Access for home fans

[munkyennui]

I wrote a fortnight ago that the ISA might be the lifeboat we need eventually. The decision making on off field issues is abject and the communication worse. The club is a community asset, how would they like their religious community being treated with such disrespect?

[Claretitus]

Not sure what you mean by trouble. If you are talking home & away fans then they all leave together at every other away ground.

Again agreed, but for many many seasons, the stewards and cops have provided a “screen”, between Burnley fans leaving, up Harry Potts Way, and the away fans getting on their coaches. Now what? Are they gonna do the same? Highly unlikely, due to the sheer number of them that would be required to achieve this. It’s madness.

[lovebeingaclaret]

I’m really sorry to read your story and hope that you find a way to be able to attend games. You really should contact Russell Ball at the club and explain your situation you never know they may be sympathetic and offer some advice. If Russell Ball lives up to his title of Director of Fan Experience surely it’s your sort of experience that should be top of his list.

Thanks for that information and i will give it a go. Has anyone got his email address?

[Claretnick]

I should have posted the link
https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/business/ ... rtificate/

[ClaretTony]

Thanks for that information and i will give it a go. Has anyone got his email address?

I think it’s

aball@burnleyfc.com

[gandhisflipflop]

I suspected this was the plan ever since the reports of swapping the fans round in the CFS.
They’re obviously obsessed with keeping home and away supporters as segregated as possible for some reason and I wonder if fans leaving CFS having a go at the sheff u team coach was a factor as well.

Also lots of complaints went in from supporters turning right out of the CFS towards the bee hole end post game as the space for you to weave through the oncoming crowd walking back into town from the JHS was getting narrower and narrower with them extending the compound for tv trucks/away team coach. Wouldn’t surprise me if they put a fence up now and just use that space all for parking.

Really don’t see the need for all this upheaval, seems a massive overreaction if it is down to those reasons or if they’ve had pressure from police. Won’t affect me that much as sat in centre of the CFS but anyone who is in the JHS and walking back to town or anyone in the corner of the CFS closest to the JHS is massively impacted.

If it is security/safety issues just say so! Moving a tunnel just because a few numpties ran on is madness and as for describing it all as enhancing the match day experience do me a favour.. they might have a leg to stand on with that if this new fanzone had been built and the facilities in the CFS had been improved but planning hasn’t even gone in yet!

As for the level of communication… no words

I would have hoped they’d focus on keeping away fans out of home ends this season.

[Tomcat]

What the Americans are trying to do is create an atmosphere as at Liverpool.When the way team and the home team arrive at the ground
down a Harry Potts Way.
Can someone tell them this is Burnley . Flags, drummer no thanks.

[Orangebernard]

Isn't this what the ISA is for?

It’s because of these sort of issues that a passionate and dedicated group of volunteers have setup BFCISA. They have already made contact with the club and are looking forward to regular opportunities to put any issues raised by its members to the club. As always with these things the more members there are the louder the voice of supporters will be.

[Granny WeatherWax]

To be fair, it's only harder for those coming in who used the Ormerod Yard driveway and you've still got unbeatable pricing waiting for you if you walk the extra 30 seconds down to our main gate from the traffic lights

But jokes aside and in my solely personal opinion (i.e. not as spokesperson for BCC here), all these plans are designed to get punters spending more over the BFC bar and their facilities and less in the nearby pubs and clubs as a result. We are most affected on the face of it but the Culvert pubs (who we obviously are friendly with and we support each other) will have had their customer dwell time and spend cut pre match as a result of this too.

A few grand extra to BFC is nothing. But it's a MASSIVE part of every pub and club near the Turf's yearly turnover.

What really grates me with all this (again, just MY opinion, not sharing on behalf of BCC) is that all this comes with "enhancing" our experience as BFC has it's community at heart. Yeah right.

So everybody in the longside and arguably the bee hole end. Stinks for you and us.

[gandhisflipflop]

Some people who I know who are season ticket holders on the cricket field haven’t had an email either as of yet.

[Rick_Muller]

Some people who I know who are season ticket holders on the cricket field haven’t had an email either as of yet.

I’ve had nothing

[Barry_Chuckle]

Some people who I know who are season ticket holders on the cricket field haven’t had an email either as of yet.

Nope, zippo in my email inbox..... but I rarely get anything viavemail from the club, even though they have my correct email address and it's one ive had for 26 years.

[Jellybean]

Attempting to get across to leave via the memorial garden will be horrific right where that bottle neck will be by the club shop. What a silly, ill conceived decision they've made here.

