[Albion] Evening games - does the aggravation make it worth attending?

[oneillco]

I've had a season ticket for the whole Amex period and prior to that attended matches 6-10 times a season since 1976. Attending Saturday 3pm KOs at The Amex is fine but because I rely on trains every evening match has been a total ball-ache, and after 14 years there is no sign of any improvement. After Villa on Wednesday I'm thinking of jacking-in the season ticket and just buying the Saturday match tickets on a case by case basis. I know it's been moaned about a thousand times, but on Wednesday night I waited on the platform for 23 minutes with an ever increasingly angry bunch of Villa fans who realised they wouldn't make their train to London, and then Southern roll-in a 3 car train resulting in a dangerous scrum to get on. The next scheduled Brighton train was cancelled. Every night time game seems to the same, and there is no doubt that the long queues and waiting times increase fan disorder. A transport copper I spoke to on the platform confirmed this and told me Millwall have worked out an efficient shuttle arrangement with the train company which has drastically reduced fan trouble. Why haven't we done this? What pressure are the club putting on Southern to remedy the issue? Surely as a high profile Premier League club we have influence and as a minimum should be lobbying the trains regulator and publicising how useless the operator is....

 

[veuve]

I don't do evening games,no guarantee I can make it back to LA.

 

[pasty]

Is coach travel an option for you? When I moved from Brighton to Horsham I had zero intention of using the ball ache that trains are, and I now use NWSS coach travel for every game.

 

[Algernon]

Can't Tony purchase a train with a shed load of carriages and lease it to Southern Rail with the proviso that they provide a decent evening service to Brighton on match days or suffer financial penalties? They can use it for their own services at other times?

 

[Guinness Boy]

If only someone had mentioned this before.......

However, specifically to Wednesday, I think the trains and the stewards had a collective mare. We left on 90+9 and just missed the last goal but got to the train queue when it was just past the barriers. Three trains to Brighton came in 10 minutes, which can't have been timetabled. The middle one of the three had the fabled eight carriages and the brainless idiots in hi viz hadn't realised. Rather than hold the train and fill the back 4 cars up from the queue they let it go out half empty. Then, because three trains had been in such a short period ours, the last of the three, stopped at almost every signal and eventually had to pull in on platform 3 at Brighton, away from the barriers and one way system. It clearly hadn't been executed as planned and I suspect the people behind us were then waiting a long time for the next one.

I've made no secret of this opinion this week though. If you're not bothering simply because of the transport or opposition and you have a BN or RH post code it's really a bit flakey. If you live further afield, as I was reminded many do, then I can see why you might not bother.

 

[papachris]

I've had a season ticket for the whole Amex period and prior to that attended matches 6-10 times a season since 1976. Attending Saturday 3pm KOs at The Amex is fine but because I rely on trains every evening match has been a total ball-ache, and after 14 years there is no sign of any improvement. After Villa on Wednesday I'm thinking of jacking-in the season ticket and just buying the Saturday match tickets on a case by case basis. I know it's been moaned about a thousand times, but on Wednesday night I waited on the platform for 23 minutes with an ever increasingly angry bunch of Villa fans who realised they wouldn't make their train to London, and then Southern roll-in a 3 car train resulting in a dangerous scrum to get on. The next scheduled Brighton train was cancelled. Every night time game seems to the same, and there is no doubt that the long queues and waiting times increase fan disorder. A transport copper I spoke to on the platform confirmed this and told me Millwall have worked out an efficient shuttle arrangement with the train company which has drastically reduced fan trouble. Why haven't we done this? What pressure are the club putting on Southern to remedy the issue? Surely as a high profile Premier League club we have influence and as a minimum should be lobbying the trains regulator and publicising how useless the operator is....

Agree strongly. Something should be done

 

[Gazwag]

I realise it depends where you live but Wednesday was okay for us, we left the NS after the final whistle went and arrived home in Bexhill (train to Lewes, then car) at 11 o'clock. Best we have done for ages though as it can be 1130-1145 depending on trains and roadworks.

I would imagine Millwalls shuttle it far easier when you have massive stations like London Bridge nearby, access to rolling stock and less signalling and platform length restrictions like we do at Lewes.

 

[oneillco]

If only someone had mentioned this before.......

However, specifically to Wednesday, I think the trains and the stewards had a collective mare. We left on 90+9 and just missed the last goal but got to the train queue when it was just past the barriers. Three trains to Brighton came in 10 minutes, which can't have been timetabled. The middle one of the three had the fabled eight carriages and the brainless idiots in hi viz hadn't realised. Rather than hold the train and fill the back 4 cars up from the queue they let it go out half empty. Then, because three trains had been in such a short period ours, the last of the three, stopped at almost every signal and eventually had to pull in on platform 3 at Brighton, away from the barriers and one way system. It clearly hadn't been executed as planned and I suspect the people behind us were then waiting a long time for the next one.

I've made no secret of this opinion this week though. If you're not bothering simply because of the transport or opposition and you have a BN or RH post code it's really a bit flakey. If you live further afield, as I was reminded many do, then I can see why you might not bother.

Yes thanks Genius boy, as I said, "I know it's been moaned about a thousand times before" but it is a serious issue nothing has been done

If only someone had mentioned this before.......

