Fourth season and transport, catering issues are still not sorted!

[perseus]

What's happened to the queueing system this year? I wasn't able to go saturday, but last season I thought it worked just fine and was very well operated. Not entirely sure there was a need for a change.

First time the trains from Brighton to Falmer worked for me at about 1:30 pm. Got to the ground too early really.

West Coastway was just as horrendous as usual though.

 

[supergeorge]

Let me see...

* Arrived at Mill Road P&R at 1 o'clock, straight on bus to ground
* Got to ground, had a nice hot Balti pie and a lovely pint of Harveys and watched the football on telly until kick-off
* Watched entire game including injury time
* Got back on P&R bus for Mill Road after full time, and was back in my car at 5.30
* Got home to Surrey at 6.45 in time to put Junior Orange to bed

Total Transport and Catering Issues = 0

FFS, what the hell is wrong with you, you cannot come on here and NOT moan about something, it is your duty to find something to complain about.
Surely the weeds in the pavement at Mill Road hampered your journey?
Was the air conditioning not working on the bus?
The weather, sure the weather was not up to standard?
Balti Pie was too hot surely?
Pint of Harveys, were the pipes really that clean?
Wrong TV channel, wasn't a repeat of Home Under The Hammer better suited for pre match entertainment?
Football was rubbish?
Would 5.25 not have been a more convienient time for you (sack the transport manager!)

I am joking for those that don't recognise it!

Just making a point, some people just love to moan, and moan about anything and everything. Trains break down, get cancelled/delayed, it happens. Beer runs out, Food runs out.

It happens.

Rant over.

 

[Steve.S]

I used public transport for the fifth time since the Amex opened. Like all the other times, it was absolutely fine - the train from Lewes wasn't even that crowded.

I can't really complain about the cost either - you expect to pay more at sporting venues. It's not even that expensive compared to local prices. I paid £4.30 for a pint in the pub in Stanmer Park last week and that's less than a km from the Amex. Sadly, Brighton's an expensive place, if you don't want to pay £4 for a pint, move up north

What time train do you get from Lewes and what about the return journey, is it much of a wait?

 

[Greavsey]

Moved from West Upper to West Lower for this season, so a new concourse and seating experience!
- Got on train at 2pm at London Road, expecting chaos and the usual cattle truck experience, to find three completely empty front carriages. Wonderful for me. But smells of a cock up at Brighton...
- Arrived onto West Lower concourse, hardly any pre-match queues loads of space to stand and rest a pint (massive upgrade on West Upper)
- Lovely pint of Harveys, usual red hot but extremely pleasant Chicken pie
- Take our new seats for the first half. A far greater feeling of being at the match rather than watching on TV. Though slightly worried about getting rained on in the winter!
- Half time pint time. Again hardly any queue compared with the Upper. Noticed the sale of pulled pork baps that I hadn't tried before. Impulse purchase. Waistline didn't need it. Tastebuds didn't need it - dry roll, dry pork - never again!
- Watched the whole of the second half including injury time.
- Post match pint. Plenty of catering options left, didn't partake due to aforementioned waistline. However, stark contrast again to West Upper.
- Strolled down to station got on next available train at 17.38. The carriage doors stopped exactly in front of where I was standing on the platform, another nice empty train. Home for 6pm for kids bath and bed. Amazing.

The almost perfect Amex experience (baring the pulled pork) that it has taken three years to get to. Shame about the sh1t on the pitch.

 

[sully]

I don't get it with the pies either £4.10 for a lot of crust very little filling and the staff not able to tell the fillings apart

I find it bizarre that there are so many reports of "staff can't tell the fillings apart" when the pies themselves have a label on them telling you what flavour they are. I've NEVER had the wrong one given to me!


A couple of minor issues for me on Saturday.

Transport:
The "Bus Controller" for the Mill Road P&R spent ages trying to get people to move down a bus. He got the driver to open the back doors and wouldn't give up until people had moved down. The bus then left without anyone else getting on it! What was that all about?

