Is this why away fans are underwhelmed by the Amex?

[LamieRobertson]

It's not bollocks. I sat pretty much as far as you can go in the east stand away from the north for the Coventry game and when it's the north singing on it's own you can only just about hear it.

On the rest of the gripes I can understand them. The ground does currently look unfinished but obviously there is a good reason for that.....it is!! I also agree that both the ends look a bit weird but I see that as a quirk and something that sets it aside from the just add water bowls that have sprung up all over the country (Reading, Hull, Leicester, Southampton etc). Was talking to a Reading fan at work today and I mentioned that I went to Cov and he did nothing but slate the ground, apart from it having probably the worst transport links of any ground I've been to in this country I didn't mind it. Certainly preferred it to Madjetski anyway!

Brighton fans have also been guilty of buying the club spin prior to it's opening. You've only got to look at the number of threads on here about the grub every week. We were sold that every food kiosk would have it's own chef so people were expecting Egon Ronay but have ended up with Dave "It's my first day" The Student. Granted the pies have been a success (when they've had any!!) but that is about it.

interesting point re acoustics...i too sat i guess roughly where u war for the coventry game and cudnt hear the north stand that well...however my normal seat is ruffly in line with the penalty area (east) and there is quite a difference in what u can hear considering the relatively small distance between the 2

 

[Bozza]

Swan I believe will not allow Away fans.

Go to the ground and drink there.

The Swan will allow away fans other than when they're told by the police to not admit them. I'd be surprised if this ban was imposed for Leicester.

 

[Albion Dan]

Swan I believe will not allow Away fans.

Go to the ground and drink there.

Not true. Seen plenty of away fans in there.

 

[Sheebo]

The Amex design: Expecting a radically different, beautifully designed stadium, those arriving by coach might see nothing more than the low sweep of the South Stand roof.

That's totally not true - The view right from coming off the 27 (glimpse through trees) is magnicent. Ever coach comes up village way and the stadium looks utterly STUNNING. That's the truth!

 

[Gilliver's Travels]

That's totally not true - The view right from coming off the 27 (glimpse through trees) is magnicent. Ever coach comes up village way and the stadium looks utterly STUNNING. That's the truth!

Bit hard to see much of that night though. Can't imagine too many fans will be bothered to take a proper walk right around the stadium in order to take it all in. Give it another season, and they may see things very differently.

 

[Blackcap]

No,f*** `em.

Well, I hope you're not a club board member then

It's in our club's interest to make the Amex a place that home AND away fans want to visit, partly because of the income that full seats generate and partly because of the atmosphere. I'd much rather that away teams brought big noisy crowds like Leeds than puny quiet crowds like Burnley (yes the atmosphere against Burnley was amazing but it all came from us, they were completely silent all game). The better the impression that the away fans take with them, the more fans they'll bring next time, the more money our club will make and the better the atmosphere will be for everyone.

 

[Bwian]

Am I alone in not giving a shit if the opposition like or loathe our stadium?

No you're not. If they don't like it-bollocks to 'em.

It may well have its shortcomings but I bet it's the only stadium in the country that tries to be welcoming to visiting fans (locals beer, etc.).

 

[*Gullsworth*]

I think the North Stand atmosphere depends on a lot of factors. From the WSU south end it often sounds really loud and the "North Stand ----West Stand " chat really can be heard. But for the Saints game although the North Stand looked really lively it has sounded louder......as has the whole ground (Leeds!!) I think the way the noise travels depends a lot on weather, atmospheric pressure and wind.
In all games i have been to the atmosphere is good, very good and the extra seats will make the atmosphere even better.......roll on!

