Trains were an utter Joke!.

[Munkfish]

I think THPP is pretty much spot on, in my situation anyway.
The last direct train for me back to Victoria is the 22:40 from Lewes. For the Forest game it seemed a bit touch and go whether we'd make it but we just did and got home to Bromley at around 00:15.
I left on the final whistle Tuesday, looked at the queues on the ramps for the eastbound trains and walked straight to the westbound platform. I was on a train to Brighton by 21:57, walked off the train and just managed to get on the 22:02 Thameslink to Bedford and, because it was just one of those nights when everything worked out well with connections, I was home in Bromley at 23:17 a whole hour earlier than if I had taken the Lewes train. I don't think I could have got back to a parked car and driven home quicker than that.
Even if it didn't work out quite so well there were just so many more options back to London from Brighton so that's what I'll be doing in future.

Why would you ever go to Lewes in the first place? There is literally no reason I can think of post match why you would head to Lewes to then go to London.

 

[rool]

Why would you ever go to Lewes in the first place? There is literally no reason I can think of post match why you would head to Lewes. to go to London.

Without thinking about it too much, I arrived that way so just automatically returned that way which I think is reasonable enough without suggesting I am some kind of retard. It works well for Saturday games but I only realised after the Forest game that the 22:40 is the last direct Victoria train so would always have the potential to be missed.
Anyway I got there in the end and hope others might learn from the error of my ways.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Said it before, say it again; anybody with any sense who wants to go East after a midweek-match should do themselves a favour and get on one of the numerous 8 carriage trains going West into Brighton, then double back on themselves or catch an Eastbound bus from outside Brighton station. Treat the omni-shambles of the three-carriage Eastbound service from Falmer with the disrespect it deserves.

Hmmm. Although whilst admittedly not being a train traveller myself, from what I've seen and heard of the situation, the queues post game heading west seem to be even worse than those going east.

Plus by the time you arrive at Brighton Station there are very few buses if any heading east along the coast, the great majority of buses, (i.e. the 12 to Seaford, Eastbourne etc, and the 28/29 to Lewes, depart from Churchil Square). By the time you are safely on a bus, surely you could be well on your way home on a train direct from Falmer.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Must admit as we strolled onto the Brighton train after a pint we did comment on the train pulling out, the other side, from a full platform half empty because half the people were still on the platform waiting for a different train. It is complete madness but sorry I don't have an answer.

I don't think that there IS an answer. Unfortunately people will always have it in their mindset that if say their destination is Seaford or Eastbourne, they will always wait for a direct service, and not want to change.

The only answer I suppose is to run every train all the way to Eastbourne, which of course won't happen.

 

[Justice]

Park and ride service to Mill hill was quite quick if that helps?

 

[Munkfish]

Without thinking about it too much, I arrived that way so just automatically returned that way which I think is reasonable enough without suggesting I am some kind of retard. It works well for Saturday games but I only realised after the Forest game that the 22:40 is the last direct Victoria train so would always have the potential to be missed.
Anyway I got there in the end and hope others might learn from the error of my ways.

I wasnt suggesting you were, My assumption was more that there must be something I didnt know about as to why you would head east.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Hmmm. Although whilst admittedly not being a train traveller myself, from what I've seen and heard of the situation, the queues post game heading west seem to be even worse than those going east.

Plus by the time you arrive at Brighton Station there are very few buses if any heading east along the coast, the great majority of buses, (i.e. the 12 to Seaford, Eastbourne etc, and the 28/29 to Lewes, depart from Churchil Square). By the time you are safely on a bus, surely you could be well on your way home on a train direct from Falmer.

The 12/12A to Newhaven, Seaford and Eastbourne depart from Brighton station from 18.30 onwards, not Churchill Square.

We only go home that way following a midweek match, as Saturdays are easy with plenty of time and rolling stock.