Ticket Chaos Tonight (the after)

[Easy 10]

the fans take as much of the blame as the club.
I said I know its a joke and unfortunate this has happened, especially after Ipswich, but if people tun up 15 minutes before the game expecting to get their ticket before kick off then, they are expecting a lot.

No, no they're really not.
It just takes a modium of organisation by the club. Have enough collection points at the ground - in fact, have MORE than enough collection points. Its an evening game. People have been at work, they may not actually HAVE a spare 45 minutes to turn up and stand in a queue.

At the moment, it seems its the FANS who are having to bend over backwards to cater for the CLUB and its deficiciencies. And when we are so desperate to have paying customers coming through the turnstiles, its worse than amatuer. Its unforgivable.

 

[Ernest]

Lets face it so much of the clubs off pitch activities are amateurish at best and f***ing incompetent like tonight.
No wonder we have waited 11 years for a new ground with idiots like Ken Brown and Perry running things.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

My report - based on arriving in the queue just before 7.20pm and eventually getting to the ticket booth 40 minutes later (and being just about the last person actually to be given my ticket before Ken Brown turned up to authorise the gates being flung open). And also based on conversations I had with Ken Brown himself, Paul Rogers, Paul Camillin and Ian Hart.

The situation was ridiculous. I queued for 40 minutes. When I reached the front of the queue, there were more people behind me than there had been in the queue when I first arrived. If the gates hadn't been opened, it would have been well into the second half of the game before the last ticket was issued.

One problem arose because (until about 7.30pm) there was only one ticket window open. Things began to move a little faster when the second window opened.

Why was this? My understanding is that almost 200 people booked tickets AFTER 6.00pm. This meant that ticket office staff were delayed in Queens Road, preparing tickets for handing out, rather than being up at Withdean actually issuing them.

The next problem was lack of communication between the stewards looking after the queue and anyone in authority who might turn up and do something to solve the problem. When Ken Brown was eventually called (close to 8.00pm), it took him no more than a minute to order the gates to be thrown open. But why did it take so long to call him out of his office?

Where was Richard Hebberd, the Safety Officer? On holiday! My attempt to phone him was greeted with a Spanish language answerphone message. Does he always go on holiday when there's a match like this? I don't know - but he did when the FA Youth Cup game against Chelsea was played. "He DOES know what he's doing" is my conclusion!

Should/could the start of the game have been delayed? I don't think that's the answer. There would still have been hundreds of people queuing at 8.15pm.

Surely the ticket office knew well in advance how many tickets needed to be handed out at the booths? Surely they should have TOLD someone? Or someone should have ASKED. With hundreds of people expected in the queue, it simply needs more planning and more people to be available to hand out tickets. If the two booths aren't enough, why not use tables? Or some dedicated turnstiles? All it takes is a bit of planning.

These things will happen again, next time there is a match which isn't covered by season tickets. Start planning for it NOW.

What was GOOD about this experience was the opportunity that I missed at the Swindon playoff game (but I know was enjoyed by hundreds of people) - and that's the chance to be outside the ground when Adam Virgo scores.

Marvellous non-seens.

 

[ben andrews' girlfriend]

Mike Ward made a good point on the phone in tonight about how amateurish the whole ticket set up is, with a message saying you could order Crewe tickets on the Monday after the match on the ticket phone line!

I ordered my Bristol Rovers ticket a week ago and had no problem ordering it by phone, but it only arrived this morning after being hand delivered by a very kind lady in Southwick (I live in Shoreham). Put simply my address had been hand written on the envelope in writing that was so poor and unclear my six year old nephew could have written it better - no wonder it got delivered to the wrong address and town !

I was going to phone up and query where the ticket was today but to my surprise this lady who lived in a similar road in Southwick actually knocked on my door as she was in Shoreham this afternoon and asked if the envelope was mine !

I have an account at the club on the system, so why couldn't a basic sticky label be run off with my address to prevent any miss-writing of addresses or for the postmen to miss-read ineligble handwriting.

I accept its easy to say we should all get season tickets or arrange for our tickets to be sent days in advance of a match, but there is still a large percentage of people who will always want to get their tickets late in the day based on the weather, other commitments etc, and the club cannot afford to lose the faith of this valuable market - fairweather supporters or not.