 

[cw00]

cant be arsed to read the rest of the thread, but if you saw the article in southampton programe, you can see the designs for the expansion and how it incorporates a new hospitality area in the south, as well as more boxes including on designed for sky/bbc which will be used as a normal hospitality box when they arn't there

 

[GingerBeerMan]

I'm right in the middle of WSL. Both NS and SS sound very loud when they get going, probably because i'm right in the middle of both. The West stand sounds loud at times, but if we could get more singing generally throughout the game it'd be a lot better. At the moment it's just the occasional "SEAGULLS" at corners.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

the north stand holds about one tenth of the crowd, and even though it is the 'singing stand' isn't going to make a raucous atmosphere by itself......here's an idea, how about the rest of the ground join in?

for all the pre-season hype about how the WSU was going to be the 'place to be', it holds a shit load of people and doesn't really do that much for the atmosphere, in fact if you think of how many people there are in the west stand they aren't really doing much to create a CAULDRON O'NOISE

i wish people would stop moaning about the north stand...the sound is always going to struggle to carry from one end...it happens at every ground and it needs to be supplemented by the side stands

 

[NorthStandN1A]

once the stadium is completed and we stick the away fans in a corner i bet it will be like a new ground. I only wish they would sort the north corners first but understand why the south is more important and needed. Having an extra tier on the east is going to look great as well.

 

[NMH]

Many of us may have been surprised at the volume of critical comment voiced by visiting fans. Not all of these are plain envy, or sour grapes following defeat. Is it worth contrasting probable expectations with actual matchday experience?

The promise: a welcoming stadium, uniquely catering for visiting fans, even to the point of away-end decoration in club colours and images of great moments in their history. Their own, local-origin beers.

The reality: a thorough, pat-down body search for absolutely all of them, with no exceptions. A disappointingly plain concourse, featuring a single, club-coloured spotlight bulb (two for Palace) and a basic PowerPoint slideshow on a badly misaligned screen, high up in the roof. Local ale supplied in strictly limited quantities, often running out.

The Amex design: Expecting a radically different, beautifully designed stadium, those arriving by coach might see nothing more than the low sweep of the South Stand roof. Once seated, they notice big gaps in the corners, and single tiers on three sides. To them, the place looks disappointingly unfinished. Those wishing to be critical soon forget the unusually comfortable, wide-spaced seats and, depending on the result, decide they've just visited yet another modern, identikit, soulless ground.

After the game: understandably, visitors imagine they can only stay on in their designated concourse which, with the exit doors wide open, soon becomes an unpleasant wind tunnel. After a pint or two and perhaps another pie, they drift away, not realising what they could have experienced – the option of mingling for an hour or two with home fans in the much warmer, artwork-decorated West concourses or even better, space permitting, Dick's Bar.

The surroundings: it's widely misreported that the Amex, being out of town, is completely devoid of local pubs. Away fans who’ve done their homework will have discovered The Swan – perhaps our best kept secret – where landlord Martin makes them extremely welcome, with a good supply of food and excellent beers on offer.

There doesn't seem much point in any of us getting too upset by the criticisms. We all know what a fantastic place we now have as the Albion's permanent home. In time, visiting fans will come to realise just what they've been missing, and look forward in future to making the most of the experience.

As a regular visitor to the away concourse, post-match, and after speaking with several visiting fans, that's my take. Anyone else?

Deary me! I don't know what ELSE they can expect to find!
Patting down is for their safety and others, it should be done everywhere nowadays, or until there is a technology that elimates all chance of anything being brought in that could be used to cause a problem.
Soul-less stadium? What is one with soul looking like? I imagine old grounds with clandestine facilities ARE soulful and have a story to tell - but so might unused mine-shafts and factory chimneys. Maybe we could add a chimney or two, and a miners lift winch! Hey, some extra stinky old bogs crusted with calcium from years of urine...there's a thought.

Unfinished... I'd agree with that. It looks that way, and kinda is that way. The gap behind the South stand in the wall I haven't quite worked out the reason for that.
A few places to hang banners and scarves might be good, or some feature about the walls behind the stands....maybe. Murals no, romanesque statues or mosaics...perhaps not.... a giant retired shirt or two ....perhaps? Or leave them as they are, less stuff to encourage birds to hang about or crap on punters below.