[claretdj]

The whole club is a **** show at the moment, especially from the top! Zero consultation with us fans about shifting us, a self appointed FAB that is hand picked by Bobby ball & his mob, that has zero input & is completely not fit for purpose. They are not even allowed to disclose the meetings to us fans, so what is the point of them? We are still waiting for our digital season tickets, after numerous emails to the club we still haven't received the correct pass to access the ground this weekend. We are an absolute joke off the pitch, for organisation & communications I honestly believe league 2 clubs are run better than this! Rant over.

[Burnleybabe]

I have COPD and am suffering from breathing problems atm.
There is no way I will manage the extra walk around the ground to get back to the car.
Any advise to where to park as a disabled person please.
That may help me to continue going to Turf Moor.

[Foreverly Claret]

Well that is VERY worrying .We sit in the JM .What the changes mean if I'm reading this right is that all the occupants of the two biggest stands at TM ( how many is that ? ) will exit through a 10 yard gap where the infamous gate is .Not so bad when it's a daytime game and you can see what you're doing and where you are heading but the rear of JM is appallingly lit for night matches .The crowd is so bad at times that you just cannot look down to see your feet and its inevitable that people will get their heels trodden on. Thanks to these " improvements " this is certainly going to get worse . Furthermore be VERY careful when you get to that gate because where it's anchored during the week there is a protruding kerb .It's only about an inch high but when you can't see where you're going and shuffling along it can be a nightmare as my wife found out .Five ( ? ) years or so ago after the early evening kick off against Chelsea she tripped there as we were exiting in the crush after the game and even though she fell against the person in front of her she still landed on her knees and smashed her left patella. It certainly hadn't been " mended " at the end of last season and I'll be amazed , when I look at it on Saturday , if its been rectified .

This just hasn't been thought through properly .They don't care .

[claretdj]

I have COPD and am suffering from breathing problems atm.
There is no way I will manage the extra walk around the ground to get back to the car.
Any advise to where to park as a disabled person please.
That may help me to continue going to Turf Moor.

& then there are other major issues like this, I hope Pace & co read this board! Shameful what they have done.

[bfccrazy]

No all because a few idiots on the pitch goading Sheff U players more like.

So because a professional footballer coukdnt help himself spitting at a kid..... 12 people have to be bottlenecked down a narrow walkway in what will be dark and wet conditions in a few months?

[clarethomer]

Not sure what can be done.

Will be interesting to hear how it goes on saturday.

If it’s a shamble, like we believe it will be, who is up for a protest in some way?

Perhaps a sky home game where we can watch the game in town and make our feelings clear on this? Boost the local economy too at the same time

[fidelcastro]

Not sure what can be done.

Will be interesting to hear how it goes on saturday.

If it’s a shamble, like we believe it will be, who is up for a protest in some way?

Perhaps a sky home game where we can watch the game in town and make our feelings clear on this? Boost the local economy too at the same time

Would that be a first in football?

An organised protest about entrance and exit points?

It may make us seem rather petty to the rest of the football family.

[clarethomer]

Would that be a first in football?

An organised protest about entrance and exit points?

Or a protest about the impact it has on our elderly fans and the safety concerns in this decision?

Maybe also add in there we are fed up of a FAB that gets advised on what the board want but no way of gathering feedback or views of those impacted?

[fidelcastro]

Or a protest about the impact it has on our elderly fans and the safety concerns in this decision?

Maybe also add in there we are fed up of a FAB that gets advised on what the board want but no way of gathering feedback or views of those impacted?

Maybe. I guess we should see how it goes on Saturday first.

I've already stated on this thread and others that I think these changes are unnecessary though, so I agree with your sentiment.

[Walt]

'Exit via the gift shop' or in their case enter via the fan zone tactics from the yanks.

Simple response, don't spend any money that you don't have to with the club. No merch, no food, no ale.

Owners like these only understand one language and when they see the revenues drop, they'll have a rethink.

There will have to be a significant increase in fanzone customers to make up for the amount of money the 'enhancements' will be costing.

Cricket club will no doubt be upset about this with the new additions to their pre match offerings. I'd assume they will hope more away fans will use it now to keep their takings.

It would be interesting to hear what Pace has to say about it and why he has done it, perhaps we'll be waiting a while. So much for the open communication that he alluded to in one of his 1st interviews following the takeover.

[Incom]

My mum is already talking about cancelling her ticket in the Longside lower as a result of this. It's disgraceful that the needs of older fans and those with mobility issues are being ignored.

[clarethomer]

Maybe. I guess we should see how it goes on Saturday first.

