No P&R for Newport game

[Blazing Apostle]

response from Jenny Gower - maybe if other emailed her as well to express their thoughts - the club might listen


Thank you for your email.



I am sorry for the lack of clarity on whether travel is included for the Newport game.



I have contacted our Communications Department this morning to get all the relevant pages on the website updated to make this clear and we are also updating the Club Charter.



Regrettably with a lower attendance expected and in order to keep the ticket price competitive, we have not been able to incorporate travel. To put in a full travel plan is an extremely costly exercise and in the case of a cup game where gate receipts are split, it was felt including travel in to the ticket price would make it prohibitively expensive, especially in light of the large number of games we have in such a short space of time. Seagulls Travel is in operation and can be booked through the website below:

http://www.ekmpowershop28.com/ekmps/shops/stagedoor/index.asp



Kind regards



Jenny Gower
Head of Ticketing & Supporter Services

 

[Tooting Gull]

While that is a fair response - it is also a bit dodgy selling the Newport tickets without making that significant change clear beforehand. What price Barber on Watchdog before Christmas?

 

[gripper stebson]

Changing the club charter eh?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

While that is a fair response - it is also a bit dodgy selling the Newport tickets without making that significant change clear beforehand. What price Barber on Watchdog before Christmas?

Changing the club charter AFTER the event is very dodgy. It also alludes to more than just this game...as all cup gates are split.

 

[El Turi]

Does anyone know if the R buses will still be running this season as there is no mention of them any more on the Brighton and Hove bus website?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Changing the club charter eh?

After you have sold tickets based on it as well. A clear case of false advertising I'd say. There does seem to be a lot of advertising **** ups on Barber's watch.

 

[Hillian1]

So they are going to change the Club Charter to suit themselves.

Something very similar has happened before if I recall correctly.

 

[gripper stebson]

What's the point of a club charter if it can be changed that easily and without discussion?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

What's the point of a club charter if it can be changed that easily and without discussion?

Quite.

 

[Smirko]

Could swear the yellow sign at the bottom of Mill Rd states that it will be closed Sat 27th for the football??!!

Maybe the club have not informed the local authority either??!!

 

[Joe Gatting's Dad]

Train fare is £3.30 return Brighton/Falmer or £2.20 for senior railcard holders.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

What's the point of a club charter if it can be changed that easily and without discussion?

No point at all. It's utterly futile if they can just change it as and when it suits them.

 

[LowerWesty]

After you have sold tickets based on it as well. A clear case of false advertising I'd say. There does seem to be a lot of advertising **** ups on Barber's watch.

Agreed, I must admit I have thought this on quite a few occasions over the past 3 months. Putting aside the GP matter, the 'seating plan' regarding the cost of matchday cup tickets and the realigning of the 'lower west' concessions has never been explained, nor has the booking fee PR fiasco.

Regarding the travel arrangements for the friendly's and the Newport game. I don't expect to pay £8 or £12, and get free travel. I don't mind paying, but can you imagine what will happen when 10,000 - 20,000 supporters try to leave the stadium after the Newport game with no proper transport plan in place. What happens if there's extra time or a penalty shoot God knows.

Once I had purchased the tickets, I rang the ticket office and asked if I could book car parking as they weren't available on the website, although one page contradicted this. I was told that they didn't know anything about travel or parking arrangements for the 3 games and to look online everyday. Finally the car park tickets were made available and I booked them.

The Albion were proud of their 'Green' credentials. They said "The Council' monitor the ways in which fans travel to the Amex, and the club is committed to meeting its targets and delivering on our promises to the local community". Well it was.

I didn't realise you could change the Club's Charter which clearly states "A Travel Levy of £50 per season, per adult, for 23 league games will be applied to all season ticket holders; travel for cup games will be included in the match ticket price." Well that seems pretty clear and this is included on a number of other web pages, e.g. http://www.seagulls.co.uk/news/article/home-fans-travel-239441.aspx .

Something about a brewery springs to mind.

 

[Bozza]

What's the point of a club charter if it can be changed that easily and without discussion?

Agreed - this is the second time this has happened - the first being the cost of a replacement season ticket/smart card.

That supporters have to point out the club is going against their own charter, and then the charter being changed to suit, really does make it appear to be a worthless document.

 

[SpongebobSquarepants]

Usually do the P&R but OK for a one off I thought I would book a parking space at the same time as booking my tickets. And it's another £1 booking fee for parking! So really £11 to park the car. Taking the mick when there is no alternatives.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Agreed, I must admit I have thought this on quite a few occasions over the past 3 months. Putting aside the GP matter, the 'seating plan' regarding the cost of matchday cup tickets and the realigning of the 'lower west' concessions has never been explained, nor has the booking fee PR fiasco.

