Getting in the ground?

[Rileybobs]

Why is it a problem in some stands but not others? I sit in the JMU and very rarely get to the turnstiles more than 5 minutes before kick off and almost always see the kick off?

[martin_p]

What? Seriously? You walked in without having to deal with a queue 40 minutes before kick off???

Yep, almost as shocking as someone turning up at 2.45 and having to queue.

[NRC]

I’ve got a vision of martin-p reading War and Peace to kill the time before kickoff.

Not withstanding the traffic problems that the OP faced, the whole movement in sports entertainment today is to bring the fans in earlier and earlier in order to maximize the fan experience and therefore profitability.

The team that I work with have been involved in bringing that kind of experience to sports stadiums, including Tottenham Hotspur, Ajax, Werder Bremen, Dallas Cowboys, and the Golden State Warriors. Similarly, with non-stadia events such as the 2023 Ryder Cup.

Now obviously, we don’t have that kind of full-on experience at Turf Moor as the investment is not yet worth the return, given the size of the crowd. But it is coming, and you might choose to read war and peace, but you also might choose to take advantage of everything that the technology can bring today. I hope one day our club has such a capability.

[Vegas Claret]

That could excuse the longer queues today but the extra time to get in started after the new 'improved' turnstile system came into play two or three years ago. The initial teething problems were improved but it's still inadequate in dealing with the busy periods prior to kick off.

Surely that's why people get paid big money to resolve these issues in top class sport.

it's strange especially with American owners, stadiums here are full and afaik don't suffer from those issues - I guess it's all work in progress

[dougcollins]

Why is it a problem in some stands but not others? I sit in the JMU and very rarely get to the turnstiles more than 5 minutes before kick off and almost always see the kick off?

Aa I mentioned earlier, my observation suggests every person entering the CFS experiences some kind of search. I don’t believe that happens in the rest of the ground, certainly not the JHL where I sit.

[Rileybobs]

Aa I mentioned earlier, my observation suggests every person entering the CFS experiences some kind of search. I don’t believe that happens in the rest of the ground, certainly not the JHL where I sit.

I can understand it in the CFS as the stand is older and split between home and away fans. But in theory there should be little difference in getting access to the longside and JM stands.

[jrgbfc]

I can understand it in the CFS as the stand is older and split between home and away fans. But in theory there should be little difference in getting access to the longside and JM stands.

I'd guess the JMU is nearly all season ticket, whereas the Longside Upper will have more people buying individual tickets? So more people messing about with tickets on phones etc.

[Rileybobs]

I'd guess the JMU is nearly all season ticket, whereas the Longside Upper will have more people buying individual tickets? So more people messing about with tickets on phones etc.

Could well be.

[dougcollins]

I'd guess the JMU is nearly all season ticket, whereas the Longside Upper will have more people buying individual tickets? So more people messing about with tickets on phones etc.

I’ve certainly been stuck behind football tourists fannying about with their phones on a few occasions.

[NewClaret]

Not withstanding the traffic problems that the OP faced, the whole movement in sports entertainment today is to bring the fans in earlier and earlier in order to maximize the fan experience and therefore profitability.

The team that I work with have been involved in bringing that kind of experience to sports stadiums, including Tottenham Hotspur, Ajax, Werder Bremen, Dallas Cowboys, and the Golden State Warriors. Similarly, with non-stadia events such as the 2023 Ryder Cup.

Now obviously, we don’t have that kind of full-on experience at Turf Moor as the investment is not yet worth the return, given the size of the crowd. But it is coming, and you might choose to read war and peace, but you also might choose to take advantage of everything that the technology can bring today. I hope one day our club has such a capability.

Well one of the reasons I’m usually so keen to get to the ground early is to have a few pints, NRC.

Obviously can’t say I’d have had a couple today given late arrival but had I been able to get in within a reasonable time (say 5 minutes), I’d definitely have had one. Bars were shut given the game had well kicked off by the time I got in.

I can’t imagine these massive queues are helping us maximise Matchday income anyway. There’s a very good commercial reason to fix these problems, even if fan experience isn’t top priority.

[jrgbfc]

I normally go in the Bob Lord and it's definitely slower getting in for cup games when more people are using smartphones compared to season tickets.

[NewClaret]

I'd guess the JMU is nearly all season ticket, whereas the Longside Upper will have more people buying individual tickets? So more people messing about with tickets on phones etc.

There’s rarely a time I don’t have to give the operator my ST to make it scan tbh. I never see anyone really having issues (prolonged delays getting one person in), it just seems to take each person a lot longer to get through than it used to.

It’s one thing people saying get there earlier, which I usually do, but what about those who can’t (due to work, etc) or have very long journeys?

