Rather than moan about early leavers!

[Dunk]

I would have the trains queueing at 4.50 (or whenever) ready to get people on.
The same with buses on the A27.
Never used a bus from the stadium- it looks like chaos.

I would have longer trains. If platforms are short I would have the train stop, let the front half out, move forward 50m, then let the rest out.

I would look to have a pick-up area- not exactly sure where but several informal ones exist already.

Apart from that I'm not sure. It all seemed so easy when the location was first announced.

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

To those saying to get extra coaches - where do you propose these come from without cancelling existing trains ? Its easier on the weekends as there are less trains so you often see 6/8 coach trains, but on a weekday - they are all used up on other services.

The front and rear coaches on trains often leave half empty and you could probably add an extra 50 people on each train by filling it up. Long 12 coach trains cant stop, then move forward and pick up more people - absolutely no chance it would ever be allowed to happen. Used P&R yesterday with a friend and we were waiting 30 minutes to get on a bus, longer than a wait for a train !! Was very surprised all buses werent at the Amex ready to pick people up, not leaving until they are totally full. Car parks cant be changed either.

It isnt really that bad and it is made to be so much worse by people. Its improved massively since the beginning of last season !!!

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I've voiced this idea a couple of times now:

The club buys 5 or 6 double deckers.
Kit them out in the stripes.
Have them ferrying people to and from the ground for a couple of hours before and after the game.
Home fans only and you need to show a valid home ticket/card to get on

That way you've got the trains, the B&H buses, the P&R and these club buses getting people where they need to go.

So ... you're a qualified bus driver, able to work in an industry that has vacancies all over the place. You can earn up to £13 an hour. BHAFC have six vacancies - but will only use your services on 25 occasions a year and then for only four hours a day. 100 hours work will pay you £1,300 a year.

Still interested?

Or do you go for an alternative employer?

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

So ... you're a qualified bus driver, able to work in an industry that has vacancies all over the place. You can earn up to £13 an hour. BHAFC have six vacancies - but will only use your services on 25 occasions a year and then for only four hours a day. 100 hours work will pay you £1,300 a year.

Still interested?

Or do you go for an alternative employer?

We basically have that already anyway - its called Seagull Travel. Using existing local companies to run coaches from all over the county to get fans to the Amex. No doubt the amount of people using these takes a load of trains and P&R.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I think we need an additional exit road into Falmer Road. I thought i was fortunate as a 1901 member to be allocated a parking space in Bennett's car park alongside the stadium. However it normally takes 75 minutes to exit the car park as the buses take priority.

Any 1901 Club member who thinks this is some kind of 'perk' is crazy. Don't get me wrong, I think it's brilliant that the Club has managed to keep a few thousand people out of the public transport queues. I just think it's a bit odd that these people actually PAY to be so public spirited.

 

[Return of the Rev]

We could start games 15 minutes earlier so people didn't have to leave early?

 

[Titus]

I would have the trains queueing at 4.50 (or whenever) ready to get people on.

Are you really this stupid? Why should Southern Rail give our fans priority over it's other passengers?

 

[Pat McCrotch]

 

[BBassic]

So ... you're a qualified bus driver, able to work in an industry that has vacancies all over the place. You can earn up to £13 an hour. BHAFC have six vacancies - but will only use your services on 25 occasions a year and then for only four hours a day. 100 hours work will pay you £1,300 a year.

Still interested?

Or do you go for an alternative employer?

I don't know man, I'm an ideas guy. I let smart people figure out the details.

 

[Return of the Rev]

I don't know man, I'm an ideas guy. I let smart people figure out the details.

we could put 10 or so stewards through the bus test so they could double up on jobs?

 

[teaboy]

If there is the spare capacity already (trains not full, buses not full) then that's the obvious place to start. It's pretty much free - train stewards better and advise fans at the station and bus stops. Some of this can be done by fans waiting to get on! A simple announcement of "please board the first train and change where necessary" coupled with "please move down the platform" and "please move right down the carriages" should go most of the way.

Once this has been done then the need for extra capacity should be looked at.

 

[fratsomrover]

Given you live in Hove why did you feel the need for a parking spot? And Crawley is not exactly distant from transport links either.

the amex is definitely not the worst stadium to get to or from. It may have a hilariously exclusive and expensive car park that is only really suited to people who will be at the ground for at least 90 minutes after kick off though.

You miss my point Jackanda. I dont feel the need for a parking spot, I just happen to have been given one as part of my fairly substantial membership fee. The point is, I'm looking for an alternative means of travel as I find it gutting that I cant get away until 90 minutes after the game has finished. By all accounts the P & R scheme is far from ideal and the train situation seems pretty poor too. I actually walked all the way once but prefer not having to. What I'm saying is that transport arrangements do leave a lot to be desired and i can see people becoming less enthusiastic to turn up if it is not improved. In my experience it is the worst stadium to get away from, but I confess to not having been to all 92 grounds. At Pompey, Millwall, Hull, Leicester, Birmingham, Villa Park I was away within 20 minutes of final whistle. Even at Anfield with nigh on 50,000 there I was away within 15 minutes and I was parked within 200m of the stadium. So, improvements need to be made and I can understand why folk leave early. I'm sure they're not happy to, but have little option, which actually makes them very good supporters as they are still prepared to come even though theysometimes run the risk of missing a grandstand finish.

