-match departure times (like a decent post-match bar), things won't be too bad for people who are prepared to delay their rush for the platform.

There will, however, have to be some way of "penning in" queuing fans waiting to get on to the Brighton-bound platform. You can't simply allow more people on to a station platform than is safe.

So this means that we will have a situation where you may have to wait for a train, like you do at many London away games. Thats fair enough.

 

[DIFFBROOK]

Has any other club moved to a new ground, out of town and been subjected to similar planning restrictions? Reading? Doncaster Rovers? MK Dons? If they have, whats been the experience there of not being able to pay on the gate, having to use public transport etc? If it works there, then it should work for us.

If on the other hand, that recent new out of town stadia (similar to Falmer) can have pay on the gate, then surely that blows a rather big hole in it being a must have due to Council/Govt planning requirements.

If it works in other clubs then fine.

What I would perceive as being unfair is that other new grounds built in similar locations with similar transport set ups have been allowed pay on the gate. I would think it unfair for us to be some kind of guinea pig, with the downside that if it fails the result being many casual fans dont turn up.

 

[Simster]

There you go...

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

Is it a line/capacity issue making it difficult (or impossible) to transport more than a handful (relatively speaking) people to the stadium in the time immediately preceding and following a match?

Oh come on simster, we've discussed this time and time again. I think (and I'm sure Lord B willl be able to confirm), that the capacity of trains going back to Brighton with be able to carry about 2 to 3 thousand people in the hour after a match. Bearing in mind, if there's a big match (e.g. Palarse), a large proportion of these are likely to be away fans, there is likely to be very little capacity for Brighton fans to travel by train, if heading west.

Fans will have to travel either by bus, park and ride or on foot, or park in the Universities.

I think it's currently 4 trains per hour in each direction; capacity is limited to 4 coaches per train by platform restrictions at Falmer and Lewes as well as rolling stock availability. Increased frequency is restricted by the existing signalling system whereby train cannot leave Falmer for Brighton until the train coming in the other direction has left Brighton.
Ernest will be able to confirm/correct all this; the current train capacity limitations have been discussed at least twice previously on NSC.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

On the trains point why cant we have 8 or 12 carriages at the designated times?

The reason I say this is because some stations like Balcombe, Faygate, Littlehaven, Lancing etc etc you get a message saying you need to be in the front 4 or rear 8 coaches (or whatever) if you wish to get off at these stations...but the train is still 12 carriages.

 

[8ace]

Cheers. Here's the best answer I could find - not surprisingly, it is from Lord Bracknell:

If you are coming from Reigate then you'd be better getting a Lewes bound train and changing there I'd have thought.

 

[Brovion]

On the trains point why cant we have 8 or 12 carriages at the designated times?

The reason I say this is because some stations like Balcombe, Faygate, Littlehaven, Lancing etc etc you get a message saying you need to be in the front 4 or rear 8 coaches (or whatever) if you wish to get off at these stations...but the train is still 12 carriages.

The answer is in one of those threads that Notters quoted, It's something to do with the length of the platform at Lewes.

I must admit the archaic rail arrangements with regard to signalling and train length are things that worry / piss me off far more than pay-at-the-gate. I had planned to go by train (when I can be arsed to get a ticket that is), but I reckon bus will be a better bet.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

On the trains point why cant we have 8 or 12 carriages at the designated times?

The reason I say this is because some stations like Balcombe, Faygate, Littlehaven, Lancing etc etc you get a message saying you need to be in the front 4 or rear 8 coaches (or whatever) if you wish to get off at these stations...but the train is still 12 carriages.

I think lack and location of rolling stock will be an issue; Southern (or whoever) won't have a spare 20-30 coaches available for a few hours on a Saturday afternoon or Tuesday evening. I believe there is also a problem with the length of trains at Lewes that is not just related to platform size - as LB said previously you can't put a long train on the coastway platform.

Remember that the service from Brighton has to go on somewhere (Seaford?) and is not a Lewes-Brighton shuttle.

 

[Bozza]

The lack of train capacity could turn into a big headache, particularly for games against opponents with large travelling support where, typically, the train will be in high-demand.

