NEW ROAD

[fencer/bee]

why where supporters still trying to find a seat at 1.23pm.... with not a lot of help from stewards

 

[Jimbee]

They were late.

 

[Simon W]

It does not help when seats that belong to ST's dont have reserved stickers on them

 

[Stanley]

They were late.

Perhaps thay got lost after being directed to the "North" stand!

 

[SKA BEE]

the stewards were given xmas off as this was only a low risk game

 

[SmiffyBee]

no excuse for being 20+ minutes late....they should have been sat in the corner, facing the back of the stand as punishment

 

[love and mercy]

Stewards in the new road stand at todays game were a disgrace to BFC.
they were putting people in season ticket holders seats and were abusive when told that the rightful owners of thoses seats were late due yo raffic problems.
If you have a problem with that you know where the door is we were told.
The leader of the gang was worse than any football thug.
I am sure the club will recieve complaints

 

[Banana]

If you have a problem with that you know where the door is we were told.

Oh dear

Anyone that has complaints should also copy them to BIAS

[email protected]

 

[Ace Face]

I did see Mark Chapman laughing at one point, when he saw the poor fans in the NR.

 

[Banana]

I couldn't understand why supporters were left standing at the top of gangways blocking emergency exits when there were plenty of seats available in Blocks A and Z and no-one was directing supporters to these seats. There were stewards standing at the top of each empty gangway however.

And it would seem there were crap stewarding outstand the North Stand since an announcement had to be made asking supporters in the queue to come forward to each turnstile - why are stewards "on the ground" making this happen?

 

[Ace Face]

I couldn't understand why supporters were left standing at the top of gangways blocking emergency exits when there were plenty of seats available in Blocks A and Z and no-one was directing supporters to these seats. There were stewards standing at the top of each empty gangway however.

And it would seem there were crap stewarding outstand the North Stand since an announcement had to be made asking supporters in the queue to come forward to each turnstile - why are stewards "on the ground" making this happen?

I agree.

It seemed there was no stewards stopping fans from entering full sections and instead directing them to the corners.

 

[PJ]

Stewards in the new road stand at todays game were a disgrace to BFC.
they were putting people in season ticket holders seats and were abusive when told that the rightful owners of thoses seats were late due yo raffic problems.
If you have a problem with that you know where the door is we were told.
The leader of the gang was worse than any football thug.
I am sure the club will recieve complaints

Speaking only as an observer (i`m a S/T holder in the paddock but brought a few guests so sat in New Road today) I thought the initial organisation was invisible.
After a while - when it was clear there were c.100 seats spare upstairs in the wendy house it seemed that senior stewards invited them to take those spaces (which was odd all-round as before the game the clear message outside Brook Road was that "this stand is sold out - New Road`s the only place with spare seats").
I think a fair few people "helped themselves" to those seats but who can balme them - if you`ve paid £17 you are entitled to somewhere to park your arse IMHO.
It was a typical "big day" at GP but by previous standards i`d say it was better than normal* and that New Road is always the sucker punch for seating problems as it has a relatively high seating capacity, but with the vast bulk of seats unreserved (unlike Braemar and Brook Rd).

(*in my defence i got in quite early and had no probs getting a seat and therefore had no probs with stewards)

I hope somebody starts a thread on the New Road catering standards (or lack of them) - that makes us look as tinpot as is possible IMHO

 

[Ace Face]

I hope somebody starts a thread on the New Road catering standards (or lack of them) - that makes us look as tinpot as is possible IMHO

Remember the BFC top brass saying how great Lindleys are?

I would still like to see a business case for bringing it all back in house.

 

[PJ]

I couldn't understand why supporters were left standing at the top of gangways blocking emergency exits when there were plenty of seats available in Blocks A and Z and no-one was directing supporters to these seats. There were stewards standing at the top of each empty gangway however.

Its been happening for years and unless we have somebody capable of getting a grip on it, will happen for many more years.
I can appreciate its not easy.
Some stewards recently deployed at GP cannot even speak English, I know because i`ve directed them to GP

They dont know their way to GP let alone know their way around GP. Whether they know what to do is another matter, but all the current legislation centres on quantity/numbers rather than efficiency/safety IMHO. And they are supposed to be in charge of us!

 

[PJ]

I would still like to see a business case for bringing it all back in house.

 

[SmiffyBee]

the clear answer is...if you know Brentford are playing a team with a large away support, on a public holiday and it's a top of the league clash...GET THERE EARLY...

the one thing the stewards (if there were more than 2 !) should have done was to insist people sat where their tickets suggested, rather than make it a free-for-all.

