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

[Rugrat]

Phasing of the lights (or better switch 'em off) is a must for everyone

Dumb thought? - can't they build a slip straight on to the A27 and filter in?

 

[Hunting 784561]

They should move the 1901ers over to the Sussex Uni parking, as originally intended.

Bennett's Field is clearly unfit for purpose - and the Club are now in severe danger of alienating 2500 of their biggest spending customers.

- and I'm not sure they are taking this at all seriously...

 

[Rugrat]

and I'm not sure they are taking this at all seriously...

Agree, not a peep on any of the obviously needed transport improvements - yes it's always going to take a bit of time whatever method and yes it will not improve overnight but some sort of communication surely?

Have ATC but not convinced I'll get a better reply than "we're looking into it"

 

[Icy Gull]

There are gonna be fisticuffs in there eventually, probably after a game we've lost. Way too many people who are happy to push and shove their way to the front. Anyone parking there needs to accept that it is likely to take well over an hour to get out unless you want to sit in your car fighting for postion for 40 mins, when you might get out in 45.

 

[Rugrat]

Well I did get a reply to my ATC

Here's the Q I posed

Can the club publish on (seagulls.co.uk) it's thoughts and intentions (if any) to improve the post match travel chaos? I've attended 3 games and at each have been in the stadium area one hour after leaving my seat. It would be good to understand if this will be the norm so that I can plan accordingly or make alternative arrangements

Here's the reply

I will pass on your request

 

[Lord Bracknell]

So are you saying the buses are leaving before they fill up?

Not at all. The P&R buses run a shuttle service.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I got in mine at 11.00 and was out at 11.10. Gotta agree that I wouldn't dream of taking a client (if I had any) given the current set up.

If you were taking clients, surely you would enjoy a post match drink in the hospitality facilities, and do exactly what you did and wait for the bus queues etc. to die down? Would it hurt 1901 members to wait 30mins or so after KO before returning to their cars? The rest of us have to wait for trains / buses etc.? Seems you did the right thing.

 

[Mark24]

So here's the solution - we left one minute before the end of extra time, sprinted (well, as fast as my 54 year old legs allow sprinting these days...) round to the car park and drove straight out of the (unusually) still open barrier and away just before the buses started leaving...

So if you don't mind missing the end of the game and are fit enough to run... the 1901 experience can end without a 60 -90 minute wait... Not quite what I expected when I signed up... Anyone with a space at the University want to swap...??

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

it was an absolute joke. We got out of the car park at 11:30.

 

[drew]

So are you saying the buses are leaving before they fill up?

How do you arrive at that conclusion from what LB posted

Well I did get a reply to my ATC

Here's the Q I posed

Can the club publish on (seagulls.co.uk) it's thoughts and intentions (if any) to improve the post match travel chaos? I've attended 3 games and at each have been in the stadium area one hour after leaving my seat. It would be good to understand if this will be the norm so that I can plan accordingly or make alternative arrangements

Here's the reply

I will pass on your request

And I suppose it's that sort of attitude which means those of us using P&R and other means have a low opinion of those 1901s using Bennetts field and who continually complain. Your question has been past onto the powers that be to consider but you post it as if it has been a dismissive response. Did you expect a comprehensive solution immediately. There have been two home league games and two evening cup games. I am sure the club review the situation and will make changes but it seems that the only knee jerk reaction that you want is those in Bennetts field to get absolute priority.

Anyway, for the time being you know that you will have to wait after the game so be prepared rather than just sit in your car winding yourself up. The next two home league games are both evening kick-offs and in view of the opposition, there is likely to be considerably more segregation of fans and that will also affect how quickly everyone gets away.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Has anyone actually approached the club about it? I fail to see how it cannot be improved. At the very least the club should do something to stop the impatient aggressive motorists bullying themselves to the front.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Anyway, for the time being you know that you will have to wait after the game so be prepared rather than just sit in your car winding yourself up. The next two home league games are both evening kick-offs and in view of the opposition, there is likely to be considerably more segregation of fans and that will also affect how quickly everyone gets away.

