All Things Bennetts Field Car Park - including club statement (merged threads)

[Giraffe]

The thing is, it is as simple as that, dispite the fact that some are going to say it isn't. And no doubt some jobsworth will step in to make it more difficult than that.

Totally agree, five minutes on five minutes off. The car park would be moving the buses would be moving. It is so obvious it's ridiculous. I guess this only works though if traffic flows out at the lights freely though otherwise the five minute split can't happen. But I assume that is what will happen on Saturday.

I also think they need to cut off traffic coming from Falmer gym as clearly these people aren't in official car parks, but are presumably adding to the problem?

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Totally agree, five minutes on five minutes off. The car park would be moving the buses would be moving. It is so obvious it's ridiculous

Just give buses priority, when there are no buses going out let the cars go out. One question that I have not seen answered is where the cars are coming from that are in the queue for the lights.

 

[ROSM]

I also think they need to cut off traffic coming from Falmer gym as clearly these people aren't in official car parks, but are presumably adding to the problem?

They may well be users of the gym, or the brighton uni sportsfield or uni residents who all park down that road. part of the planning permissions was around minimising issues for them. the uni are trying to ensure that only users of the gym (i.e.e someone is in there) parks during a match.

-Have now read the Argus news article. Some of the comments are frankly a little ignorant and without any basis. Anyone who was in that car park on Tuesday night will tell you there were no stewards in sight so not sure how anyone can have abused/harassed them!!

Perhaps they were plain clothed? Or it was a News of the World inspired lynch mob who were chasing anyone called Stewart?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

They may well be users of the gym, or the brighton uni sportsfield or uni residents who all park down that road. part of the planning permissions was around minimising issues for them. the uni are trying to ensure that only users of the gym (i.e.e someone is in there) parks during a match.

The directors and their guests also park at Brighton Uni.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Are there any bars or concourses which over look Bennetts Field?

 

[clippedgull]

The chaos in Village Way of people picking up family isn't helping.
The Police are starting to pick on these individuals.

Good. That should never have been allowed. But the police turning off the lights is a good move.

 

[Springal]

WAGS park in uni car park too, I saw Ashley Barnes missus walk down on Tuesday

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

The traffic congestion that is arising at the moment is all on private land. Shifting it on to the public highway is a high risk strategy, if the football club are serious about submitting a planning application to increase the size of the stadium.

Similarly, any action that can be seen as "undermining" the use of sustainable transport and encouraging car use should perhaps be avoided. Not only is there the feasibilty of a capacity extension application to consider but some sustainable transport issues/questions arising from the Racecourse P&R application remain to be resolved.

 

[cjd]

Hope there is a better solution to all this and given time, patience and an understanding that we ALL want to get home in reasonable time after a match, I,m certain that a solution will be found.

I think many posters forget that the 1901 are overwhelmingly just 'run of the mill' loyal and longstanding supporters and don't deserve some of the criticism they receive on here.

Likewise, I also hope that the 1901 supporters understand that their reported behaviour at Bennets Field is now attracting media attention.....which could well harm our chances of increasing the number of seats at Falmer.

 

[Emily's Mum]

As well as turning off the traffic lights, there should be a group of stewards who have had training in traffic management. Based on my experience of getting out of a car park near Wolves' ground (90 mins) and Stoke's ground (60 mins) where there was no stewarding, and getting out of Scunthorpe and MK Dons, where there was; it has to be better of stewarded. Of course more stewards means more costs, but it has to be cheaper than getting the police to do it. Eventually drivers should get the message that they cannot abuse stewards or other motorists.

I know Scunthorpe's crowds have never been very big, but when I used to live in Barnsley, 30 miles from Scunthorpe, I used to be at home with the tea on before my husband got home after parking at Oakwell!

 

[Lord Bracknell]

The thing is, it is as simple as that, dispite the fact that some are going to say it isn't. And no doubt some jobsworth will step in to make it more difficult than that.

