Non Boxing Day football [moved to Tue. December 18th]

[studio150]

How did people get home after the FBS concerts? There were no trains afterwards were there? Were the park and rides operating? I appreciate there were fewer people there than for a match but presumably the Falmer High School car park wasn't operational at that time?

My son and his mates walked back into the centre of town, as I understand many others did also.

As well as FBS, wasnt the station closed for the Festival last Saturday at Stanmer park.

And to think that games used to be played on Christmas Day

 

[The Large One]

I understand there was 24k on the Saturday... a comparable figure to the expected Boxing Day match. Neither the Sussex Uni or Falmer School parking were available. I got a taxi home.

Unlikely. The capacity for the gig was only raised five weeks in advance, and they were nothing like sold out beforehand.

I was told by the club that there was 35,000 over the two days.

The trains ran until 10pm, and extra buses were provided, and P&R was running.

 

[Uter]

Unlikely. The capacity for the gig was only raised five weeks in advance, and they were nothing like sold out beforehand.

I was told by the club that there was 35,000 over the two days.

The trains ran until 10pm, and extra buses were provided, and P&R was running.

OK. I wasn't sure whether there was any park and ride as it wasn't mentioned here:

http://www.seagulls.co.uk/staticFiles/fa/b1/0,,10433~176634,00.pdf

The concert finished at 10:30 so it's reasonable to assume the vast majority stayed until after the trains had stopped running.

I'd be immensely disappointed if this game was moved. I think we've already demonstrated that we can put on a major event without trains. I think it's worth bearing in mind that a car park with 680 spaces was not available for the concerts and I don't think Seagulls Travel were running coaches either (they run about 30 coaches to home games) so the difference in attendances between the concerts and a home match is not as relevant as might seem at face value.

As for the park and rides, well, maybe it's true that they won't be in operation, but I find it hard to believe a commercial organisation with nearly 300 buses and coaches would not be prepared to hire their assets out on a day that they would otherwise be sitting idle for the most part. Surely it comes down to how much overtime do you have to offer to tempt enough drivers to work on Boxing day to meet your needs?

I think there is another consideration too; the reputation of the Amex. The Amex was built with the intention of earning extra income through various large non-Albion events. IMO our reputation will be damaged if we move this game and could diminish our ability to attract other events.

We have just been shortlisted as a venue for the Rugby World Cup. The organisers would not be doing their job if they didn't ask what our contingency plan would be if the most popular mode of transport was unavailable on the day of a match. "Er, postpone the match?" won't be an acceptable answer.

 

[Stat Brother]

If there's all these totally unused twelve carriage trains sitting in sidings all over the place on Boxing Day, couldn't the club just charter a couple, throw away the timetable and run a leaves-Falmer-only-when-full shuttle between Brighton-Falmer-Lewes? How hard could it be?

We could get all the Southern Trains rolling stock, parked on the line from Brighton to Lewes.
Then we can ALL walk safely on the 'track' in the direction you want to go, all warm and dry.

 

[The Large One]

I'd be immensely disappointed if this game was moved. I think we've already demonstrated that we can put on a major event without trains. I think it's worth bearing in mind that a car park with 680 spaces was not available for the concerts and I don't think Seagulls Travel were running coaches either (they run about 30 coaches to home games) so the difference in attendances between the concerts and a home match is not as relevant as might seem at face value.

As for the park and rides, well, maybe it's true that they won't be in operation, but I find it hard to believe a commercial organisation with nearly 300 buses and coaches would not be prepared to hire their assets out on a day that they would otherwise be sitting idle for the most part. Surely it comes down to how much overtime do you have to offer to tempt enough drivers to work on Boxing day to meet your needs?

I think there is another consideration too; the reputation of the Amex. The Amex was built with the intention of earning extra income through various large non-Albion events. IMO our reputation will be damaged if we move this game and could diminish our ability to attract other events.

We have just been shortlisted as a venue for the Rugby World Cup. The organisers would not be doing their job if they didn't ask what our contingency plan would be if the most popular mode of transport was unavailable on the day of a match. "Er, postpone the match?" won't be an acceptable answer.

No we haven't.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

This is the long list of venues for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, announced on Monday. It will be whittled down to 12.

1. Villa Park, Birmingham
2. Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton
3. Ashton Gate, Bristol
4. Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
5. Coventry Stadium, Coventry
6. Pride Park, Derby
7. Kingsholm, Gloucester
8. Elland Road, Leeds
9. Leicester City Stadium, Leicester
10. Olympic Stadium, London
11. Twickenham Stadium, London
12. Wembley Stadium, London
13. Old Trafford, Manchester
14. Stadiummk, Milton Keynes
15. St James’ Park, Newcastle
16. St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton
17. Stadium of Light, Sunderland

Official RWC 2015 Site

 

[Uter]

Yes, my mistake, longlisted not shortlisted.