Catering:
We need something to help us decide which queue to join.
I queued for about 10 minutes and when I got to the front, I was advised that all the pies on the shelves labelled "Steak and Ale" were actually Balti pies and that outlet didn't have any Steak & Ale ones. I therefore joined a queue at another outlet and about 15 minutes later (after someone had held the queue up with some sort of issue for ages), I got to the front, only to be told by the serving girl "I'm not serving any more. I've been told to stop serving". It was 2.50pm. Obviously, once the supervisor was called, I was served and I assume so were all the other people in the queue behind me!

 

[Peter Grummit]

The almost perfect Amex experience (baring the pulled pork) ....

Watch out, the Stewards will jump on you if you're seen doing that...

PG

 

[Captain Sensible]

I think the issue with the price of beer etc is that they used to be an incentive to getting to the Amex early and staying behind for an hour or so which in turn helps the transport by spreading out demand on the services. If it was just purely about grabbing a pint during the half hour or so before the game and at half time I don't think people would be too bothered. But the incentive to arrive early and leave late is becoming less and less.

Spot on might as well leave earlier and pay less in a nicer environment. Rather than outside a kiosk where the staff are trying to close and or have run out of beer.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Of course the Amex is the most expensive place to buy a pint of Harvey's in Sussex!, where did you think it would be!, it's a big sporting venue. To be honest a pint of the very same beer in my local pub is knocking on the door of £4 now.

Why of course? It was reasonable a few years back and the most expensive last year but at least it was still just about ok for the price. Now it's the most expensive with the poorest service.

 

[Brovion]

Of course the Amex is the most expensive place to buy a pint of Harvey's in Sussex!, where did you think it would be!, it's a big sporting venue. To be honest a pint of the very same beer in my local pub is knocking on the door of £4 now.

There's no 'of course' about it. The beer used to be reasonably priced and now it's overpriced. I could be wrong but I think it's gone up by about 90p a pint since we've been there. And no, I don't expect to pay more in a sporting venue, if anything I expect it to be less to conpensate for the inconvenience of having to drink standing up out of plastic (with nowhere to put your 'glass' down). In my usual pub just off the Lewes Road (which isn't a million miles from the Amex) I pay £3.60 a pint for Harveys. The Swan's about the same for Palmers. And even if you thought the price was ok there's the whole 'Transport Plan' to think about as originally the club wanted to encourage people to come earlier and leave later. That's obviously not so important now.

I guess the whole thing is another step in the gentrification of football. I guess if you're the sort of person who pays £5 for a pint of 'craft' beer then I'm sure the Amex is super value darling and not nearly so much as we pay in our local wine bar. (Not saying you are, just making a point). As has been pointed out by others I don't have to pay the prices, no one's holding a gun to my head - so I won't.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

There's no 'of course' about it. The beer used to be reasonably priced and now it's overpriced. I could be wrong but I think it's gone up by about 90p a pint since we've been there. And no, I don't expect to pay more in a sporting venue, if anything I expect it to be less to conpensate for the inconvenience of having to drink standing up out of plastic (with nowhere to put your 'glass' down). In my usual pub just off the Lewes Road (which isn't a million miles from the Amex) I pay £3.60 a pint for Harveys. The Swan's about the same for Palmers. And even if you thought the price was ok there's the whole 'Transport Plan' to think about as originally the club wanted to encourage people to come earlier and leave later. That's obviously not so important now.

I guess the whole thing is another step in the gentrification of football. I guess if you're the sort of person who pays £5 for a pint of 'craft' beer then I'm sure the Amex is super value darling and not nearly so much as we pay in our local wine bar. (Not saying you are, just making a point). As has been pointed out by others I don't have to pay the prices, no one's holding a gun to my head - so I won't.

I'm with you on this but paying £5 for a well crafted beer which probably has processes and/or ingredients which justifiably increase the price is very different to paying the current AMEX Harvey's price which is a plain rip off.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I'm with you on this but paying £5 for a well crafted beer which probably has processes and/or ingredients which justifiably increase the price is very different to paying the current AMEX Harvey's price which is a plain rip off.

