[Albion] The "Official" Albion Fan Advisory Board thread

[Superphil]

.....no larger than A4 in length

This one will all but fit in your pocket, could keep two of you dry too

the club could even get some printed up and flog them.

 

[dazzer6666]

This one will all but fit in your pocket, could keep two of you dry too

View attachment 170088

the club could even get some printed up and flog them.

Just trying to imagine the face of the search steward when he pats that down in a pocket

 

[Bodian]

We don’t sing that second verse so don’t need to know anything about ploughing or mowing

Pedant alert - It's the chorus, not the second verse.

 

[Superphil]

Just trying to imagine the face of the search steward when he pats that down in a pocket

Especially if the missus had it in her pocket

 

[jackalbion]

The full notes from tonight's FAB meeting will be out later tonight or tomorrow morning.

However, in the meantime, we have had a response from the club regarding the Tickets in a Basket issue:

"We have been looking at a better solution and from Tuesday’s on sale onwards we will be operating a queueing system before each on sale. This will effectively mean every fan holding seats will be removed from the tickets site, they must then enter a queue and only allowed to enter the site once the on sale opens. The change will be that 30 minutes before an on sale window the sales for games will effectively close whilst everyone is removed from the site and then have to queue to get in for the next on sale window.

We have to schedule these with a third party so it’s not entirely within our control but we think it’s the fairest and best route moving forwards."


Whilst it is inevitable that this will disappoint a few fans, the FAB believe this will be a popular move and a fairer way for all.

Why does it now say its going to take me 28 minutes to get on, I used to be able to get straight on for League Games. Now the people with the most loyalty points could possibly get the worst seats when tickets first go on sale. EDIT: Not aimed at you @Barry Izbak, just more a general statement.

 

[Giraffe]

Oh dear a fairly typical sledgehammer to crack a nut. has gone wrong badly.

If it appears manual intervention is needed by someone to clear the basket at 8.59am, just pay that person properly to be motivated to actually do it!

The queue system is a joke.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Just trying to imagine the face of the search steward when he pats that down in a pocket

 

[Giraffe]

Abort abort. This will drive people nuts in a restricted ticket situation in the lower tiers. It's vaguely funny for tier 1 as we know we will still get a ticket, but hopeless for the regular tier 2/3 people.

 

[jackalbion]

Abort abort. This will drive people nuts in a restricted ticket situation in the lower tiers. It's vaguely funny for tier 1 as we know we will still get a ticket, but hopeless for the regular tier 2/3 people.

It is to an extent, but I was starting to worry that I'd get stuck in an upper tier.

 

[virgs]

Dear BHAFC
Could you please explain why if the West Ham tickets are digital only - you insist on charging for postage ?
An automated email costs nothing !
This is just plain greed
Thanks

 

[Barry Izbak]

FAB MEETING NOTES 20/11/23

We discussed the bans handed out to those who were accused of throwing beer at the Ajax away game.

ACTION Gill to draft an email to the club on this and the action taken to date before we take a position.

The meeting discussed the wide and varied responses on the new “official” NSC thread. They basically fall in to six broad issues.

• Complaints about away ticketing, specifically “Tickets in a Basket” and On Sale times.
• Catering problems with access/queuing, product range, self service machines.
• Words for GOSBTS on the screen.
• Transport to and from the ground – club awareness, lack of comms.
• Covered Walkways.
• Toilets / Handwashing facilities.

Response from the club regarding Tickets in a Basket issue:

We have been looking at a better solution and from Tuesday’s on sale onwards we will be operating a queueing system before each on sale. This will effectively mean every fan holding seats will be removed from the tickets site, they must then enter a queue and only allowed to enter the site once the on sale opens. The change will be that 30 minutes before an on sale window the sales for games will effectively close whilst everyone is removed from the site and then have to queue to get in for the next on sale window.

We have to schedule these with a third party so it’s not entirely within our control but we think it’s the fairest and best route moving forwards.

ACTION Catering sub group to raise these issues again at the next Catering Working Group meeting.

ACTION Clive will draft an email to the Club/Sodexo on the specific points regarding Access / Health & Safety concerns especially in the ESU and WSU where crowds around the TV causes additional congestion.

ACTION GOSBTS words to be referred to the next Matchday Experience working group.

ACTION Travel 1 We will ask if the Transport Manager (Meg Morris) would walk the floor to feel the fan experience on a matchday, i.e. take P&R one week, trains another, buses another.

ACTION Travel 2 FAB to suggest asking for volunteers to share their travel experience. Ask, via NorthStandChat, Twitter and any other comms channel for fans to record their journey to a future match.

ACTION reiterate again why the club will not build covered walkways.

ACTION ask who is responsible for toilets and wonder if anything can be done to improve situation -m revisited the proportion M/F ?