 

[Beepositive]

As a season ticket holder in the New Road, I'm surprised about people's reactions about the stewards today. They are woeful at all games, reluctant to take any responsibility for anything that may cause a disagreement amongst people. Did anyone see the two goons from Swansea running on the pitch at half time - the stewards just looked at them and did nothing.
As for the catering facilities in the New Road I despair, how much money does the club lose and what must newcomers think?
Thankfully the game overshadowed most of this

 

[eghambee]

Encouraging bigger crowds is mainly down to the position of the team in the League and the football it plays.

However, encouraging more people to re attend when things aren't as great is down to how floating supporters are treated.

The only things that cannot be guaranteed are the weather and the performance of the team.
Everything else can be guaranteed and should be guaranteed.

From information being given outside of where to go, to Turnstyles being properly marked and marshalled to ensure the right people are in the right queue.
Being told the right information in the ground, having food available within a fifteen minute half time window.
The toilets are all open, the stewards communicate to get late comers to seats rather than just pointing.

 

[Beepositive]

Encouraging bigger crowds is mainly down to the position of the team in the League and the football it plays.

However, encouraging more people to re attend when things aren't as great is down to how floating supporters are treated.

The only things that cannot be guaranteed are the weather and the performance of the team.
Everything else can be guaranteed and should be guaranteed.

From information being given outside of where to go, to Turnstyles being properly marked and marshalled to ensure the right people are in the right queue.
Being told the right information in the ground, having food available within a fifteen minute half time window.
The toilets are all open, the stewards communicate to get late comers to seats rather than just pointing.

Well said Egham, they had plenty of notice that this was going to be a big game.

 

[Simon W]

the one thing the stewards (if there were more than 2 !) should have done was to insist people sat where their tickets suggested, rather than make it a free-for-all.

All well and good Smiffy ... but what if your ticket stub has no seat or row number , but just says UNRESERVED SEATING !!

 

[BoroBee]

See my thread last month about the morons that steward in the Paddock area. Unfortunately, there is a minority that is giving the stewards at GP a bad name. We do have some excellent stewards working for us, but they have to put up with the antics of the other idiots and end up being tarred with the same brush.

 

[coconino]

Me and my boy got to our seats in Brook Road seconds after KO having had to take four buses and two tubes to get there. Anyway, as we dashed down New Road I was amazed to see the queue going most of the way along New Road so close to kick-off time. Once we were settled I kept an eye on the stand and a lot of people seemed to be still finding seats half way through the first half.

 

[TW3Bee]

Was there not a case for delaying the kick off.

 

[GABS]

Who cares, if you were that late you are not bothered and we won anyhow

 

[TW3Bee]

O.K. I agree everyone new that it was going to be a big gate so get there early or miss half the game.

 

[beetee]

when i went into the brook road at about 15 mins before kick off they were saying it was sold out.
then got to the turnstyle and saw a small pile of tickets behind the grill and someone paying for a child???? it obviously wasn't sold out then???

does anyone know if everyone got in or were people turned away?

 

[SammmeBee]

WTF don't they just print out all the tickets with seat numbers on them etc (especially for big games) then you know where you are going to sit......and some people might actually sit there too!!!

 

[TW1Bee]

I got in to Brook Road seats at about 12.30 and by ko there were at least two hundred empty seats next to me and remained empty until about twenty mins into the first half when hoardes of people were allowed in by the fire exit leading from New rd. What happened to those who supposedly had bought tickets already if it was sold out? Personally given the potential importance of the game I think it should have been made all ticket months ago with reserved seating only. If they can make the Forest game all ticket against a side going no where then why not. Incidentally will the re-arranged Forest game still be all ticket ?

 

[shepperton bee]

i really do despair when i see CUSTOMERS (coz thats what they are)who have paid £17 quid to see a game then spend the first 25 mins trying to find a seat and then be forced to stand at the back (some with young kids)whilst looking at rows of empty seats in brook road but worse still an entire section of braemer road closed..why the hell didnt we open for this game..segregation comes into it but premiership clubs seat rival supporters with a buffer of about 3/4 seats between them..why cant we ? we must do everything possible to attract back the floating fan who surely were the ones arriving late in most cases !!

 

[Brickie Chap]

Please direct all comments to our CEO, Mr A Finch, instead of posting on here

Feel free to post his replies though

 

[beezy babe]

Who cares, if you were that late you are not bothered

That's a bit harsh GABS - the M25 was a nightmare yesterday when I drove down - you can't blame people for being late when they have to travel some distance to get to GP

Agree with Nana's comment re letting BIAS know if you're not happy about the stewarding. It's an issue that pehaps should have been addressed before. If you have a concrete example of bad stewarding/crowd control then please PM me or email BIAS so that we have something concrete to take to the Club.

 

[Brickie Chap]

Make Finch work for his money

 

[Stanley]

Make Finch work for his money

Spot on.

We all know the problems of big crowds getting into an aging GP and that "all ticket" games lower gates but we should expect our club to become much better on these occasions than they traditionally have especially when it was clear before that a big crowd was coming.

