I think he is spot on ----- Falmer
Well it looks great when you finally get there (the problem was getting there). Nobody in the centre of Brighton had a clue how to get there by bus and we got told 5 different directions to the train station so that was also a problem. Ended up catching one bus and dropped off 20 minutes walk from the stadium. The layout near it is pretty poor. Nothing around and that's the big negative of it really. I also felt they need some signage around as we didn't have a clue where it was to be honest, we just followed two Brighton fans.
It looks impressive when you first get there from the outside. Doesn't really look like a stadium though, more like an arena or something. When you finally find the away end (no signage as to where that is, that is needed). First encounter is the concourse, didn't see much of this personalisation thing, one pretty average projected image hidden away at the side was it, no colour scheme or anything as was mentioned. The concourse was too small. 1500 Rovers fans in a 2500 end and it was fully open yet very cramped, surprised that wasn't bigger and the toilets were tiny, huge queues for them, also lacked a bookies. A steward told us there was to be one but they feel the concourse is a bit small and lacked food outlets so they replaced it with a pie stand. It didn't seem to cope well to be honest, thought it would have been bigger given it's new.
When you walk in the huge stand grabs your attention. It is mighty impressive it has to be said. The second thing you notice is the PA. I'm 23 and go to lots of gigs but it was too loud. Great sound system but I like talking to mates without having to shout pre match.
It's a bit weird though. It's built well and looks impressive with that big stand but it all just feels a bit too fake and manufactured, if anything it looks a bit odd. The odd thing is the end stands. They don't go even up to the side touchline and it all looks a bit odd. My biggest criticsm of the away end was the seating. Hugely comfortable and lots of room, that's a positive in some respects but then you also feel like you've too much room (I'm a fan of cramped in seating improving atmosphere, you feel a bit spread out). Biggest criticsm is the slope of the stand, it's far too shallow. I was on row O and was barely at crossbar level. The negative here is the view of the other end is average and it's quite tough to make out what's exactly going on with being so low down.
Have to say the build quality is impressive and it looks like a cross between Cardiff and Huddersfield in a way. But it just feels a bit more like an arena than a football ground. The flags looked fantastic though, I'm sure atmosphere will come, the chants of Albion sound good but there was no real banter between fans almost as if the fans to our right didn't understand a football crowd at times. Don't get me wrong it's a fantastic stadium but it doesn't have the feel of a football stadium if you get what I mean and the open corners etc give you this feeling that it's only half built. I can see probelms aswell at the away end with fans on the pitch, didn't seem to be much preventing you getting on the pitch. The pitch looked fantastic and the big screens are good too (though they could at least spell player's names correctly, two of ours spelt wrong and could do with showing yellow cards next to those booked). Being a bit picky there though.
It was a good day out, biggest disappointment obviously the result and some Albion fans booing Sharp as he was being carried off, bit out of order that I felt as it was clear he had a nasty injury from his body language. Also utterly bizarre some of the abuse we got at times around the ground. One guy had us in stitches saying he knew all about Doncaster and that our fans are a disgrace to football, how bizarre. There wasnt' much evidence of this fans relationship that always existed when we went to the Withdean, shame that. Also saw a bit of a set two in the coach park. A group of Brighton fans spat at an old man, bit out of order that especially as one of them had a young kid. The kid saved them as they did it right next to a group of older style blokes that to be honest didn't need encouragement for a scrap, had they not had the kid they'd have been in big trouble I think, bit out of order that. Have to say though in the town centre we met some real nice Brighton fans so it was a bit mixed, they seamt to have no idea how to get to the stadium either, but I'm sure that'll improve in time.
I'm not even going to mention the M25 though, some of our fans didn't even make it, talk about timing.
Well it looks great when you finally get there (the problem was getting there). Nobody in the centre of Brighton had a clue how to get there by bus and we got told 5 different directions to the train station so that was also a problem. Ended up catching one bus and dropped off 20 minutes walk from the stadium. The layout near it is pretty poor. Nothing around and that's the big negative of it really. I also felt they need some signage around as we didn't have a clue where it was to be honest, we just followed two Brighton fans.
It looks impressive when you first get there from the outside. Doesn't really look like a stadium though, more like an arena or something. When you finally find the away end (no signage as to where that is, that is needed). First encounter is the concourse, didn't see much of this personalisation thing, one pretty average projected image hidden away at the side was it, no colour scheme or anything as was mentioned. The concourse was too small. 1500 Rovers fans in a 2500 end and it was fully open yet very cramped, surprised that wasn't bigger and the toilets were tiny, huge queues for them, also lacked a bookies. A steward told us there was to be one but they feel the concourse is a bit small and lacked food outlets so they replaced it with a pie stand. It didn't seem to cope well to be honest, thought it would have been bigger given it's new.
When you walk in the huge stand grabs your attention. It is mighty impressive it has to be said. The second thing you notice is the PA. I'm 23 and go to lots of gigs but it was too loud. Great sound system but I like talking to mates without having to shout pre match.
It's a bit weird though. It's built well and looks impressive with that big stand but it all just feels a bit too fake and manufactured, if anything it looks a bit odd. The odd thing is the end stands. They don't go even up to the side touchline and it all looks a bit odd. My biggest criticsm of the away end was the seating. Hugely comfortable and lots of room, that's a positive in some respects but then you also feel like you've too much room (I'm a fan of cramped in seating improving atmosphere, you feel a bit spread out). Biggest criticsm is the slope of the stand, it's far too shallow. I was on row O and was barely at crossbar level. The negative here is the view of the other end is average and it's quite tough to make out what's exactly going on with being so low down.
Have to say the build quality is impressive and it looks like a cross between Cardiff and Huddersfield in a way. But it just feels a bit more like an arena than a football ground. The flags looked fantastic though, I'm sure atmosphere will come, the chants of Albion sound good but there was no real banter between fans almost as if the fans to our right didn't understand a football crowd at times. Don't get me wrong it's a fantastic stadium but it doesn't have the feel of a football stadium if you get what I mean and the open corners etc give you this feeling that it's only half built. I can see probelms aswell at the away end with fans on the pitch, didn't seem to be much preventing you getting on the pitch. The pitch looked fantastic and the big screens are good too (though they could at least spell player's names correctly, two of ours spelt wrong and could do with showing yellow cards next to those booked). Being a bit picky there though.
It was a good day out, biggest disappointment obviously the result and some Albion fans booing Sharp as he was being carried off, bit out of order that I felt as it was clear he had a nasty injury from his body language. Also utterly bizarre some of the abuse we got at times around the ground. One guy had us in stitches saying he knew all about Doncaster and that our fans are a disgrace to football, how bizarre. There wasnt' much evidence of this fans relationship that always existed when we went to the Withdean, shame that. Also saw a bit of a set two in the coach park. A group of Brighton fans spat at an old man, bit out of order that especially as one of them had a young kid. The kid saved them as they did it right next to a group of older style blokes that to be honest didn't need encouragement for a scrap, had they not had the kid they'd have been in big trouble I think, bit out of order that. Have to say though in the town centre we met some real nice Brighton fans so it was a bit mixed, they seamt to have no idea how to get to the stadium either, but I'm sure that'll improve in time.
I'm not even going to mention the M25 though, some of our fans didn't even make it, talk about timing.
