Turnstiles Broke! Massives Queues Outside The Ground

[Nelly's Left Foot]

Rather than just moan on here (and I'm not being unsympathetic), has anyone actually tweeted 'supporter services' asking for an explanation of today's issues ?

As I said above I think it was a combination of things, security initially, as they were searching everyone at around 2:30, and then with already massive queues having built as a result of the initial security, some entrances had a fault exasperating the issues. It seems they dropped the security checks when they realised that lots of people were going to miss the start of the game, the better decision would surely have been to delay kick off, and get people in safely. Again, rather than moan on here perhaps the question should be properly asked of supporter services ?

I am sure City ( Supporter Services) will get loads of questions and requests for some money back from the complaining I listened to outside SS. I was there at 2pm waiting for someone and saw the queues start to build up. I don't really thing the security thing was really a major cause, although it clearly doesnt help, but that was stopped maybe as early as 2.30 as you said.

The nonsense where I was was the lack of movement into the P turnstiles ( for whatever reason) while N turnstiles 25 yards away had nobody going through them. Those designated to help were helpless for ages and then suddenly the announcement came that anyone could go through N and within a few minutes everyone was in.

I heard one guy who queued at a turnstile for 30 minutes was told to go to P turnstile where the queue was 30 minutes long. How he kept his temper I don't know. I eventually got in at 3.25!

 

[Ric]

And it shouldn't change because the queues are getting too big, which appear to have happened today, they should instead delay kick off. It was obvious to me at 2:30 that not everyone would be in by 3:00, in fact around me (SS3) it was no more than about 20-30% at kick off, with nobody actually coming in, this was down to a subsequent failure at the entrance, which reading above then seems to have caused its own safety issue, by opening the big gates, and that's stupid on a number of levels.

I'm in the Family Stand now, and people around me were all commenting on how empty the third tier of the South Stand was when the game kicked off.

 

[alib]

We got in he ground at 2.50 and there must have been only about 30% of seats occupied

 

[worsleyweb]

Appreciate your reply.

I think the difference between our views is that I think the club should look after it's fans and you think they should bring in corporate at the expense of existing fans (call it collateral damage) so they can build more seats for fans which a lot of existing fans will not take up because we're being treated like shit.

I'm fucking off when I lose my seat. Others have done so previously so it won't be a shock to the club.

I also think they should stop giving it the "we support our supporters" big one when they obviously don't.

I'm not arsed about North Stand expansion, the glass tunnel doesn't affect me personally but there's an example on here of a family split by that tunnel. I'm not going to chop up my season card because of that but it makes me more aware my time is coming. (hence the over dramatic quote referring to Martin Niemoller earlier). I'd also add if there's one example on here there'll be a lot more in the real non bluemoon world.

North Stand season ticket holders going back from Maine Road got kicked out a few years ago to make room for the family stand. That didn't affect me either, (and was the main reason for mentioning Niemoller) but again that doesn't make it right. A fair few affected "customers" aired their views on here at the time and were pretty much ignored or ridiculed by happy clappers. That seems to have set a precedent.

The football offering is the best ever. The non football offering is getting worse.

I am not disagreeing per se. When the corporate suits are planning our growth as a club they are planning ultimately for a 76,000 seater stadium. Improved transport links (desperately needed) and the development of the "eastern gateway". Essentially the development of new Islington, ancoats, holt town, the wider campus site and ultimately Manchester bid for the expo expedition which I think is in 2030 which Our owners are heavily in partnership with Manchester council on. They have a longer term investment for the wider area which will in time see us playing in an incredible arena. They are hard nosed businessmen. Unfortunately maybe they are not sat worrying that Squirty has sat with his mate in the same place for ten years and wil have to move. They couldn't give a fuck. They are basically saying that is collateral damage for the juggernaught of the longer term vision. The longer term plan is not to have only 500 corporate seats on a Lower tier that holds 25000 people and I can understand that. There does seem to have been a few minor fuck ups with things like the Celtic queue and the piss poor management of the turnstiles today but they will just have a review next week and implement some improvements. That is not the big issue here.

 

[cleavers]

I'm in the Family Stand now, and people around me were all commenting on how empty the third tier of the South Stand was when the game kicked off.

Its not usually that empty even at the final whistle :)

 

[WNRH]

The queues have been big at every game this year especially in the 15 mins leading up to kick off. Several times this year I have missed kick off after arriving at the turnstile at 2.45 - 2.50. Get their early you may say but it's not that easy.

