Coping with Large Crowds

[8 Bee]

There have been a few posts relating to the problems people had getting to
and into GP for the Southampton replay and more than a few relating to the ticketing arrangements.

When the club eventually get around to reviewing the problems that don't exist with respect to the organaisation for BIG games perhaps they should consider the roles of the stewards at the turnstiles.

On Tuesday, local traffic conditions and the problems of nearby street parking meant that many people arrived at the ground later then they would have wished. As a result, at around 7:20 the queue for New Road stretched back past the Royal Oak. Seeing as everyone had tickets it was amazing how slowly the queue was moving. However when I reached the front the reasons became apparent.

1. People coming from the Ealing Road direction were being allowed to jump straight to the front of the queue.

2. A steward was stopping the queue to avoid any congestion at the turnstiles. This well intended practice was being performed over zealously to the extent that the turnstiles were at times empty thereby significantly reducing the rate of people passing through them and delayed entry to the ground for many.

Does the club have any plans on how to cope with the increased crowds if our success under MA continues - other than to tell us to turn up earlier.

Seeing as nowadays many people work much later in the day is there a case for 8:00 kick-offs for evening matches?

 

[Mr Tree]

why do we employ the stewards that we have? i assume they are "hired out", tho i don't know - they're rubbish! surely there is a rival stewarding firm who'll do a better job?!

 

[Boston Bee]

Queue at 7:20ish was indeed down and past The Royal Oak and moved so slowly that I just barely get to the top of the stairs as we scored. And the queue when I was headed in was still back as far as I could see. Maybe the other three sides of the ground didn't have this problem? Otherwise, couldn't there at least have been some communication and a delayed kickoff? People were scrambling from the turnstiles to get to their seats (splashing their way through the concourse :drunk: ).

 

[Simon C]

No noticeable delays at all in the Braemar. Waltzed straight through at a bout 730-ish.

 

[Brickie Chap]

Will people stop having a go at the Club Its not fair



Is that ok you know who

 

[Brickie Chap]

Didnt someone once ask for Roy King to be given time to sort out these issues...how long does he need...goodbye you waste of space

 

[FarnhamBee]

No noticeable delays at all in the Braemar. Waltzed straight through at a bout 730-ish.

Obviously the trick is to sit on the 'classy' side of the ground

 

[Simon C]

Obviously the trick is to sit on the 'classy' side of the ground

shhhhhhhhhh

 

[beesbeesbarmyarmy]

It's not rocket science though is it? To have a supervisor with an ounce of common sense realising what is happening and saying to everyone joining the queue from the Ealing Road end to join the queue at the other end?

 

[Baz Bee]

The queue on New Road at 7.10 was about half way back to the Royal Oak. However, decided to do a bit of investigation and found in fact that it was the queue for programmes. I am sure many of the people in the queue did not actually want a programme (notwithstanding the fact that TW8 is a fine example of contempoaray English literature by the 21st century reincarnate baird William,aka Peter Gillham, Shakespeare ) but assumed that it was the queue for the turnstiles. I walked straight up toi the turnstiles and spent a few second decideing which of the bored turnstile operators would enjoy ripping off my ticket stub. Was in the ground in secons and bought a programme from the seller inside the ground where there was no queue.

At 7.10 there were no stewards outside New Road turnstiles advising supporters that the turnstiles were empty and that they were actually in the queue for programmes. However, just inside the ground it was immpossible to move for officious stewards blocking the narrow entrance to the concourse.

Now I do not know how things developed after I entered the ground but it was clear whilst that when I was entering the ground that there was no (adequate/competent?) supervsion of the stewarding around the New Road turnstiles. There should have been proper stewarding of the queue including advising supporters that the queue (when I was there at an case) was for programmes and that the turnstiles were in fact empty. This may not have been the situation slightly later, but at least it may have reduced the size of the queue in the first place.

 

[Boston Bee]

Yes, this bit was weird - there were tons of them inside the turnstiles.

At 7.10 there were no stewards outside New Road turnstiles advising supporters that the turnstiles were empty and that they were actually in the queue for programmes. However, just inside the ground it was immpossible to move for officious stewards blocking the narrow entrance to the concourse.

 

[Edmundo]

It's a long time since I sat in the New Road, but there was always this problem, or a variant of it ... a queue for programmes mistaken as a queue for the turnstiles and the queue for the paying turnstiles obscuring the fact that the ST turnstile had no queue. The entrance on that side of the ground is a bit of a mare - rather like Brook Road, trying to squeeze more turnstiles into a space that really isn't big enough.

I can only think that in the 30s and 50s when we got 30,000 crowds, people showed up much earlier in order to make sure they got in!

 

[readingbee]

Just a thought, maybe they could sell the programmes on the other side of the road

 

[8 Bee]

The queue on New Road at 7.10 was about half way back to the Royal Oak. However, decided to do a bit of investigation and found in fact that it was the queue for programmes. .

