Falmer pay on gate?

[DIFFBROOK]

Once casual fans know that it wont be pay on the Gate, then the club will need to bend over backwards in ensuring that it will still be pay on the day and that it will be easy and giving examples of how to obtain tickets.

My worry is for people like my Dad. He is aged 62 (although age doesn't come into it), not very technically savvy, he doesn't have a mobile and doesn't use the internet, so for him and others like him the thought of getting a ticket on a casual basis will be too much trouble. So we might lose that kind of generation/punter.

What I would really like to know is how other clubs with new stadium and planning arrangements that dont allow for pay at the gate have coped? Are there any examples?

 

[The Large One]

Personally, I think the whole idea of not having 'pay on the gate' is not good news, and I suspect the vast majority feel the same. But if people are going to moan about it (and someone will always find something), what value is there in them doing that, especially as the rules are not going to be changed? Pretty futile, I'd say. Personally, I'd prefer work with the club to make access to and egress from the stadium work as smooth as possible. How it gets to work after that, we'll see as we go along.

Train in, bus home sounds a good idea to me.

Incidentally, I'd be curious to know on what grounds any challenge would be.

If I was going to protest about anything at Falmer, it would be to see a return to terraces which is something equally ingrained in law, but is also something which can be co-ordinated on a national level.

 

[El Presidente]

Would I prefer pay on the gate? 'Yes'

Do I accept Lord B's assertion that pay on the gate would have scuppered planning approval, on the grounds that he attended the inquiry and I didn't? 'Yes'

When was the last time the Albion had average attendances that exceeded 10,000, 1983/4, so the chances of us having anything more than a half filled stadium for third division football in our first season at Falmer, apart from the first few matches, based on history, are slim.

 

[SICKASAGULL]

I was astounded to learn from this thread that the directors of this club went ahead with the construction of the new stadium knowing that supporters would not be able to purchase tickets at the ground on match days.
A number of people had already commented that the average gate would not top 15,000 now they are talking 11/12000,Tesco`s must already be pencilling in this site as their next out of town store

 

[sten_super]

I was astounded to learn from this thread that the directors of this club went ahead with the construction of the new stadium knowing that supporters would not be able to purchase tickets at the ground on match days.
A number of people had already commented that the average gate would not top 15,000 now they are talking 11/12000,Tesco`s must already be pencilling in this site as their next out of town store

Are you serious? I've been caught too many times, now I'm wary.

 

[Titanic]

I was astounded to learn from this thread that the directors of this club went ahead with the construction of the new stadium knowing that supporters would not be able to purchase tickets at the ground on match days.
A number of people had already commented that the average gate would not top 15,000 now they are talking 11/12000,Tesco`s must already be pencilling in this site as their next out of town store

Blimey

I wonder if Tony Bloom knew this when he put £93million into the project ?

Perhaps you should warn him ??

 

[sten_super]

Blimey

I wonder if Tony Bloom knew this when he put £93million into the project ?

Perhaps you should warn him ??

There's NO WAY that Tony would have invested his MILLIONS into the project if he'd known that we couldn't buy TICKETS on the gate. NO WAY, I tell you. He's far too sensible.

 

[dougdeep]

I was astounded to learn from this thread that the directors of this club went ahead with the construction of the new stadium knowing that supporters would not be able to purchase tickets at the ground on match days.

Astounded? Really? Do you think they should have given up then?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I hope these transport planners have done their homework because I'm actually quite worried if those figures are correct. The lack of car parking spaces is only a minor inconvenience if the rest of the transport is in place, but I thought (assumed?) the trains would be taking up the slack.

Not rocket science to work out the train figures, especially for an evening match, when most people will want to get home ASAP. Assume the game finishes at 10pm. Check the number of trains on the current timetable into Brighton between 10pm and close of service, all of which will probably be four carriages long. Estimate the maximum number of passenger that can fit into a four carriage train and multiply it by the number of available trains. Simples. Can't be arsed to do the maths, but the total will be in the low thousands at best. That's one big shortfall.

 

[Billy the Fish]

The answer will surely be in providing a decent bus service. The trains are what they are and nothing can be done about that. They need an extra park and ride as well. The next big question will be where do you get all the extra busses from.

Also, I'm sure there's an opportunity for someone to start running coaches from mid sussex and both ways along the A27. If the club can come to an arrangement to subsidise to the value of the travel voucher then it might just be viable if anyone wanted to make a bit of pocket money. There was at least one bus that went to Gillingham every game that used to pick up outside the railway in Burgess Hill.

Either that or the club do it themselves, can't see it happening though.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

This is probably not the thread to discuss all of the implications of what Leyton Orient are up to as far as ticketing for the JPT game against the Albion is concerned.

So I'll stick to just this little factette:-

Tickets for home fans who are Under 18 are available in the West Stand FREE OF CHARGE if ordered in advance. FIVE POUNDS if bought on the gate.

 

[Tooting Gull]

This thread has driven me to a belated review of all the latest developments in 'cashless' stadiums and smart-card technology. A whistlestop internet tour that has taken me to Coventry via Switzerland, several Bundesliga clubs and the Nurburgring. If that's what's coming, at least I know a bit more about it.