On another point about queues. I have not bought anything in the ground in the last 5 years or so due to the length of time wasted. Today I had my 10 year old nepthew with me who had come straight from playing football who was hungry so I reluctantly went for a burger. 25 mins it took! I just don't think it will ever improve. I feel so sorry for the poor lads and lasses who work their as they get shit loads of abuse when it's not their fault. I just don't understand why they're aren't more staff, they must lose 20-25 times the amount it would cost extra staff by fans simply giving up waiting as the second half has kicked off.

I over heard someone say today that a ticket system would be better and I agree. Why can't they have several staff on tills taking orders and payments and give you a receipt with your order number and then several staff on getting the orders ready. They have started to do this in McDonalds and it works so perfectly. You could have screens as well on the walls to further quicken it up. The fact that a worker takes the order, takes the payment and then goes and collects the order takes so much time.

 

[worsleyweb]

Even if that were the case, why not do the tunnel after the expansion? Or at least at the same time.

I have been told that laings will be working in our stadium for 4 years continuously and maybe your idea for doing at the same time would make better sense but from what I see the works to the Colin bell stand are significant and already under time pressures and I think taking twelve months. The answe to your question is possibly because we will need extra seats to move people around when the poor bastads in 127 and 125 are told either pay more or move, as this will have a knock on effect to other area of the stadium. I will ask the question though as it is very valid.

 

[cleavers]

That is not the big issue here.

It is for fans, especially when there are security and safety implications as there were, and that's where your stance pisses people off, and gets a reaction.

 

[worsleyweb]

It is for fans, especially when there are security and safety implications as there were, and that's where your stance pisses people off, and gets a reaction.

I am not saying it was not a fuck up for people today and would not have pissed people off. Justifiably so. Please before you dive in and have an unecessary pop read the context of how I wrote that sentence. I said it was not a huge issue in the context of the clubs longer term vision.

 

[Ric]

There does seem to have been a few minor fuck ups with things like the Celtic queue and the piss poor management of the turnstiles today but they will just have a review next week and implement some improvements. That is not the big issue here.

It's perhaps not the big issue for the suits at the club, but it's clearly causing some resentment amongst the rank and file supporters. We don't have an infinite fan base, so you ignore their concerns at your peril.

 

[worsleyweb]

It's perhaps not the big issue for the suits at the club, but it's clearly causing some resentment amongst the rank and file supporters. We don't have an infinite fan base, so you ignore their concerns at your peril.

Don't disagree entirely.

 

[anyoldblu]

Brought a mate with me today - got him and is daughter seats in the corner of CB and Family Stand on Level 1. Had an email to say only use entrance Y. Could not believe the queue for Y when we arrived. No problem for us getting in at Z, they only got in after 2 minutes. Did the email say arrive early, there may be delays? Did it bollox. Very poor performance.

 

[BAB.DAB]

I am not disagreeing per se. When the corporate suits are planning our growth as a club they are planning ultimately for a 76,000 seater stadium. Improved transport links (desperately needed) and the development of the "eastern gateway". Essentially the development of new Islington, ancoats, holt town, the wider campus site and ultimately Manchester bid for the expo expedition which I think is in 2030 which Our owners are heavily in partnership with Manchester council on. They have a longer term investment for the wider area which will in time see us playing in an incredible arena. They are hard nosed businessmen. Unfortunately maybe they are not sat worrying that Squirty has sat with his mate in the same place for ten years and wil have to move. They couldn't give a fuck. They are basically saying that is collateral damage for the juggernaught of the longer term vision. The longer term plan is not to have only 500 corporate seats on a Lower tier that holds 25000 people and I can understand that. There does seem to have been a few minor fuck ups with things like the Celtic queue and the piss poor management of the turnstiles today but they will just have a review next week and implement some improvements. That is not the big issue here.

Good post it's just difficult as a JCL with money will take a true blue's place can see the business side and understand that without the investment we would not have seen 93-20 it's success with a sour taste for some which is a real shame but that's collateral damage for you

 

[cleavers]

Please before you dive in and have an unecessary pop

I'm not "having a pop", just explaining why I think you rub folk up the wrong way, when you say everything is rosy.

I'm in a pretty happy place supporting this club myself, but that's because the only real thing that bothers me is the football, and even in seasons like last, I can't get too upset, since we won a trophy anyway, something not too many seasons ago I only dreamed of. My personal situation, I moved from 212 to 315, saving myself several hundred quid 18 months ago, and I now have the best view of the football, and a far better atmosphere than I have for years, but not everyone is so lucky, and your apparent lack of empathy when someone has a complaint, rubs people up the wrong way, its a simple observation, they are not "slagging the club" they have legitimate complaints.