Something has to be done - I hope the club make a statement in the light of tonights fiasco regarding :
a) not delaying kick off
b) not having more people to distribute tickets knowing that for a match that nobody had a season ticket for was inevitably going to see a fair number of people collecting their tickets on the night.

There was a thread on ask the club about someone's appalling (sorry if whoever it is is reading this, but it is) addressing skills - either being inelligible handwriting / not even putting name or postcode on the envelope.

Brighton and Hove Albion is supposed to be a BUSINESS. I'm surprised we got Falmer at the moment judging by the complete SHAMBLES the company is!!

Martin Perry, if you are reading this, and think "well if she thinks she can do better, she should do it" - that's fine - i'm free ALL august.

Come to think of it, i've only noticed these problems coming up since the club made members of the ticket office REDUNDANT. Surely it would have been more cost effective to keep members of the staff who know what they're doing - rather than leaving it to new members of the team to learn from the deep end.

 

[Barry Izbak]

Just rolled in after a few beers down the pub and hence havent maangaed to go through whole thread or spell cjheck (!) but the Q at the collect windows was huge at 7.35 when I turned up, with my pre bought ticket.

I wondered if K.O. would be delayed, but the blame surely lies with the poxy regulations that we had to put up with for playing at this "stadium" insted of a p[roper ground and the lack of staff when they must have known the last mnijnnutes buyers would be a few more tha usual. Also if you bought late surely you get there early to collect

goodnoight

 

[portlock seagull]

Harty just called the problem a hiccup. Nonsense, it was a bloody shambles. There is just no excuse. We are fans who paid to see the game, arrived to pick up our tickets ( in my case 20 mins ahead of the game) and could not get into the ground until 15 mins after kick-off.

This football club is a business and this is no way to run an organisation.

First, there should have been sufficient straff to deal with the situation. No excuses.

Second, once the situation became clear and it was obvious that at least 500 fans would not get into the ground by 7.45, the kick-off should have been delayed by 15 mins.

Third, if that could not be done then the gates should have been opened at 7.40, not 8 o'clock to let people in without tickets. As I pointed out to a senior steward at 7.40, the people queuing had all purchased tickets, there was no issue with seats as the crowd was a small one, and why not just open the gates. It took until fifteen minutes AFTER kick-off to make this decision.

Someone senior should have been summoned to the ticket booths at least ten minutes before kick-off to make a management decision on how to deal with the problem.

The way this was handled shows a complete disregard for the loyal fans who pay good money to watch the team.

It was good that an apology was made over the PA at half-time, but the situation has to be resolved immediately and before saturday. Distributing tickets is not rocket science.

Absolutely agree 100%. It's easy to see why Hillsborough happened because effectively unfortunately those in charge are too damned concerned with 'the process' in these situations, not the actual 'reality' unfolding. Common sense goes out the window and stewarding becomes anything but. I had similar issues last year and the chief chopper steward supervisor, Chris someone, had every chance to redeem himself but seemed hell bent on doing anything other than making the right decision. When I got increasingly frustrated his recourse was to start threatening me with ejection, bans etc. I called his bluff and just got madder which forced him to do the obvious and most sensible thing. And another steward apologised on the side to me and my family for his bosses behaviour (which was very good of him really). But, as tonight, it leaves a bitter taste in peoples mouths and the club does no favours for itself. Has anyone told them there's an economic depression coming and everyone inc them has to up their game or perish? We're all doomed by the way....!!!

 

[Djmiles]

That is true, but the fans take as much of the blame as the club.
I said I know its a joke and unfortunate this has happened, especially after Ipswich, but if people tun up 15 minutes before the game expecting to get their ticket before kick off then, they are expecting a lot.

Utter Bollocks. Sorry.

The club should NOT expect people to turn up an hour early. Why should they? I will turn up when I want, whether that's an hour before kick off, or 10 minutes.

If the club are relying on people arriving an hour early to collect tickets then they are very deluded.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

No, no they're really not.
It just takes a modium of organisation by the club. Have enough collection points at the ground - in fact, have MORE than enough collection points. Its an evening game. People have been at work, they may not actually HAVE a spare 45 minutes to turn up and stand in a queue.