Locals and regulars are likely to be aware and try and make other plans, but a thousand away fans having a drink in town and turning up at Brighton Station at 2pm for a train to Falmer could spell problems, and the same for the reverse journey.

 

[The Large One]

Sorry, I'm really not with you, that's the second time you've had a little dig without backing it up.

You said you have a phobia (an irrational hatred) using the phone.

Your words, not mine.

 

[Brovion]

You said you have a phobia (an irrational hatred) using the phone.

Your words, not mine.

Okay, but how does that weaken my argument?

 

[The Large One]

Okay, but how does that weaken my argument?

POSSIBLE SCENARIO

If you'd chosen to go to the game, and you were at home, you'd have to have made your mind up by probably 2.15pm at the latest, whatever method you'd chosen to get there by.

Supposing you were going to walk from Fiveways to Falmer (I could be wrong, but I think you said that that was arguably your best way of getting there, please correct me if I'm wrong - personally I'd have thought you'd jump on the train at London Road or Moulsecoomb, but that's another issue).

For me, the easiest way would be, while you're en route, you use your phone to reserve/book your ticket using your account number/pin code thing. Then, assuming you'd got the necessary dosh in your account, you'd use your phone to access the turnstile.

The point being, you've still decided at the last minute to turn up, and the club has effectively given you until the same 2.15-ish (calculate your own individual timeframe) to choose to go but by your own admission, you won't do that due to your own sense of irrationality.

 

[Brovion]

POSSIBLE SCENARIO

If you'd chosen to go to the game, and you were at home, you'd have to have made your mind up by probably 2.15pm at the latest, whatever method you'd chosen to get there by.

Supposing you were going to walk from Fiveways to Falmer (I could be wrong, but I think you said that that was arguably your best way of getting there, please correct me if I'm wrong - personally I'd have thought you'd jump on the train at London Road or Moulsecoomb, but that's another issue).

For me, the easiest way would be, while you're en route, you use your phone to reserve/book your ticket using your account number/pin code thing. Then, assuming you'd got the necessary dosh in your account, you'd use your phone to access the turnstile.

The point being, you've still decided at the last minute to turn up, and the club has effectively given you until the same 2.15-ish (calculate your own individual timeframe) to choose to go but by your own admission, you won't do that due to your own sense of irrationality.

I appreciate this thread's gone off at several tangents but I think what you've done is confuse my personal circumstances with my overall viewpoint. In post #274 of this thread I accepted the arguements put forward by the likes of Lord B and Alex Dawson ooh ooh with regard as to why there will be no pay on the gate. I then postulated that there WILL be moans about the attendance and people WILL say that it's not as easy getting into Falmer as it is getting into the likes of Lewes. My own view is that the club's response will be on the lines of "Jeez we've made it as easy as possible given the rules we have to work under, why can't you all just accept this is the 21st century? And no we won't attempt to get the 'no pay at the gate' rule overturned. " You, rather randomly I feel, then selectively quoted that bit. However I really do think that my argument is valid and that no matter how 'easy' the ticketing system is people will still moan about it.

For my part my interest in the Albion ebbs and flows and my desire to attend games is influenced by lots of individual factors, the ticketing aspect will be just one of them. I appreciate it will be MUCH easier than Withdean (where I've long ago given up trying to get tickets on match day) But like I say, I can't speak for all 'casuals'. Some may find the scenario you've outlined(with the mobile) far too onerous.


PS - I was originally going to go by train, but when we discussed it a few months ago I realised it was going to be a nightmare after the game, that's when I revised my plans.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

I appreciate this thread's gone off at several tangents but I think what However I really do think that my argument is valid and that no matter how 'easy' the ticketing system is people will still moan about it.

I do agree however there will be some people (and Im not counting yourself) who would moan even if the club gave them a free ticket personally delivered to their front door because it was given to them in the wrong hand.

It IS however up to the club to make sure that casual fans are fully aware HOW they can buy a ticket or lets face it get entry on the day if there isnt a "ticket" as such...like someone said earlier even now fans are put off on matchday - even tho you can buy on line up to an hr or so before the game. But reading thru this the mobile technology appears to be a winner which we cant do at the moment.


Thinking about it train in - bus back.