[Albion] Do we really have to take this Orwellian s**t from our club ? remember we are the customer

[Lower West Stander]

I haven’t read the whole thread, but it’s the tone of the email which really annoyed me.

I can just about get what they are saying - just. But we are talking about flasks and bottle tops here, not nail bombs. The narrative of the message is so ludicrously over the top it should be on the Bell Cheese thread.

And really, if someone wanted to, how easy would it be to smuggle something which could cause serious damage into the stadium? Yes, I’m searched but I wouldn’t exactly call it thorough.

I really object to being treated like a criminal for having the temerity to bring a plastic bottle top into the stadium. Surprised they haven’t banned pies after that one that was luzzed at Zaha.

Oh wait, the club sold that pie didn’t they??


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[Hiney]

Also Barber is a coward choosing to send these rules out like this rather than facing fans at a forum. .

****ing hell, get a grip man.

Have you ever met him?

You may not like what he has to say, but he definitely does NOT shy away from explanations.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I hear at least one non-English language spoken at literally every game, there seem to be particularly large numbers of Germans and Dutch. I haven't heard any Welsh spoken yet

I'm amazed that people are moaning about the atmosphere at the Amex - they can't have gone to Withdean or Priestfield very often

This.

In fact this whole thread. Talk about first world old man's problems. Listen, these rules have come in to stop the away fan nobbers. Not all people in the UK are nice like us. Some are scum. However you can't have one rule for the home fans and one for the away end. There would be UPROAR, and it would be all over 606, and the club would be made to apologise.

Cut the club some slack, FFS.

To be honest, we are lucky we don't get the full monty dished out as seen at the airport. For the benefit of any old men who haven't flown lateley, they x ray your hand luggage, body scan you if you have anything bulging, and make you carry liquids in TINY bottles. This is all because we are not going to bow down and be INCONVENIENCED by terrorists. We already had one terrorist attack at football on the continent, so we are all at risk (at least, all the while we remain in the EU). It is only a matter of time. And if you throw a strop at having your flask confiscated, going forward, expect a FULL cavity search. In fact expect this to come in as automatic for anyone wearing provocative clothing, such as all black, with or without claret and blue trimmings.

And......exhale.

 

[Me and my Monkey]

This.

In fact this whole thread. Talk about first world old man's problems. Listen, these rules have come in to stop the away fan nobbers. Not all people in the UK are nice like us. Some are scum. However you can't have one rule for the home fans and one for the away end. There would be UPROAR, and it would be all over 606, and the club would be made to apologise.

Cut the club some slack, FFS.

To be honest, we are lucky we don't get the full monty dished out as seen at the airport. For the benefit of any old men who haven't flown lateley, they x ray your hand luggage, body scan you if you have anything bulging, and make you carry liquids in TINY bottles. This is all because we are not going to bow down and be INCONVENIENCED by terrorists. We already had one terrorist attack at football on the continent, so we are all at risk (at least, all the while we remain in the EU). It is only a matter of time. And if you throw a strop at having your flask confiscated, going forward, expect a FULL cavity search. In fact expect this to come in as automatic for anyone wearing provocative clothing, such as all black, with or without claret and blue trimmings.

And......exhale.

Well said. Orwellian? Crikey, I’m sure Winston had a bit more to concern him than a confiscated bottle top.

 

[clapham_gull]

Sign of the times and we’ll just have to suck it up. I can’t help but feel some corporate arrogance from the club as we become a bigger club.

There really is **** all we can do about, except stop going. I guess if enough of us refused to buy anything within the stadium they might feel the effects, but that’s not going to happen is it?

There are plenty of fans who will defend these actions by the club too.

The club currently have us by the short and curlies as for the most part they are doing a brilliant job and I won’t stop going because of these frankly trivial annoyances. They could be less dictatorial in the way they present them though.

Unfortunately I don't think it's corporate arogance. Any modern corporation with savvy PR just simply wouldn't talk to it's customers like that.

Yes there are "rules", but you don't blanket email customers "there will be no more warnings".

Unfortunately this is a very old fashioned "Basil Fawlty" type way of communication rather than something from the modern world.

It's my one (and only) criticism of the club but I do have empathy.

