Amex car park changes - this will upset the early leavers parked in Bennett's Field

[Gritt23]

You did state in an earlier post that you were looking to get a space in BF, so possibly not completely unbiased and a bit about YOU?

Agree, though, on those with existing contracts at BF, but if they will behave like children, and particularly if staff/fellow fans have been threatened with and have experienced violence, it surely cant wait till next season?

I can honestly, hand on heart, say that mine is an unbiased opinion. The fact I'd considered it has perhaps made me more aware of the reasons why some people are paying for BF, as they may well have done so for the reasons I'd considered it. If that's the case, they can feel rightly miffed.

It has no effect on me (other than a faster exit on the bus) because now, I will not be entertaining the idea of BF as it has no advantage whatsoever for me. Whereas another car park without the "lock-in" would.

 

[keaton]

1901 can move their parking to University if they want. Not a difficult walk for most I would imagine, excluding those who have difficulty walking due to age/injury.

They can't all move though

 

[keaton]

I guess it'll result in a smoother (if highly belated) exit for everyone from BF, but I wonder what the stands are going to look like with an hour gone for the rest of this season. Rubbish game, we're losing, an hour on the clock, and suddenly you're bringing forward your 80-85 minute decision to leave to 60-65, otherwise your car is impounded till gone half five. And who's going to want to carry on doing that into next season ??

For the first 4-5 months at the Amex you weren't allowed to leave Bennet's Field till 45 minutes after the whistle. It was still chaos then for another half-hour or so, I can't see how the changes will make any difference

 

[Gritt23]

Wouldn't have thought so. The P&R will have largely been cleared over that 45 minutes, which will result in a less stop-start, more constant flow of traffic out of BF, without the need for a Demolition Derby.

There will still be a percentage of aggressive dickheads of course, but the dickhead ratio should recede with these measures.

I'd still be a bit fed up at having to hang around for that 45 minutes every game though.

Not sure. Once the queue tails back from the traffic lights to the car park, then it is stop/start, and impatient dickheads will still be impatient dickheads. The only difference is that it will be 5.45 rather than 5.00. It will be cleared quicker, but it's never quick enough for some.

 

[keaton]

There is that, but seeing as there has been incidents of verbal and physical assault and several cars nearly running people over - something needed to happen quicker than by the end of the season. Imagine if someone was ran over and was seriously injured or even killed - the club would be to blame and they would be slated for not putting the plan in earlier. Its really a case of damned if they do, damned if they dont.



Unconfirmed that is, know someone who works on ESCC Highways.

Why didn't the take the number plates and charge/ban the people who were causing problems?

 

[Rugrat]

Why didn't the take the number plates and charge/ban the people who were causing problems?

Too easy?

 

[Icy Gull]

Wouldn't have thought so. The P&R will have largely been cleared over that 45 minutes, which will result in a less stop-start, more constant flow of traffic out of BF, without the need for a Demolition Derby.

There will still be a percentage of aggressive dickheads of course, but the dickhead ratio should recede with these measures.

I'd still be a bit fed up at having to hang around for that 45 minutes every game though.

You'd be surprised at how many angry and aggressive people use Bennett's Field

 

[Easy 10]

For the first 4-5 months at the Amex you weren't allowed to leave Bennet's Field till 45 minutes after the whistle. It was still chaos then for another half-hour or so, I can't see how the changes will make any difference

The P&R was more chaotic back then - they seem to have got more of a handle on that now (for the most part), so having 45 minutes of clearing the P&R before the cars get involved at all *should* result in things running a bit smoother. In theory at least.

Not sure. Once the queue tails back from the traffic lights to the car park, then it is stop/start, and impatient dickheads will still be impatient dickheads. The only difference is that it will be 5.45 rather than 5.00. It will be cleared quicker, but it's never quick enough for some.

The police manage those traffic lights during the matchday exodus though, they're not just left to their usual pattern. They keep them green for longer, holding up the traffic on the B2112, so you should still get a good flow of traffic leaving the area with the P&R having been all but cleared.

Of course there will always be impatient dickheads, nothing is ever going to be perfect for them. But they don't really need to be overly catered for, its not like there's a cure for dickheadedness. Let them get annoyed, aggressive, and banned. Meh.

 

[Maverick]

I think this is a very covert way of keeping people at the ground until the end. In my opinion (and it is only my opinion) (and I understand all the debates before) I find it embarrassing at the amount of people flooding out after 85 minutes, even at the Hull game which was an 'edge of your seat' end to the game. It is certainly in the clubs interest to keep us all there until the end and hopefully this will go some way to making it happen, even park and ride uses should see a quicker turnaround of buses therefore stopping them from rushing out as well!!

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

I think that it's tough to commit to staying 45 mins after every single game. There will likely always be the odd occasion where you'll want to nip off quick.
I think the club will get a ton of people wanting to park in the Uni as a result.


I can picture the scene now

20 mins after FT - Everyone will be sitting in their car, standing still or jockeying for position as normal.
30 mins after FT - *beeep beeeeep* "COME ON IT'S F**KING CLEAR NOW! ALL THE BUSSES HAVE GONE!! OPEN THE GATES!!"
35 mins after FT - No matter how clear the traffic, the head steward will insist that nobody moves until he says so. Which is 45 mins after FT. No more. no less.
42 mins after FT - Someone will get out of their car, swear at the steward and claim that the clock in the Range Rover says its 50 mins after the end of the match.
45 mins after FT - Floodgates open, stewards leave the car park. People darting through empty spaces trying to get to the front. Chaos as usual.
60 mins after FT - Polite people still sat at the back of the queue whilst the stewards are indoors enjoying a cuppa.

