[Albion] Seagull travel next season

[Creaky]

Yep, both. I'm talking about making the effort to come from further away. We've tried the park and ride which is a shambles, all of the car parks which are an expensive shambles (particularly in weekday games), and we've tried finding local drives to park on. All of these caused an issue.

I can't knock the service of ST or NWS (I use NWS mainly), but it's a costly way to get to games. Putting the cost up, considering we're often amongst the groups who travel furthest to games, seems incredibly harsh.

Calling the Park and Rides as a “shambles’ is I think a little unfair. I use either the Mill Road or Racecourse for almost all home games and can’t really complain and find it extremely good value for money - I’m not sure how the club manage it for £2.50 a head.

Getting to the game there is no distance to walk to the bus from the car and rarely a lengthy queue for the bus. I am possibly lucky having a ST in the East Stand as this means that leaving at the end of the game I normally get on either the first batch of buses or at worst either the first or second returning bus. This means I normally get away from the ground before the coaches in the coach park leave. Leaving the car park is never a problem.

I have used the Seagull Travel coach occasionally and I have to admit it is nice to be able to go straight to the coach at the end of the game especially when it’s cold and/or wet and the service is very good. Travel time though is almost identical and I still have to drive part of the way as the nearest pickup point is a couple of miles from where I live and parking isn’t very easy either.

Any benefit there is in using the coach certainly isn’t worth the premium price for me but everybody’s circumstances are different. I do struggle to see the justification nor need for the club to remove the subsidy from this service.

 

[Gazwag]

Any benefit there is in using the coach certainly isn’t worth the premium price for me but everybody’s circumstances are different. I do struggle to see the justification nor need for the club to remove the subsidy from this service.

I could understand the subsidy going if we got relegated but we are in the cash cow called the premier league, does it really make a massive saving in relative terms. How many use the service 5,000 so £10,000 saving a match, isn't that a lower earnings players weekly wage?

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

The club are no doubt looking to reduce the cost of the travel plan.

Seagulls Travel obviously falls within this reduction, but I doubt the whole scheme is going.

Surely the Park and Ride is retained as now, and as a minimum the bus and train shuttles between Brighton and Lewes.

 

[Bozza]

The club are no doubt looking to reduce the cost of the travel plan.

Seagulls Travel obviously falls within this reduction, but I doubt the whole scheme is going.

Surely the Park and Ride is retained as now, and as a minimum the bus and train shuttles between Brighton and Lewes.

There's no indication that any travel options are being scrapped or reduced. In fact I'm not clear if this is the removal of all coach subsidies, or just those that travel from outside of the club's defined travel zone.

 

[clippedgull]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but Seagull's Travel is the only subsidized way of getting to the ground that isn't free. Though it is mentioned (briefly) in the fan guide, it isn't mentioned in the club's access guide.

No ticket holders get 'FREE TRAVEL'. Every ticket holder currently pays something towards the travel subsidy whether they use it or not.

The club are stating incorrect information when they say Free transport is provided in your match day ticket.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

Calling the Park and Rides as a “shambles’ is I think a little unfair. I use either the Mill Road or Racecourse for almost all home games and can’t really complain and find it extremely good value for money - I’m not sure how the club manage it for £2.50 a head.

Getting to the game there is no distance to walk to the bus from the car and rarely a lengthy queue for the bus. I am possibly lucky having a ST in the East Stand as this means that leaving at the end of the game I normally get on either the first batch of buses or at worst either the first or second returning bus. This means I normally get away from the ground before the coaches in the coach park leave. Leaving the car park is never a problem.

I have used the Seagull Travel coach occasionally and I have to admit it is nice to be able to go straight to the coach at the end of the game especially when it’s cold and/or wet and the service is very good. Travel time though is almost identical and I still have to drive part of the way as the nearest pickup point is a couple of miles from where I live and parking isn’t very easy either.

