Family Football Ground

[And Its Smith]

If Brighton is a showcase for the future then leave me out.  A nice looking ground but that's about it.

The negatives:

1.  Indie band playing outside before the game.  Just not football

2. No boozer within a mile of the ground.  I don't want to have to drive into Brighton and get a train in and out and then have to drive to London

3. Posters welcoming us to the ground on arrival.  I don't want to feel welcome thank you very much

4. £4.10 for a pint.  The options are Strongbow, Fosters or Kroenenburg.  I opt for the latter and get given Strongbow.  Three sips later and I am nearly sick

5. 10 minute wait for hot food at half time.

6. The attendance gets announced and the guy tells everyone how many City fans have attended.  This is fine.  But then all the Brighton fans start applauding us.  We're not part of your crappy football family.  

 

[MaverickTheBritish]

I don't particularly see a problem with applauding the opposing team for having good support... That's just good sportsmanship, surely? 

[Donkeeebles]

Sounds perfect

[And Its Smith]

I don't particularly see a problem with applauding the opposing team for having good support... That's just good sportsmanship, surely? 

I crave hostility.  

[allyolly]

1.Bit of live music never did anyone any harm surely? if you don't like it walk away

2. There is a pub in Falmer which serves decent beer. Over the bridge across the A 27

3. Fair enough if you don't want to feel welcome....

4. £4.10 for a pint is less than you would pay for  pint in many pubs in Brighton

5. I waited more than 10 mins for a pint at AG last week

6. Information sharing? great turn out by city on a Tuesday night. Good to see other supporters recognised it

 

Completely $!!£@*$£ with the result?

Yeah but not sure what any of the above has got to do with it.

[ChippenhamRed]

I thought the Indie band was a great idea. It was unique and different, and not in a bad way. There are plenty of things to dislike about the modern game but I see nothing wrong with an innovative idea such as this. It certainly beats piped pop music.

[Olé]

Horrible ground, horrible location, horrible transport, plastic fans, no atmosphere. 

Thank god Ashton Gate is being redeveloped, and thank god we represent a proper city with an identity.

[Spoons]

Horrible ground, horrible location, horrible transport, plastic fans, no atmosphere. 

Thank god Ashton Gate is being redeveloped, and thank god we represent a proper city with an identity.

Behave yourself!! Nice ground, lacked atmosphere, excellent transport links. Put yourself in the shoes off visiting fans arriving at temple meads!!! Wicked night, good performance unlucky result, we will play worse and win this season. Shame this game not on a Saturday to be enjoyed by more.

[ChippenhamRed]

Horrible ground, horrible location, horrible transport, plastic fans, no atmosphere. 

Thank god Ashton Gate is being redeveloped, and thank god we represent a proper city with an identity.

Horrible ground?! It must be one of the best new grounds in the country. They've avoided the "soulless bowl" trap and architecturally it's unique and magnificent. And more importantly it's also capable of making a good atmosphere - the Brighton fans were quiet but the roar when Zamora scored was huge. I'm not sure what more you could want from a modern stadium.

[havanatopia]

Horrible ground?! It must be one of the best new grounds in the country. They've avoided the "soulless bowl" trap and architecturally it's unique and magnificent. And more importantly it's also capable of making a good atmosphere - the Brighton fans were quiet but the roar when Zamora scored was huge. I'm not sure what more you could want from a modern stadium.

Apparently a bunch of Punk Rockers pumping out Anarchy in the UK, free parking outside the ground with a boozer alongside, Posters with hate messages for City fans to anger them into smashing the seats up after they have downed about 10 pints, cheap crap pies all round, free lead ball catapults to pummel the children after they applaud our support and a police escort back up the M23 with 10 pints on board.

The 'true' away day fans really are a demanding bunch these days. Personally I would be happy with only 'Anarchy in the UK' .

[Olé]

Apologies, I wasn't referring to the architecture. I got in late after queuing for a ticket and thought the experience was horrible, not what the stadium looked like. Tried to find the lads I was with, but regardless couldn't see any seats free and yet had a steward in my ear permanently (as they were with a few others) very quickly threatening to get the police involved. Having 2 windows open to sell tickets with long queues (but about 8 for their STs with queries), netting off the smallest possible section of the away end when you don't know the POTD numbers, and then harassing people to find the one random spare seat somewhere in the away end with the game already started was not a pleasurable away experience, nor was trying to get out of that place in anything like useful time. 

