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

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Northstandite

New member
Jun 6, 2011
1,260
If NOBODY used cars to get to games, the planet might feel it had had a pleasant Saturday afternoon, but there wouldn't be enough room on the trains, buses and coaches to get 22,000 people to and from the stadium. Speaking selfishly, I shall be using the train tomorrow.

Due to these inadequacies in public/club transport modes, more of us could help by acquiring Range Rover's and Porsche Cayenne's for urban driving to the Amex.
 




Due to these inadequacies in public/club transport modes, more of us could help by acquiring Range Rover's and Porsche Cayenne's for urban driving to the Amex.
What "inadequacies"? The Club is complying with the planning conditions relating to public transport access to games.. And the transport operators are providing services that work well, taking into account the times that people are choosing to travel. The only whinging seems to be coming from people who haven't worked out how to use a transport system that is new to them. It's no different from being able to buy a couple of pints of Harveys before kick-off. Don't moan at the Club, if you need a wee-wee half way through the first half.
 




Superphil

Dismember
Jul 7, 2003
25,453
In a pile of football shirts
Park and ride dipshit.:thumbsup:

You call that discussing differing opinions? So far you have made aggressive statements, and resorted to name calling.

Park and Ride, Bennetts Field Car park, it's still driving to a game, both will always involve queues, and everyone fully expected that. We are talking here about excessive queues, caused by a lack of experience and poor training. You said you don't understand why someone would choose to drive, what a stupid thing to say, there is no bus or train I could use to get to the ground (P&R or BF) so what, do I choose not to come at all then? You then suggest we are thick to anticipate a quick getaway, I doubt many anticipated a quick getaway, but thanks for calling those who may have done 'thick'. Having a 'booze up', mm, well perhaps we are getting a better picture now eh? And finally, you are someone who is glad at the misfortune of others.

Well, all taken into consideration, I am a reasonable person, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, you probalby didn't consider the full picture when you made your comments.
 


southern_sid

Banned
Aug 5, 2011
986
You call that discussing differing opinions? So far you have made aggressive statements, and resorted to name calling.

Park and Ride, Bennetts Field Car park, it's still driving to a game, both will always involve queues, and everyone fully expected that. We are talking here about excessive queues, caused by a lack of experience and poor training. You said you don't understand why someone would choose to drive, what a stupid thing to say, there is no bus or train I could use to get to the ground (P&R or BF) so what, do I choose not to come at all then? You then suggest we are thick to anticipate a quick getaway, I doubt many anticipated a quick getaway, but thanks for calling those who may have done 'thick'. Having a 'booze up', mm, well perhaps we are getting a better picture now eh? And finally, you are someone who is glad at the misfortune of others.

Well, all taken into consideration, I am a reasonable person, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, you probalby didn't consider the full picture when you made your comments.

So you cant drive to any of the PARK and ride destinations, but you can drive to the ground. Ok.

Enjoy your wait in the car park as i cruise home a little pissed and dead happy with the way this season is going, and life in general.:thumbsup:
 




southern_sid

Banned
Aug 5, 2011
986
The Bennetts field mob have turned my rep red.:lolol:

love this site at times:clap2:
 








Superphil

Dismember
Jul 7, 2003
25,453
In a pile of football shirts
So you cant drive to any of the PARK and ride destinations, but you can drive to the ground. Ok.

Enjoy your wait in the car park as i cruise home a little pissed and dead happy with the way this season is going, and life in general.:thumbsup:

Now you seem to have a selective reading issue. It makes no difference which car park you park at, it is still driving to a game, something you initially said you didn't understand why anyone would CHOOSE to drive to a game. Many don't have a choice, it's either drive, or don't go. It is irrelevent which car park you use, there is, and always was, going to be a long queue to get out, whichever car park we CHOOSE to use, that is how it goes with leaving a football ground, anywhere. Please read again what I wrote, this is a discussion about excessive queueing, which is hopefully a temporary glitch, but nevertheless has sparked a debate which has attracted a few people just out for an arguement, and another round of insults at the 1901 Club.

