Constructive thoughts on the first match day experience

[Simontheseagull]

No where on the club's website does it give the time the stadium opens before each match. If the club wants fans to stagger their arrival times to ease travel congestion, this is essential when the weather is bad as it was yesterday. Had thought the stadium was going to be open at 1pm and I ended up getting soaked in the rain. Would have preferred to get soaked at the bar, but no chance if you are in Isak's queue.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

It has been mentioned elsewhere but the steps and terraces are still covered in builder's dust leaving trousers and coats with white dust marks all over them. Ask someone to hose them down before the Spurs game.

 

[Titanic]

Good Old Sussex by the Sea - was a complete disgrace. Please get it right, or don't bother.

 

[Fef]

The fan's bar (Dick's Bar) WAS open, but as there's no signage anywhere, it was empty before & after the game. The staff were disappointed that they had hardly any customers.

 

[xenophon]

I find one of these handy

Kudos to Poyet for not having a clock, even more to Bloom/the club for carrying out his instructions

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

The stairs outside were very wet. I went for a slip down them. Lucky it was me, and not an old lady. Hurt though!

 

[Harley S]

Some feedback regarding disabled fans.

Parking was very difficult. Arrived at the main entrance to be advised disabled parking was to the right, past the buses. After queing for 10 minutes, got to the front to be told to turn round and go to where the buses were parked, against the flow of traffic and having to cut through the queues. Kept asking where to park and the stewards didn't seem to know exactly where.

The outside lift from the car park to the concourse area had a fault and wouldn't go down as the doors kept opening. Probably just a little niggle and seemed to be the doors just need adjusting.

The stairs to WSU ( 96 as told by a streward! ) are hard work if you have difficulties. At the bottom, we asked if there was a lift and were told there wasn't. Once at the top, we walked straight past a lift ! We asked if we could use the lift at the end of the game and were told we could so it made it much easier.

Great to use this match as a test of the facilities and I'm sure a lot of lessons will be learnt. Apart from the slow food service & lack of a clock already mentioned,it was a brilliant experience.

Well done to all involved - a fantastic achievement !

 

[Bozza]

[MENTION=12263]Credit Crunch[/MENTION] has reminded me of something. The lower steps on the way up to the WSU (North End, presumably there are others) were very slippery under foot. Someone will take a tumble on them. Yes, I know it was wet, but this is England - a lot of games will be on wet days.

 

[Eastleigh Northstander]

I saw it mentioned in another thread that he thought the stairs between the North Stand and West Stand were like an ice rink in the rain, I can confirm this as I went flying down 5 of them and landed on my arse, wet, bruised and embarrassed I continued on with my kids to the North Stand entrance. I'd say they really do need to do something about them.

Overall I absolutely loved the place, felt so proud that this our new home, all ours. There are without doubt still things to be done and finishing touches to make, but Rome wasnt built in a day and these things and problems will be ironed out and sorted i'm sure. Afterall this place is new to us all, not just us but staff and catering etc. Cant wait for season to start now

 

[Eastleigh Northstander]

[MENTION=12263]Credit Crunch[/MENTION] has reminded me of something. The lower steps on the way up to the WSU (North End, presumably there are others) were very slippery under foot. Someone will take a tumble on them. Yes, I know it was wet, but this is England - a lot of games will be on wet days.

As just mentioned, I do believe I was officially the first to do that at 1.30 yesterday lol!

 

[Deadly Danson]

Again - if we're looking for constructive criticism then:

1. Turn on the tannoys in the concourses
2. Sussex by the Sea given the respect and amplification that it's due
3. Heritage stones need a serious looking at
4. Would love to see a few more of the construction gaps covered up

Other little niggles (such as the clock) seem to have already been addressed by Insider but overall a great experience, very impressive stadium and friendly staff. Loving our new home.

 

[bobby smith]

Again - if we're looking for constructive criticism then:

1. Turn on the tannoys in the concourses
2. Sussex by the Sea given the respect and amplification that it's due
3. Heritage stones need a serious looking at
4. Would love to see a few more of the construction gaps covered up

Other little niggles (such as the clock) seem to have already been addressed by Insider but overall a great experience, very impressive stadium and friendly staff. Loving our new home.

Agree with this especially the Heritage stones they gotta do something better :-(

 

[robindurant]

Where are the Heritage stone ?

 

[Working class pride]

I think I asked this on the wrong thread but did the club get a band sorted to play Sussex by the sea for the doncaster game? Christ Hospital school band or a military band was talked of?

 

[sagaman]

Seem very few wash hand basins in the gents loos- goodness knows what it will be like when it is busy

 

[tafkam]

The Amex - How Was It For you?