Regarding the travel arrangements for the friendly's and the Newport game. I don't expect to pay £8 or £12, and get free travel. I don't mind paying, but can you imagine what will happen when 10,000 - 20,000 supporters try to leave the stadium after the Newport game with no proper transport plan in place. What happens if there's extra time or a penalty shoot God knows.

Once I had purchased the tickets, I rang the ticket office and asked if I could book car parking as they weren't available on the website, although one page contradicted this. I was told that they didn't know anything about travel or parking arrangements for the 3 games and to look online everyday. Finally the car park tickets were made available and I booked them.

The Albion were proud of their 'Green' credentials. They said "The Council' monitor the ways in which fans travel to the Amex, and the club is committed to meeting its targets and delivering on our promises to the local community". Well it was.

I didn't realise you could change the Club's Charter which clearly states "A Travel Levy of £50 per season, per adult, for 23 league games will be applied to all season ticket holders; travel for cup games will be included in the match ticket price." Well that seems pretty clear and this is included on a number of other web pages, e.g. http://www.seagulls.co.uk/news/article/home-fans-travel-239441.aspx .

Something about a brewery springs to mind.

I agree with most of this. But whether you expect to get free travel or not is irrelevant; the club charter states you do (well, did) for cup games and some supporters may well have budgeted for this. To change the terms of the sale after the event is just plain wrong.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Agreed - this is the second time this has happened - the first being the cost of a replacement season ticket/smart card.

That supporters have to point out the club is going against their own charter, and then the charter being changed to suit, really does make it appear to be a worthless document.

I think I will write to Barber and ask him why this keeps happening. What's his email address?

 

[Bozza]

I agree with most of this. But whether you expect to get free travel or not is irrelevant; the club charter states you do (well, did) for cup games and some supporters may well have budgeted for this. To change the terms of the sale after the event is just plain wrong.

I've no great beef with the budgetary aspect, when the match ticket price is so low, which is a real positive.

The arbitrary nature of excluding something that all expect to be included is wrong though, particularly given the transport situation for the Amex.

There will undoubtedly be people who rock up at P&R sites for the Newport game and find they are stranded. If you're an out-of-tower, like me, you may have no idea on bus routes and how to practically get to the ground.

It's also very disappointing that at a club where subtle changes to Articles of Association were made that jeopardised the very club itself, it is considered ok to just tinker with a Club Charter in such a way.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

I've no great beef with the budgetary aspect, when the match ticket price is so low, which is a real positive.

The arbitrary nature of excluding something that all expect to be included is wrong though, particularly given the transport situation for the Amex.

There will undoubtedly be people who rock up at P&R sites for the Newport game and find they are stranded. If you're an out-of-tower, like me, you may have no idea on bus routes and how to practically get to the ground.

It's also very disappointing that at a club where subtle changes to Articles of Association were made that jeopardised the very club itself, it is considered ok to just tinker with a Club Charter in such a way.

Nail on the heading hittingly accurate summary.

 

[Brovion]

The match ticket is cheap. The Albion are not responsible for how you get to this game. It is utterly laughable that people EXPECT the club to sort this out for them for a low key not very lucrative game.

My problem is with the current trend to find fault with practically everything the club does these days. It is really getting my goat now. I find it exhausting reading what I believe to be a complete overreaction to the most minor of issues.

If the transport fee was included in this game the price would in all likelihood been one which would have put even more people off. I would suspect that we will probably lose money on this game so I can understand that the club do want to pay a high transport fee for what was always going to a relatively quiet game attendance wise. With anywhere between 8,000-15,000 turning up there really is no need for the Albion to cough up for the P+R or southern railway. This decision makes good sense for the Albion. The club is working very hard to get its house in order and this just part of it.

'S funny because I'm the exact opposite, I'm sick of people who will not hear any criticism of the club under any circumstances! I'm utterly sick of all the mindless, ill-educated, sheep-like drivel I've had to read defending the compulsory booking fee - and I'm sure you're the same but on the opposite side. I've given up debating it now.

As it happens I have a fair amount of sympathy with the club in this situation. Yes, it could have been communicated better, and yes the club does appear to be in breach of its own Customers' Charter, but due to the stifling (and frankly ridiculous) transport constraints that were part of the planning permission the club has to jump through so many hoops that it's not surprising that one or two get missed on occasion.