[Albion] Stadium Observations

[Gwylan]

West Ham is also awful to get away from. However the one thing that really affects us is the lack of choice. Even though the London clubs are mostly a pain you have a choice to walk to a different tube station or bus stop, or park and walk. The Amex lacks transport choice

Except there's a bus stop next to the ground. And if there's a queue there, you can walk 10/12 minutes to Moulsecoomb or walk 20 minutes to Coldean Lane and pick up further buses.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

The girl was slopping out the head down the sink

What we get up to in 1901 Club is supposed to stay in 1901 Club! Surely you know this?

 

[Hotchilidog]

It’s not even close to the worst.

Villa is a huge walk back into town, a very large queue at Witton station or jump in the car in one of the many car parks and sit in a queue for the motorway for an hour. Everton is a two mile walk to Lime St or an hour queue for a bus and then one train an hour to London. Absolutely impossible to get on a tram at Old Trafford and the traffic is gridlocked for an hour.

Let’s hope Coventry don’t get promoted!

Do you not travel away?

Thank you. I get sick of the continual we are the worst transport posts when we are not, the examples sited above are good ones.

Also nice to see some sort of consensus on the acoustics and people's different experience of the atmosphere at the Amex. The sound does not travel well so where you are sat will give you a different experience to those sat elsewhere. That said last night was flat, felt I was singing on my own a lot so pretty much let the game grind me down like it did for everyone else. I expect it to be a lot different at the next home game though!

 

[jackalbion]

It’s not even close to the worst.

Villa is a huge walk back into town, a very large queue at Witton station or jump in the car in one of the many car parks and sit in a queue for the motorway for an hour. Everton is a two mile walk to Lime St or an hour queue for a bus and then one train an hour to London. Absolutely impossible to get on a tram at Old Trafford and the traffic is gridlocked for an hour.

Let’s hope Coventry don’t get promoted!

Do you not travel away?

Agree I'd probably say we're in the upper championship when it comes to public transport compared to the rest of the football league. Crewe being the best obviously.

 

[A1X]

More seriously, I've said it before but they could do worse than hire some of the 8 car Thameslink class 700 trains and run them on the Brighton to Lewes shuttle. Massively more room inside. I know it'd be almost impossible but with enough will it could be done.

 

[Nicks]

Man Utd have a bus service right outside the ground for £2 and back in the city centre by 5.30 pm this season.
Brentford, you walk out of the ground and straight onto the overground .
Man City is a 25 minute walk into town.

 

[marcos3263]

I had a rare dalliance in 1901 last night.
1901 is pretty, nice lighting, carpet, etc but if you get there late (7pm) there was no where to sit. bar queues were as bad as the cheap seats, just warmer. Dry January was my own fault but Guinness zero would have been a cheap and easy fix.
A burger from the menu was £16 so we had to eat a Balti pie and Chorizo sausage roll - thats all they had.
half time queue for a hot choc was abandoned slow and ran out of water.
tables not cleared quick enough.
two people on each door was excessive when 1 could have checked ID and 1 could have been serving/clearing etc.
The parking is miles away in the uni campus. even having a drink after the match and a mosey round the shop to slow things down we were still stick in traffic queues in the car park for ages. got home at 10.45 and I only live in Portslade.
It was a disappointing game so I wonder how many of the annoying things were amplified due to that.

It was still impressive, great stadium, wonderful view, comfy padded seat watch the 7th best team in the league and future Euro cup winners.

just wish it hadnt cost me a ton to do it

 

[jackalbion]

More seriously, I've said it before but they could do worse than hire some of the 8 car Thameslink class 700 trains and run them on the Brighton to Lewes shuttle. Massively more room inside. I know it'd be almost impossible but with enough will it could be done.

The boring answer is an 8 car Thameslink to Lewes would reduce capacity, UNLESS they extended Lewes Platform 5 to accommodate it.

 

[tronnogull]

The Amex crowd is loud when there is exciting attacking football going on. ( Think Sheff Wed ) It is only the clubs with silly orchestrated, annoying drum, ' ultra' stuff which makes noise regardless of what is happening on the pitch.

Like most here I am an absolute fan of the Albion's football under RDZ. However, it can lead to long periods where not much is happening because teams are playing a low block against us and we are just moving the ball around trying to find a way through. It is hard to roar your team on during those periods.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

What many disregard with getting to or from the Amex is we are the only club currently by the sea. Liverpool is close but has the Mersey tunnel. Being by the sea we have limited exit routes. That being said the A27 flows well normally. Where I park, a 15 minute walk eastwards on the A27 I have never had any cause to complain apart from the Highways apparent lack of knowledge about the biggest event in the South taking place and shutting the roads going east on regular evening games.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

To be fair to the Wolves fans, it was a bit library-like at times. But they were pretty crap, too. Hardly heard anything from them….compare that to (say) Leeds - who (much as we hate them) have a very vocal away following.

Funnily enough the only Wolves chant I heard on the telly was Doo, doo, doo, Football in a library.