Although I have to say, even in some of the pioneering stadia, they don't really seem to have really cracked it for casual fans. Season-ticket holders, and catering outlets yes, but no real mentions of buying tickets on the day via phone or text. Presumably, though, the technology is there for it to expand into that area.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

This is probably not the thread to discuss all of the implications of what Leyton Orient are up to as far as ticketing for the JPT game against the Albion is concerned.

So I'll stick to just this little factette:-

Tickets for home fans who are Under 18 are available in the West Stand FREE OF CHARGE if ordered in advance. FIVE POUNDS if bought on the gate.

And this set me thinking ...

Maybe the best way to get people who have never been to an Albion match before to sign up to a smart card system for use at future matches would to offer to fans who aren't already in the database 1,000 FREE TICKETS at every game that looks like it won't sell out - provided you book in advance?

With the free ticket comes an easy to understand explanation of how you can buy future tickets on the day, or in advance, using the card you've been given.

 

[portlock seagull]

I think, considering we agreed to only be there a few years anyway, the council have been pretty flexible so why piss them off by trying to change the parking restrictions. If the council had considered it would have been likely the local resisdents would have pointed out the original agreement was for us to stay a certain amount of time. This would have made considerably more difficult for the council to extend our stay.

Why would I be talking about parking restrictions in a thread about pay on the gate? Get with the beat baggy....

 

[portlock seagull]

On the trains point why cant we have 8 or 12 carriages at the designated times?

The reason I say this is because some stations like Balcombe, Faygate, Littlehaven, Lancing etc etc you get a message saying you need to be in the front 4 or rear 8 coaches (or whatever) if you wish to get off at these stations...but the train is still 12 carriages.

There aren't any Brighton fans in Balcombe. I moved out in the late 90's...

 

[portlock seagull]

Personally, I think the whole idea of not having 'pay on the gate' is not good news, and I suspect the vast majority feel the same. But if people are going to moan about it (and someone will always find something), what value is there in them doing that, especially as the rules are not going to be changed? Pretty futile, I'd say. Personally, I'd prefer work with the club to make access to and egress from the stadium work as smooth as possible. How it gets to work after that, we'll see as we go along.

Train in, bus home sounds a good idea to me.

Incidentally, I'd be curious to know on what grounds any challenge would be.

If I was going to protest about anything at Falmer, it would be to see a return to terraces which is something equally ingrained in law, but is also something which can be co-ordinated on a national level.

The flaw with that argument is time changes everything. And if attendances aren't where they should be and the topic of this thread is deemed to be the cause then it's simply ridiculous to say well, that was the agreement 15 years ago, we're all obliged to respect it / stop complaining.

If only Hitler had respected the Versailles Treaty in the same way..... My god, what if WE'd respected Archer's decision in the same way

 

[The Large One]

The flaw with that argument is time changes everything. And if attendances aren't where they should be and the topic of this thread is deemed to be the cause then it's simply ridiculous to say well, that was the agreement 15 years ago, we're all obliged to respect it / stop complaining.

Well of course things change over time - and who knows what the situation will be in the mid-2020s? However, I can't imagine for a second that poor attendances alone are going to be allowed to be the catalyst for a change in the planning conditions. That's a commercial consideration, not a planning, traffic or safety consideration.

If the club can come up with a proveable way that 'pay on the gate' can be operated safely within the confines of current planning regulations, great. Or perhaps the club can take the Government Planning Department and/or Planning Inspectorate to court and prove that their planning conditions are unlawful/unfair.

However, I go back to my original query... I'd be curious to know on what grounds any challenge would be.

 

[drew]

However, I go back to my original query... I'd be curious to know on what grounds any challenge would be.

You obviously haven't been following the thread that closely. The reasoned arguement being put forward is that a small number of fans cannot be arsed to pick up a phone. Surely that would sway any Public Inquiry.

 

[Brovion]

... However, I go back to my original query... I'd be curious to know on what grounds any challenge would be.

Under the present rules and indeed the present attitude towards planning - no grounds whatsoever. However it is only politicians, rules and regulations we're up against, not Darth Vader and the Galatic Empire, so there is a chance that things might change in the future.

I do feel though that there is going to be a 'double whammy'. Firstly the moans of casual fans about ticketing arrangments (however baseless people think those moans might be), but the second problem will be the moans of 'real' fans about transport, specifically the poor sods who have to come by train. They'll be no point in fighting for 'pay on the gate' for casuals if the transport infrastructure can't cope with the pre-booked die-hards.

This is where I really DO hope there is a change of heart, not so much at the club but with transport policies in general. Currently the government think that drinking, smoking and private motoring are the three biggest evils in our society and are doing all they can to curb all three. And certainly in the case of private motoring and specifically in Brighton) they're trying to curb it without putting up a creditable alternative.

I'm now veering off-topic to another of our favourite debates - traffic in Brighton - but the two are connected especially the lack of a PROPER Park 'n' Ride which could go a long way to helping ease stadium transport by spreading the load.

 

[Danny-Boy]

So what's so impossibly hard about having people paying at the turnstile? If the Bristol clubs, Swindon, Cheltenham and Hereford (and many others) can do it - why can't Brighton?

Even buying a ticket in advance by phone isn't necessarily the answer for everyone - yes, there are circumstances when it CAN be that hard!

Brentford is "pay on the Gate" thank God, I wouldn't go near the place if it wasn't.

I'm surprised that BHAFC are trying to apparently save the cost of handling cash.