[Albion] The "Official" Albion Fan Advisory Board thread

[Colonel Mustard]

Vs. AEK I waited inside for 45 minutes before venturing out, only to still find a lengthy queue. I still had to wait over 30 minutes for a train back to Brighton and got absolutely drenched. In previous seasons, I found that waiting this length of time usually meant only a wait of up to around 10 minutes, sometimes less. Now the queues are either longer or slower or both, even though crowds are only marginally bigger.

There is a limit to how long I can nurse a coke post match and, to be honest, after 45 minutes I feel like I've done my bit.

But aside from this, I just don't know how lengthy the queues are until I've left the stadium.

Could the CC-TV feed of the queues for P&R and trains etc. be relayed to the concourses to help give fans an idea on the waiting times I wonder?

Maybe they could invest in a few of these too:

Pro Departure Board – UK Departure Boards

ukdepartureboards.co.uk

Live departure boards are a great idea.

 

[Colonel Mustard]

I'm not sure this really addresses my point.

It's been over 10 years that we've been at the amex, 7th year in the premier league. Experience should be trumping expectations at this point. By now people should be aware that 25-30,000 people going to a location with limited transport links is going to lead to bottle-necking and crowding at certain points pre- and post-match, and, if viable, looking at alternatives to make the journey better for themself and others if they don't like the current way things work.

Do you think people don’t do this? Of course people consider their transport options. Trouble is, none of the options work very well unless you leave before the final whistle, or pay an extra £20-25 for a Seagull Travel coach ie they’re not great options either.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I think this is a great idea! In the early days of the stadium, I seem to remember there was train time information on the screens post match. There's a chance I may have imagined this, but pretty certain this happened for the first year or two at least. This was useful because as soon as you saw a train cancelled then you at least knew it was going to be carnage and could settle in with a pint or two extra!

No - this definitely WAS a thing.

If we were drinking in the WSL after a game, and heading into town, we'd watch the displays, and plan which upcoming train we were going to make a dash for.

(That isn't the same as live QUEUING TIME info, mind. No sense leaving your dry concourse to dash for a train, then finding there's still a 20 minute queue!)

 

[Bozza]

No - this definitely WAS a thing.

If we were drinking in the WSL after a game, and heading into town, we'd watch the displays, and plan which upcoming train we were going to make a dash for.

(That isn't the same as live QUEUING TIME info, mind. No sense leaving your dry concourse to dash for a train, then finding there's still a 20 minute queue!)

As I tend to drive these days this doesn't really affect me, but you'd think it should be relatively simple to:

a) reinstate the train information boards, and
b) try to incorporate some "current queue situation" information to supplement that

 

[Uter]

No - this definitely WAS a thing.

If we were drinking in the WSL after a game, and heading into town, we'd watch the displays, and plan which upcoming train we were going to make a dash for.

(That isn't the same as live QUEUING TIME info, mind. No sense leaving your dry concourse to dash for a train, then finding there's still a 20 minute queue!)

Yes, that's why I suggested relaying the CC-TV feeds to the concourses too. Departure boards are useful of course, but they only give you a partial picture of what's happening outside. To get a full picture you need to be able to see what's happening, or at least have some indication of waiting times. Departure boards don't help the P&R folks either.

 

[drew]

I'm not sure this really addresses my point.

It's been over 10 years that we've been at the amex, 7th year in the premier league. Experience should be trumping expectations at this point. By now people should be aware that 25-30,000 people going to a location with limited transport links is going to lead to bottle-necking and crowding at certain points pre- and post-match, and, if viable, looking at alternatives to make the journey better for themself and others if they don't like the current way things work.

Part of the problem will be people's previous experience of football at a ramshackle Goldstone ground with gates averaging 5.8k in 1996/7, and Withdean where the max capacity was still only about 9k. We're now getting in excess of 30k.

That said, I used the P&R at Mill Rd for the first few seasons and didn't really see it as too much of a problem but my recent very sporadic use of that service has led to lengthy delays post match which I'm guessing is due to the effective halving of capacity when the bendy buses were retired!

 

[studio150]

Complain may not be the right word, but it was a suggestion earlier in this thread

And this is the problem with the FAB in a nutshell.

I person makes a comment without any further evidence that this is actually a problem and it would appear to be taken forward. Why?

A few minutes to think about this, would provide a few issues that would show a downside to this being adopted. But first why is 1pm seen as more desirable.

If you work, 1 pm is not everyone's lunchtime, so the work issue remains
If you don't work, then with 9am, you can have the ticket done and dusted before 9.15 and spend the rest of the day doing whatever you want to do.
With 1pm, you have to plan your day around it, so that you are back home for 1pm, or just take pot luck as to whether you can get a internet or strong mobile connection. Not great if you are driving, or undertaking other activities.

