pay on the gate - brilliant

[Scoffers]

The Club didn't dream up the need for a Travel Plan. Nor did they offer to put ticketing arrangements into it.

It is NOW a condition of ALL major planning applications (not just football stadiums) that they comply with PPS13, the government's planning policy statement on transport. This requires every major development to include arrangements to minimise transport use. How this is to be achieved is up to the authority that grants planning permission. In the case of the Falmer Stadium, the conditions have been set by the Secretary of State.

Fan input isn't part of the process.

yes yes yes, that's all very interesting, and knowing you Lord B, entirely accurate, but it's completely useless because nobody, AFAIK, has ever laid down EXACTLY what will and will not be possible on a match day, until they do this, the arguements will rage on and on. I have posted a question directly to the club on this, and I am waiting for an answer.

 

[Easy 10]

It boils down to how much the club "encourage" the advanced purchase of tickets with travel voucher (whether that be at train stations, in town, online or whatever), and whether in addition to this there will STILL be a facility for the casual fan to arrive ticketless at the stadium and just buy a ticket there and then.

The latter option is going to be crucial, as if there is a perception of too much fannying about buying tickets in advance, we're going to lose out on swathes of last-minute casual fans. I'm SURE DK said tickets could be bought on the day at the stadium, but if this is not the case, we're making a rod for our own backs.

There is an advantage in buying it beforehand of course, as you get to use the travel voucher and therefore save on the cost of your journey. But you still need to have the choice.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

... and whether in addition to this there will STILL be a facility for the casual fan to arrive ticketless at the stadium and just buy a ticket there and then.

The latter option is going to be crucial, as if there is a perception of too much fannying about buying tickets in advance, we're going to lose out on swathes of last-minute casual fans.

If these casual fans arrive ticketless at the stadium, that'll be just one more set of fans paying an artificially inflated price for a Travel Voucher they won't use - as they'll presumably already have bought return public transport tickets or come by car.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

yes yes yes, that's all very interesting, and knowing you Lord B, entirely accurate, but it's completely useless because nobody, AFAIK, has ever laid down EXACTLY what will and will not be possible on a match day, until they do this, the arguements will rage on and on.

I entirely agree.

The planning condition is that there MUST be a Travel Plan and this MUST specify the arrangements for ticket sales.

This has to be "prepared in consultation with the Travel Management Group" and has to be approved in writing by the City Council.

The Travel Management Group includes:-
The Contractors (during the Construction Period)
The Football Club
Brighton and Hove City Council
The University of Brighton
The University of Sussex
Sussex Police
British Transport Police
East Sussex Fire Service
East Sussex Ambulance Service
East Sussex Highway Authority
The Highways Agency
Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach Company
Govia South Central
Lewes District Council
Falmer Parish Council

There may not be a lot of point in lobbying Dick Knight or the Albion. The people who need persuading are the other folk on the list.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I entirely agree.

The planning condition is that there MUST be a Travel Plan and this MUST specify the arrangements for ticket sales.

This has to be "prepared in consultation with the Travel Management Group" and has to be approved in writing by the City Council.

The Travel Management Group includes:-
The Contractors (during the Construction Period)
The Football Club
Brighton and Hove City Council
The University of Brighton
The University of Sussex
Sussex Police
British Transport Police
East Sussex Fire Service
East Sussex Ambulance Service
East Sussex Highway Authority
The Highways Agency
Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach Company
Govia South Central
Lewes District Council
Falmer Parish Council

There may not be a lot of point in lobbying Dick Knight or the Albion. The people who need persuading are the other folk on the list.

What's the chances of that little lot having agreed on anything at all by 2010?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

If these casual fans arrive ticketless at the stadium, that'll be just one more set of fans paying an artificially inflated price for a Travel Voucher they won't use - as they'll presumably already have bought return public transport tickets or come by car.

If they've come by car, where are they going to park it without pre-purchased tickets?

 

[Marc]

The Falmer ticket system will be designed to be consistent with the Travel Plan. The system (and the location of ticket outlets) will encourage purchase of tickets before people travel to the ground. Buying tickets at railway stations or the park & ride sites will achieve this. Buying them at the stadium won't.

1) Does this mean tickets available at Shoreham-By-Sea train station?

2) Does this mean tickets available at every Bus Stop or on the buses themselves?


'cos I can see problems with this already unless they integrate a full on networked computer system to cope

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

If they've come by car, where are they going to park it without pre-purchased tickets?

Anywhere they can

They'll be none the wiser and deal it when they get there. Wouldn't cross most people's minds to connect buying a pre-purchased ticket with being able to drive to the ground or somewhere near it.

 

[bigc]

1) Does this mean tickets available at Shoreham-By-Sea train station?

2) Does this mean tickets available at every Bus Stop or on the buses themselves?


'cos I can see problems with this already unless they integrate a full on networked computer system to cope

Albion Oyster cards!

 

[Lord Bracknell]

1) Does this mean tickets available at Shoreham-By-Sea train station?