You enjoy your cruising home, I didn't have you down for that. I shall be in the bar, having a beer, waiting for the queue to go down, I don't have to leave early. Then I shall drive home. As for life, mine is just dandy, even better now I get to watch the Albion at the Amex.
 










teaboy

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
1,840
My house
The general problem with transport is that people have unrealistic expectations based around how Withdean worked. 20,000 people will always take longer to travel than 8,000. This is clear. Why not do what you can to have an easier time? Leave home earlier, use the ample public transport available and have a beer at the ground before the match. On the way home do the same but in reverse.

If people stagger their journeys then queues will be reduced and travel will be smoother and more enjoyable.
 


southern_sid

Banned
Aug 5, 2011
986
Now you seem to have a selective reading issue. It makes no difference which car park you park at, it is still driving to a game, something you initially said you didn't understand why anyone would CHOOSE to drive to a game. Many don't have a choice, it's either drive, or don't go. It is irrelevent which car park you use, there is, and always was, going to be a long queue to get out, whichever car park we CHOOSE to use, that is how it goes with leaving a football ground, anywhere. Please read again what I wrote, this is a discussion about excessive queueing, which is hopefully a temporary glitch, but nevertheless has sparked a debate which has attracted a few people just out for an arguement, and another round of insults at the 1901 Club.

You enjoy your cruising home, I didn't have you down for that. I shall be in the bar, having a beer, waiting for the queue to go down, I don't have to leave early. Then I shall drive home. As for life, mine is just dandy, even better now I get to watch the Albion at the Amex.

Got extemely bored of your patronising manner at the first piece of clever underlining of the text you type. I then decided not to carry on reading.

I Hope you feel you got value for money for parking your car there. Enjoy your meal in the club.

p.s you might want to blag a doggy park in case you get peckish in your car, also keep a hot water bottle and a blanket in the boot, its going to be ripe on a January night mate.
 




Superphil

Dismember
Jul 7, 2003
25,453
In a pile of football shirts
In fact, f*** it. Sorry if you felt patronised, wasn't my intention.
 


Tony Meolas Loan Spell

Slut Faced Whores
Jul 15, 2004
18,067
Vamanos Pest
With regards to the "abuse" incident do 1901ers have to declare their registration number as I can see their privilages being "withdrawn", with a refund I would have thought.
 


Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
60,115
The Fatherland
Hot off the press, you cannot say fairer than this:

Dear ,

The Club is very aware of the issues relating to the use of Bennett’s Field car park and in particular, the delays some users are experiencing in leaving the car park at the end of matches at the American Express Community Stadium. The purpose of this note is to re-assure supporters that we are doing everything we can to reduce the delays in leaving this car park however we also need help from you.

Firstly we need to put the issue into context. Based on 1901 Club and season ticket sales we are predicting that the average gate per match at the Amex this season will be in excess of 20,000. And the majority of these supporters will arrive and leave the stadium in a relatively short period of time. This is especially true after an evening game. It is inevitable therefore, that some delay in leaving will occur and this is true of every major stadium in the country.

After each match we are monitoring all our transport modes to make sure people get away as quickly as can reasonably be achieved. It is common at major sporting events for it to take well over an hour for traffic and transport to clear. Our aim is to have all forms of transport free flowing in under an hour from the end of the match. We have achieved this on buses and trains and we are very close to achieving this with car parks and at the last Saturday match we did achieve this target. On Tuesday evening our CCTV evidence shows clearly, that the Bennett’s Field car park was cleared in 1 hour 17 minutes from the end of the game i.e. by 11.36 pm. To get supporters to and from the Amex, the Club provides a wide range of transport options. The park and ride schemes, special buses, coaches, service buses and the trains are all being used very extensively, and as a result a vast number of people are being moved to and from the stadium by public transport. However, the huge success of these modes of transport and the number of people using them, means that the concourses, access roads and the coach and bus interchange itself are extremely busy for a short period of time after the game, and the movement of vehicles through these areas during this period has to be restricted on safety grounds.