I work for a commercial entity that used to be a public entity. It can be guilty of taking the path of least resistance when communicating to staff. Sometimes it talks to you as a public servant, sometimes as a commercial employee. It feels at times they take the easier (lazy) route.

The club communication still exists in this hybrid world where it can't quite decide whether we are supporters or customers.

It will probably never decide, but as construct I've criticism they need to work harder.
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[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Unfortunately I don't think it's corporate arogance. Any modern corporation with savvy PR just simply wouldn't talk to it's customers like that.

Yes there are "rules", but you don't blanket email customers "there will be no more warnings".

Unfortunately this is a very old fashioned "Basil Fawlty" type way of communication rather than something from the modern world.

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It certainly made me laugh. It would have been even better had they threatened to cut our goolies off

 

[Gwylan]

Well said. Orwellian? Crikey, I’m sure Winston had a bit more to concern him than a confiscated bottle top.

You mean you haven't heard about Room 101 set up in the West stand? We're all going to love Paul Barber by next season.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

This.

In fact this whole thread. Talk about first world old man's problems. Listen, these rules have come in to stop the away fan nobbers. Not all people in the UK are nice like us. Some are scum. However you can't have one rule for the home fans and one for the away end. There would be UPROAR, and it would be all over 606, and the club would be made to apologise.

Cut the club some slack, FFS.

To be honest, we are lucky we don't get the full monty dished out as seen at the airport. For the benefit of any old men who haven't flown lateley, they x ray your hand luggage, body scan you if you have anything bulging, and make you carry liquids in TINY bottles. This is all because we are not going to bow down and be INCONVENIENCED by terrorists. We already had one terrorist attack at football on the continent, so we are all at risk (at least, all the while we remain in the EU). It is only a matter of time. And if you throw a strop at having your flask confiscated, going forward, expect a FULL cavity search. In fact expect this to come in as automatic for anyone wearing provocative clothing, such as all black, with or without claret and blue trimmings.

And......exhale.

Curiously - assuming you are referring to the Dortmund bus bomber - the "terrorist" bet the house the other way rather than any religious fundamentalism. He was like a really shit version of Le Chiffre in Casino Royale.

https://news.sky.com/story/man-who-bombed-borussia-dortmunds-bus-for-financial-gain-jailed-11565039

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I note your punctuation . It is quite an unusual quirk . There was another poster who used to do this . I wonder if by some chance you might be related ?

Good spot.

 

[el punal]

I note your punctuation . It is quite an unusual quirk . There was another poster who used to do this . I wonder if by some chance you might be related ?

Hello . It’s me . Would you buy me a beer, please ? I tried to take a firkin of beer into the ground . But the stewards stopped me and insisted that I remove the cap off the top of the barrel . I did as they asked but the pressure was such that the beer exploded out of the top and drenched the steward in Olde Farthole Superior , it also downed a passing seagull ! So now I have nothing to drink and I left my wallet at home . Silly me ! Thank you .

 

[Ernest]

Barber keeps on about adhering to ground regulations regarding bottle tops, funny he won't do anything about making people sit down during matches which is stated in them

 

[Stat Brother]

Hopefully PB is closely monitoring this thread.

With 7k on the waiting list, a cull of bellends who clearly hate going to the AMEX, would kill two birds with one stone.

 

[clapham_gull]

It certainly made me laugh. It would have been even better had they threatened to cut our goolies off

Right off.

 

[wigman]

Finally, we are also aware of a very small number of fans who chose to continue to ignore stadium rules by bringing flasks into the stadium, or by concealing bottle tops for use later. Anyone doing this is liable to ejection from the stadium and further stadium and ticketing sanctions. The club will not issue any further warnings.

When I got this email it made my blood boil . The very minor incidents involving a few Chelsea fans are being used to basically oppress us further . Okay there are bigger things going on in the world today but I am angry as all these decisions are more revenue focused than related to safety issues . Brighton happily serve expensive alcohol to pissed up idiots who've had too much already but won't let an OAP bring in a flask of tea . Hypocrites.

It's as though a major incident has happened at a game . Has it ? No . Now we can't bring bottle tops or flasks . Have they completely lost the plot ? They are threatening to ban people who bring flasks . Have they gone mad ? Take a step back and look at what you are actually saying for goodness sake . It just creates a bad feeling . " the club will not issue any further warnings ? " Or what - you going to line us up against the wall and shoot us ? It sounds like that .