2) Does this mean tickets available at every Bus Stop or on the buses themselves?


'cos I can see problems with this already unless they integrate a full on networked computer system to cope

One of the problems at Withdean is the non-existence of any computer system to support ticketing. I guess this is a legacy of the fact that there was always hope that investing in state of the art equipment at a temporary stadium would be a waste of resources.

Likewise the Club Shop is stuck with an outdated system designed to do no more than record and print tickets sold through the ticket office itself.

It is absolutely ESSENTIAL, in my view that the Club invests in the best available technology that will cope with the demands that need to be put upon it.

I found the Colbourne Kid's mention of only two railway station outlets to be rather depressing and short-sighted. Why can't there be HUNDREDS of places to buy tickets in advance, AND on the day?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Anywhere they can

They'll be none the wiser and deal it when they get there. Wouldn't cross most people's minds to connect buying a pre-purchased ticket with being able to drive to the ground or somewhere near it.

Then their car will be towed away.

The A27 is a clearway. Falmer Village is already a controlled parking zone, with residents only parking. The road to Woodingdean will be double yellow lines. Brighton University will be closed to non-university traffic. Sussex University and Falmer High School car parks will be available only to holders of match tickets (if the evidence at the Public Inquiry is to be believed).

 

[Tooting Gull]

Lord B, I take on board everything you've said, and you clearly know the planning procedures better than any of us on these issues.

But you've been going to watch the Albion for years. You know what fans are like, and what they want. They want to pay on the gate, or at least have the option of paying on the gate. From the age of 16 to 30, such impulse trips made up probably 60 per cent of my Albion games. Sometimes I might have been better off buying a season ticket, but that's not what I wanted to do.

It worries me that the club, in all the rubbish they've had to deal with, may have lost sight of the key objective which is to sell as many tickets as possible to football matches.

 

[Marc]

I found the Colbourne Kid's mention of only two railway station outlets to be rather depressing and short-sighted. Why can't there be HUNDREDS of places to buy tickets in advance, AND on the day?

more than two stations would require a system that would know if the game was about to sell out, thats where the Albion need to invest but then you're talking huge sums for the system..then some agreement with Network Rail (or whoever) to have these systems in place and THEN training for the workers.
I can sympathise that that would be a huge costly task but surely...in the long run....it would be beneficial and get more bums on seats.

Having a kiosk at the Ground is all well and good but you've gotta pay travel to the ground, so at the ground tickets need to be cheaper than their traveling counterparts, think I need a meeting with DK to tell him all this....cos he might not know it yet

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Lord B, I take on board everything you've said, and you clearly know the planning procedures better than any of us on these issues.

But you've been going to watch the Albion for years. You know what fans are like, and what they want. They want to pay on the gate, or at least have the option of paying on the gate. From the age of 16 to 30, such impulse trips made up probably 60 per cent of my Albion games. Sometimes I might have been better off buying a season ticket, but that's not what I wanted to do.

It worries me that the club, in all the rubbish they've had to deal with, may have lost sight of the key objective which is to sell as many tickets as possible to football matches.

I agree with that.

The other thing that the Club seem to be in danger of forgetting is that season ticket holders are in a minority - especially when matches are regularly not sold out.

I never had a season ticket at either the Goldstone or Gillingham - mainly because of the impulse decisions that went with going to a game. How many kids today? If the youngest one is coming, we'll go on the northwest terrace. If she's not, it's the North Stand. That kind of stuff.

Having said all that, I am excited about the flexibility that a decent smartcard ticketing system can bring and I hope the Club goes down this route. It is a genuinely better system, especially for casual supporters, and if implemented properly will encourage people to go to games.

We'll all be using new-generation cashless smart plastic (or phone) technology for all sorts of transactions by 2010.

 

[Scoffers]

Having said all that, I am excited about the flexibility that a decent smartcard ticketing system can bring and I hope the Club goes down this route.

You HOPE the club goes down this route, I thought this was already decided?

Whatever the price of technology, surely it would be worth it in the long run, what is the point spending £50M+ on a shiny new stadium, and having a crappy ticketting system!

 

[Yorkie]

you 100% sure about that?

100% sure Dave. I answered this on another thread where you mentioned it.
Leeds do not have cash turnstiles. They have bar code readers and you must have a ticket with a bar code on it.

 

[countrygull]

I think a smartcard system would be fine: presumably you swipe your card and the money comes off your credit card? That would be very easy and allow for maximum flexibility. Similarly a kiosk right at the ground is OK - a bit like Thorpe Park: buy your tickets immediately outside. The original post highlighted spontaneity - yesterday I decided at about 12 noon to go to Huddersfield - I got in my car, paid my cash at the turnstile and walked in. It really has to be that simple. Any attempt to add conditions or complications should be resisted.

 

[Gaffer's Banana Hammock]

Can that also include my point about people who are dropped off at the ground and will not have to use public transport


Gracias

You can indeed, buddy

 

[Man of Harveys]

You can indeed, buddy