 

[Guinness Boy]

On Saturday there were 3 Birmingham fans (young-ish) behind me in the train queue. One of them was praising the Amex and our fans but then said 'I don't think I could be bothered with this queuing every week if it was us though'. I had a little giggle. I had just had two pints after the game and, while the queue was longer than it was normally for the trains after a couple of pints I was still on a train heading to Brighton within 20 minutes of arriving at the train queue.

Contrast this with my first visit to St Andrews where we had the temerity to win. Left the ground to see a huge queue for buses back to town full of angry and dodgy looking Brummies. Decided a walk back to New St was a better idea, something we reconsidered when two of Brighton's regular firm in front of us hailed a cab. Sure enough after a walk that seemed to last about half an hour we walked right in to their mob. They picked out a guy in front because he was wearing colours and a splinter group chased me and a mate back to The Pallasades (which at least meant the journey back to New St took 35 rather that 40 minutes).

Admittedly this was in the early 90s but I know which travel experience I'd prefer.

 

[teaboy]

I think we need an additional exit road into Falmer Road. I thought i was fortunate as a 1901 member to be allocated a parking space in Bennett's car park alongside the stadium. However it normally takes 75 minutes to exit the car park as the buses take priority. I stayed to the end last night but didn't get out the car park until 10.50 which is crazy. My colleague who lives in Crawley always has to leave 6-10 minutes before the end so he can his car out of the park before the crowds pile out. Of course he doesn't want to, but has little choice particularly as he has his little boy with him. So another exit route from the car park by-passing the bus drop-off area would be of huge benefit. It does seem that The Amex is probably the worst stadium for fans getting to and leaving from and I think priority should be given to this problem. It can only get worse as the crowds get bigger. I live in Hove and actually the quickest way for me to get there is by bicycle, which is not on when the weather is like it was last night.

To the tiny minority of people parked in BF and at huge expense to the club. You CHOOSE to drive and park there. You have no duty to use the parking space. You've already said that it isn't the best way for you to get to and from the ground. Why do you do it? The Amex has always been a ground that discourages driving. Why not follow that advice?

 

[TheMajor]

I don't know man, I'm an ideas guy. I let smart people figure out the details.

I worked with a guy who used to say this all the time. He got the sack because everyone quickly figured out he was sh*t useless.

 

[BHAZiggy]

First class post.

Noone WANTS to leave a game early

He left the game early, headed for Wales and never came back.

 

[A fish called Glen Ponder]

I think Return of ther Rev has a valid point with regards to the H&S service - (Incidentally last year it was actually quite good -it appears the increase in attendance has not been matched by an increase in bus capacity) - There should be a normal 'stopping' H & S service that trundles through the suburbs and allows us to look at Withdean and at least be thankful at what the Amex has given us. However there should also be an H-Express and a S-Express (cue a few music related comments) that goes straight to the Grenadier/Shoreham, stops once and pegs it back to the ground to pick up those of us who have left at the final whistle and are standing with kids who I'm afraid do need to go home (or will not be able to attend future evening games which would be a real shame).

 

[Weststander]

To the tiny minority of people parked in BF and at huge expense to the club. You CHOOSE to drive and park there. You have no duty to use the parking space. You've already said that it isn't the best way for you to get to and from the ground. Why do you do it? The Amex has always been a ground that discourages driving. Why not follow that advice?

So true.

Probably because the petrol head won't give up the creature comforts of the automobile.

The Amex was not originally planned (too much beautiful countryside around it) with a car park on site, where a few could drive away ahead of the masses straight after the game.

 

[Weststander]

I think Return of ther Rev has a valid point with regards to the H&S service - (Incidentally last year it was actually quite good -it appears the increase in attendance has not been matched by an increase in bus capacity) - There should be a normal 'stopping' H & S service that trundles through the suburbs and allows us to look at Withdean and at least be thankful at what the Amex has given us. However there should also be an H-Express and a S-Express (cue a few music related comments) that goes straight to the Grenadier/Shoreham, stops once and pegs it back to the ground to pick up those of us who have left at the final whistle and are standing with kids who I'm afraid do need to go home (or will not be able to attend future evening games which would be a real shame).

The H and S worked brilliantly last season in hindsight.

It's shear weight of numbers now for all concerned. The eastbound jam of the ASDA exit, on the A27, and Coldean Lane ... have all become markedly larger.
Especially on evening games when all the moves are happening in 2 hours, and not spread over a Saturday.

If the mass transport could be improved, and tougher action to stop cars dropping off, this could improve flows with simply fewer cars.

 

[Tomnorthi]

The stewards have advised the moving down inside the carriages on the occasions I have left at FT and not stayed behind.

People just dont listen.