1901 Members (Past and Present) What were your expectations when you originally signed up?

[Lenny Rider]

And if your still a member what are your expectations now?

 

[blue'n'white]

My expectations (such as they were) were limited. I thought that after years getting rained on in the "undercover" front row at Withdean I wanted something better. To this end expectations were fulfilled. I found that about 50% of the members in my lounge were the same. I didn't expect free programmes or free coffee so that was a surprise. I left at the end of last season and have a season ticket in the lower west now - first competitive match will be Tuesday


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[Superphil]

Expectations then.
Great seat, with a group of friends, a bit of luxury in the lounges (carpets, glasses, some,where to sit), parking space, a bit of hob nobbing, occasional meal, a few beers, man of the match presentations, 'celeb' hosts, a chance to meet players old and new, priority for away tickets. Generally a chance to feel a bit pampered.

Expectations now.
Great seat, with a group of friends, a bit of luxury in the lounges (carpets, glasses, some,where to sit), parking space, a few beers.


Oh, and the expectation that the staff that serve are quite simply the worst I have ever experienced, anywhere.
"I'll find out if we take Amex cards"
"We only have pint and half pint glasses so you can't have two and a half pints of Amstel"
"The lager is off, got to change the barrel, oh, and the Harvey's is off" then told there will be no more beer available until half time as they need to find someone to change the barrel, this is about half an hour before kick off.
"Wow it's suddenly got busy, whys that?" said to us at half time one game.
"We've run out of pies, half an hour before KO"
Only one card machine in the lounge with 400 customers. No contactless.

 

[Mr Bridger]

Expectations then.
Great seat, with a group of friends, a bit of luxury in the lounges (carpets, glasses, some,where to sit), parking space, a bit of hob nobbing, occasional meal, a few beers, man of the match presentations, 'celeb' hosts, a chance to meet players old and new, priority for away tickets. Generally a chance to feel a bit pampered.

Expectations now.
Great seat, with a group of friends, a bit of luxury in the lounges (carpets, glasses, some,where to sit), parking space, a few beers.


Oh, and the expectation that the staff that serve are quite simply the worst I have ever experienced, anywhere.
"I'll find out if we take Amex cards"
"We only have pint and half pint glasses so you can't have two and a half pints of Amstel"
"The lager is off, got to change the barrel, oh, and the Harvey's is off"
"Wow it's suddenly got busy" said to us at half time one game.
"We' we run out of pies, half an hour before KO"
Only one card machine in the lounge with 400 customers. No contactless.

Add to that on Friday ....
" sorry we haven't got a plug for the bit of kit that livens the Guiness up" result = piss poor Guiness.

"I'll have a lemonade and lime for the wife". " sorry we haven't got any lime"

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I signed a lifetime membership/license deal with the expectation of having my seat for life for all first team games. The seat itself would come with a bunch of things to make my life and match day a lot easier.

Was very disappointed to find out that my lifetime membership/license isn't what I thought it was; Barber has raised the possibility I can't sit in my seat for European games should we ever play them. And by extension this means he can therefore choose to turf me out for any other games he chooses. I understand these now seemingly worthless licenses were also sold to regular season ticket holders.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

And if your still a member what are your expectations now?

And what about your good self?

 

[Mackenzie]

First world problems eh!

 

[Deleted User X18H]

My expectations were to enjoy going to the Albion to the extent that I contribute to the future prosperity of the club.

Now - what have I done!

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Was very disappointed to find out that my lifetime membership/license isn't what I thought it was; Barber has raised the possibility I can't sit in my seat for European games should we ever play them. And by extension this means he can therefore choose to turf me out for any other games he chooses. I understand these now seemingly worthless licenses were also sold to regular season ticket holders.

The licences were indeed heavily touted at the compulsory-attendance presentations for prospective regular season ticket purchasers. Remember thinking at the time that it was a bit iffy that they handed over the bit of the presentation concerned with the licences to a super-slick Aussie bloke who was presumably some kind of world-class commission to flog the now seemingly worthless licences. Don't think he had many takers.

 

[fleet]

Expectations then.
Great seat, with a group of friends, a bit of luxury in the lounges (carpets, glasses, some,where to sit), parking space, a bit of hob nobbing, occasional meal, a few beers, man of the match presentations, 'celeb' hosts, a chance to meet players old and new, priority for away tickets. Generally a chance to feel a bit pampered.

Expectations now.
Great seat, with a group of friends, a bit of luxury in the lounges (carpets, glasses, some,where to sit), parking space, a few beers.


Oh, and the expectation that the staff that serve are quite simply the worst I have ever experienced, anywhere.
"I'll find out if we take Amex cards"
"We only have pint and half pint glasses so you can't have two and a half pints of Amstel"
"The lager is off, got to change the barrel, oh, and the Harvey's is off" then told there will be no more beer available until half time as they need to find someone to change the barrel, this is about half an hour before kick off.
"Wow it's suddenly got busy, whys that?" said to us at half time one game.
"We've run out of pies, half an hour before KO"
Only one card machine in the lounge with 400 customers. No contactless.