 

[Uter]

The trains ran until 10pm, and extra buses were provided, and P&R was running.

Only Mill Road as far as I can tell. I stand to be corrected.

 

[Guinness Boy]

To be honest, these sound like the sort of lame excuses a total tart would come out with - so I can imagine those in charge of the Albion have thought of them all already. Additional risks on the A27? What? Don't drop people off on the A27 if you've got a brain. Illegal parking in Moulsecoomb - how is that a SAFETY concern? Nobody is going to DIE if we hold a match without full transport options, which is what some people sound like they are suggesting.

You seem to have missed the point by several hundred miles. I'm with you (actually I'm not, I'm with Simster and Tooting because they seem like the cool kids but I digress). We SHOULD be able to play the game on Boxing Day. However the point is that if you and I don't see these as safety concerns but the police do the game WILL be moved and I cannot see any other reason the police would be mentioning it if they didn't.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

No we haven't.

Oh yes we have

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

No we haven't.

If this is case (which I dispute) Boxing Day will be a great day to prove we can do it though, do you agree?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

OK. I wasn't sure whether there was any park and ride as it wasn't mentioned here:

http://www.seagulls.co.uk/staticFiles/fa/b1/0,,10433~176634,00.pdf

The concert finished at 10:30 so it's reasonable to assume the vast majority stayed until after the trains had stopped running.

I'd be immensely disappointed if this game was moved. I think we've already demonstrated that we can put on a major event without trains. I think it's worth bearing in mind that a car park with 680 spaces was not available for the concerts and I don't think Seagulls Travel were running coaches either (they run about 30 coaches to home games) so the difference in attendances between the concerts and a home match is not as relevant as might seem at face value.

As for the park and rides, well, maybe it's true that they won't be in operation, but I find it hard to believe a commercial organisation with nearly 300 buses and coaches would not be prepared to hire their assets out on a day that they would otherwise be sitting idle for the most part. Surely it comes down to how much overtime do you have to offer to tempt enough drivers to work on Boxing day to meet your needs?

I think there is another consideration too; the reputation of the Amex. The Amex was built with the intention of earning extra income through various large non-Albion events. IMO our reputation will be damaged if we move this game and could diminish our ability to attract other events.

We have just been shortlisted as a venue for the Rugby World Cup. The organisers would not be doing their job if they didn't ask what our contingency plan would be if the most popular mode of transport was unavailable on the day of a match. "Er, postpone the match?" won't be an acceptable answer.

Only the Mill Rd P&R was operational for the Fatboy gigs.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I find it hard to believe a commercial organisation with nearly 300 buses and coaches would not be prepared to hire their assets out on a day that they would otherwise be sitting idle for the most part. Surely it comes down to how much overtime do you have to offer to tempt enough drivers to work on Boxing day to meet your needs?

Maybe Boxing Day is the day Brighton and Hove Buses count up their takings for the year? Given the cost of traveling by bus I presume this will occupy ALL their staff for most of the Xmas holiday?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I woold like to take this moment to offer a motivational message to all those involved putting on the Boxing Day game:

"Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'"
- Peter Maher, Irish-Canadian Olympian and Sub-2:12 marathoner

He's not quite Plato but hopefully his sentiment will rub off on some of those at the Albion.

 

[Bozza]

P&R Boxing Day?

No one has asked "How difficult can it be?" for a while now.

Allow me.

"How difficult can it be?"

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

No one has asked "How difficult can it be?" for a while now.

Allow me.

"How difficult can it be?"

This would not happen in Germany.

 

[The Large One]

If this is case (which I dispute) Boxing Day will be a great day to prove we can do it though, do you agree?

You also dispute food prices have risen, so...

Anyway, I've seen many people come up with numbers and ideas about how it can be done, but talking to transport people and the police about what it's like on the ground, I can't see anyone's figures stacking up.

Can you go through your figures again about how it can be done - without presuming that everyone else is fit / healthy / without small children, and without presuming that the majority of fans will be coming from BN1 / BN2 / BN3 (only about 36% do)?

The principle problem - though by no means the only problem - as I see it, is the buses taking up the strain of what the trains would normally provide - that's around 11,000 people in the first 35 minutes after the end of the game, or 138 full-up bus journeys. A split from Brighton Station and Lewes Station as a replacement service can be achieved, but where do you house 138 buses after the game?

This is assuming that the bus drivers are prepared to give up their Boxing Day, even with the temptation of a bumper payday, and that the club is prepared to fork out a six-figure sum for the bus hire.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

They can put a man on the moon you know.

 

[Bozza]

They can put a man on the moon you know.

They didn't do it on Boxing Day though, did they? There's a reason for that.