Sami disappointed with the crowd for Southampton game [video]

[Bozza]

Sound like a funny queue where the ones at the front don't get on and the ones at the back do. We are good at queuing and I can't see this producing a harmonious outcome.

I'm not saying that will happen, just hypothesising it could be possible if they do open up the barriers down the side of the train rather than having a single queue exit point at the the very front.

Thinking about it, those at the very front would still have more train available to them to fill as the very front of the queue still has a fair few carriages in front of it with no queue alongside.

We'll find out more a week Saturday.

 

[Geriatric Seagull]

"Sami disappointed with the crowd"! Judging by the comments from those who've seen some of the friendlies, maybe that should be the other way round?

 

[British Bulldog]

Looking at the outgoing vs incoming transfer activity of both the Albion and Southampton it's hardly surprising not many people fancied it.

 

[S'hampton Seagull]

Looking at the outgoing vs incoming transfer activity of both the Albion and Southampton it's hardly surprising not many people fancied it.

Indeed. A shiny new striker and Clayton + Ward would have made a big difference to the crowd. I understand why these transfers have not happened, but Sami should understand why the attendance wasn't higher!

 

[Mr Banana]

It beats Oscar's dead-eyed "the fans are individual reincarnations of my personal Jesus and the stadium makes me weep with joy"-style stuff. Sensible decision by all non-attendees, I only went out of longing for the stadium.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Whenever I'm disappointed, I don't normally have a big grin on my face.

Just saying, like.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

They're clearly trying to do things differently with the Brighton train queue this season, and I take heart that thought has been given to try and do things better.

Rather than a single very wide queue, the area is now like a series of chicanes, so you zig zag up that queuing area. However, it sounds like the intention is that, when it's busy (which it wasn't last night) and the queue area is full, the barriers will be opened down the length of the queueing area rather than just at the front. This should mean that instead of the old rush where people exited the queue area and then tried to find a part of the train with space, people will be approaching down most of the length of the train and, presumably, entering the train directly alongside where they were queueing. In theory I guess this should mean that trains load quicker and there's less chance of them departing with spare capacity.

I guess this could also mean that some people don't get on a train whereas some who started queueing after them do, just because they happen to be 'train side' on the zig zag at the time loading starts. It will be interesting to see how this works.

There did seem to be a reasonable sized group of what seemed to be private security staff manning the queue area (not police), and I think this is another change.

It all sort of fell apart anyway due a 'person hit by a train'. Got onto the platform easy enough at the end, only to find that the first train out, the 2145, was delayed until 2157 and was advertised as 4 carriages. No idea how it panned out, just got off the platform and walked as far down the Lewes Road as was needed to pick up a bus. Feel really sorry for young kids trapped in the post-midweek-match scramble in the dark for trains. Would imagine it must be quite frightening for some.

 

[Bozza]

It all sort of fell apart anyway due a 'person hit by a train'. Got onto the platform easy enough at the end, only to find that the first train out, the 2145, was delayed until 2157 and was advertised as 4 carriages. No idea how it panned out, just got off the platform and walked as far down the Lewes Road as was needed to pick up a bus. Feel really sorry for young kids trapped in the post-midweek-match scramble in the dark for trains. Would imagine it must be quite frightening for some.

I was talking about Brighton pre-match, not Falmer post-match.

We exited pretty sharpish last night and saw the 21:45 come in at 21:57. We easily made it onto the 22:03 which came in pretty much right behind it.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I was talking about Brighton pre-match, not Falmer post-match.

We exited pretty sharpish last night and saw the 21:45 come in at 21:57. We easily made it onto the 22:03 which came in pretty much right behind it.

Ah, right, sorry, my mistake. Yes, does seem like a change for the better.

 

[Brovion]

I don't think the trains are going to be solved for the foreseeable future. They are bad enough at rush hour when the football is not on.

The final straw is actually not running trains (cancelling the connection to Hove to meet the London train) in West Coastway so it is worse than a normal evening. Two hours to go 12 miles.

So instead of extra trains there is one less. Fed up with it and the season hasn't even started.

Coming home from London last night I must admit I'd forgotten the game was on, and so I was a tad miffed to find that getting across to platform 8 involved going through a queueing system that wouldn't look out of place at Thorpe Park. Bit of overkill for a friendly perhaps, but no matter, that's obviously the best time to try out new things. Also I am a Brighton fan (still, just) so I'm more accepting of these things than someone who has no interest in football.

I WAS pissed off though to find that the train ran straight through to Falmer without stopping at London Road! Some of us wanted to get home for our tea!