It was reported than 9000 tickets had been sold before Xmas, no prizes for guessing then that it was all going to be a bit tight on the day.

We have been told before that we can use B Block with proper stewarding etc so why were contigency plans not made?

If people have bought a ticket they should expect proper help in finding a seat whether they are late or not, we are located next to the country's worst place for motorway jams so people will always be late.

 

[rebus]

It's the OPERATIONS MANAGER who is in charge on a matchday and the SAFETY OFFICER too.

Step forward Roy King and Alistair Hill.

These two have direct input into what - or should - be going on.

The former could not care less and is hopefully being binned as I type. As for the latter, his performance does not seem to be much better unless he can say otherwise.

The attention to detail is completely lacking.

There was always going to be problems with a large crowd. We are not used it and we pay for what we get - poor agency stewarding.

The signage around the stadium is appalling. Turnstiles are not numbered and in the Braemar Road - signs are not placed telling you which turnstile will give you a ticket for E Block, the paddock, etc.

 

[BoroBee]

O.K. I agree everyone new that it was going to be a big gate so get there early or miss half the game.

B*llocks! I knew (sic) it was going to be a big game which is why I left Wokingham at 11.00 - I was still stuck on the M3 an hour later. I managed to get to the game at 12.45 - nothing to do with the size of the match.

 

[nocoat]

You spelt "knew" correctly, to use (sic) surely you would have needed to quote Julian's "new"? No wonder the youth of today go mugging old ladies for their fix I agree with your point though :yes:

 

[malbee62]

Stewards in the new road stand at todays game were a disgrace to BFC.
they were putting people in season ticket holders seats and were abusive when told that the rightful owners of thoses seats were late due yo raffic problems.
If you have a problem with that you know where the door is we were told.
The leader of the gang was worse than any football thug.
I am sure the club will recieve complaints

Thanks for standing up for me Mate, i have sent a long letter of complaint to Peter Gilham about the thug , sorry steward, that verbally threatened me, bet nothing gets done about it though.

 

[Brickie Chap]

Send the letters to Finch, he is top of the tree, let him sort things out (as if lol )

 

[Ace Face]

Simply having 10 extra decent stewards properly briefed would have solved this problem.

Every fan apart from season ticket holders should have been directed to the wendy house end of NR and then fill block by block. They did this at Wembley for the standing areas for massive games, they simply directed people to the front and filled backwards.

The sad thing is we all knew it would be chaos.

How many empty sections of seats were there in the Braemar?

 

[abee]

Please direct all comments to our CEO, Mr A Finch, instead of posting on here

Feel free to post his replies though

Just to save time Brickie abee has been sent a draft of Mr Finch's response to your earlier email........

"A Happy New Year to you you thick **** and if I see your ugly face anywhere near Griffin Park I'll use all of my Northern Ireland commando training to ensure that you never walk again and if you even think about replying to this very pleasant email I'll smash you in the..........." (continues for 189 pages including a lecture on "good communications")

No need to thank me mate........

 

[WarrenBee]

Just to save time Brickie I've seen a draft of Mr Finch's response........

"A Happy New Year to you you thick **** and if I see your ugly face anywhere near Griffin Park I'll use all of my Northern Ireland commando training to ensure that you never walk again and if you even think about replying to this very pleasant email I'll smash you in the..........." (continues for 189 pages including a lecture on "good communications")

No need to thank me mate........

lol rofl

 

[Brickie Chap]

Just to save time Brickie abee has been sent a draft of Mr Finch's response to your earlier email........

"A Happy New Year to you you thick **** and if I see your ugly face anywhere near Griffin Park I'll use all of my Northern Ireland commando training to ensure that you never walk again and if you even think about replying to this very pleasant email I'll smash you in the..........." (continues for 189 pages including a lecture on "good communications")

No need to thank me mate........

If only it wasnt true

 

[SmiffyBee]

1 steward was also needed in New Road itself, to tell all the people queueing for entry, that they were actually in the programme queue. Maybe if they came to more than 1 game a season, they might have guessed they were queueing for nothing...

 

[TW3Bee]

You spelt "knew" correctly, to use (sic) surely you would have needed to quote Julian's "new"? No wonder the youth of today go mugging old ladies for their fix I agree with your point though :yes:

It's because I had NEW Road on my mind that I used NEW instead of KNEW.
Sorry

 

[Bigbee]

Just to save time Brickie abee has been sent a draft of Mr Finch's response to your earlier email........

"A Happy New Year to you you thick **** and if I see your ugly face anywhere near Griffin Park I'll use all of my Northern Ireland commando training to ensure that you never walk again and if you even think about replying to this very pleasant email I'll smash you in the..........." (continues for 189 pages including a lecture on "good communications")

No need to thank me mate........