I've already stated on this thread and others that I think these changes are unnecessary though, so I agree with your sentiment.

I won’t be there on Saturday anyway due to holiday but yes it needs to be experienced and hoped that the club will see any issues and deal with them.

I’m still concerned that we have fans with health issues and lack of physical capabilities due to age or other reasons that will put an end to their match day. Appears to have been no consideration for this.

The fact is that they could simply hold away fans in to let the crowd clear. That takes nothing to do and let the home fans do what they need to do.

[fidelcastro]

I won’t be there on Saturday anyway due to holiday but yes it needs to be experienced and hoped that the club will see any issues and deal with them.

I’m still concerned that we have fans with health issues and lack of physical capabilities due to age or other reasons that will put an end to their match day. Appears to have been no consideration for this.

The fact is that they could simply hold away fans in to let the crowd clear. That takes nothing to do and let the home fans do what they need to do.

Yes, I'd already mentioned further up the thread that we could even see mainly older fans calling it a day, if there are problems.

Time will tell, I guess.

[wilks_bfc]

Is there a “pedestrian” exit from the Cricket club to Harry Potts Way?

We usually park at the CC walk through the gate in the fence onto Ormerod Yard then round to the JM stand.

If we can’t park there, then we’d have to try find some other parking on the JM side that would be limited as mostly street parking

He does have a blue badge but that only has 3hr limit and we would probably be parked up longer than that having to get there before 2 to be close enough and the envisaged delays leaving

[LincsWoldsClaret]

In order the enhance the Directors understanding of their stupidity, just don’t go to the fanzone or the shop this Saturday

[wilks_bfc]

Is there a “pedestrian” exit from the Cricket club to Harry Potts Way?

We usually park at the CC walk through the gate in the fence onto Ormerod Yard then round to the JM stand.

If we can’t park there, then we’d have to try find some other parking on the JM side that would be limited as mostly street parking

He does have a blue badge but that only has 3hr limit and we would probably be parked up longer than that having to get there before 2 to be close enough and the envisaged delays leaving

Actually forget all that I’ve just seen Belvedere is closed for 2hr before ko so wouldn’t be able to get there anyway

[ClaretTony]

In order the enhance the Directors understanding of their stupidity, just don’t go to the fanzone or the shop this Saturday

I saw a photo last weekend of a refreshment bar at zhillsborough with not one person buying anything at half time. Sometimes it’s the only way.

I know we are not in a Sheffield Wednesday situation, far from it, but this just isn’t right.

[ClaretTony]

Actually forget all that I’ve just seen Belvedere is closed for 2hr before ko so wouldn’t be able to get there anyway

They can’t stop anyone using it for access otherwise people who live there couldn’t get in and out, so you’d be able to use it to get access to the cricket club.

[Darthlaw]

There will have to be a significant increase in fanzone customers to make up for the amount of money the 'enhancements' will be costing.

Cricket club will no doubt be upset about this with the new additions to their pre match offerings. I'd assume they will hope more away fans will use it now to keep their takings.

It would be interesting to hear what Pace has to say about it and why he has done it, perhaps we'll be waiting a while. So much for the open communication that he alluded to in one of his 1st interviews following the takeover.

Indeed, they'll have budgeted for an increase due to the increased footfall.

Simple way is to hurt their pockets by not buying anything or buying from other businesses in the vicinity.

[lovebeingaclaret]

I think it’s

aball@burnleyfc.com

"Your message wasn't delivered to aball@burnleyfc.com because the address couldn't be found or is unable to receive email."

The email has come back but I have found a Russell Ball, Director of Fan Customer Experience. Anyone help with an email address for him.?

[ClaretTony]

"Your message wasn't delivered to aball@burnleyfc.com because the address couldn't be found or is unable to receive email."

The email has come back but I have found a Russell Ball, Director of Fan Customer Experience. Anyone help with an email address for him.?

Sorry it’s rball@burnleyfc.com - not sure where I got the a from

[Steddyman]

Just a thought on a possible motive. Have the Cricket club traditionally blocked plans to rebuild the Cricketfield stand?

The Cricket Club no doubt benefit from match footfall, and perhaps this will be used by the chairman as a negotiating tactic with the Cricket Club for a rebuild of that stand, perhaps re-opening access to BFC fans entering and leaving the ground?

[Alan Young]

Have to wonder what goes through their heads sometimes.

Aside from the huge inconvenience to supporters and disruption to local businesses, why wait until 3 days before the first home game to announce?

On the back of a pretty underwhelming transfer window (imo) and an opening day defeat, it will hardly help the mood of fans ahead of Saturday.

