An interview with Paul Barber

[El Presidente]

Too funny. As if either of you would post more than ONCE a decade on the issue if it wasn't for the fact that you both have a ridiculously cosy free rail travel deal sorted out. Call it schadenfreude, but I get a lovely warm feeling when anyone who has taken a wage from the railway industry over the past few decades feels wronged about being forced to pay four f***ing quid every fortnight. Aw diddums.

When it comes to rail issues, there is only one man I listen to, and that is TMLS.

 

[Simster]

When it comes to rail issues, there is only one man I listen to, and that is TMLS.

Wise words. Facebook was invented for [MENTION=2422]Tony Meolas Loan Spell[/MENTION] 's train rants. He'd absolutely f***ing love this whining from the railway gang. I hope he comes on here soon.

 

[Albion Dan]

I completely fail to understand this transport cost issue. Make people pay to use park and ride as and when they use it, and leave train travel costs unsubsidised but with the effort to collect fares with the train company.

Problem solved and no excess on match tickets. Or am i missing something?

People will always fail to appreciate the extra cost of their ticket is due to travel.

 

[Bozza]

I'd previously had it from a very good source at the club that the true cost of travel, per fan, was c£60 per season. That was not very many weeks ago, so for that figure to have jumped to £90 is very surprising.

Based on these numbers, I would expect the 2013-14 travel cost to be charged at £60 per fan. The club can then claim they are still subsidising the travel to some degree. Whether they would be or not, I have no idea.

 

[Beach Hut]

Too funny. As if either of you would post more than ONCE a decade on the issue if it wasn't for the fact that you both have a ridiculously cosy free rail travel deal sorted out. Call it schadenfreude, but I get a lovely warm feeling when anyone who has taken a wage from the railway industry over the past few decades feels wronged about being forced to pay four f***ing quid every fortnight. Aw diddums.

As I said the Groovy Gang have arrived

 

[Beach Hut]

I'd previously had it from a very good source at the club that the true cost of travel, per fan, was c£60 per season. That was not very many weeks ago, so for that figure to have jumped to £90 is very surprising.

Not really surprising it is a spin on upping a charge, next season it will be £120 etc

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

An interesting read, thanks Richie.

I personally hope that STs don't go up by more than 5%, which is after all double the rate of inflation. I am sure that the Board are well aware of the levels of pay rises at the moment.

I ca see the number of STHs falling next season (unless of course we were to go up)

As far as travel is concerned, I can see both sides of the argument. Why should a pensioner with a bus pass subsidise others, but at the same time for those that use it £60.00 would still be a bargain. Maybe the answer is for travel to be separated, whereby Park and Ride is charged by the club, and Trains are the responsibility of the Operators?

For me, my WSU ST costs £490.00, which works out at £21.30 per game including travel. Put the ST up by 5% and increase the travel cost to £60 and it would become £23.67. Still good value IMO for the best stadium in the Championship.

 

[Bozza]

I completely fail to understand this transport cost issue. Make people pay to use park and ride as and when they use it, and leave train travel costs unsubsidised but with the effort to collect fares with the train company.

Problem solved and no excess on match tickets. Or am i missing something?

Yes.

That it is completely impractical for there to be ticket checking at Falmer, as would be required, during the peak travel times. It would be dangerous. It would only take 3 or 4 fans to reach the ticket check together, to not have tickets, for a very dangerous crush to take place.

There are undoubtedly some who lose out due to a compulsory travel charge to all supporters but they will be relatively few and far between across the entire supporter base. I feel for those who, for example, pay for a University space, travel with a carful, yet only receive a single person rebate. I have absolutely no sympathy for those who travel the country in First Class year round for nothing but a small benefit-in-kind tax hit who then moan about a relatively trivial charge that helps support the football club they profess to love.

 

[Simster]

As I said the Groovy Gang have arrived

Bless.

It's nothing to do with this mythical groovy gang you like to whinge about whenever you're shown up as an idiot, it's simply that I am a pissed off commuter who has had the misfortune to be utterly dependent on the disgraceful abusive monopoly that is the rail industry, and it annoys me that the pigs have got their snouts in the trough with free rail travel while the rest of us pay exhorbitant amounts for our season tickets. As a consequence, your whinging about an extra four quid on the cost of your football ticket causes me to snigger and chuckle happily. Please tell me Derek Chapman was really REALLY rude when you asked him a polite question about this issue? Ideally telling you to f*** off and stop moaning? Tell me how it made you feel? Only in my experience, rude train employees vastly outnumber polite ones so that would really please me too.