I’ve visited the Bernabeu, San Siro, Allianz, Wembley + most of the Prem and Champ grounds - massively larger grounds than ours - and never had to wait more than a couple of minutes to get in, nevermind seen the queues as long / general carnage as before todays game. Bobinho getting in at nearly 10 minutes after KO symbolising the issue.

Only thing I can think to help is putting the turnstile operator outside the turnstile with a scanner and allowing them to scan as people are approaching and let them straight in.

[JohnMac]

I tend to find a smaller queue for the JHU by looking around. Some people I believe think they are limited to the turnstile shown on their card/ticket/phone.

I suppose having random IT issues is a first world problem and beyond the control of the Club.

[NL Claret]

I let my season ticket go a few years back for a few reasons. I’m one of those tourists who stays in the pub till 15 minutes before KO, strolls from the 110 club, fannys around on my phone to get my already downloaded QR code and for all the games this season I have attended, I am sat in my seat in the BLS to see the teams come out. Even saw the light show pre Watford.

[Myk]

Watched 3 people in front of me yesterday at the turnstiles spend about 60 seconds or so each as the scanner was struggling to read the QR code on their phones.

Still don’t understand that 80% of people give their season ticket to the person on the turnstiles to scan their card for them, why not just turn the scanner to face the turnstile so they can just scan it themselves for a start atleast.

During covid was unusual when you most people were handing their card to get scanned.

[durhamclaret]

Watched 3 people in front of me yesterday at the turnstiles spend about 60 seconds or so each as the scanner was struggling to read the QR code on their phones.

Still don’t understand that 80% of people give their season ticket to the person on the turnstiles to scan their card for them, why not just turn the scanner to face the turnstile so they can just scan it themselves for a start atleast.

During covid was unusual when you most people were handing their card to get scanned.

I’ve been to Sunderland a few times with my mackem supporting friend (only when he has an unused season ticket mind) and their turnstiles are unmanned and the scanner is facing you, go in 5 mins before ko with no probs, and their average attendance is 38k, strange how we seem unable to do that, also there people use any turnstile and not the one printed on the card, makes sense.

[trawlen]

Took me 20 minutes to get in and then the tills broke at half time after queueing for a beer for 15 minutes, nobody thought to tell everyone at the back that the tills broke and they can't take cash - just stood there scratching his head.

Compared to 10 years ago even this is cr*p. It's actually a worse experience, I had no complaints before. The turnstiles never 'stopped working', the tills never 'stopped working'.

At least if you want to introduce an electronic system, make sure you think about what happens if it goes down.

[wilks_bfc]

I’ve been to Sunderland a few times with my mackem supporting friend (only when he has an unused season ticket mind) and their turnstiles are unmanned and the scanner is facing you, go in 5 mins before ko with no probs, and their average attendance is 38k, strange how we seem unable to do that, also there people use any turnstile and not the one printed on the card, makes sense.

My Mackem mate was surprised when he came onto Turf with me, that he had to hand over his ticket

The issue we have is that when we went to scanning tickets/cards all they did was install the scanners and didn’t replace the turnstiles so they still need to be manned so the operator can press the release pedal

[ClaretTony]

The club advise all fans to be there 35 mins or more before kick off.

They report if you get there between 20 and 35 minutes you are at risk of missing kick off. If you are less than 20 minutes then you are very likely to miss kick off.

It varies from game to game. I’m in the Longside Upper. I’ve just checked my TeamCard which was scanned at 2:45 pm. There wasn’t a long queue yesterday but sometimes it’s dreadful trying to get in.

[NewClaret]

Took me 20 minutes to get in and then the tills broke at half time after queueing for a beer for 15 minutes, nobody thought to tell everyone at the back that the tills broke and they can't take cash - just stood there scratching his head.

Compared to 10 years ago even this is cr*p. It's actually a worse experience, I had no complaints before. The turnstiles never 'stopped working', the tills never 'stopped working'.

At least if you want to introduce an electronic system, make sure you think about what happens if it goes down.

At least it wasn’t just me!

Got rounded on last night for “complaining” for asking a simple question as to why we can’t sort this out? But is 20 minutes to get in to an 8k stand ever really an acceptable experience (sometimes in the rain), when it doesn’t appear to be an issue anywhere else at much larger grounds. Not to mention the lost Matchday income from having fans outside a ground instead of inside spending money on products they want!

There is so much going very very right at this club atm but having queues stretching to and then along the Elite Centre/Fan Zone is so far off PL standard. I hope they sort it, although tbf they seem to be sorting a lot recently - astroturfing, etc - so gives me some faith.

Not sure what was up with the tills but I don’t carry cash anyway so I was scuppered either way. From what people have said, other local businesses were suffering too but agree a contingency plan would be worthwhile. No point wasting food/money by not switching to cash for those that do have it on the day.