Great if you don't like mornings, but really without sufficient numbers, I just don't understand why this was even discussed, other than see if further research is needed,

I just wonder how many complaints PBOBE has received on the timing of the windows, single digits if that?

 

[Greavsey]

Yes, that's why I suggested relaying the CC-TV feeds to the concourses too. Departure boards are useful of course, but they only give you a partial picture of what's happening outside. To get a full picture you need to be able to see what's happening, or at least have some indication of waiting times. Departure boards don't help the P&R folks either.

Agreed. But I think an easier starter question for FAB to the club is re the departure boards for trains, especially as others have corroborated they were displayed back in 2011. Start suggesting CC-TV feeds and it becomes a whole other level of effort for the club, and they'd find logistical reasons to squirm out of it e.g. we'd need floodlights for night games, what queue would we focus on the internal screens Lewes or Brighton etc...

Re P&R, I've never used it, so don't know how something like this would work for that scenario, but you could argue that if the trains are easier to get then it would relieve pressure on the P&R.

 

[Colonel Mustard]

And this is the problem with the FAB in a nutshell.

I person makes a comment without any further evidence that this is actually a problem and it would appear to be taken forward. Why?

A few minutes to think about this, would provide a few issues that would show a downside to this being adopted. But first why is 1pm seen as more desirable.

If you work, 1 pm is not everyone's lunchtime, so the work issue remains
If you don't work, then with 9am, you can have the ticket done and dusted before 9.15 and spend the rest of the day doing whatever you want to do.
With 1pm, you have to plan your day around it, so that you are back home for 1pm, or just take pot luck as to whether you can get a internet or strong mobile connection. Not great if you are driving, or undertaking other activities.

Great if you don't like mornings, but really without sufficient numbers, I just don't understand why this was even discussed, other than see if further research is needed,

I just wonder how many complaints PBOBE has received on the timing of the windows, single digits if that?

• It's fair to say that no single window-open time would solve the problem for everyone. But I think it would make sense to at least stagger the times to reduce the chance of long waits. It doesn't seem sensible to start selling 3 matches at once + parking. That said, I don't know how the staffing works. Is it possible that they have to schedule extra or temporary staff on duty for sales window openings? If so it might be more cost-effective to have several start at once.
  
  
• On another topic, it does amuse me that people get so anxious about the appearance of the words to SBTS! I can never remember all the words, and like to see them up there. At the UEFA games, the words haven't been visible and there's been a quite noticeable drop-off in participation until the chorus comes round.
  
  
• Regarding the park and ride, I'd like to see a charge introduced for the service, and make it bookable in advance. It's annoying to have to turn up so early to be sure of a place at the racecourse. I'd happily pay £5 for a guaranteed place. Or perhaps a 'speedy boarding' sort of arrangement. So that people who pay in advance and actually have a car parked at the P and R are allowed on the first tranche of buses away from the ground at the end. The later buses that return to the ground could then be made available to all. People get very upset when I suggest that the P and R buses should primarily service fans who actually use the P and R, rather than those who just want a free bus away from the ground. But that's my view anyway.

 

[jackalbion]

• It's fair to say that no single window-open time would solve the problem for everyone. But I think it would make sense to at least stagger the times to reduce the chance of long waits. It doesn't seem sensible to start selling 3 matches at once + parking. That said, I don't know how the staffing works. Is it possible that they have to schedule extra or temporary staff on duty for sales window openings? If so it might be more cost-effective to have several start at once.
• On another topic, it does amuse me that people get so anxious about the appearance of the words to SBTS! I can never remember all the words, and like to see them up there. At the UEFA games, the words haven't been visible and there's been a quite noticeable drop-off in participation until the chorus comes round.
  
  
• Regarding the park and ride, I'd like to see a charge introduced for the service, and make it bookable in advance. It's annoying to have to turn up so early to be sure of a place at the racecourse. I'd happily pay £5 for a guaranteed place. Or perhaps a 'speedy boarding' sort of arrangement. So that people who pay in advance and actually have a car parked at the P and R are allowed on the first tranche of buses away from the ground at the end. The later buses that return to the ground could then be made available to all. People get very upset when I suggest that the P and R buses should primarily service fans who actually use the P and R, rather than those who just want a free bus away from the ground. But that's my view anyway.

I have brought this up a few times to the club in reference to two away games on sale at the same time and have yet to receive a response. Its annoying as you want to select the best seats for both games but can't.

 

[Deleted member 37369]

And this is the problem with the FAB in a nutshell.

I person makes a comment without any further evidence that this is actually a problem and it would appear to be taken forward. Why?

A few minutes to think about this, would provide a few issues that would show a downside to this being adopted. But first why is 1pm seen as more desirable.