However, specifically to Wednesday, I think the trains and the stewards had a collective mare. We left on 90+9 and just missed the last goal but got to the train queue when it was just past the barriers. Three trains to Brighton came in 10 minutes, which can't have been timetabled. The middle one of the three had the fabled eight carriages and the brainless idiots in hi viz hadn't realised. Rather than hold the train and fill the back 4 cars up from the queue they let it go out half empty. Then, because three trains had been in such a short period ours, the last of the three, stopped at almost every signal and eventually had to pull in on platform 3 at Brighton, away from the barriers and one way system. It clearly hadn't been executed as planned and I suspect the people behind us were then waiting a long time for the next one.

I've made no secret of this opinion this week though. If you're not bothering simply because of the transport or opposition and you have a BN or RH post code it's really a bit flakey. If you live further afield, as I was reminded many do, then I can see why you might not bother.

Sorry for mentioning again something that has a major impact on thousands of Albion fans and obviously the club with all the empty seats at evening games. Perhaps I should follow your example and post on important topics like Wordle scores...

 

[Mackenzie]

Tough one, I’m finding the long (4 hour) drive home more difficult as I get older, but weekends I’m having to rely on people to cover me at work which isn’t fair on them. Ideally I’d stay over during the week but it’s all extra cost. Tricky, but I guess I’ll keep coming because I love it.

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

I reckon a swanky new bar should sort the problem.

Oh.

 

[Hotchilidog]

I was back in Brighton by 11 on the 10.49 and pretty much everyone had left by then. That said my mate missed his last connection and had to get a bus home.

The problem is train capacity and whilst the frustration of fans is genuine and well founded it is out of the club's hands to do anything about it, other than improved stewarding, which I agree should be actioned.

 

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

Just as a mention, my experience was the most bizarre. On arrival, we came to a standstill on the UP ramp (before the bridge) so therefore was fearing the worst, however when it did move we got on the platform in one go. The train was packed Tokyo subway style, unlike previous complaints that the Lewes bound trains leave half empty.

 

[Hometownglory]

Unfortunately, it will take a serious incident before this is deemed a priority to get sorted for the club and Southern Rail. The pushing, shooving and crushing to get on, when little kids and elderly are around is unerving to say the least.
Some people just want to get home midweek, not wait an hour in the concourse and get home at stupid o'clock.

 

[The Optimist]

I've had a season ticket for the whole Amex period and prior to that attended matches 6-10 times a season since 1976. Attending Saturday 3pm KOs at The Amex is fine but because I rely on trains every evening match has been a total ball-ache, and after 14 years there is no sign of any improvement. After Villa on Wednesday I'm thinking of jacking-in the season ticket and just buying the Saturday match tickets on a case by case basis. I know it's been moaned about a thousand times, but on Wednesday night I waited on the platform for 23 minutes with an ever increasingly angry bunch of Villa fans who realised they wouldn't make their train to London, and then Southern roll-in a 3 car train resulting in a dangerous scrum to get on. The next scheduled Brighton train was cancelled. Every night time game seems to the same, and there is no doubt that the long queues and waiting times increase fan disorder. A transport copper I spoke to on the platform confirmed this and told me Millwall have worked out an efficient shuttle arrangement with the train company which has drastically reduced fan trouble. Why haven't we done this? What pressure are the club putting on Southern to remedy the issue? Surely as a high profile Premier League club we have influence and as a minimum should be lobbying the trains regulator and publicising how useless the operator is....

It might worth checking how much giving up the season ticket would actually save you. Some of the high profile games have ticket prices way above the season ticket rate. Grade A+ games are £52-£78 for an adult ticket depending on where you sit (£52 only being available in the family stand).

 

[Greg Bobkin]

It's funny (and I don't mean to rile anyone with my experience) because the return journey on the Mill Road P&R was one of the quickest and most straightforward transfers there's been this season.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Is coach travel an option for you? When I moved from Brighton to Horsham I had zero intention of using the ball ache that trains are, and I now use NWSS coach travel for every game.

I use Seagull Travel from where I am for evening games as it means I get home an hour earlier than if I tried to join the train queues (without leaving before the final whistle) and it is generally the no hassle option. However, I recogonise that I am lucky enough to be able to afford to use ST (it is not at all cheap and not subsidised) and that I can be flexible enough in my work to be able to work from home on those days so getting back in time to catch a coach is not a problem.

 

[El Turi]

It seems like we’ve had a lot more evening matches this season. We had barely any in the first couple of years in the Premier League. If only they scrapped all these unnecessary international breaks, all matches could be on a Saturday.

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

I started cycling a few months ago as the train situation is beyond a joke and it seems nothing will be done to improve it. I know cycling is not a viable alternative for a lot of people but I just like the fact that you are actually moving rather than standing in the queue forever before the inevitable scramble trying to secure a place on the train and hoping the doors stop where you are standing !

 

[Hovegull]

It seems like we’ve had a lot more evening matches this season. We had barely any in the first couple of years in the Premier League. If only they scrapped all these unnecessary international breaks, all matches could be on a Saturday.

They wouldn’t be though. If you are playing teams who play in Europe/CL/Carabo/FA cup or simply because Sky fancy the game, then you are guaranteed it won’t fall on a Saturday

 

[Chicken Run]

Yes thanks Genius boy,