Any benefit there is in using the coach certainly isn’t worth the premium price for me but everybody’s circumstances are different. I do struggle to see the justification nor need for the club to remove the subsidy from this service.

My experience of Mill Road, in particular, isn't great. We used it for a season and the organisation pre-game was really poor. To get on the first, second or third batch of buses, you had to leave the game early. Not doing so led to us, at times, waiting in a queue for over an hour and a half. I'd call that a shambles. For us, that then led to a journey of 45 minutes plus to get home, which was almost untenable on a weekday game.

Furthermore, to ensure we got into Mill Road, we often had to be there 2 and a half hours before the game; often on arrival we'd be waiting for an hour for a bus because of the mass disorganisation. That's fine if you have a totally free weekend (four of us used to share a car and we all have varying work schedules so this simply never happened). But ultimately, it extends the day and almost, at times, makes it an away game for us fans from further afield. For me that's a bit of a shambles.

So all in all, whilst you may have had good experiences of it, I definitely have not.

 

[Beanstalk]

No ticket holders get 'FREE TRAVEL'. Every ticket holder currently pays something towards the travel subsidy whether they use it or not.

The club are stating incorrect information when they say Free transport is provided in your match day ticket.

The below is from the Fans Guide - you can see the whole thing here https://www.brightonandhovealbion.com/siteassets/201819-images/pdfs/fan-guide-revised.pdf

FREE TRAVEL

FREE TRAVEL SERVICES

Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club offer home and away fans free travel on buses and trains within the Free Travel Zone (details within this document). You can use your matchday ticket, season ticket, or proof of matchday ticket purchase to use most services between 11:30am and 9pm for a 3pm kick-off and between 4:15pm and midnight for a 7:45pm kick-off. Free travel services for other kick-off times will vary accordingly. Details of the bus and ail services that can be used for home matches at the stadium free of direct charge are listed below. Please note: Free travel is inclusive for all home league matches. Free services may also be offered for friendly or cup matches, but please check club information when purchasing your ticket.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

What a strange thing to post. I've only seen that from Palace trolls previously. Please note, I am not accusing you of being a Palace troll.

I was responding, in fairness, to a bit of a strange post. It's no wonder we suddenly have such an extensive waiting list where there simply wasn't one when we were in the Champ.

But, let's be honest, there were so many families at our home games who were desperate to see the big name players and where kids were after the other team's autograph that it wouldn't surprise me if a large number of local fans from such clubs are now on the waiting list for STs at the Albion.

I'm glad you don't think I'm a Palace troll though

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

There's no indication that any travel options are being scrapped or reduced. In fact I'm not clear if this is the removal of all coach subsidies, or just those that travel from outside of the club's defined travel zone.

There was no indication that the coach travel subsidy was being cut until it was cut...

 

[amexer]

I use ST to avoid queues for buses and trains. Goodness knows what it be like if lots of STs move over to PR. Still think if price goes up many will pack up going.

 

[TSB]

It's ironic that the club are removing a small subsidy from some very loyal fans at a time when their income has reached stratospheric levels.

That's not ironic.

 

[Dick Swiveller]

That's not ironic.

How to you know that catfish isn't Alanis Morissette?

 

[Sorrel]

Looks like it is just getting those of us outside the travel zone. Maybe it will encourage more supporters to club together to provide alternatives, though the price difference isn't going to be that much.

With the coaches instead of queuing in your car or at the train station or in the queue for the P&R you get fed up sitting in a boiling coach waiting for them all to start moving. Every option has pain.

 

[Bob!]

Same for me. Very rarely use any of the included transport as I drive and then walk and not overly bothered about not getting any benefit from the options.....that’s my choice. By driving and walking I know pretty much what time I’ll get home (broadly similar to getting the train under normal circumstances as it happens).

ST seems like a bit of a ‘premium’ option for those not wanting to risk the train or P&R queues (or a good option for those that would struggle to get the train), in which case they should arguably should pay a bit more for it. I could be back at home maybe 20/30 mins earlier if I went with ST but really not bothered. I like to drive and I like the walk.