Ha ha. Probably.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

And no, I don't expect to pay more in a sporting venue, if anything I expect it to be less to compensate for the inconvenience of having to drink standing up out of plastic (with nowhere to put your 'glass' down).

I don't think that is how the world works. You expect to be compensated for purchasing a pint ?

It is expensive but being at the ground with friends I am happy to purchase a pint and enjoy the moment. I am not going to be thinking about the few more pence.

 

[kevo]

Seven pages of moaning about non-issues.

I travel from London for every home game, and have rarely encountered any serious "transport issues". The first season there were often long queues for the train but it seems much better now. On Saturday, I left on the final whistle and got straight on a train (no queue) at a station adjacent to the stadium. I don't think there are many grounds in the country where you could do that!

As for the food, Piglet's Pantry have won just about every award going for the quality of their pies. I'd rather pay for one of them than the offal you get at most grounds. Great beer too - not just your usual pissy lager. Yes, it is comparatively expensive - but if you are really so skint you are desperate to pay £1 or 50p less for your pint, go to the pub before coming to the match. Simple.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I don't think that is how the world works. You expect to be compensated for purchasing a pint ?

It is expensive but being at the ground with friends I am happy to purchase a pint and enjoy the moment. I am not going to be thinking about the few more pence.

It's simple supply and demand. If Barber can increase revenue by jacking up beer by 30p ever year then fine. If not then he needs to have a rethink. We will have to wait and see. One thing for sure is that the community AMEX angle is becoming less and less.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It's simple supply and demand. If Barber can increase revenue by jacking up beer by 30p ever year then fine.

Certainly the queues on the concourse are as annoyingly long as ever. Maybe try 60p price raise next season?

 

[wigman]

Always go by train and always make it back to Brighton for the 17.33 back to Angmering.
I do not think there is a problem with the trains.

 

[Captain Sensible]

If you are still buying a product, it is not too expensive.
If you are still buying beer and pies you have no right to complain about the price as you can clearly afford them! If you want to complain stop buying them.
If people stop buying them the price will come down.

So people need to either shut up and stop buying stuff or shut up and keep buying stuff.
Simple!

So you can't buy beer if you think it's too expensive?
I bought 2 pints on Saturday, when I would have bought 4 or 5. I went without at half time, then didn't bother after the game. Also I bought a burger and a pint pre game but as there is no discount for 1 burger and 1 pint, I was charged £8.70 and so won't buy again.
So there you have it, you can still moan but just buy less. I will probably buy my pre match beer but nothing at half and full time. I think a lot are doing the same as I haven't had the customary, record sales for catering email, that we usually get after the first home game.

 

[Giraffe]

Travel related issue on Saturday. Having previously been in Bennett's Field car park this season we have been moved to the Uni.

I hadn't received my parking permit by Saturday morning despite chasing twice. I phoned customer services and was told my name would be on a list

I arrived at the Uni car park at 1.30pm and was met by a steward who asked where my permit was. I explained. He said sorry don't have a list you'll have to go to the racecourse park and ride. I explained again. He said if you don't move I'll get security. I said fine, get security. He called a lady over. I explained for the fourth time. She said oh that's fine and let me go in. I never saw anyone with a list, and no one checked after that.

Odd, very odd.

My friend's smart card was refused at the turnstile. He was sent to the three different parts of the ground before it was finally sorted.

I get you can have IT issues but why aren't the staff better informed?

 

[Captain Sensible]

Well yeah, because you can't afford it. I didn't get a drink at the ground on Saturday, I got the train into town and had a pint for much less by half 5.

But I can afford it, I just think it's too expensive. It like getting charged a £5 for a pint of milk.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

It's simple supply and demand. If Barber can increase revenue by jacking up beer by 30p ever year then fine. If not then he needs to have a rethink. We will have to wait and see.

Oh I totally agree. I will be drinking fewer pints - part price, part self-preservation. Interestingly on Saturday there was still Harveys as they started closing the concourse - and they frequently ran out last season. But we did lose.