[Albion] New fan zone - "The Terrace" [Opening 1/4/25 v Aston Villa]

[jackalbion]

What exactly do you think is the capacity of those shitty little 3 carriage trains trundling pathetically towards Brighton every 20 minutes post-evening-match?

Around 320 crush loaded (based off a class 377/3), so if the Fanzone is in use at Full Capacity indoors, that 3 services where people will not fill up those trains, if the capacity of 2/3000 is used thats a potential 9 3/4 car services that will be alleviated. Yes it doesn't solve all the problems, and its unlikely 9 trains worth of people will stay behind, but I think to suggest it won't make a large dent is unfair. Also its every 10 minutes now.

 

[Uter]

You're asking the right person. @Uter will know the exact capacity of each carriage....seated and standing, probably even knows the chassis number

 

[Bozza]

Bozza suggesed downstairs might partially be taken up by kitchen and bar space? I hope this AMEX Club thingy is small though.

In the fly-through the usable floorspace on the ground floor looks to be about the same size as the cut-out above. The remainder of the space, to the left of the image below seems to be kitchens, back-office, staff areas and customer toilets.

But, it's all a guess based on the fly-through which may not be a true representation.

And, aside from all that, I have no doubt it's going to be a fantastic addition and enjoyed by many.

I have no issues with the Amex area - many fans have these cards already, and others can easily get one if they so wish. Frankly, if you buy a few pints and a pie most matchdays, you'd do well to have one anyway for the 10% savings.

I'm curious if any attempt will be made to ensure people inside are actually using it properly and spending money, and it doesn't get full up with the kind of people who'll nurse a Diet Coke for two hours to stay in the warm, when outside there's a long queue of folk who'd like to buy a few pints.

 

[el punal]

Will the club instigate a card exchange scheme or can we pass our Amex cards on to our friends if we don’t go ?

What a great idea. I’ll borrow my daughter’s Amex card, I’m sure she won’t mind a few more £££s to pay off at the end of the month as I omit to to tell her that I’ve taken my three mates with me and larged it on Cruzcampo, Melts and other goodies.

 

[Uter]

What exactly do you think is the capacity of those shitty little 3 carriage trains trundling pathetically towards Brighton every 20 minutes post-evening-match?

Sorry, I am not quite grasping your point. People removed from the queues means less queuing regardless of the train lengths and frequencies.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Around 320 crush loaded, so if the Fanzone is in use at Full Capacity indoors, that 3 services where people will not fill up those trains, if the capacity of 2/3000 is used thats a potential 9 3/4 car services that will be alleviated. Yes it doesn't solve all the problems, and its unlikely 9 trains worth of people will stay behind, but I think to suggest it won't make a large dent is unfair. Also its every 10 minutes now.

Sorry, with respect Jack I was talking about midweek evening games, where the post-match provision is nowhere near fit for purpose

 

[jackalbion]

Sorry, with respect Jack I was talking about midweek evening games, where the post-match provision is nowhere near fit for purpose

So you are saying that if 1000 people choose to stay behind it won't make a dent, when its alleviating a whole 3 trains worth of capacity. I know it isn't great, but that is a significant dent, that would clear a whole worth of Brighton bound trains for half an hour on midweek. That for me is significant.

 

[Bob!]

Does it say anywhere the Opening and closing time for 3pm Kick offs ? Dicks was great but used to kick everyone out before end of 5.30 game :-( and will they cancel the euro vision party of we get to the cup final

All we have so far is timings for the Villa game, with the fanzone closing 15 minutes before KO.


For the 1 April matchday, the itinerary is shaping up to look like:

➢ 12noon opening of bars and kitchens
➢ 4pm DJ set opens
➢ 5.30pm special guest interviews
➢ 6.00pm live band
➢ 7.15pm last orders before kick-off
➢ 7.30pm Heineken Fan Zone closes
➢ 7.45pm kick-off – Heineken Fan Zone will be closed during the match
➢ 9.30pm bars and kitchens re-open
➢ 9.30pm DJ set
➢ 10.30pm kitchens close
➢ 11pm close

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Sorry, I am not quite grasping your point. People removed from the queues means less queuing regardless of the train lengths and frequencies.

Apogies that you're having trouble grasping the bleeding obvious. Soon-come fanzone will be a drop in the ocean for midweek post-match queues.500 less fans in the train queue? Rejoice! Rejoice!

 

[Invicta]

I don't really understand the relevance of the "500 of those places will be reserved upstairs" part. There's no reason to assume that Amex card holders are less likely to be travelling by train. 1000 people in the facility will have the same impact on the queues regardless of the proportion with an Amex card.

I don't think 1000 people is an insignificant number. It's going to make a meaningful dent in the train queues even when the doors are closed I'd expect. I think this will appeal most to those travelling by rail, so the 1000 will be disproportionately be skewed towards those fans when compared to the matchday attendance as a whole. Time will tell I guess.

Us Amex card holders will all have complimentary limousines, leaving the trains for the downstairs types!

 

[Bry Nylon]

12noon
Opening of bars and kitchens

22:57hrs
Sodexo staff work out how to operate till

 

[el punal]

Haven't seen it said anywhere but will the opening of this facility have an impact on the concourses staying open after the game? WSU closes 30 minutes after final whistle!

Does it? Never really noticed except for evening games. Anyway we normally have a couple of pints in the WSU and then schlep off to the North.

 

[Change at Barnham]

But I don’t think that’s the crux of most of the complaints here, they aren’t complaining about the investment, it’s that some of the investment doesn’t seem to be for everyone.

In fairness Jack, not all the Amex stadium is for everyone.
On trains not all the space if for everyone. At almost any sporting venue not all spaces are for everyone.

 

[Winker]

No further comment m'lud:

 

[el punal]

Us Amex card holders will all have complimentary limousines, leaving the trains for the downstairs types!

“Limousines to the left, Brighton trains to the right.”

 

[Was not Was]

Isn't being able to buy a ticket to go to a match in the first place technically "social segregation", if you want to apply it thoroughly?

That's a good point, and I'm not saying that some sort of definitive line has been crossed ... but I do think that with the pricing of things, we can tell ourselves that you could save up or borrow for something expensive ( a Tunnel Club ticket?!), which isn't something that applies to having an Amex card: if your credit history is shit or income is low, I'm guessing you won't get one.

 

[el punal]

No further comment m'lud:

View attachment 197476

“Oi mate! Lend us yer Amex card.”

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Big impact upcoming on all the grockles that used to always bag all the seats in Dick's Bar earlydoors

 

[jackalbion]

Apogies that you're having trouble grasping the bleeding obvious. Soon-come fanzone will be a drop in the ocean for midweek post-match queues.500 less fans in the train queue? Rejoice! Rejoice!

500 less fans in that queue is not just a drop in the ocean though , I've just explained how it is in fact very significant.

 

[Uter]

Apogies that you're having trouble grasping the bleeding obvious. Soon-come fanzone will be a drop in the ocean for midweek post-match queues.500 less fans in the train queue? Rejoice! Rejoice!

Why the snarkiness? 500 more people delaying their journey home could mean the average wait for a train drops several minutes per passenger. I don't really understand why you are so dismissive of that. We are never going to get to the point where we everyone can walk straight onto the platform. Nobody is trying to make the argument that this will solve all the transport woes, but anything that can alleviate things, as this is likely to do, is surely something to be welcomed. It might not be a step change in the transport experience, but won't be a "drop in the ocean" either.