If you work, 1 pm is not everyone's lunchtime, so the work issue remains
If you don't work, then with 9am, you can have the ticket done and dusted before 9.15 and spend the rest of the day doing whatever you want to do.
With 1pm, you have to plan your day around it, so that you are back home for 1pm, or just take pot luck as to whether you can get a internet or strong mobile connection. Not great if you are driving, or undertaking other activities.

Great if you don't like mornings, but really without sufficient numbers, I just don't understand why this was even discussed, other than see if further research is needed,

I just wonder how many complaints PBOBE has received on the timing of the windows, single digits if that?

My thoughts exactly. Almost every thread on here has opposing views on any and every subject ... so one person saying they'd like ticket sales starting at 1pm doesn't reflect what others think.

9am works for me for the reasons you've given.

 

[Colonel Mustard]

I have brought this up a few times to the club in reference to two away games on sale at the same time and have yet to receive a response. Its annoying as you want to select the best seats for both games but can't.

Fair enough, that's another good reason for staggered times. TBH, I'm struggling to think of any benefits to sales windows opening at the same time. Though no doubt if/when they do stagger them, there will be a chorus of disapproval from some who prefer to do it all in one go! I think Abraham Lincoln had a quote about this...

 

[jackalbion]

My thoughts exactly. Almost every thread on here has opposing views on any and every subject ... so one person saying they'd like ticket sales starting at 1pm doesn't reflect what others think.

9am works for me for the reasons you've given.

I agree 9am is perfect as (I used to before this queuing system) be able to get in and out in a minute or so.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Live departure boards are a great idea.

I’m sure there’s a couple of pubs near Euston that have the live desperate boards on display

If this info along with cctv of the queue could be made available in ground it might help

 

[stewart12]

That said, I used the P&R at Mill Rd for the first few seasons and didn't really see it as too much of a problem but my recent very sporadic use of that service has led to lengthy delays post match which I'm guessing is due to the effective halving of capacity when the bendy buses were retired!

We also lost Mithras House from the early Amex years which put more pressure on Mill Rd and the Racecourse as well as the fact that we get consistently higher crowds now

 

[hans kraay fan club]

• Regarding the park and ride, I'd like to see a charge introduced for the service, and make it bookable in advance. It's annoying to have to turn up so early to be sure of a place at the racecourse. I'd happily pay £5 for a guaranteed place. Or perhaps a 'speedy boarding' sort of arrangement. So that people who pay in advance and actually have a car parked at the P and R are allowed on the first tranche of buses away from the ground at the end. The later buses that return to the ground could then be made available to all. People get very upset when I suggest that the P and R buses should primarily service fans who actually use the P and R, rather than those who just want a free bus away from the ground. But that's my view anyway.

But you already ARE paying towards that service, and so is every single other ticket holder, regardless of whether they park a car in Mill Road. A family of four using the Mill Road bus as a convenient route home to West Hove, contribute more towards the service than any one or two people with a car parked, and have every right to use the service if it fits their needs

 

[jackalbion]

I’m sure there’s a couple of pubs near Euston that have the live desperate boards on display

If this info along with cctv of the queue could be made available in ground it might help

Its all public info so club could get it sorted themselves, it's all open source data.

 

[Colonel Mustard]

But you already ARE paying towards that service, and so is every single other ticket holder, regardless of whether they park a car in Mill Road. A family of four using the Mill Road bus as a convenient route home to West Hove, contribute more towards the service than any one or two people with a car parked, and have every right to use the service if it fits their needs

Of course they have the 'right' as things stand, but it seems nonsense to me to have a park and ride system that doesn't give priority to people who are actually using the park and ride, many of whom will have a long way to drive home.

There is very possibly a supply problem with buses and drivers but if possible, it would surely make more sense for the club to provide a shuttle service away from the Amex to some convenient Brighton hub, or even somewhere like Lewes station. These buses would rapidly fill up but if they go to places where the buses could fairly quickly double-back to the stadium, it would surely help take the strain off the P and R and trains. I know people always say that we're paying for transport through tickets but I'd have no problem whatever with paying a bit extra for a P and R service I could rely on without having to leave on 80 or 85 minutes. This season I've started using Seagull Travel which is brilliant, but at £23 or so per match it's not a cheap option. Someone in another thread called it a "convenience tax" which is a very apt label.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

We also lost Mithras House from the early Amex years which put more pressure on Mill Rd and the Racecourse as well as the fact that we get consistently higher crowds now

Lost Mithras House
No bendy busses for Mill Road.
Bigger crowds.
No Bennett's field (meaning 1901 park at Uni so less Uni parking for others)

At least the club have now said they DO have a transport Manager (PB said we didn't when questioned a couple of years ago)

 

[Mr Bridger]

Happy 2 hours after the game to tempt people to stay behind, with live DJ playing tunes and announcing the train departures.

“Coming up is Oops upside your head by the Gap band and the next train is due in at 17.57 so just time to grab another £5 pint of piss”