At 7:20 the programme queue was in the direction of Ealing Road whlist the official entry queue was towards the Royal Oak. Having bought their literary masterpiece these people then proceeded straight into the ground. Had I known that the official queue would be so long and move so slowly then £2.50 would have been a good investment to accelerate my entry in the ground. At least I got into the ground before kick-off - I'm sure that many didn't.

As usual the stewarding was less than useful. But, compared to St. Marys ............... :mad1: :box:

 

[8 Bee]

Just a thought, maybe they could sell the programmes on the other side of the road

A good chance of getting run over by the incredible amount of vehicular traffic using New Road with so many fragile pedestrians around

 

[WILTSHIREBEE]

It's a long time since I sat in the New Road, but there was always this problem, or a variant of it ... a queue for programmes mistaken as a queue for the turnstiles and the queue for the paying turnstiles obscuring the fact that the ST turnstile had no queue. The entrance on that side of the ground is a bit of a mare - rather like Brook Road, trying to squeeze more turnstiles into a space that really isn't big enough.

I can only think that in the 30s and 50s when we got 30,000 crowds, people showed up much earlier in order to make sure they got in!

In those days you were'nt restricted to what part of the ground you watched from according to what turnstile you used.

Incidently i arrived at gp at 7.30 from the brook road,walked to the front to see what was going on and found the turnstiles empty and a d*ckhead steward letting fans through in twos and threes so i shoved him out of the way and the queue started moving.

Queue what queue lol

 

[ChinaBee]

Just a thought, maybe they could sell the programmes on the other side of the road

Or up and down the row of people waiting with time on their hands - sorry to simple

 

[TOMOGP]

It's a long time since I sat in the New Road, but there was always this problem, or a variant of it ... a queue for programmes mistaken as a queue for the turnstiles and the queue for the paying turnstiles obscuring the fact that the ST turnstile had no queue. The entrance on that side of the ground is a bit of a mare - rather like Brook Road, trying to squeeze more turnstiles into a space that really isn't big enough.

I can only think that in the 30s and 50s when we got 30,000 crowds, people showed up much earlier in order to make sure they got in!

Cannot answer about 30s but firstly there were many more turnstiles, intparticular Brook Road, then there was also no stewards then you expected the queue for New Rd to be back to the Corner and allowed for it

 

[Stanley]

I can only think that in the 30s and 50s when we got 30,000 crowds, people showed up much earlier in order to make sure they got in!

Before they pulled the Royal Oak down you could get in any of Ealing Rd, New Rd or Brook Rd of the ground and just walk to where you wanted to go..life was a lot simpler then and Health and Safety was thought to be some kind of adult girlie magazine.

 

[bees66]

Cannot answer about 30s

Why not? :shake:

 

[eghambee]

As it was my first All Ticket match in New Road, it was quite an eye opener.

After arriving at 7.15, no queue, i had to get my two little boys through about 7-8 stewards stood right inside the turnstyle.

Walked through the large puddle.

Looked at my ticket for seat number.

Signs above cenral entrance suggested my ticket was towards the Ealing Road.
Soon realised it wasnt , came back only to find the relevant sign was out of site from where i had been standing, and was at odds with the one i had seen.

I was not alone in this.

Went to my seats to find both my tickets had the same seat number on.

Sat down on my wet seat while my boys stood in the puddle at the front.

Listened to the first 15 minutes to people saying that people were in their seats and the stewards reply "just find seats anywhere"

And then at half time one asked "can we get something to eat?" lol lol lol


I know these games arent that often, but i would have thought a mini project for someone to look at all these aspects to make things clearer.

 

[eghambee]

Cannot answer about 30s but firstly there were many more turnstiles, intparticular Brook Road, then there was also no stewards then you expected the queue for New Rd to be back to the Corner and allowed for it

May we not forget the Liverpool match!

Queue for hours for ticket.

Queue for ages to get in.

People without tickets, straight in!

 

[Mr Cynical]

Weird, I walked into New Road at about 7.15, took me two minutes, only q I encountered was at the pie stall!!!

 

[Barry Proudfoot]

Weird, I walked into New Road at about 7.15, took me two minutes, only q I encountered was at the pie stall!!!

No change there then... Were they taking em back???

 

[eghambee]

Weird, I walked into New Road at about 7.15, took me two minutes, only q I encountered was at the pie stall!!!

After arriving at 7.15, no queue,

.

 

[beezy babe]

No noticeable delays at all in the Braemar. Waltzed straight through at a bout 730-ish.

So did I! No problem at all :shrug:

 

[Alex]

So did I! No problem at all :shrug:

I'll try harder to delay you next time. My training says that I have to fullfil people with there utmost expectations of the Brentford experience. I am sure I shouldn't allow this to be exceeded as you'll come to expect it every week.