 

[worsleyweb]

I'm not "having a pop", just explaining why I think you rub folk up the wrong way, when you say everything is rosy.

I'm in a pretty happy place supporting this club myself, but that's because the only real thing that bothers me is the football, and even in seasons like last, I can't get too upset, since we won a trophy anyway, something not too many seasons ago I only dreamed of. My personal situation, I moved from 212 to 315, saving myself several hundred quid 18 months ago, and I now have the best view of the football, and a far better atmosphere than I have for years, but not everyone is so lucky, and your apparent lack of empathy when someone has a complaint, rubs people up the wrong way, its a simple observation, they are not "slagging the club" they have legitimate complaints.

You are a few pages late- I apologised for that about 5 pages back. I have been trying to put across a view as to why the club are doing it since.

 

[Pezzer2]

Whilst we're all having a whinge. I can't believe no one has brought up how bad it was trying to get a drink at half time in Block 111/110. Apart from this season getting a beer at half time has never been a problem, whoever's round it is usually leaves on the 38th minute and it has never been an issue but today one of the lads left on the 35 min mark and only got served with 2 mins of the half time break left. He left at this time because of the queues last game. The agency staff haven't got a clue and the organisation is a shambles, they have 2 people just walking round aimlessly when they could be helping pour the beers.

 

[Eccles Blue]

Why is it that only people that sit in the south stand get searched?

If I have a bag with me, which I had stopped taking but needed one today, I always get searched & I'm in CBL1

Rather than just moan on here (and I'm not being unsympathetic), has anyone actually tweeted 'supporter services' asking for an explanation of today's issues ?

As I said above I think it was a combination of things, security initially, as they were searching everyone at around 2:30, and then with already massive queues having built as a result of the initial security, some entrances had a fault exasperating the issues. It seems they dropped the security checks when they realised that lots of people were going to miss the start of the game, the better decision would surely have been to delay kick off, and get people in safely. Again, rather than moan on here perhaps the question should be properly asked of supporter services ?

Although I do have a Twitter account I rarely use it but have composed an email to Supporter Services asking what happened & explaining how I can appreciate that there were problems with the turnstiles plus other things but it would have been good if they could have given out information to fans waiting outside etc.

They obviously didn't drop the security checks when they realised that lots were going to miss the game as they searched my bag over 17 minutes into the game after queuing for 50 minutes.

I wouldn't say that people are particularly moaning rather giving out explanations & saying what happened to them.

 

[cleavers]

You are a few pages late- I apologised for that about 5 pages back. I have been trying to put across a view as to why the club are doing it since.

No I'm not, I was simply making an observation, I note that you've ignored the rest of my post.

I'm aware of what the club are doing, and its pissing some people off, at a point in our history that virtually everyone should be delighted, so they are getting some things wrong whatever you think, and they should be made aware of it. At that point I'll leave you to it as our discussions rarely get better with age, even when to all intents, we are in similar positions on this one.

 

[mcfcphil]

going into SS L3 today was an absolute disgrace. For 30 minutes the turnstile was broke and they did nothing.
All it would have taken is for a steward or copper to walk up and down the queue letting people know what was going on, apologise, ask people to stay in line and they'd get us in as quickly as possible.
They did fuck all and hundreds and hundreds of people just got more and more annoyed.
Two coppers stood there doing nothing until a chant of 'what the fuck is going on' started.
It was ineptitude on a staggering scale.
So after 30 minutes the game was about to kick off they had hundreds of pissed off people not knowing what was going on and desperate to get in.
They then just decide to open to the main gates, the queues fall apart and everyone charged towards the entrance.
It was a genuine threat to public safety and an absolute scandal. whoever was supposed to be managing crowd safety today should have some serious questions to answer.

 

[worsleyweb]

No I'm not, I was simply making an observation, I note that you've ignored the rest of my post.

I'm aware of what the club are doing, and its pissing some people off, at a point in our history that virtually everyone should be delighted, so they are getting some things wrong whatever you think, and they should be made aware of it. At that point I'll leave you to it as our discussions rarely get better with age, even when to all intents, we are in similar positions on this one.

I don't ignore the rest of your post at all? Certainly not intentially. It was essentially all one point you made as far as I can see? As I said elsewhere there is clearly some significant collateral damage at present. Before we depart For the night I ask would this have happened under our old friend Garry Cooke? Not many fans have a bad word to say about him.