This

 

[Eggman]

Add to that on Friday ....
" sorry we haven't got a plug for the bit of kit that livens the Guiness up" result = piss poor Guiness.

"I'll have a lemonade and lime for the wife". " sorry we haven't got any lime"

Me "I'd like a diet coke please"

Get handed one diet coke and one regular coke.

Me "Er. I just wanted the diet coke"

Him "are you sure?"

FFS

Also witnessed

Man orders Guinness.

Barmaid runs up and down the jump panicking as she can't find the Guinness pump. She asks a colleague who points to the fridge.

"Ohhhhh. I was looking for it on draught. Silly me. This is my first day"

Does she not get the most basic of training before they open to the public?

 

[Seagull by the Sea]

My expectations then were:

Luxury seats in a prime location for all Brighton's games with a lounge, the seat was for 'life', I was told there would be a 'concierge' service to book seats for concerts and events plus help to book away tickets etc., a free programme, a parking space and a great selection of food that would be my choice of snacky stuff or a sit down proper meal. I was also looking forward to having a 'host' for every game who had strong Albion connections/was a former player. I was also looking forward to all the network get togethers we were going to have to promote our various businesses.

My reality now is that the seat is mine (but not for life), I still get a programme and I can still park (after a lengthy re-negotiation). There never was a concierge, the food is worse than a wetherspoons on most days but costs way way more than it should, even allowing for a 'stadium premium', we see a host every now and then but he is normally hosting about 4 lounges so he just comes in for a few minutes and tells us the team, first team games don't include European cup games apparently nor the solitary home friendly the first team play in pre-season. Network meetings cost extra, no one senior comes to Gold lounges from 1901 and there are plenty of reasons to moan but no one really cares so I just accept that the seat is great, the football is getting better and better and I still love my football club even if I don't really recognise it as much as I used to!

 

[LANGDON SEAGULL]

Me "I'd like a diet coke please"

Get handed one diet coke and one regular coke.

Me "Er. I just wanted the diet coke"

Him "are you sure?"

FFS

Also witnessed

Man orders Guinness.

Barmaid runs up and down the jump panicking as she can't find the Guinness pump. She asks a colleague who points to the fridge.

"Ohhhhh. I was looking for it on draught. Silly me. This is my first day"

Does she not get the most basic of training before they open to the public?

In the Overline on Friday i asked for two teas, and got given a pint of Harveys. Last year, two cheese and onion pasties were presented to me when asking for the tea


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[Eggman]

In the Overline on Friday i asked for two teas, and got given a pint of Harveys. Last year, two cheese and onion pasties were presented to me when asking for the tea


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[emoji38] [emoji38]

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Then.

Good seats. Great view. Option of food every game.
Seat for life (those were the precise words used by Paul Rodgers). Option for tickets to every event at The Amex.

The 'seats for life' were quickly changed to 50 years. The option of booking rights for all events never materialised. The food was of inconsistent quality, so we have reverted to pies.

The seats and view are everything I'd anticipated and no need for my poncho!

Now.

Good seats, great view, good company in our lounge (Mansell, Mctaggert).

But the expectations are far less than originally anticipated.


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[whitelion]

In the Overline on Friday i asked for two teas, and got given a pint of Harveys. Last year, two cheese and onion pasties were presented to me when asking for the tea


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Probably worth asking for Harvey's or cheese and onion pasties and you might end up with a tea or two.

 

[Lenny Rider]

And what about your good self?

THEN: Seat for life (or so I presumed) for every Albion game at the stadium, nice bar with lounge host, catering facility to enable your party to begin match day experience earlier than usual, car parking space, like the seat a perception that this would help in the purchasing of tickets for selected away games.

NOW: Re the food Wetherspoons is a fitting analogy, speed of bar staff on a par with the Pakistani over rate, as good as the Lounge hosts are not really what we were expecting and given the potential of what they could bring to the match experience ultimately disappointing.

In short the day we left Withdean we were collectively a group of supporters now we are just customers, clearly that's the model the club want to pursue and that's their right to do that but will customers in the long run have the same level of loyalty as the old style supporters?

One thing from reading this thread would I be right in now assuming that my £1000 each for two seats back in 2011 doesn't now entitle me to the seats for life?

 

[bhanutz]

Makes me feel even happier that I didn't waste any money to go 'corporate'.....

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Seat for life (those were the precise words used by Paul Rodgers).

The 'seats for life' were quickly changed to 50 years.

The 50 year thing I can understand as I recall hearing the stadium has a life-span of 50 years for some legal/accounting/insurance reason. Whilst the stadium will no doubt still be around in 50 years time I guess they can't have seats running beyond what they've specified as the life-span. Be good if someone can confirm I'm not imagining this.

I'm fed up about the fact the club can seemingly move me on a whim....this wasn't how it was sold.

 

[Beach Hut]

Makes me feel even happier that I didn't waste any money to go 'corporate'.....

And me, that seat for life business sounded like some Ponzi scam and now appears so