I would far sooner arrive at and leave from Temple Meads and be somewhere in a town than be in the middle of nowhere and kettled into a post-Wembley style set of waiting pens for infrequent trains. No good saying what a good public transport setup your flash new stadium has if you don't have the volume of transport. Giving everyone at the game free passage but taking for everyone other than the first out, an hour to get them back to town after full time is not my idea of fun. I imagine their early leavers are even more endemic than our lot in the Dolman. You'd be crazy not to.

[Fjmcity]

delighted we were able to build a fairly steep terrace behind the goal. those shallow terraces behind the goal look cr@p

[Marina's Rolls Royce]

Liked the Indie band, liked the welcome. Nightmare to get to though and the fact that so many arrive by bus/train could result in a bit of bovver at times.

Stadium ok but nothing special. Awful awful lager and cider -wtf? Lads liked their burger

Not much atoms and I struggled to see the play at the far end as the stand was shallow.

Give me BS3 every time.

[Sixtyseconds]

Too nice.

Football for those who do not swear.

Its Brighton.

Should have had a pair of Lesbians trying to shoot each others nipples off with an air rifle on at half time.

[beaverface]

Liked the Indie band, liked the welcome. Nightmare to get to though and the fact that so many arrive by bus/train could result in a bit of bovver at times.

Stadium ok but nothing special. Awful awful lager and cider -wtf? Lads liked their burger

Not much atoms and I struggled to see the play at the far end as the stand was shallow.

Give me BS3 every time.

I thought Brighton was one of those clubs that attempted to get beers/ciders in from the vicinity of the visiting club?

Guess it probably depends on numbers visiting.

 

[Northern Red]

Funny you should mention about the drinks, I'm sure that when the ground opened, one of the things they advertised was that they were going to stock local ales from the teams they were playing.

Do we know if this ever actually happened? Clearly wasn't the case last night!

[Agard Days Night]

Funny you should mention about the drinks, I'm sure that when the ground opened, one of the things they advertised was that they were going to stock local ales from the teams they were playing.

Do we know if this ever actually happened? Clearly wasn't the case last night!

They had Butcombes as our guest ale last night.

[Phileas Fogg]

I don't like the AMEX design much either. All of the points above sound bad, with the exception of the band perhaps.

Hate all those posters in away end toilets these days congratulating the away fans for travelling x miles. I hope we don't do that.

Sounds totally sterile and plastic.

[Marina's Rolls Royce]

I thought Brighton was one of those clubs that attempted to get beers/ciders in from the vicinity of the visiting club?

Guess it probably depends on numbers visiting.

 

Really? I didn't realise we had that many fans in Australia.

[pongo88]

If Brighton is a showcase for the future then leave me out.  A nice looking ground but that's about it.

The negatives:

1.  Indie band playing outside before the game.  Just not football

2. No boozer within a mile of the ground.  I don't want to have to drive into Brighton and get a train in and out and then have to drive to London

3. Posters welcoming us to the ground on arrival.  I don't want to feel welcome thank you very much

4. £4.10 for a pint.  The options are Strongbow, Fosters or Kroenenburg.  I opt for the latter and get given Strongbow.  Three sips later and I am nearly sick

5. 10 minute wait for hot food at half time.

6. The attendance gets announced and the guy tells everyone how many City fans have attended.  This is fine.  But then all the Brighton fans start applauding us.  We're not part of your crappy football family.  

 

Did you use to call the Steve Wright radio show? 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IH5lJxkTVq8

[BobbyZamora]

If Brighton is a showcase for the future then leave me out.  A nice looking ground but that's about it.

The negatives:

1.  Indie band playing outside before the game.  Just not football

2. No boozer within a mile of the ground.  I don't want to have to drive into Brighton and get a train in and out and then have to drive to London

3. Posters welcoming us to the ground on arrival.  I don't want to feel welcome thank you very much

4. £4.10 for a pint.  The options are Strongbow, Fosters or Kroenenburg.  I opt for the latter and get given Strongbow.  Three sips later and I am nearly sick

5. 10 minute wait for hot food at half time.