This was the first ever football match at the Amex and as such was a 'ramp up' event with the crowd limited to 10,000 to see how effectively the people and traffic management systems that were in place were actually going to work. Generally quite good would be my opinion, particularly the traffic and rail management. However, there were issues with the refreshment service from the food kiosks in the Upper West Stand and it wasn't long before huge queues were forming for the pies and pints (and I mean seriously long queues). I believe that these refreshment problems weren't just restricted to the Upper West Stand either. Also standing outside in a duluge of rain whilst waiting for the turnstiles to open meant that we probably got as wet as we ever did at Withdean before we could finally get into the stadium and into the dry. I also understand that there were ticketing issues with some fans not getting tickets in time and consequently large queues started forming outside the Amex club shop whilst people waited to get in to collect tickets, or perhaps just to get shelter from the pouring rain. I feel that that better signage around the ground and on roads leading up to it is needed and a clock inside the stadium itself is surely a neccessity?

So some lessons can be learnt from the day but that is what a ramp up event is for after all so we shouldn't get too concerned at this stage as I'm sure the club will iron out some of these issues for the next ramp up event, the friendly against Tottrenham hotspur in two weeks time. We look forward to that game when a near full house will test management systems to the max.

 

[Tomnorthi]

Getting there: Stumbled across the Football Special from Shoreham - bit of a convoluted route and New England Hill is a bad idea. One of the worst bottlenecks in town. On the way back, was one of only three people on it. Brilliant service! No point taking the bus route so straight over the bypass and dropped at my front door - not sure it'll always be that personalised

Getting in: Was v. concerned when saw the long queue in the pouring rain to collect tickets but it moved fast. Top work in the ticket office. Shouldn't be that bad in future when we have smartcards. Could do with a couple more signs on the concourse so people who haven't been before can find their turnstile easily.

Buying a beer/food: Slow - although it wasn't all open. Staff were pulling pints as well as taking money which takes an age. Quality of the food and drink excellent for a football ground. Having a half-time pee and then queuing for a coffee meant I missed the first 10/15 mins of the 2nd half which I think would be seriously unacceptable for a proper match. Little things need tweaking, like staff asking about sugar and getting it for you.... far too slow. Just have it on the side.

Atmosphere: well, not too much obviously but there is a very serious echo around that roof. Not great for the PA but suggests it will be excellent for crowd noise when the place is buzzing.

Big screens: Very smart but really, really need a clock. And, given that all the cameras were in place and being used, the lack of replays after chances seems like a missed opportunity. That's one of the key reasons for having screens, surely? Using them for close-ups of Bloom and Knight was excellent.

Overall: It's going to be bloody brilliant once the teething problems are ironed out.

The facilities for this are not currently in place, but will be for spurs. Along with a clock on the screen I think.
For all staff involved with Seagulls TV it was a trial run and it went well, especially zooming in on the fans, switching between the camera's etc.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Having atendded a lot of Senior Sussex Cup finals this was the best ever. In our new home (keep saying that it sounds brilliant)

Train travel was busy (london morning busy), but quick very well controled and organsied. Trains back to Brighton 8 carridges long. Loads of people got on from London Road (from pubs) and Moulsecoomb. Stewards count people onto the platforms and trains were plentiful.

Walk to the stadium quick and its looks great.

Entering the stadium was very easy with the smartcards and no big turnstiles.

Concourses need more areas for drinking eating, so hope this is added at a later date.

Entering the ground proper was amazing, it was like going to a fabulous away stadium in Cardiff or London but with the sensation 'this is ours' 'we are at home'.

Love the way when the sun came out the roofs are clear so its very bright inside, seats are really comfortable, and the atmosphere is really going to rock.

Pies were excellent and would recommend. Programme is quality, tannoy is too loud, difficult to have a converstaion, staff were excellent, the few catering problems will be fixed 'just need independent beer ailses' and the ground will grow and develop with us.

What exciting times we are experiencing, I am away for Spurs so roll on Donny and Gillingham games, I just cannot get enough of that place, if you have not been yet, you have a treat in store, forget the pub get there early, walk around, sit in your seat and take it all in, you will love our new home.

 

[Another Berkshire Seagull]

Small comment on rubbish in the WSL concourse. Why have the bins at the front of the concourse and not at the rear where people will naturally head with beers & food boxes / waste?

I would imagine simply moving the bins to the rear will leave you less clean-up at the end of the game....or buy a few more bins and cover both bases.

 

[bpbill]

Was a fabulous day out and great stadium with great viewing very comfortable. For constructive criticism and bearing in mind the ramp up nature of the occasion and presumably things will improve.

There is a distinct lack of signage anywhere between Falmer Station and the stadium.

The much vaunted idea of

After the match travel information will be provided in the stadium concourse areas, enabling you to wait inside

was, I hope, not in place for this match or if it was I missed it. Seeing the WSU queues for refreshment after the game I thought I would get a cheesburger but they weren't cooking anything new just selling of the OLD product. The ordinary burger I bought had obviously been cooked a long time before and was like cardboard. This and no indication of any travel info wouldn't endear me to hanging about in future.