At the moment, it seems its the FANS who are having to bend over backwards to cater for the CLUB and its deficiciencies. And when we are so desperate to have paying customers coming through the turnstiles, its worse than amatuer. Its unforgivable.

Plenty of fans went down to let the stewards know what was going on and were treated like trouble makers. I feel I back the club but seeing this first hand tonight, it was shambolic and the club needs to sort this out before they get into trouble.

 

[Mendoza]

If the club cant cope with 2571 paying fans then what hope have we got when we get to Falmer?

who knows, but we currently have 2 people working in a small ticket office with a crap computer system,
having to deal with dishing out season tickets,
customers coming into the shop to buy tickets and ask questions
taking ticket orders on the phone
posting out tickets that have been phoned through
deal with Gullys Gand and Team Stripe
posting out tickets bought on line
dealing with tickets being bought for games in the next month
God knows what other queries go their way.

But then again what is the point investing in a shit hot new ticket system, which will probably be made redundant when we move into a bigger office with a better ticketing system when we go to Falmer

It would probably take away money to spend on players, which would mean a crap team, and less people wanting to come?

 

[portlock seagull]

There was already a fair old queue up the ramp to the car park at 715 so they must have been fully aware then so why wasn't something done ?
Typical cock up on a night when we should have been talking about the game.

When many people agree with Ernest, the club needs to take action. He's 100% spot on.

 

[Djmiles]

But then again what is the point investing in a shit hot new ticket system, which will probably be made redundant when we move into a bigger office with a better ticketing system when we go to Falmer

You don't have to install a new ticket system. The old system of 2 booths each having 1 half of the alphabet has worked fine for the last X number of years.

The club have cocked up 2 games in a row, and something needs to be done otherwise I fear hundreds of fans will be driven away even before we reach Falmer.

 

[Seasider]

Albion v Barnet: An Apology | Brighton and Hove Albion | News | Latest | Latest

just up on club website

 

[Conkers]

But then again what is the point investing in a shit hot new ticket system, which will probably be made redundant when we move into a bigger office with a better ticketing system when we go to Falmer

It would probably take away money to spend on players, which would mean a crap team, and less people wanting to come?

And having no one book tickets because the current system is bollocks will also result in less money, hence less money to spend on players. The old saying "you have got to spend money to make money" applies in this situation.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

That is true, but the fans take as much of the blame as the club.
I said I know its a joke and unfortunate this has happened, especially after Ipswich, but if people tun up 15 minutes before the game expecting to get their ticket before kick off then, they are expecting a lot.

There were people who arrived BEFORE 7 o'clock who didn't get into the ground before kick-off.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Albion v Barnet: An Apology | Brighton and Hove Albion | News | Latest | Latest

just up on club website

Its a good start, but most of us in the q tonight have quoted it was more like 500

 

[Seasider]

I certainly think it was more than 200 even when they opened the gates up was a complete joke.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Its a good start, but most of us in the q tonight have quoted it was more like 500

Easily more than 500.

 

[Easy 10]

Plenty of fans went down to let the stewards know what was going on and were treated like trouble makers. I feel I back the club but seeing this first hand tonight, it was shambolic and the club needs to sort this out before they get into trouble.

I just find it all so depressing.
When this hits the Argus tomorrow, its only going to put off more casual fans who go along to the odd game. Horror stories about queues snaking up the hill after kickoff ? Who's going to want to risk all that crap ? ESPECIALLY when they're asking for the thick-end of £30 for the "pleasure", and in the current economic squeeze as well.

This is a PR catastrophe for the club.

 

[portlock seagull]

Please would the apologists for the club stop doing so. You're simply compounding the problem, especially if you weren't there (Clapham Gull) experiencing the utter frustration that is BHA ticket arrangements. Besides, this thread's a damn good excuse to moan when everything on the pitch is frustratingly perfect.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Club needs to get the facts right, if they do not know how many fans they should quote a number or a few hundred.

I cannot stress how close that was tonight from people surging forward in a crowd that had yound children in it and new fans being put off returning.