Actually, Phil, it isn't that simple. The suggestion that departing buses should be given equal time with departing cars will result in Park & Ride buses taking significantly longer to reach their destination. This will mean that they will take longer to return to the stadium. And this will mean that the queue of people waiting for the second runs of the Park & Ride buses will have to wait longer. In the wet, if it's raining.

It affects the minibus shuttle service that I am running, with a view to improving things for disabled supporters using Car Park 5 at the University. They are probably more affected by a longer wait in the rain than any other group of supporters.

I don't think this comes across as being a jobsworth. At least people waiting in their cars are in the dry.

 

[DT Withdean]

Actually, Phil, it isn't that simple. The suggestion that departing buses should be given equal time with departing cars will result in Park & Ride buses taking significantly longer to reach their destination. This will mean that they will take longer to return to the stadium. And this will mean that the queue of people waiting for the second runs of the Park & Ride buses will have to wait longer. In the wet, if it's raining.

It affects the minibus shuttle service that I am running, with a view to improving things for disabled supporters using Car Park 5 at the University. They are probably more affected by a longer wait in the rain than any other group of supporters.

I don't think this comes across as being a jobsworth. At least people waiting in their cars are in the dry.

Exactly. And add the cold in Winter.
All the buses and coaches (plus help for those disabled using cars) need to take priority, not least due to being the quickest way of moving 1,000's away.
The Police have inevitably got involved due to a beligerent minority of BF users who barge in and/or are abusive to stewards trying to work hard for our Club.

 

[minnieme]

Hotel California would be a better name for it.

"You can check out anytime you like but you can never leave".

 

[Westdene Seagull]

And of course AlbionAlbino is now kind of famous thanks to the Argus using NSC to create reports !

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Exactly. And add the cold in Winter.
All the buses and coaches (plus help for those disabled using cars) need to take priority, not least due to being the quickest way of moving 1,000's away.
The Police have inevitably got involved due to a beligerent minority of BF users who barge in and/or are abusive to stewards trying to work hard for our Club.

Personally, I suspect the police have only got involved because of the delay in doing the traffic signal re-phasing.

Has there been ANY suggestion that the priority that is being given to let buses and coaches out ahead of cars is being changed? Or is this just something that the Bennetts Field parkers are imagining might happen?

 

[Weststander]

Personally, I suspect the police have only got involved because of the delay in doing the traffic signal re-phasing.

Has there been ANY suggestion that the priority that is being given to let buses and coaches out ahead of cars is being changed? Or is this just something that the Bennetts Field parkers are imagining might happen?

It's the impression the BF parkers are giving, after their much self-publicised campaign of bombarding the club with e-mails.

Bet the mouthy ones don't show the same aggression to the Police, that they did to the Stewards. Funny that.

 

[Mackenzie]

Anything that makes the traffic flow more smoothly is welcome, I'm sure those in Bennett's Field appreciate that the buses must take preference.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

It's the impression the BF parkers are giving, after their much self-publicised campaign of bombarding the club with e-mails.

Bet the mouthy ones don't show the same aggression to the Police, that they did to the Stewards. Funny that.

But stewards could be used to give priority to BF parkers. You only need the police, if you are intending to stop traffic on the public highway. And the only reason you'd want to do that is to make the junction with badly phased traffic signals work more efficiently.

My prediction is that, once the re-phasing of the signals is completed, next month, the police will cease to be required and the lights will be allowed to do the job.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I find all this deeply fascinating. As other posters have said, there is congestion around a hell of a lot of football grounds. I remember it taking 45 minutes to get out of the car park by Home Park one season, with a crowd of about six or seven thousand in the place. Even longer the season we won promotion down there. I queued through bloody Hartlepool town centre for ages last season or the one before, and the Portman Road area was a particular nightmare after an Ipswich game.

The worst I've ever endured was Yeovil Town. Well over an hour to get away from the ground. Yep, it was annoying, but on balance, what's the big deal? We all have things to endure in life. If people accepted that there was going to be a delay, rather than sitting with their engines revving, getting more and more wound up, perhaps it wouldn't feel so bad.