 

[Beach Hut]

I have absolutely no sympathy for those who travel the country in First Class year round for nothing but a small benefit-in-kind tax hit who then moan about a relatively trivial charge that helps support the football club they profess to love.

Living in the minority in the Groovy Gang, what a hero and now questioning what type of supporter.

Understanding reasonable debate is totally out of reach for quite a few.

 

[Northstandite]

So you reckon the price of the actual season ticket will go up (i.e. regardless of travel subsidy)?


I would have thought increasing the subsidy we currently pay for travel to at least 90% would be a sufficient enough hike.

I'd previously had it from a very good source at the club that the true cost of travel, per fan, was c£60 per season. That was not very many weeks ago, so for that figure to have jumped to £90 is very surprising.

Based on these numbers, I would expect the 2013-14 travel cost to be charged at £60 per fan. The club can then claim they are still subsidising the travel to some degree. Whether they would be or not, I have no idea.

That plus a say 3% inflationary rise on the existing value, will give the total s/t price rises.

 

[Beach Hut]

Bless.

It's nothing to do with this mythical groovy gang you like to whinge about whenever you're shown up as an idiot, it's simply that I am a pissed off commuter who has had the misfortune to be utterly dependent on the disgraceful abusive monopoly that is the rail industry, and it annoys me that the pigs have got their snouts in the trough with free rail travel while the rest of us pay exhorbitant amounts for our season tickets. As a consequence, your whinging about an extra four quid on the cost of your football ticket causes me to snigger and chuckle happily. Please tell me Derek Chapman was really REALLY rude when you asked him a polite question about this issue? Ideally telling you to f*** off and stop moaning? Tell me how it made you feel? Only in my experience, rude train employees vastly outnumber polite ones so that would really please me too.

Paid up member, I might start making badges for all of you.

I don't work for a train company but facts don't interest you.

 

[Bozza]

Living in the minority in the Groovy Gang, what a hero and now questioning what type of supporter.

Understanding reasonable debate is totally out of reach for quite a few.

Any chance of that in English?

 

[Buzzer]

When it comes to rail issues, there is only one man I listen to, and that is TMLS.

The voice of reason on all things rail-related. I'm hoping that one of the rail companies sees sense and employs him to do the tannoy announcements at London Bridge.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

No we are not why should we subsidise others

As a music buyer, I feel the same with your admission the other day that 3/4 of your iPod was snaffled for free from the Internet.

 

[Beach Hut]

As a music buyer, I feel the same with your admission the other day that 3/4 of your iPod was snaffled for free from the Internet.

Another badge in the making - come on the more the merrier

 

[Simster]

Living in the minority in the Groovy Gang, what a hero and now questioning what type of supporter.

Understanding reasonable debate is totally out of reach for quite a few.

So apart from Bozza and myself, who else is in this groovy gang you've childishly made up? NSC needs to know who is reasonably allowed to take issue with your whiny ramblings on this tedious issue without being accused of being in this groovy gang of yours?

 

[Simster]

Paid up member, I might start making badges for all of you.

I don't work for a train company but facts don't interest you.

I know you don't, and I never said you did. I said you took a wage from what is a disgusting self serving industry. Feel free to grizzle about the groovy gang again now that I've presented "the facts", you tiresome dullard.

 

[Beach Hut]

So apart from Bozza and myself, who else is in this groovy gang you've childishly made up? NSC needs to know who is reasonably allowed to take issue with your whiny ramblings on this tedious issue without being accused of being in this groovy gang of yours?

There is a multitude of you who just go mental when anyone dares to question or challenge anything the club do which could be wrong.

Remember the West Ham ticket shambles, guess what happened ?

Enough people complained and the club introduced finally a proper loyalty scheme and finally the pathetic AMS scheme was disbanded as proved pointless and outdated.

 

[8ace]

Now all those thousands of Albion fans who contributed nothing to the Travel Voucher scheme and travelled for free throughout the 2011/1012 season will realise they have robbed the club of a 7 figure sum.

The club f***ed it up to start with.