[Somethingfishy]

There is surely absolutely no way this has been allowed to happen by the FAB without them raising the H&S aspects of this. They have literally been told it's happening and that was that. Either that or it is comprised of utter morons and is a waste of time. Probably both.

A gate is urgently needed in the fence where the memorial garden is and I would also have an exit onto Holcombe Drive somewhere behind the fanzone or opposite the TV compound to allow those that park up towards Queens Park a much shorter route.
What is likely to happen is fans will just leave early to avoid the rush/crush especially if we perform at home like the last Prem season.

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

I really hope everyone survives walking off the turf Saturday.

[Taffy on the wing]

Burnley FC <hello@email.burnleyfootballclub.com>

I don't attend games as i'm 6,000 miles away but i've sent a strongly worded email urging them to change what seems to be a terrible decision......I can't remember such unanimity on anything on here before.

UTC.

[thingandwhere]

Just a thought on a possible motive. Have the Cricket club traditionally blocked plans to rebuild the Cricketfield stand?

The Cricket Club no doubt benefit from match footfall, and perhaps this will be used by the chairman as a negotiating tactic with the Cricket Club for a rebuild of that stand, perhaps re-opening access to BFC fans entering and leaving the ground?

Contrary to what some might say or think, Burnley Cricket Club has done nothing to harm or hamper Burnley Football Club. We are all BFC fans too don’t forget.

[aggi]

Now that the club has made this official announcement is there any way we as supporters can ask the local authorities responsible for health and safety in the outside area if they are satisfied with the safety of the departing crowd at this bottleneck or pinch point.
Just asking the question as I don't know who we can ask if satisfactory checks have been made.
I remember as a child leaving the terracing being lifted off my feet in this area by the crowd which is not a happy feeling, as the Ormerod Yard was not accessible back then.
Who would be responsible Burnley Borough Council, Lancs County Council or the Police?

Probably the best method would be to put in some Freedom of Information requests to those bodies asking for correspondence, minutes of meetings, assesments, etc regarding the change.

[Taffy on the wing]

Sent it to rball too.

[Carport]

I asked Co-Pilot:

Does the purple exit route from this UK football ground look safe? The club has decided to close one of the exits which means 14000 fans will exit via this one purple route through an opening no wide than 20 feet.

Answer:

Based on what you’ve described and what’s visible in the layout, there are some serious concerns about the safety of routing 14,000 fans through a single exit point no wider than 20 feet.

Key Safety Considerations

• Crowd Density: A 20-foot-wide exit for 14,000 people is extremely tight. Even with optimal flow, this could lead to dangerous crowding, bottlenecks, and increased risk of crushing or trampling—especially if fans are exiting quickly after a match.
• Evacuation Time: In an emergency, such as a fire or security threat, the time required to evacuate that many people through a narrow route could be dangerously long. Stadium safety guidelines typically require multiple wide exits to ensure rapid evacuation.
• Route Complexity: The purple route winds around the stadium and funnels into a single narrow point. This could cause confusion, delays, and frustration, especially for fans unfamiliar with the layout.
• Emergency Access: A congested exit route may hinder emergency services from reaching fans quickly if needed.
• Regulatory Compliance: UK stadiums are subject to strict safety regulations under the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA). This setup may not meet the recommended standards for safe egress.


Suggested Improvements

• Open Additional Exits: Reconsider closing the other exit or provide alternative routes to disperse the crowd more evenly.
• Staggered Exits: Use announcements or incentives to stagger departure times.
• Temporary Barriers or Stewards: Use crowd control measures to manage flow and prevent surges.
• Consult Safety Experts: A formal risk assessment by crowd safety professionals is essential.

[Steddyman]

Contrary to what some might say or think, Burnley Cricket Club has done nothing to harm or hamper Burnley Football Club. We are all BFC fans too don’t forget.

I wasn't aware of anything specific, just vague recollections from 10+ years ago about objections from the Cricket Club when the Bread Bin was proposed. I'm not in the know, just trying to fathom what is in it for the chairman to make this change.

[Carport]

I also uploaded to Co-Pilot the photo on here of the exit to ask it to estimate its width. Response:

Based on visual estimation and typical UK street dimensions, here’s an approximate assessment of the exit width:

Estimated Width of the Exit

• The road appears to be just wide enough for two cars to pass side by side, which typically suggests a width of around 18 to 20 feet (5.5 to 6 meters).
• The metal gate structure narrows the usable space slightly, likely reducing the effective pedestrian exit width to closer to 16–18 feet.
• The yellow lines and bollards on the left further constrain the flow, especially if fans are exiting en masse.


