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[Albion] Closing the North Stand last night was WRONG



goldstone

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
7,115
This deserves its own thread. Post from the player ratings thread says it all: " If you're going to sell 2000 tickets to away supporters keep the North Stand open so we can create some atmosphere." It felt more like a Southampton home game last night with our loudest fans dispersed around the ground.
 




Quinney

Well-known member
Aug 3, 2009
3,653
Hastings
Totally agree. Clearly there are cost implications in opening the North Stand but the atmosphere would have been much better. Failing that the club should assign a block or 2 in the West stand ie nearest the North Stand as “singing sections”, then at least people know where to aim for if they want to sing.


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Bold Seagull

strong and stable with me, or...
Mar 18, 2010
29,789
Hove
I got back off holiday yesterday and fancied it last minute but couldn't get 3 seats together, nor could a mate of mine who'd left it late to decide to go. Sounds like they accept they made the wrong decision on the expected sales as chatting to the ticket office they had received a lot of ticket requests leading up to the game but didn't have the tickets to sell.
 


John Byrnes Mullet

Global Circumnavigator
Oct 4, 2004
1,190
Brighton
This deserves its own thread. Post from the player ratings thread says it all: " If you're going to sell 2000 tickets to away supporters keep the North Stand open so we can create some atmosphere." It felt more like a Southampton home game last night with our loudest fans dispersed around the ground.

Agreed it would have been a bigger crowd and certainly more atmosphere.
 


Seasidesage

New member
May 19, 2009
4,467
Brighton, United Kingdom
If they had sold tickets at £10 they might easily have got 20k plus IMO. Surely that and giving kids a chance to go would've been better than closing parts of the ground and basically saying we aren't taking this seriously either...
 




dazzer6666

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Mar 27, 2013
52,399
Burgess Hill
If they had sold tickets at £10 they might easily have got 20k plus IMO. Surely that and giving kids a chance to go would've been better than closing parts of the ground and basically saying we aren't taking this seriously either...

You think £2 would have made that much difference ?
 


timbha

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
9,895
Sussex
I agree about opening the North Stand but not that another 7000 fans would have been there if the tickets had been £2 cheaper
 


Seasidesage

New member
May 19, 2009
4,467
Brighton, United Kingdom
You think £2 would have made that much difference ?

To some people possibly especially when linked with cheap childrens tickets?. The price is just part of it though, it wasn't really 'sold' as such. It seemed to me almost like a game no one wanted to be involved with.

It'll be a full house Saturday, but they're must be people who don't go regularly who could've been encouraged to attend? I know its not a massive draw but the club seem almost apologetic about these games and closing the north stand sends out a bad message IMO
 




The Kid Frankie

New member
Sep 5, 2012
2,082
First time in the East Stand last night. Probably the last.

Queue to get in was huge. I wondered if that was par for the course for that stand but seemed to be a lot of moaning so maybe not. Atmosphere woeful. Got to the kiosk about 3-4 minutes before KO and they had completely run of food with the exception of vegetarian which lets face it no one without a screw loose would eat.

Get me back to the WSU or open the North at least :shit:
 


Green Cross Code Man

Wunt be druv
Mar 30, 2006
19,708
Eastbourne
It was patently obvious that the club made a mistake but having said that, after the lack of interest in the P@lace cup match, they probably thought we'd struggle to get 10,000. Closing the North would have also put us at a potential disadvantage were the match to have gone to penalties as they may have been taken in front of either empty seats or Southampton fans.
 


Guinness Boy

Tofu eating wokerati
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
Jul 23, 2003
34,131
Up and Coming Sunny Portslade
I didn't go (badfan) as was working three hours away and only got home in the middle of the first half - but I would have gone if I'd been able to work from home or in an office a bit nearer. £12 seemed a reasonable price to me.

I remember going to the Newport County League Cup game (where Calde was sent off) and there only being about 8-9000 there but the NS being open, because that's where I sat. There were about 20 people singing under the scoreboard but otherwise it was fairly quiet and lots of gaps.

NS has to be open from the start of sales and a different area closed if it's going to be used IMO. Opening it late would have incrased costs but people would already have had tickets elsewhere.
 




Hamilton

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 7, 2003
12,454
Brighton
In terms of price, making the game a tenner wouldn't have made a difference.

Make it a fiver and kids go free. That may have filled it up.

Doubt it would cover costs.

Then again, no point in pulling in a crowd if the team is going to be so lacklustre in approach. Then again, maybe a bigger crowd would have lifted the game.
 




dazzer6666

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Mar 27, 2013
52,399
Burgess Hill
To some people possibly especially when linked with cheap childrens tickets?. The price is just part of it though, it wasn't really 'sold' as such. It seemed to me almost like a game no one wanted to be involved with.

It'll be a full house Saturday, but they're must be people who don't go regularly who could've been encouraged to attend? I know its not a massive draw but the club seem almost apologetic about these games and closing the north stand sends out a bad message IMO

Problem is if the club go all out to sell it - £10 tickets, kids for quid etc etc and get a full or near-full house and then CH uses the game as a run-out for the benchwarmers and U23s, there would be even more complaints. Suspect most going last night knew what to expect so they probably got it about right - only thing they should have done is absolutely opened the North. There's never going to be any kind of atmosphere if it's closed (even the Nantes friendly was better than last night)
 




Worthing exile

New member
May 12, 2009
1,219
With all these sliding shutters they have on the concourses they only had to open a couple of blocks under the control box/TV room in the north and they could have shut the SE corner.
 


Bold Seagull

strong and stable with me, or...
Mar 18, 2010
29,789
Hove
If they had sold tickets at £10 they might easily have got 20k plus IMO. Surely that and giving kids a chance to go would've been better than closing parts of the ground and basically saying we aren't taking this seriously either...

They didn't have enough tickets to sell at £15. They underestimated the demand even at £15 in the build up to the game. I know a few who wanted to go but left it late thinking tickets wouldn't be a problem. It was effectively a sell out for what they made available.
 


dazzer6666

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Mar 27, 2013
52,399
Burgess Hill
They didn't have enough tickets to sell at £15. They underestimated the demand even at £15 in the build up to the game. I know a few who wanted to go but left it late thinking tickets wouldn't be a problem. It was effectively a sell out for what they made available.

It was £12
 


blue-shifted

Banned
Feb 20, 2004
7,645
a galaxy far far away
Should have opened ... All of the north and north half of east lower and north half of west lower. Then release more and more blocks as and when they sell out the last.

These are the sort of games to make a big thing about bringing kids along. It's summer holidays, not cold, possibility of penalties and a great opportunity. After all, we've got loads of kids, including mine on season ticket waiting lists and struggling to pick up loyalty points to get to games.
 






Napper

Well-known member
Jul 9, 2003
23,873
Sussex
Not opening the North wrong decision. The amount of TV money we get surely could of offset a few £k extra to open it up.

WSL staff just as incompetent as my normal seat. 5 of them bumbling around the beer taps as usual.

All it takes is one goon to constantly be pouring pints and putting it to the side for the cashiers to take.

Slows everything down and the queues build and people don't bother.
 


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