I also park and walk.
Though if all travel subsidies are removed lots of people would be looking at the places where this is currently available,
meaning either getting to a space even earlier to ensure that you can actually park
or locals in those areas getting aggy over the disruption that all the parking brings and more matchday parking for locals brought in stopping parking in those places.

 

[clapham_gull]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but Seagull's Travel is the only subsidized way of getting to the ground that isn't free. Though it is mentioned (briefly) in the fan guide, it isn't mentioned in the club's access guide. https://www.brightonandhovealbion.com/siteassets/201718-images/pdfs/access-guide-201718-sep17---print.pdf

Maybe it is as simple as the club streamlining their offer to avoid any confusion. If they want to explicitly say that the travel levy provides free transport, they cannot whilst subsidizing Seagull's travel. Perhaps, the club have simply decided to no longer have Seagull's Travel as an "official partner" thus excluding them from the subsidy.

On a personal note however, I would say that those who are travelling across Sussex to the game have it very lucky. My journey from London is relatively easy, but know and have met, many who come from further afield week in week out and the subsidy makes a real difference to the travel cost.

My understanding (may be wrong) the subsidy is being removed from other coach operators.

You have to remember back to the time when this was all being set up.

The club needed to provide incentives for private groups to provide better means of transport than simply arriving by car. That was a requirement for the planning permission for the stadium.

A lot of people put a lot of their free time into organising these groups, most I'd imagine running on a non profit basis - safely getting people in and out of the stadium.

I don't run one, but if I did - it feels like a bit of a kick in the teeth.

Every week they are actively helping to generate income for the club , stopping people using cars and keeping the crush down on the trains....

.. unpaid.

 

[Official Old Man]

I could understand the subsidy going if we got relegated but we are in the cash cow called the premier league, does it really make a massive saving in relative terms. How many use the service 5,000 so £10,000 saving a match, isn't that a lower earnings players weekly wage?

How can it be a saving if those 5000 fans have paid the transport levy? It's keeping £10,000 that is not theirs.

There's no indication that any travel options are being scrapped or reduced. In fact I'm not clear if this is the removal of all coach subsidies, or just those that travel from outside of the club's defined travel zone.

I travel by ST from within the zone, can I get my £2 back please?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It appears that the club have removed the travel subsidy for coach travel next season, adding £38 to a coach season ticket (premier league) or £46 (championship)

Bit alarming that we're already quoting for both

 

[Gazwag]

How can it be a saving if those 5000 fans have paid the transport levy? It's keeping £10,000 that is not theirs.

You think season tickets will go down then, I seriously doubt that

 

[clippedgull]

The below is from the Fans Guide - you can see the whole thing here https://www.brightonandhovealbion.com/siteassets/201819-images/pdfs/fan-guide-revised.pdf

FREE TRAVEL

FREE TRAVEL SERVICES

Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club offer home and away fans free travel on buses and trains within the Free Travel Zone (details within this document). You can use your matchday ticket, season ticket, or proof of matchday ticket purchase to use most services between 11:30am and 9pm for a 3pm kick-off and between 4:15pm and midnight for a 7:45pm kick-off. Free travel services for other kick-off times will vary accordingly. Details of the bus and ail services that can be used for home matches at the stadium free of direct charge are listed below. Please note: Free travel is inclusive for all home league matches. Free services may also be offered for friendly or cup matches, but please check club information when purchasing your ticket.

I wasn't disputing your post, just pointing out the inaccuracy of the clubs information as per the last line of my previous post.

 

[Beanstalk]

I wasn't disputing your post, just pointing out the inaccuracy of the clubs information as per the last line of my previous post.

Absolutely. If they want to imply that it is free as part of the ticket price (which for all intents and purposes it is) then really they need to hammer home that travel is included within the ticket price, rather than travel being free on production of a ticket. My original point however, is that if travel is included in the ticket price then ST doesn't really fit into that idea.