People queue for the buses. They queue for the trains. They queue for the P&R shuttles. MOST- and I appreciate not all- car users to the Amex have a choice in the matter, so if it bothers you that much, the obvious (and possibly flippant) answer is: don't use the car? I wouldn't mind driving, it'd be highly convenient for me as I don't live in Brighton, but I can't justify the cost of parking, nor am I a 1901 member so I probably wouldn't get a space anyway, therefore I make other arrangements. I accept that it means I have to wait for a train at Falmer, then change at Brighton for one back to Burgess Hill. It's not massively convenient but that's the choice I've made. I don't expect it to happen in seconds, or complain to the rail companies that it's not quick enough and that they should have a direct service.

I have no issues with the price anybody pays for a season ticket, we're all fans aren't we, but it is rather coming across to us non-drivers that some people think their right is to be whizzed instantly out of the stadium come the final whistle. People end up queuing at other clubs, so why should the Albion be different? It's what happens when you get 20,000 people in the same spot, all wanting to move at once. An hour doesn't sound THAT bad to me, I was expecting much worse to be honest. You're paying for the space, not priority when it comes to getting back on the road afterwards. I think a little learning from experience (by the club) and a little perspective on life (by the car park users) is the only solution here.

PS I knew the trains would be a nightmare after an evening game, and knowing I had to be up early on Wednesday for work, I booked a seat on one of the StageDoor coaches for Tuesday night. Paid a fiver, dropped straight outside the stadium, and was home by 2300 afterwards. I highly recommend them. Just because you have a car park space, doesn't necessarily mean you can't look at other options on occasion. There are coaches going all over Sussex, worth looking at?

 

[The Merry Prankster]

I find all this deeply fascinating. As other posters have said, there is congestion around a hell of a lot of football grounds. I remember it taking 45 minutes to get out of the car park by Home Park one season, with a crowd of about six or seven thousand in the place. Even longer the season we won promotion down there. I queued through bloody Hartlepool town centre for ages last season or the one before, and the Portman Road area was a particular nightmare after an Ipswich game.

The worst I've ever endured was Yeovil Town. Well over an hour to get away from the ground. Yep, it was annoying, but on balance, what's the big deal? We all have things to endure in life. If people accepted that there was going to be a delay, rather than sitting with their engines revving, getting more and more wound up, perhaps it wouldn't feel so bad.

People queue for the buses. They queue for the trains. They queue for the P&R shuttles. MOST- and I appreciate not all- car users to the Amex have a choice in the matter, so if it bothers you that much, the obvious (and possibly flippant) answer is: don't use the car? I wouldn't mind driving, it'd be highly convenient for me as I don't live in Brighton, but I can't justify the cost of parking, nor am I a 1901 member so I probably wouldn't get a space anyway, therefore I make other arrangements. I accept that it means I have to wait for a train at Falmer, then change at Brighton for one back to Burgess Hill. It's not massively convenient but that's the choice I've made. I don't expect it to happen in seconds, or complain to the rail companies that it's not quick enough and that they should have a direct service.

I have no issues with the price anybody pays for a season ticket, we're all fans aren't we, but it is rather coming across to us non-drivers that some people think their right is to be whizzed instantly out of the stadium come the final whistle. People end up queuing at other clubs, so why should the Albion be different? It's what happens when you get 20,000 people in the same spot, all wanting to move at once. An hour doesn't sound THAT bad to me, I was expecting much worse to be honest. You're paying for the space, not priority when it comes to getting back on the road afterwards. I think a little learning from experience (by the club) and a little perspective on life (by the car park users) is the only solution here.

PS I knew the trains would be a nightmare after an evening game, and knowing I had to be up early on Wednesday for work, I booked a seat on one of the StageDoor coaches for Tuesday night. Paid a fiver, dropped straight outside the stadium, and was home by 2300 afterwards. I highly recommend them. Just because you have a car park space, doesn't necessarily mean you can't look at other options on occasion. There are coaches going all over Sussex, worth looking at?

Don't you get sick of being the voice of balance and reason?