6. The attendance gets announced and the guy tells everyone how many City fans have attended.  This is fine.  But then all the Brighton fans start applauding us.  We're not part of your crappy football family.  

 

Have you calmed down yet or are you still tucking into all those sour grapes...?!!!

First, thank you very much for the three points. 

Second, I'm looking forward to visiting the new Maracana that you are developing in Bristol.  You will have to get used to teams telling you it is crap when you have just enjoyed a brilliant night/afternoon beating them...!!

On a more conciliatory note (to wind you up a bit more as I know you just want me to call you a**** and be done with it) I do completely understand why away fans do not like The Amex.  It isn't your ground, you don't know how it works and you don't experience our atmosphere. 

It is our ground.  We didn't have a ground for 12 years and had to fight incredibly hard for The Amex as Sussex does not have many natural places to plonk a 30,000 seat stadium.  We love it and generations of Brighton fans flock to it in brilliant numbers (average gate in 8 other Championship games was about 14K last night - we were disappointed with "only" 23K and will have 28K+ again for Saturday afternoons this season...)

Transport and having a few beers as you please is absolutely no problem when you know what you are doing.  Most people come on the train or by coach which helps.  People use various pubs in Brighton and Lewes etc before arriving and then also The Swan in Falmer.  At the end of the game you can, again, do as you please.  People have different routines - my own involves clapping the players off, having a couple more beers, playing football with my son against the stadium walls and then wandering down to get straight on a train home (all in the same time it takes just to get out of the car park at Ipswich, or onto a tube at a London ground...).  Especially if we win it feels like the perfect day out.

The design of the roof means that "atmosphere" noise bounces back down into your own stand and onto the pitch.  Away players and managers have commented on numerous occasions about how loud it is, and in our stands it is consistently good and regularly very loud, but away fans will never really get it.  They just think they are being loud themselves and dominating the noise when actually they can only really be heard at the southern end of the ground.  Obviously last night, until the last 10 minutes, was not the type of match to really get the place bouncing anyway but there was much more noise in the home stands and down to the pitch than you would have heard from your section.

Anyway, that is enough.  Good luck for the rest of the season - if you can take some points off our promotion rivals then that will be greatly appreciated (we might even give you another round of applause).

[Welcome To The Jungle]

I will often applaud the away fans at the end, but not before unless they have made a good point/protest

[phantom]

I will often applaud the away fans at the end, but not before unless they have made a good point/protest

I don't understand why anyone would applaud opposition fans?

Seen it done when there is a witty song sung, or when they join in a minutes applause etc.

Do people actually turn / walk over to opposition supporters and clap?

[And Its Smith]

Have you calmed down yet or are you still tucking into all those sour grapes...?!!!

First, thank you very much for the three points. 

Second, I'm looking forward to visiting the new Maracana that you are developing in Bristol.  You will have to get used to teams telling you it is crap when you have just enjoyed a brilliant night/afternoon beating them...!!

On a more conciliatory note (to wind you up a bit more as I know you just want me to call you a**** and be done with it) I do completely understand why away fans do not like The Amex.  It isn't your ground, you don't know how it works and you don't experience our atmosphere. 

It is our ground.  We didn't have a ground for 12 years and had to fight incredibly hard for The Amex as Sussex does not have many natural places to plonk a 30,000 seat stadium.  We love it and generations of Brighton fans flock to it in brilliant numbers (average gate in 8 other Championship games was about 14K last night - we were disappointed with "only" 23K and will have 28K+ again for Saturday afternoons this season...)

Transport and having a few beers as you please is absolutely no problem when you know what you are doing.  Most people come on the train or by coach which helps.  People use various pubs in Brighton and Lewes etc before arriving and then also The Swan in Falmer.  At the end of the game you can, again, do as you please.  People have different routines - my own involves clapping the players off, having a couple more beers, playing football with my son against the stadium walls and then wandering down to get straight on a train home (all in the same time it takes just to get out of the car park at Ipswich, or onto a tube at a London ground...).  Especially if we win it feels like the perfect day out.