The concourse isn't rickety old cobbles, no statues of Alan Mullery or Brian Clough, Foster with his headband all bloody or a slender sprite with an afro. No old wire fence overgrown with weeds and nettles....they'd better make the journey across the downs to get the rustic experience.

Few supporters linger in away grounds seeking the comfortable areas to mingle with home fans, do they? I think if they really want to do that, they'll soon enough manage it at Falmer. On the whole though, they are thinking about the trip back home or into town for sightseeing or pubs.

Criticism.... Brits love to offer theirs, and feel invited by the very presence of change.
"oow this isn't like back home" grumbles the nose-picking fat idiot in some exotic clime he's paid to travel to as he desperately seeks the stability of a 'British pub with fish and chips' so he can moan that it's not as salty, greasy and unsanitary as his local.

Tell any moaners they are simple, and plebs. That, after all, is the fact of the matter.

(facitiousness not aimed at the thread starter, by the way)

 

[Arthur]

Well, I hope you're not a club board member then

It's in our club's interest to make the Amex a place that home AND away fans want to visit, partly because of the income that full seats generate and partly because of the atmosphere. I'd much rather that away teams brought big noisy crowds like Leeds than puny quiet crowds like Burnley (yes the atmosphere against Burnley was amazing but it all came from us, they were completely silent all game). The better the impression that the away fans take with them, the more fans they'll bring next time, the more money our club will make and the better the atmosphere will be for everyone.

I don't buy that line, certainly not as a visiting fan anyway. I've never once decided to go or not to go to a ground because it was nice (dress it up how you like a nice ground is still a football ground) or a shit hole. The exception to that rule is Withdean.

 

[Hillian1]

The Swan will allow away fans other than when they're told by the police to not admit them. I'd be surprised if this ban was imposed for Leicester.

Not true. Seen plenty of away fans in there.

I stand corrected.

 

[Giraffe]

i was speaking to some saints fans on the train and they were very impressed.i wouldn't judge it by some internet sheep.

This. Spoke to a Saints fan yesterday who said they thought it was a very good ground and that when corners filled in and extra tier on East it would be much better than St Mary's, as it would have the same capacity but a lot more character. And better seats!

 

[Giraffe]

And on the point about noise, from my position in the middle tier of the Northern end of the West stand I would say I am perfectly in the middle of the two and the North is really very loud, with the WSU coming second. However there is definitely a lot of noise coming from up there and I think the atmosphere is great. North leads, West follows generally. Seems to work well to me.

 

[Mr Blobby]

As people have already said the Swan does allow in away fans as a general rule, but for certain matches on Police advice then they do not. So far Palace, Leeds, West Ham and Southampton have been home fans only. The only team to mob the place out was Hull City, but they had phoned in advance to make sure they could get in! I met some Liverpool mates there and also took some Coventry fans in, no problems at all.

Talking to Martin I think Millwall, Cardiff, Portsmouth and Birmingham will be the other games with home fans only. If it is home fans only and they dont know you then you have to show a home season ticket or match ticket to get in.

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

Many posts on other Clubs fans forums are very complimentary about The Amex and that we have tried to make their experience a little more distinctive. There are a few moaners but then that mainly seems like sour grapes with no substance for their complaints.

Yes there are the few who just want to make our visitors feel less pampered and more intimidated in a more traditional way but why shouldn't all fans be entitled to safe and clean facilities these days, especially if they are going to be charged £25 - 30 a ticket? Yes it is quaint to visit some of the older grounds to remind ourselves just how primitive things used to be (Fratton Park is the obvious example) for away fans (and for Pompey's home fans too!).

Ok we have probably over hyped the South stand - but now we know more detail about the expansion plans it makes sense that some of the current provisions in the South stand are a bit temporary until the rest is completed. Plus the atmosphere will benefit even more from infilling of the gaps and the corners. I'll reserve judgement for when the Amex is fully complete, although it is already light years better than most of our rivals stadiums.