I agree, if your in Bennetts Field, you know it's difficult to get away quickly, you've got lovely lounges with drinks, food and hot beverages to relax with after the game, is it really that hard to wait 30-45mins after FT before returning to your car?

 

[Tory Boy]

Rather that re-phasing the lights at the end of Village Way, it would be better if they turned them off and had police organising the through flow.

If the police allowed five minutes of flow out of Village Way at a time, the whole area could be cleared a lot quicker than it is at present.

TB

 

[Rugrat]

And I suppose it's that sort of attitude which means those of us using P&R and other means have a low opinion of those 1901s using Bennetts field and who continually complain. Your question has been past onto the powers that be to consider but you post it as if it has been a dismissive response. Did you expect a comprehensive solution immediately. There have been two home league games and two evening cup games. I am sure the club review the situation and will make changes but it seems that the only knee jerk reaction that you want is those in Bennetts field to get absolute priority.

Anyway, for the time being you know that you will have to wait after the game so be prepared rather than just sit in your car winding yourself up. The next two home league games are both evening kick-offs and in view of the opposition, there is likely to be considerably more segregation of fans and that will also affect how quickly everyone gets away.

Well firstly I'm not a 1901 but I do have sympathy for them as I do anyone that has had some of the nightmare that have been described.

Secondly I have used P&R three times and as a fairly competent and intelligent person it's quite clear to me that improvements could and should be made - as I've said in previous posts I do not expect to just waltz out and it will take time to improve.

Yes I am dismissive because as someone who has been in business many years taking and responding to customer feedback is the way any commercial organisation (which B&HA are) gets essential information to improve the quality of the product and experience. And yes I do think that they should be looking at making improvements and communicating them

It's easy to take a swipe and use the "moaning" argument - quite frankly I'd prefer a more constructive debate, but I'm not surprised

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

I agree, if your in Bennetts Field, you know it's difficult to get away quickly, you've got lovely lounges with drinks, food and hot beverages to relax with after the game, is it really that hard to wait 30-45mins after FT before returning to your car?

Being completely unable to leave the ground until an hour and a half after full time because of mismanagement IS a massive pain in the arse. Especially when you pay a lot of money for the so-called privilege of having a space. There were ZERO stewards in that car park after 10:45 last night and they were very badly needed to stop all of the ass holes pushing their way to the front and causing more chaos.

 

[Seagull on the wing]

Last night was the best for me for getting out,still took 25 mins but at least they were filtering traffic out and had steards and police directing traffic.Much better.

 

[Lindfield by the Pond]

It was a condition of the Bennetts Field planning permission that the Club funded a re-design / re-build of the Village Way junction and a revised phasing of the traffic signals.

Then I think they should review the phasing again. There is nothing more frustrating than watching a static queue of buses and cars (12,000ish people), sitting at those lights, knowing they are waiting for 1 car from Westdene, and then empty road. The last 2 games I have just missed the green light, and sat at the front of the junction. First game, I watched about 3 cars go past and then nothing whilst we all sat there. Last night there was only one car go past on the light change. Really frustrating.

BTW, I have no problem with the buses going first. As this is where the majority of the people are, but they could go faster as well if they reviewed the phasing of the lights.

 

[Rookie]

Looking at it from the queue for Mill Rd bus it seemed to me that people parking in there don't make it easy for themselves, seems to be out of ground into car and pull out of parking space and sit there. You can see that you won't be going anywhere so why not stay in the stadium or at worse sit in your car without actually turning it on and moving 2 yards, why the need to waste petrol sitting in traffic?

 

[Garage_Doors]

The P&R buses move off pretty quickly, jumping in ahead of the Bennetts Field queue.

Home in Portslade by 11.15. Works for me.

There not "jumping ahead" travel safety dictates that the park and ride area must be clear before they can empty Bennetts field.

 

[Hoops Seagull]

Got back to the car about 10.15 and finally left it at 11.40!! Not acceptable - No stewards police or buses or anything when we finally left the staduim!! The whole stadium was in complete darkness when we finally left the car park. I am disabled and would love to be able to park somewhere else but can't!! This is behond a joke now and I will be contacting the club AGAIN today