Queues

[johnnytapia]

The tram system is horrendous. I used to be able to get on a tram at Altrincham and go straight to the game. Now I have to get off at Cornbrook and wait with loads of other people unloaded there, sometimes for 15 minutes, for an already crowded tram to arrive. The tram goes to Piccadilly station anyway, why can't it just carry on to the stadium? All trams that go in that direction should just carry on to the stadium on matchdays.

The 216 bus is just as bad. The traffic is horrendous and against Norwich I got off and walked it was so bad. After the game it is ludicrous. We all wait in one long queue with loads of stewards standing around clueless until one bus is full. Then the door opens on the next bus and we start again. Even in the pouring rain they just fill one bus at a time. The speed, or lack of it, isn't helped by utter fuckwits who still don't know how much it is or have their money ready when they board. Then the other knobheads who won't move from near the door so people can't get past or get upstairs. Once the bus eventually moves hundreds of people walk in the road so it is a snails pace.

We had no games for 18 months and everywhere closed, an ideal time to make some improvements and perhaps give some work to people struggling. Instead we are just as bad as before.

In Germany you’d have an endless supply of free trams and buses in and out of the city centre to the stadium. There’d be no other traffic allowed; buses and trams would run from all four points of the compass across the city. We have a system currently where 4 cones are erected to allow one car per hour prevent a whole flow of buses and trams getting into the city centre. The big wigs at City and the council don’t give a fuck; they don’t use the bus or tram. I’d frogmarch them onto the bus or tram after a game and see how they got on. It’s fucking shite. And it doesn’t have to be.

 

[paulchapo]

In Germany you’d have an endless supply of free trams and buses in and out of the city centre to the stadium. There’d be no other traffic allowed; buses and trams would run from all four points of the compass across the city. We have a system currently where 4 cones are erected to allow one car per hour prevent a whole flow of buses and trams getting into the city centre. The big wigs at City and the council don’t give a fuck; they don’t use the bus or tram. I’d frogmarch them onto the bus or tram after a game and see how they got on. It’s fucking shite. And it doesn’t have to be.

That's it. You're talking about 19 times a year and the cup games. 12-3 then 5-7. Everything else is rerouted or stopped. Signs warning people, e mails sent etcetera. It's a minor inconvenience for others. Just get 50,000+ people in and out as quickly and safely as possible.

 

[johnnytapia]

That's it. You're talking about 19 times a year and the cup games. 12-3 then 5-7. Everything else is rerouted or stopped. Signs warning people, e mails sent etcetera. It's a minor inconvenience for others. Just get 50,000+ people in and out as quickly and safely as possible.

Amen. How difficult would it be?

 

[Johnny Mars Bar]

In Germany you’d have an endless supply of free trams and buses in and out of the city centre to the stadium. There’d be no other traffic allowed; buses and trams would run from all four points of the compass across the city. We have a system currently where 4 cones are erected to allow one car per hour prevent a whole flow of buses and trams getting into the city centre. The big wigs at City and the council don’t give a fuck; they don’t use the bus or tram. I’d frogmarch them onto the bus or tram after a game and see how they got on. It’s fucking shite. And it doesn’t have to be.

Not just Germany.

I went to Juventus away a few years back - think it was only a group stage game, Pellegrini’s last season?

Anyway there was a free shuttle bus from the city centre to the ground. Got us there in no time. All very impressive and surprisingly for Italy, efficient and well organised.

Sadly that good will fell apart when you actually got to the match and the Italian coppers stand there with machine guns and you’re treated like terrorists checking into Guantanamo Bay, but that’s for another thread.

 

[Johnny Mars Bar]

Strangest thing...if you arrive by tram, they now have barriers that force you into the crowd coming up from the gas works...where’s the logic?

I noticed that last week. I assumed it was a ticket / security check but nope…just a bizarre pointless barrier to nowhere.

 

[Citizen of Legoland]

Re buses did I hear over the much improved tannoy system that buses to town were free?

I assume this is sarcasm! But I did see some brief message on screen about trams and buses and heard the word "free". Absolutely no idea where they were though. I assumed the tram had just gone tits up again.

 

[Citizen of Legoland]

I'm still trying to work out what's wrong with the season cards we use to have worked perfectly well, how farting about with your phones supposed to be an improvement i've no idea.

They said it was to combat ticket touting, but this new system makes it easier. It's not implemented properly in my opinion.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

I assume this is sarcasm! But I did see some brief message on screen about trams and buses and heard the word "free". Absolutely no idea where they were though. I assumed the tram had just gone tits up again.

No in SS3 for the first time ever you could talk over it for once.

 

[Citizen of Legoland]

No in SS3 for the first time ever you could talk over it for once.

Still terrible in EL1 towards the back. The speakers are just above our heads so are turned up so those lower down can hear, I assume.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

In Germany you’d have an endless supply of free trams and buses in and out of the city centre to the stadium. There’d be no other traffic allowed; buses and trams would run from all four points of the compass across the city. We have a system currently where 4 cones are erected to allow one car per hour prevent a whole flow of buses and trams getting into the city centre. The big wigs at City and the council don’t give a fuck; they don’t use the bus or tram. I’d frogmarch them onto the bus or tram after a game and see how they got on. It’s fucking shite. And it doesn’t have to be.

Spot on mate.

All the problems you see at City boil down to the fact that the people who make decisions at the club never observe or experience the problems, and there aren’t enough lines of communication (there’s pretty much none!) between the fans who do and those people who make decisions.

All roads between the Etihad and Manchester city centre should be closed to all cars on a matchday, both before and after the game. And there should be free buses that shuttle fans to and from the Etihad and the city centre.

The club could get into a deal with Manchester City Council, outlay for a few dozen buses, and keep them at the back of the car park when not in use (or provide them as school buses through the week or something). As you’ve said, it is almost an essential part of a matchday in Germany. German clubs seem to constantly have their fans in mind. We could do with our boardroom going and meeting with some of the German boardrooms and getting them to understand what they do for their fans.

Even at the SL Grand Final at Old Trafford (that I try and go to every year) you get free Metrolink travel with your match ticket.

The issue with the queues at City has been going on since the scanners came in. I didn’t get into one of the greatest games ever at the Etihad (Monaco) until 10 mins into the game four or so years ago. So it’s been going in for a good while. And the new phone ticketing system will never make it quicker because that’s not what the problem is.

People should be scanned and have bags checked further away from the stadium rather than at the turnstiles. There should be a perimeter fence where you have all this done well before you get near the turnstiles. Then people can mingle around City Sq and the food kiosks, go and look around the club shop or have a look at the Kompany and Silva statues and not have to worry about getting in a snails-pace queue to be scanned before entering the ground.

Didn’t we actually do this for the Celtic game a few years back?