For those people who are allocated a parking space, or who wish to purchase a parking space at or near the stadium we currently have two car parks. The Bennett’s Field car park is beside the stadium but shares vehicular access with the bus and coach interchange. The ingress and egress from the University of Sussex car parking does not clash with Village Way or the bus and coach interchange, but is a short walk from the stadium. We allocated the Bennett’s Field car park to the 1901 Club Members because it is closest. Focussing on Bennett’s Field there are a number of factors which make it difficult for everyone to leave immediately.

When we were granted permission for the Bennett’s Field car park, Lewes District Council, not unreasonably, put on a planning condition that requires us to ensure that the release of traffic from the stadium does not block the roundabout and junction onto the A27 thereby causing tailbacks on to this major highway eastbound. The other restriction is that all traffic leaving the stadium via Village Way has to do so through the traffic light junction with the B2123 The Drove.

Because of the volume of pedestrian traffic in the area we have to make sure it is safe before releasing vehicles into the same area. We have reorganised the way in which we manage the bus park to allow vehicles to leave Bennett’s Field immediately following the end of the match. We did this for the first time on Tuesday and we will continue this for the future. At the exit from the bus park, vehicles leaving Bennett’s Field conflict with buses and coaches. We have to give priority to the buses and coaches at this point but will allow cars to filter out with buses where that is possible.

At the traffic lights, the sequencing is set for non-match day traffic and so has longer than necessary phases for The Drove. We have now arranged with Sussex Police and East Sussex County Council to experiment with manual management of the traffic lights. We are hoping this will enable traffic to leave the coach and bus parks quicker.

Pick ups by friends and families in Village Way are also adding to the volume of traffic in the immediate area. We are working with our partners to find potential solutions to that issue.

However In Bennett’s Field car park itself, the problem is exacerbated by examples of bad driving and selfish behaviour by a small minority of people using the car park. Rather than queue, these people insist on cutting through vacant car parking spaces and jumping the queue as near as possible to the exit. This creates a jam, and rather than speeding up the egress slows it down and causes unnecessary further delay for the majority of our supporters who are waiting in line. Sadly some of these drivers are the ones who have been routinely abusing and threatening stewards and police officers. This abuse was so bad on Tuesday evening we withdrew our staff for their own safety which did not help the situation, but we had no choice. Such abuse is totally unacceptable and we will be taking steps to deal with the perpetrators. We are also implementing measures to prevent people from jumping the queue at the exit. However, this will take time to organise and may require some construction works.

We hope you will understand we are doing all we can to make egress on all forms of transport as smooth and speedy as possible, however expectations must be realistic. You can help by being patient and co-operating with the staff to ensure that the exit routes are kept clear and that vehicles can leave in an orderly manner.

To help spread the load we have arranged for the bars in the stadium to remain open after evening matches until 11pm. This will enable those who wish to do so to remain with their guests and ensure a much shorter wait in the car park.

Finally however, we are happy to arrange for any 1901 Club Member who would like to transfer to the University of Sussex car parks from Bennett’s Field to do so and if this is an option you would like to take up you should contact the 1901 Club representatives who will be happy to exchange your car parking passes for you.

Your faithfully

Steve Reeves
Transport Manager

 








Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
60,115
The Fatherland
With regards to the "abuse" incident do 1901ers have to declare their registration number as I can see their privilages being "withdrawn", with a refund I would have thought.

I'm sure the CCTV will enable identification. When I was at the disabled supports meeting the club (Brown, Perry, Hebbard, Townsend) made it very clear they will ban anyone who abuses any of their staff. Fair enough.
 


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