[ClaretTony]

My Mackem mate was surprised when he came onto Turf with me, that he had to hand over his ticket

The issue we have is that when we went to scanning tickets/cards all they did was install the scanners and didn’t replace the turnstiles so they still need to be manned so the operator can press the release pedal

I never hand my ticket over, always do it myself and have done since they started letting us in again. We were told in a meeting that you mustn’t hand your ticket over but it’s difficult given the scanners are not in the correct position. The club’s safety officer at the time the card system was implemented didn’t like automated turnstiles. We even put manual ones in when we replaced those in the Bob Lord , the four under the new offices.

[Bosscat]

I never hand my ticket over, always do it myself and have done since they started letting us in again. We were told in a meeting that you mustn’t hand your ticket over but it’s difficult given the scanners are not in the correct position. The club’s safety officer at the time the card system was implemented didn’t like automated turnstiles. We even put manual ones in when we replaced those in the Bob Lord , the four under the new offices.

Snap Tony I always hold my card up to the scanner myself... and have done since C19

[wilks_bfc]

I never hand my ticket over, always do it myself and have done since they started letting us in again. We were told in a meeting that you mustn’t hand your ticket over but it’s difficult given the scanners are not in the correct position. The club’s safety officer at the time the card system was implemented didn’t like automated turnstiles. We even put manual ones in when we replaced those in the Bob Lord , the four under the new offices.

I don’t hand mine over but like you say some have too because of the positioning of the scanners.

Having to have somebody to press the release just adds a fraction of time to the process and on top of those that don’t have their tickets ready to scan and those that don’t register scanning straight away it all adds up

[ClaretTony]

I have found the cup ties the worst when more people arrive with QR codes than in a league game. I queued behind three people with paper tickets at the Fleetwood game and none of them could get their codes to work.

[JakePerry1882]

Set off earlier would be a good place to start. We usually set off from Ruby & Claret about 20 mins before kick off and usually make it up and in? If you're bothered, get to the ground 20/30 mins before kick off?... The club does state this

[pushpinpussy]

At least getting out of the ground is easy these days.

[Leon_C]

Left Park View at around 14.40.
JM Upper. Longest queue I've seen this season, it bent back around past the barrier.
However, the queue moved quickly, and we were in the ground before kick-off.
Half-time, no bar service due to card machine issues.

[Loyalclaret]

No one is arguing that club have said we need to get there earlier, any regular can see that (doesn't me we will) the confusing bit is why it is taking so long.

It doesn't seem to happen at similar sized or larger events with more attendees.

[NewClaret]

No one is arguing that club have said we need to get there earlier, any regular can see that (doesn't me we will) the confusing bit is why it is taking so long.

It doesn't seem to happen at similar sized or larger events with more attendees.

That would be my thoughts. It’s not as though everyone has a choice to be there really early, is it? What if you’re working on a shift till 2? Or have a long way to travel? Or just get held up like me yesterday.

I get that the club tell you to be there 35 minutes before, which is obviously good of them, but really just underlines there is an issue that they know about but can’t fix?

Would love to know if any other clubs tell fans to arrive 35 minutes before or risk missing the game?

[Boss Hogg]

Queues were as bad as I’ve seen yesterday. Most of it is down to fans getting there late or leaving the pub late. With sellouts and full houses there will be more of the same. Sone of the turnstile operators don’t have a brain cell between them though. Mine couldn’t speak or hold the card in front of the scanner.

[Sheedyclaret]

Club clearly advises that your likely to miss kick off if entering the ground 20 minutes before KO..

[Rileybobs]

Club clearly advises that your likely to miss kick off if entering the ground 20 minutes before KO..

Nobody is questioning the communication, they’re questioning why they should need to arrive at the ground more than 20 minutes before kick off.

[wilks_bfc]

Nobody is questioning the communication, they’re questioning why they should need to arrive at the ground more than 20 minutes before kick off.

It’s like if you need to be somewhere in Manchester for 9am on a Monday, you would account for the possibility of being delayed in the morning rush hour

Even if 20,000 fans all arrived and started queuing to get in at 2pm, there may be a chance that some will miss kick off

The club know that people are going to arrive 20mins before kick off so they are trying to control the flow.

[Rileybobs]

It’s like if you need to be somewhere in Manchester for 9am on a Monday, you would account for the possibility of being delayed in the morning rush hour

Even if 20,000 fans all arrived and started queuing to get in at 2pm, there may be a chance that some will miss kick off

The club know that people are going to arrive 20mins before kick off so they are trying to control the flow.

Of course. But why is it taking people much longer to get into the ground than it ever has? And why can I turn up literally less than 5 minutes before kick off for every single game in the JMU and see the kick off?