 

[Commander]

Appreciate this won't get much sympathy but 1901 is getting progressively worse every year game. The need to have a restaurant in MWB has ruined it for normal matchday goers. They have a load of staff focusing on drinks for the restaurant and only a couple serving the people queuing.

The staff are atrocious but clearly not trained by anyone. Last night post game it took 20 minutes to get a drink. They only had one bar open for some reason so everyone staying for a beer was forced to use that. 3 cokes (bottles) and 2 pints should be an easy order and take no time at all. No glasses at all for the coke (this was directly after the final whistle...what had then been doing all second half??) and the beer was served was a good inch of head.

I went back for a second pint and a lime and soda. No queue but took 10 minutes to get served as the first pint she gave me was half head. Came back with a 2 inch head which I sent back again. The girl was slopping out the head down the sink (clearly don't record wastage) but then not committing to pulling the pint and just filling it up again with very little actual beer.

And don't get me started on the Guinness surger cans!! Half of the staff don't know how to work the machine. It's not a full pint so everyone complains and takes an absolute age to pour. Guinness seems to be pretty popular. I don't know why they don't have it on a keg line? Can only assume it's not feasible due to wastage?

First world problems I know but frustrating when you are paying for a premium service and getting one that is a lot worse than the concourses.

Which lounge are you in?

It is astonishing how bad the service is in 1901 sometimes. The North Stand staff seem to be able to knock out hundreds of pints in 15 minutes, the 1901 staff struggle to get 30 out in that time.

 

[Commander]

That 'football in a library' chant is sooooo boring. Can we all please stop it?

Unless we're playing Marseille that is.

It’s awful. Might as well sing ‘we are the away team’ as that is all it is saying. In every ground in the country. It’s so dull.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

The good vs shit atmosphere discussions are self-perpetuating.
Once a club has a reputation as good or bad, opposition fans tend to lean into that.

However every English fanbase is the same, i.e. reactive to the individual game.

Palace have a reputation for making a good noise, and yet the last 3 or 4 times I've been there, they've been near silent.
Elland Road similarly can be morgue like, if they are getting schooled on the pitch.

 

[tronnogull]

What many disregard with getting to or from the Amex is we are the only club currently by the sea. Liverpool is close but has the Mersey tunnel. Being by the sea we have limited exit routes. That being said the A27 flows well normally. Where I park, a 15 minute walk eastwards on the A27 I have never had any cause to complain apart from the Highways apparent lack of knowledge about the biggest event in the South taking place and shutting the roads going east on regular evening games.

May I enquire where you find to park 15 minutes east on the A27 ? ( Although I understand if you won't tell...). Also, where is Hurst Green ?

 

[Hastings gull]

May I enquire where you find to park 15 minutes east on the A27 ? ( Although I understand if you won't tell...). Also, where is Hurst Green ?

Hurst Green is on the A21 about 15 miles north of Hastings.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Never been to Spurs?

I went there last season and it was fine.

 

[dazzer6666]

The Amex crowd is loud when there is exciting attacking football going on. ( Think Sheff Wed ) It is only the clubs with silly orchestrated, annoying drum, ' ultra' stuff which makes noise regardless of what is happening on the pitch.

Like most here I am an absolute fan of the Albion's football under RDZ. However, it can lead to long periods where not much is happening because teams are playing a low block against us and we are just moving the ball around trying to find a way through. It is hard to roar your team on during those periods.

Agree - I find the tactical stuff fascinating to watch - football doesn't have to be 90 mins of blood and thunder to keep me interested.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

That 'football in a library' chant is sooooo boring. Can we all please stop it?

Unless we're playing Marseille that is.

It’s also nonsense. If there was a game of football in a library the sound of tutting would echo around the building at a volume that would put any modern football ground to shame.

 

[Arthur]

Which lounge are you in?

It is astonishing how bad the service is in 1901 sometimes. The North Stand staff seem to be able to knock out hundreds of pints in 15 minutes, the 1901 staff struggle to get 30 out in that time.

I'm Harveys. Which credit where credit is due is very good at the moment. I firmly believe this is due to the woman running the show in there. She is very hands on, happy to serve people and is always on hand to answer any questions the bar staff may have. Last night the two girls they had working behind the jump were fantastic. She left for a while last season and it went downhill very quickly but thankfully she has been back this year.

But I probably spend more time in Mayo Wynn Baxter than any other lounge as I've four pals in there and we always hang around post game for at least an hour and sometimes a couple of hours on a Saturday game. Given it is the premium lounge and the space the club uses to sell 1901 it's amazing how bad they've let it get. As I mentioned in my first post it seems to have coincided with Bruno's being introduced.

MWB the supervisors never seem to be doing anything in there leaving a bunch of kids who have clearly never worked behind a bar before to attempt to offer a "silver service". I don't blame the kids, it must be difficult if you only get to work once a fortnight when you've clearly been thrown in at the deep end and been told to learn on the job. That said I would at least expect them to shown how to pull a pint.

Might see if the chaps fancy coming up to Harveys lounge for future games. I actually prefer it anyway. It's got more of a pubby feel. MWB reminds me of an airport lounge. Could be a difficult sell though seeing as there are four of them and only one of me and the lounge is directly behind their seats.