ACTION Nigel to circulate the 2024 draft FAB recruitment document for FAB discussion.

ACTION Clive to manage the FAB inbox for the next week

ACTION Nigel to update the FAB website with these notes

ACTION Nigel to update NSC FAB thread with these notes

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Surely the answer to the 'WORDS TO GOSBTS ON THE SCREENS' dilemma, if some feel that HAVING the words up helps engage a few more to sing, but others CRINGE at the thought of the away fans seeing them, is simply to remove them from the NS screen, but leave them on the SS screen.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

And on the subject in hand - ONE ceramic mug - it would take you all of 13 seconds to rinse it, if that. Its not like you're cleaning up after a Sunday roast

Indeed.

This is why my INIGO CALDERON MUG, bought in one of those great concourse sales in about 2012, and used for Cup of Tea #1 on every Albion match day since, is still RESPLENDENT.

 

[Giraffe]

Thank you for sharing. Was fanzone raised, and the pre-match build up being improved? Pretty sure it was a common theme in people's responses?

 

[studio150]

1. Why is there are need for a queuing system when T1 opens given that there is no hoarding if tickets before the on sale time.
2. Who has complained about on sale times.
9am is fine and given the length of queuing to get into the ticketing system this morning not an issue.

 

[Uter]

If the rain while queuing after the game is such a ball ache, why not wait in the concourse? You're not getting away if you're stood in the queue.

Vs. AEK I waited inside for 45 minutes before venturing out, only to still find a lengthy queue. I still had to wait over 30 minutes for a train back to Brighton and got absolutely drenched. In previous seasons, I found that waiting this length of time usually meant only a wait of up to around 10 minutes, sometimes less. Now the queues are either longer or slower or both, even though crowds are only marginally bigger.

There is a limit to how long I can nurse a coke post match and, to be honest, after 45 minutes I feel like I've done my bit.

But aside from this, I just don't know how lengthy the queues are until I've left the stadium.

Could the CC-TV feed of the queues for P&R and trains etc. be relayed to the concourses to help give fans an idea on the waiting times I wonder?

Maybe they could invest in a few of these too:

Pro Departure Board – UK Departure Boards

ukdepartureboards.co.uk

 

[amexer]

How many of these travel problems are the result of fans choices?

The choice to go into town to drink and get the last train before kick off when there is a mad rush, rather than head to the ground earlier on emptier trains and drink there?

Choosing to head to the trains/buses at (or a little before) the final whistle?

How much improvement would those who need to get to the ground on the last train, and need to leave at full time see if more people who don't need to arrived a little earlier, left a little later?

If the rain while queuing after the game is such a ball ache, why not wait in the concourse? You're not getting away if you're stood in the queue.

(edit: this may also require people to recognise the difference between actual need and preference/convenience)

Because many people who live within easy reach of ground dont expect an hour and fify minutes game of football to take up 6 hours of there day and those coming from away leaving early to avoid adding an hour to journey.

 

[Acker79]

1. Why is there are need for a queuing system when T1 opens given that there is no hoarding if tickets before the on sale time.
2. Who has complained about on sale times.
9am is fine and given the length of queuing to get into the ticketing system this morning not an issue.

Complain may not be the right word, but it was a suggestion earlier in this thread

As I'm sure you're aware there have been some ticketing issues this week, which need to be put to the club:

1) Users were able to put tickets in basket ahead of sale time, and purchase afterwards. Club used to block this. Why the change?
2) Incorrect on-sale dates published - tier advertised as 2pm, but went on sale at 9am (I think?)
3) Palace and Arsenal away put on sale at exactly the same time - why?

(PS I would suggest that a 1pm sale time would be more convenient for most fans.)

 

[Greavsey]

Could the CC-TV feed of the queues for P&R and trains etc. be relayed to the concourses to help give fans an idea on the waiting times I wonder?

Maybe they could invest in a few of these too:

Pro Departure Board – UK Departure Boards

ukdepartureboards.co.uk

I think this is a great idea! In the early days of the stadium, I seem to remember there was train time information on the screens post match. There's a chance I may have imagined this, but pretty certain this happened for the first year or two at least. This was useful because as soon as you saw a train cancelled then you at least knew it was going to be carnage and could settle in with a pint or two extra!

 

[Acker79]

Because many people who live within easy reach of ground dont expect an hour and fify minutes game of football to take up 6 hours of there day and those coming from away leaving early to avoid adding an hour to journey.

I'm not sure this really addresses my point.

It's been over 10 years that we've been at the amex, 7th year in the premier league. Experience should be trumping expectations at this point. By now people should be aware that 25-30,000 people going to a location with limited transport links is going to lead to bottle-necking and crowding at certain points pre- and post-match, and, if viable, looking at alternatives to make the journey better for themself and others if they don't like the current way things work.