Contextual Comparison

• Standard pedestrian flow in emergency planning assumes about 1 person per 0.5 square meters. A 20-foot-wide exit can handle roughly 40–50 people per minute under safe, controlled conditions.
• For 14,000 fans, even at optimal flow, it could take well over 2 hours to fully clear the area—clearly impractical and unsafe in an emergency.


Conclusion

This exit is not wide enough to safely accommodate 14,000 fans as the sole egress route. It poses a serious risk of overcrowding and should be reconsidered by the club or local safety authorities.

Would you like help calculating a more precise evacuation time or drafting a formal safety concern to present to the club or council?

[Carport]

And chat gpt estimates around 20 minutes for 14k fans to exit:

Safety Concerns:
• Capacity: 14,000 people through a 20 ft. wide gap is very tight. For comparison, UK guidance (the “Green Guide” – Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds) suggests 109 people per metre width per minute as a safe exit flow rate.
• 20 ft ≈ 6.1m → theoretical maximum safe flow ≈ 660 people per minute.
• To clear 14,000 fans would take at least 21 minutes under ideal conditions.
• In reality, congestion, slower movement, children, elderly fans, and disorder could extend this significantly.
• Emergency Evacuation: If an evacuation were required (fire, disorder, medical emergency), a single narrow route would not meet modern safety standards. Multiple exit routes are normally required to spread load and prevent crushing.
• Obstructions: The garages, parked cars, and fencing reduce flexibility for people to spread out or escape if the crowd surges.
• Risk of Crushing: With a single choke point, surges from behind (especially after a big match or if there’s provocation) can create dangerous crowd pressure.

⸻

Conclusion:
From what the images show, this exit arrangement looks unsafe for 14,000 people being funneled into one route only 20 feet wide. It poses risks of bottlenecks, extended exit times, and potential crushing in emergencies.

This would likely not comply with the Green Guide or modern UK Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) standards unless very strict crowd management and staggering of exits were implemented.

[KlyBfc]

Does anyone know if you can still park in the Brownhill Avenue area? We used to park there many many many moons ago. Now having to look for alternative parking spots (used to park in the multi storey in town) due to this.

[Carport]

And:

Here’s a simple Green Guide–style check using the pinch point = 20 ft (≈ 6.096 m) you showed.

What the Green Guide says
• Max egress flow rate on level ground = 82 people per metre per minute (and 66/m/min on stepped/uneven routes). Use the most restrictive width on the route. 
• Calculations are normally based on an 8-minute egress design period.  
• Capacity assessments should be done by a competent person (but the maths is transparent). 

Calculation (using level-ground value)
• Width = 6.096 m
• Flow rate = 82 people/m/min → 6.096 × 82 = 499.872 people/min
• In 8 minutes that route can pass ≈ 3,999 people.
• To move 14,000 people through that pinch point would take 14,000 / 499.872 ≈ 28.0 minutes (that’s with perfect behaviour and no obstructions).

If the surface is classed as stepped/uneven (use 66/m/min), capacity falls to ≈ 3,219 in 8 minutes, and the time to clear 14,000 rises to ≈ 34.8 minutes. 

Conclusion

On Green Guide assumptions, a single ~20-ft (6.1 m) exit route is not adequate for 14,000 people: it delivers only ~4,000 in the required 8 minutes. Even under ideal conditions you’re looking at ~28–35 minutes to clear, which points to non-compliance unless numbers are much lower or you introduce strong mitigations (phased release, additional routes, holdbacks, etc.).  

How to challenge this (brief)
1. Write to the club’s Safety Officer and the Local Authority Safety Advisory Group (SAG), enclosing the above figures and the SGSA references. 
2. Ask what assumed width, surface type, egress time and flow rates they used, and to share the exit capacity calculation for the new plan (they should be able to show it). 
3. Flag additional risks visible in your photos: single choke point, parked vehicles/garages reducing lateral escape, bends (which often reduce effective flow). (Good practice is to adopt lower-than-maximum flow rates where such constraints exist.) 

If you want, tell me the stand capacities feeding that route and whether any parts are sloped/stepped; I’ll run the numbers for each segment and produce a one-pager you can send to the SAG.

[GetIntoEm]

Take the path up the side of the peace garden straight up and it'll bring you out next to the cricket club, only be a couple of minutes longer if you need to get to that side.

It's not ideal but will be quicker than walking round.

See what it's like Saturday before I criticise

[Culmclaret]

Excellent advice from Carport. I’ve chaired a SAG and I can’t believe what they are doing