Will you be affected by the away support move?

[swindonseagull]

Called the club this morning and was told that the first 2 blocks in the East will definetly go to away supporters, ( i know this is not new news)

I sit in block F 2 seats from the aisle, i am not happy that we will only be a few meters from any potential idiots.

I called the club and asked if we would get any kind of priority in moving, the young chap was helpful but basically answered renew by May 1st and then if possible u can move....

Anyone else affected and has anyone else asked the club about it?

Is the East upper likeley to be built?

Also how are they going to segregate the East stand. Last night I could not see any kind of shutters by block F.

My opinion is it will only make the East stand food outlets worse and the toilet situation is already crap( excuse the pun)..

I have asked a formal question in ATC..

pissed off as my seat.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Well away support can only b shifted if east upper is built....u will c in the concourse tht the shutters can b pulled down to the left of the food outlets ..by g block entrance (I think)

 

[n1 gull]

I'm in this block as well so will be affected. I hope they will allow us (one under 10) to move to the upper tier
as I don't fancy the aggro, that is why I chose to sit in the East stand

 

[JCL666]

tbh I have heard varying reports on this.

I was told when I phoned the ticket line that block G will be on sale match by match to home supporters and only used by away fans when extra allocation is required (e.g cup games). The same person told me that H block and the SE corner, plus a little bit of the South stand would be the "normal" away section.

I sit in block F. I am actually looking forward to the away fans being closer as it will be FUN and should help to ferment an atmos in the East stand.

 

[swindonseagull]

tbh I have heard varying reports on this.


I sit in block F. I am actually looking forward to the away fans being closer as it will be FUN and should help to ferment an atmos in the East stand.

I dont think my wife and I (and others) sitting and ailses width away from potential idiots/thugs/misilles can be called fun....

I go to watch the game on the park....Not to watch away fans.

 

[JCL666]

I dont think my wife and I (and others) sitting and ailses width away from potential idiots/thugs/misilles can be called fun....

I go to watch the game on the park....Not to watch away fans.

Oddly enough I also go to watch the game, and if I wanted to "watch" away fans, I would apply for a job as a steward.

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

Not sure on having the away fans and the family stand so close together myself, not sure that would be good for say Palace or Millwall - but hey - im not at the club.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

I'm going to be very close to the newly positioned away fans, and I too am looking forward to it. It's one of the main reasons why I'm not planning on moving. It will deffinitely help the atmosphere in the East, but it's an odd on considering it's meant to be the family stand. The kids are going to hear some choice phrases.

 

[Bozza]

Not sure on having the away fans and the family stand so close together myself, not sure that would be good for say Palace or Millwall - but hey - im not at the club.

There is no family stand. The family section is the very North end of the East Stand, with the away fans being the very South end. There will be many Albion fans in between and as such there will be no risk of family section/away fans upset there.

The 'tasty' areas will be at the immediate borders of the away section, both in the East and the South. It might also be quite good fun to be in the South end of the ESU with away fans directly below you.

It's hard to believe that season ticket sales will be so successful so as to preclude those who want to move areas, for whatever reason, from doing so. If there is some empty capacity then swapping becomes easier than if every seat is sold and a move requiring a direct swap with other supporters.

 

[Gazwag]

I dont think my wife and I (and others) sitting and ailses width away from potential idiots/thugs/misilles can be called fun....

I go to watch the game on the park....Not to watch away fans.

1. You won't be an ailses gap away as there will be a "sanitised" area, just like last night.

2. Other than the Pompey smoke grenade I cannot recall any other missiles being thrown this season.

3.Its not the 80's anymore.

 

[JCL666]

I'm going to be very close to the newly positioned away fans, and I too am looking forward to it. It's one of the main reasons why I'm not planning on moving. It will deffinitely help the atmosphere in the East, but it's an odd on considering it's meant to be the family stand. The kids are going to hear some choice phrases.

Based on this season, my son and his mates (who are all under 10) will probably spend half the game baiting the away fans with abusive songs....

 

[Notters]

1. You won't be an ailses gap away as there will be a "sanitised" area, just like last night.

2. Other than the Pompey smoke grenade I cannot recall any other missiles being thrown this season.

3.Its not the 80's anymore.

This... and I don't recall it being a problem at the Goldstone.

 

[kevo]

Am I the only one who can't see the point of this?

Not only will it aggravate fans in the East who now have to sit close to the away fans (when the East was sold as the 'respect' family- and old folk-friendly area), we will also have to close off large areas of seating (in the South and the East) for segregation purposes, lowering the stadium's capacity in the process (meaning less Albion fans will be able to attend 'sold out' matches). All because of the perceived (mythical?) advantage of not having away fans behind the goal.

Having away fans in one stand must surely be preferable from a policing and stewarding point of view as well.

BAD MOVE by the club IMHO.

 

[Bozza]

Having away fans in one stand must surely be preferable from a policing and stewarding point of view as well.

Essentially it will be one stand as the corners will be filled in, Concourse shuttering will segregate that area from the rest of the stadium.

Do the club actually have much choice? With the increased capacity there is an increase in the number of seats that should be offered to away fans. To the letter of the rules, I think the club could still only offer 2000 away seats if they wanted to, although it is largely accepted that c10% of capacity is offered for league games. 15% must be offered for Cup games however.

I'm happy to trust the club that the choice they've made, given the knowledge they have of all the infrastructural changes and the like, represents the best use of stadium facilities.

 

[kevo]

Do the club actually have much choice? With the increased capacity there is an increase in the number of seats that should be offered to away fans. To the letter of the rules, I think the club could still only offer 2000 away seats if they wanted to, although it is largely accepted that c10% of capacity is offered for league games. 15% must be offered for Cup games however.

I'd have thought that the south and the south east corner would surely be enough to reflect the stadium's new capacity (plus reserving a couple of blocks of the east for match day tickets, to be used by away fans in cup games).

 

[xenophon]

It might also be quite good fun to be in the South end of the ESU with away fans directly below you.

Fo shizzle my nizzle, I've bagsied the very seats already

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

This... and I don't recall it being a problem at the Goldstone.

really , how many games did you attend there then

 

[Lush]

If you've ever stood in an away CORNER (St James Park springs to mind), which I guess is what this will be, you'll know that it feels very different from being an away fan directly behind the goal. It's harder to get any kind of away atmosphere going and you feel a lot more marginalised, like a slightly unsavoury distant relative at a wedding. It will be nice to feel as though the whole ground is ours, rather than just three-quarters.

Having more Brighton fans in the South Stand will also hopefully improve the number of goals scored at that end. I think its a good move by the club.

 

[Notters]

really , how many games did you attend there then

Well obviously the 80s was a different kettle of fish!

 

[Rich Suvner]

If you've ever stood in an away CORNER (St James Park springs to mind), which I guess is what this will be, you'll know that it feels very different from being an away fan directly behind the goal. It's harder to get any kind of away atmosphere going

not sure I agree with this.

whilst i like a good away 'end', i don't think being in a corner necessarily makes it more difficult to generate an atmosphere.

i think it depends more on the design of the ground and roofing. eg St James' at Exeter has a poxy little terrace and seated area that for most part had no roof doesn't bode well for atmosphere. St James' at Newcastle the fans are sat at about 30,000ft above sea level.

whereas, i think of great away atmospheres by Albion at Palace ('05 in the corner by Holmesdale), Southampton (effectively off to one side), Swindon (seated corner when not given terracing), Bristol City (effectively given a half end and corner)... to name some