Yeah.. that's my prediction anyway... I think I need to do more with my life.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

I have said it before, why can't they load up P&R buses for Mithras house and Mill Road along the A27. The Bus stop their is big enough for 3 or 4 buses easily. It worked well at The Withdean.

Another thing they could do is provide a new path for walkers and cyclists out of the stadium. A path the runs down the End of the Bennetts Field and take people out on to the pavement just before the flyover. Means people don't have to walk all the way around.

All these things would ease congestion. Your never going to get a perfect escape, but all these things help.

How on earth are the hundreds, (thousands maybe?) of people that use the Mill Road & Mithras House P & R going to get to the A27 bus stop after a match? The footbridge across the railway line by Falmer Station is already packed solid with people queueing to get away by train, or use the public bus stop. It just isn't logistically possible. Plus having space for just three or four buses isn't nearly enough. Remember that Brighton & Hove 23, 25, 28, and 29 buses need to use that stop too.

 

[Goldstone1976]

I think that it's tough to commit to staying 45 mins after every single game. There will likely always be the odd occasion where you'll want to nip off quick.
I think the club will get a ton of people wanting to park in the Uni as a result.


I can picture the scene now

20 mins after FT - Everyone will be sitting in their car, standing still or jockeying for position as normal.
30 mins after FT - *beeep beeeeep* "COME ON IT'S F**KING CLEAR NOW! ALL THE BUSSES HAVE GONE!! OPEN THE GATES!!"
35 mins after FT - No matter how clear the traffic, the head steward will insist that nobody moves until he says so. Which is 45 mins after FT. No more. no less.
42 mins after FT - Someone will get out of their car, swear at the steward and claim that the clock in the Range Rover says its 50 mins after the end of the match.
45 mins after FT - Floodgates open, stewards leave the car park. People darting through empty spaces trying to get to the front. Chaos as usual.
60 mins after FT - Polite people still sat at the back of the queue whilst the stewards are indoors enjoying a cuppa.

Yeah.. that's my prediction anyway... I think I need to do more with my life.

Very good! I think you've missed one critical part out - the email doesn't say that the gates will open at 45 mins after final whistle. It says that the earliest it will open is 45 mins, or such later time as the safety officer deems it safe to do so. So, there'll be loads of people huffing and puffing that it's now 46 mins after final whistle and still the safety officer hasn't opened the gate! Imagine the chaos if the safety officer doesn't deem it safe until, say, an hour after final whistle! A jobsworth might not think its safe until 90 minutes.....

Might be worth videoing.....

 

[Superphil]

Will never work in principle. If someone wants to leave, get in their car and drive home at any time, for what ever reason (family emergency, other arrangements etc) they should and will be able to.

The thing is, emergencies or whatever, right now you can't leave, so this will make no difference to this.

 

[keaton]

You did state in an earlier post that you were looking to get a space in BF, so possibly not completely unbiased and a bit about YOU?

Agree, though, on those with existing contracts at BF, but if they will behave like children, and particularly if staff/fellow fans have been threatened with and have experienced violence, it surely cant wait till next season?

Why should a whole group of fans we punished because of the actions of a minority when it would have been incredibly easy to punish those guilty?

 

[fleet]

It does take away another one of the promised advantages of 1901 membership

 

[Superphil]

For the first 4-5 months at the Amex you weren't allowed to leave Bennet's Field till 45 minutes after the whistle. It was still chaos then for another half-hour or so, I can't see how the changes will make any difference

Not strictly true, in fact not true at all. For the Liverpool League cup game the Police opperated the BF car park exits, and we were most definately out sooner than 45 minutes. Likewise, we often used to arrive very early, and park right by the exit, we were never held back. I'm not sure what changed to the point where now cars are held back and drip fed out just 2 or 3 at a time, but that is what causes the horrendous delays. Now, the people who have resereved parking spaces right at the top of BF (box holders) can get out quickly providing they get to their cars quite promptly after the game, before the gridlock occurs.

 

[keaton]

It does take away another one of the promised advantages of 1901 membership

But it will make it much easier to sell to Corporate Clients, 'best seats in the house, free coffer, hideously over-priced food, and you can't leave till 6'

 

[keaton]

Not strictly true, in fact not true at all. For the Liverpool League cup game the Police opperated the BF car park exits, and we were most definately out sooner than 45 minutes. Likewise, we often used to arrive very early, and park right by the exit, we were never held back. I'm not sure what changed to the point where now cars are held back and drip fed out just 2 or 3 at a time, but that is what causes the horrendous delays. Now, the people who have resereved parking spaces right at the top of BF (box holders) can get out quickly providing they get to their cars quite promptly after the game, before the gridlock occurs.

It may have been different for evening games, but i'm pretty sure that's how it worked for Saturday games to start with.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

Not strictly true, in fact not true at all. For the Liverpool League cup game the Police opperated the BF car park exits, and we were most definately out sooner than 45 minutes. Likewise, we often used to arrive very early, and park right by the exit, we were never held back. I'm not sure what changed to the point where now cars are held back and drip fed out just 2 or 3 at a time, but that is what causes the horrendous delays. Now, the people who have resereved parking spaces right at the top of BF (box holders) can get out quickly providing they get to their cars quite promptly after the game, before the gridlock occurs.

I actually remember the Police being there, they didn't mess around did they. Didn't they get the lights turned off as well. Shame the club cannot do this again.

 

[Superphil]

But it will make it much easier to sell to Corporate Clients, 'best seats in the house, free coffer, hideously over-priced food, and you can't leave till 6'

1901 members get parking included in their package that hasn't changed. For corporate clients, the cost for a match and meal at the Amex is probably cheaper than 90% of the other clubs in this division, and cheaper than most Premier League clubs also.