The design of the roof means that "atmosphere" noise bounces back down into your own stand and onto the pitch.  Away players and managers have commented on numerous occasions about how loud it is, and in our stands it is consistently good and regularly very loud, but away fans will never really get it.  They just think they are being loud themselves and dominating the noise when actually they can only really be heard at the southern end of the ground.  Obviously last night, until the last 10 minutes, was not the type of match to really get the place bouncing anyway but there was much more noise in the home stands and down to the pitch than you would have heard from your section.

Anyway, that is enough.  Good luck for the rest of the season - if you can take some points off our promotion rivals then that will be greatly appreciated (we might even give you another round of applause).

oh, so I just didn't get it, right.  

Namby pamby family football experience.  

Atmosphere was appalling for most of the game.  You can talk about acoustics all you want but silence doesn't bounce anywhere, 

[TinnionForEngland]

Having been before I thought it was a great stadium and their fans were the most respectful I've met despite having stuffed us on that occasion. it definitely beats Birmingham away where a mob of teen chavs started throwing abuse and being threatening just because we were away fans.

[BobbyZamora]

Funny you should mention about the drinks, I'm sure that when the ground opened, one of the things they advertised was that they were going to stock local ales from the teams they were playing.

Do we know if this ever actually happened? Clearly wasn't the case last night!

If you like real ale and missed out last night then that is a shame.  One of the things enjoyed most by many Albion fans is the really good Harveys ale (local Sussex beer brewed about 5 miles away from the ground).  We are into our 5th year at The Amex and the "guest beer" for us and away fans has also been done at every match.

The catering is especially hit and miss at halftime - queues can be long and products wrong - but some bits of it are good.

[BobbyZamora]

oh, so I just didn't get it, right.  

Namby pamby family football experience.  

Atmosphere was appalling for most of the game.  You can talk about acoustics all you want but silence doesn't bounce anywhere, 

You are a bitter dinosaur who supports a very unsuccessful football team.

Atmosphere last night was not great while we were 1-0 down against a team of timewasters and playing well below our normal standard.  Name a stadium in the country where that wouldn't be the case and I'll give you a new drum and euro banner display.

I and 23,000 other Brighton fans had a brilliant time last night at The Amex thank you very much.  Many others will, like me, be hoarse this morning from overdoing our noisy celebrations - while you were standing in the train queue I was drinking decent real ale watching the match highlights and singing Bobby Zamora songs...!!!

[richwwtk]

I'm with Red Dave on this one.

I might be anti violence, but there is nothing wrong with providing a hostile and threatening atmosphere for away fans.

It's partly what football is about and should be expected when going to away games.

the football family namby pamby guff is partly what makes football these days not what it once was.

It's quite possible to show respect and provide facilities without being welcoming and friendly.

[One BCFC]

You are a bitter dinosaur who supports a very unsuccessful football team.

Atmosphere last night was not great while we were 1-0 down against a team of timewasters and playing well below our normal standard.  Name a stadium in the country where that wouldn't be the case and I'll give you a new drum and euro banner display.

I and 23,000 other Brighton fans had a brilliant time last night at The Amex thank you very much.  Many others will, like me, be hoarse this morning from overdoing our noisy celebrations - while you were standing in the train queue I was drinking decent real ale watching the match highlights and singing Bobby Zamora songs...!!!

And what have Brighton done thats particularly successful? 

[Phileas Fogg]

You are a bitter dinosaur who supports a very unsuccessful football team.

Atmosphere last night was not great while we were 1-0 down against a team of timewasters and playing well below our normal standard.  Name a stadium in the country where that wouldn't be the case and I'll give you a new drum and euro banner display.

I and 23,000 other Brighton fans had a brilliant time last night at The Amex thank you very much.  Many others will, like me, be hoarse this morning from overdoing our noisy celebrations - while you were standing in the train queue I was drinking decent real ale watching the match highlights and singing Bobby Zamora songs...!!!

There's something rugger-bugger esque about this post. Cotton traders, bootcut jeans and smart-casual loafers all round.