Remember we are the customers - you are the lucky recipients of our time, loyalty and money . Without us you are nothing . So stop treating us like naughty children and treat us like customers .

Not that I have ever taken a flask to football or in actual fact ever owned one, but they were never a problem at Withdean.
Saying that, we needed all the fans we could get back then.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Hopefully PB is closely monitoring this thread.

With 7k on the waiting list, a cull of bellends who clearly hate going to the AMEX, would kill two birds with one stone.

So anyone who doesn't agree with the club is a bellend and hates the Amex. Okay...

This.

In fact this whole thread. Talk about first world old man's problems. Listen, these rules have come in to stop the away fan nobbers. Not all people in the UK are nice like us. Some are scum. However you can't have one rule for the home fans and one for the away end. There would be UPROAR, and it would be all over 606, and the club would be made to apologise.

Cut the club some slack, FFS.

To be honest, we are lucky we don't get the full monty dished out as seen at the airport. For the benefit of any old men who haven't flown lateley, they x ray your hand luggage, body scan you if you have anything bulging, and make you carry liquids in TINY bottles. This is all because we are not going to bow down and be INCONVENIENCED by terrorists. We already had one terrorist attack at football on the continent, so we are all at risk (at least, all the while we remain in the EU). It is only a matter of time. And if you throw a strop at having your flask confiscated, going forward, expect a FULL cavity search. In fact expect this to come in as automatic for anyone wearing provocative clothing, such as all black, with or without claret and blue trimmings.

And......exhale.

Usually love your posts but can't agree. This affects anyone who isn't bothered about drinking beer at the match. Pretty much anyone who does have a pint or two before the game or during half time(can't understand that as have to miss the game) will not not become thirsty. This is not the case for those who have travelled a long way or who just want a soft drink. If the club provides some fountains that will ameliorate the problem but until it does, the stance on bottle tops is a major pain, particularly for those of us with families who are young and for anyone in the east from mid spring until mid autumn if it's sunny. The club should be applauded for minimising risk to it's 'customers' but their rules are open to the suggestion that they have over-reacted to recent events.

 

[Stat Brother]

So anyone who doesn't agree with the club is a bellend and hates the Amex. Okay....

Some of the replies here are high-end top notch bellendary.

 

[ozzygull]

Hopefully PB is closely monitoring this thread.

With 7k on the waiting list, a cull of bellends who clearly hate going to the AMEX, would kill two birds with one stone.

Don’t be a soppy sausage. I love the Amex, I appreciate everything TB has done for us.The tone of the email and the fact that this is a big inconvenience for a lot of people who do not drink alcohol that has enjoyed me a lot. I am 100% sure I would be more a risk having a couple of beers then driving back to Reading, than having a lid on the bottle of soft drink that I buy at the match.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Some of the replies here are high-end top notch bellendary.

Probably true, but imo that goes both ways. There are certainly valid reasons that can justify the club's action, but the other side also has a decent counter-argument. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

 

[HalfaSeatOn]

Main thing for me is keeping hydrated after a few beers. I might down a couple of bottles of water before going in the stadium before kick off or if I can be bothered, I might keep some foil/cling film as a bottle top replacement. Once in the stadium, it is all about the football ( certainly not queues)

 

[wakeytom]

Unfortunately I don't think it's corporate arogance. Any modern corporation with savvy PR just simply wouldn't talk to it's customers like that.

Yes there are "rules", but you don't blanket email customers "there will be no more warnings".

Unfortunately this is a very old fashioned "Basil Fawlty" type way of communication rather than something from the modern world.

It's my one (and only) criticism of the club but I do have empathy.

I work for a commercial entity that used to be a public entity. It can be guilty of taking the path of least resistance when communicating to staff. Sometimes it talks to you as a public servant, sometimes as a commercial employee. It feels at times they take the easier (lazy) route.

The club communication still exists in this hybrid world where it can't quite decide whether we are supporters or customers.

It will probably never decide, but as construct I've criticism they need to work harder.
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Why not, if this is the stance the club has taken then at least you cannot say there is no warning?

Maybe its the northerner in me but I would rather be told straight than it be hidden somewhere and becoming foul of it