Coaches to Millwall (Merged)

[ciderup]

To those that say City cannot be held responsible for the conduct of Baker Dolphin, Arleen, Peter Carol etc. We paid Bristol City to provide a service NOT the coach companies. We should expect to be delivered SAFELY to the away venue ON TIME and in reasonable comfort.

THe facts are we arrived late,very late or not at all, not every coach disembarked its passengers in safe areas (imagine the uproar if fans on an official coach were attacked) and we were subjected to hours and hours on coaches with little or no ventilation (coach 8 was opressively hot).

When push comes to shove, Bristol City F.C did NOT provide the service for which I and virtually everyone else paid Bristol City F.C to provide. The club may want to take issue with the tour companies but we didnt pay them,we paid the club. Our issue is totally with the club. Think about your normal working day, if your company didnt provide the service/ item it has been paid to provide, it doesn't get paid or it gets sued / loses contracts etc.

The club MUST answer for the debacle yesterday!

[Busterrimes]

Okay I've read through this thread and feel it's time for some right of reply. I was the Steward on Coach 5 this weekend so here is the trip from my point of view.

I arrived at Ashton Gate like the 47 other customers on the coach but because I used to travel regularly on CATS was asked to Steward, I had never done this before but thought it would be fine. I was handed a pack which gave me a map to the Rendezvous Point and a letter from Tommy Alford providing 3 agreed routes to the RV. After talking with the driver we decided that the quickest route would be M25 then A2 to the RV but was told that we had to use the South Circular as the police had been informed which route we would take. We had no directions to the New Den so had to head for the RV.

The problems started with the accident on the M4 where we lost 45 minutes. The route through the South Circular was terrible as these are main traffic routes. We were not lost on this part of the trip because we were using the GPS and had a road map to check how far along the A205 we were. Things started to turn for the worst when I got a call telling me that the escort had taken some coaches in and that they would be back for the rest. I wasn't convinced so started trying to get an escort sent out even asking a friend to talk to an Officer outside the away end hoping he could arrange something.

We arrived at the RV at 3pm which is where we saw the coach on the opposite side of the road. The passengers then agreed we wouldn't wait as there was no guarantee an escort would arrive. I asked the driver to put Zampa Road into the GPS as I know the ground is in that area so we followed the GPS in a fashion until we were getting mixed signals so asked for directions from a passerby, unfortunately he was a foreigner!! We continued on and almost missed the sign for the ground admittedly but were quickly made aware of this :-). We found the ground and I didn't realise this was the home end or I wouldn't have let everybody off but most people saw the ground and just wanted to go.

It was a terrible day for which personally I can only apologise but would add that had I be aware in advance that I was stewarding I would have arrived with AA Routes and the Football Ground Guide. Secondly I'd ask anyone on my coach to ask themselves what they would have done differently with the information they had available.

[Blagdon red]

Doesn't sound like you could have done any different - you shouldn't have been put in that position. The coach company, police and club should have been fully organised and not relied on a last-minute volunteer steward to help navigate the way.

Out of interest, are you aware if anyone in authority at the club knew of the delays and whether any official request was made for the kick-off to be put back?

[Busterrimes]

Doesn't sound like you could have done any different - you shouldn't have been put in that position. The coach company, police and club should have been fully organised and not relied on a last-minute volunteer steward to help navigate the way.

Out of interest, are you aware if anyone in authority at the club knew of the delays and whether any official request was made for the kick-off to be put back?

The only club employee, available is the steward on Coach 1 and I was in contact with her but to be fair to her she is at the Beck and call of the Metroplitan police. She was told that an escort would be sent back and one never found us. The first time I knew that the game would not be held up was when my friend outside the ground (waiting for me as I had his ticket) asked one of the police. It is a police responsibility to ask for a hold up and they didn't. The Met police were a shambles!

[Blagdon red]

The only club employee, available is the steward on Coach 1 and I was in contact with her but to be fair to her she is at the Beck and call of the Metroplitan police. She was told that an escort would be sent back and one never found us. The first time I knew that the game would not be held up was when my friend outside the ground (waiting for me as I had his ticket) asked one of the police. It is a police responsibility to ask for a hold up and they didn't. The Met police were a shambles!

Ta for that, interesting. Maybe CATS / BCFC will learn from this experience and give the steward on coach 1 a number to call CS and/or the chief exec at the hosting club in the event of similar delays so that they can put appropriate pressure on the police / ref to delay kick off. Football is after all supposed to be entertainment provided for the fans ... and there's not much point in laying on the entertainment if a significant chunk (in this case c. 10%) of the audience is not yet at the venue.

[Guest DanC]

I remember a few years back we played Swindon at home and for some reason alot of there fans' didn't make it in time for kick off so the game was delayed for 15 mins.

The same should have happened at Millwall.

[BS10 RED]

I remember a few years back we played Swindon at home and for some reason alot of there fans' didn't make it in time for kick off so the game was delayed for 15 mins.

The same should have happened at Millwall.

I'm sure that was against wycombe because of a hostage situation on the m4

[Guest DanC]

I'm sure that was against wycombe because of a hostage situation on the m4

There was also that one as well.

http://www.bcfc.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,...7~15913,00.html

[foghornred]

Well done to the club for offering compensation to all that traveled,its not something that they had to do but morally they did have to do something.

I hope that this doesn't put to many people off traveling with CATS in the future.

[ciderup]

If we weren't lost why did we go up the same stretch of road 3 times then watch our driver buying an A-Z of London?

Colin, we were lost mate,very lost indeed!

[Andy082005]

To all my fellow travellers on coach 5.

It was a long and hard day, i feel after spending nearly 10 hours together that I know you all so well, Xmas cards and birthdays are now in my diary and I can only say I am missing you all today. The support goup will be set up shortly and "The Friends of Coach 5 Support Group" will be meeting shortly to discuss our day, highlights would be:

The young ladies soaking up the sun on Clapham Common, Asking that bloke the Way, The cry of "STOP" there it is, The 100 Mts dash from the home end down the east stand to the locked gates, The Games of "Can we find the key to the padloack", The steward who did insist on searching me or "I was out" (Out we were all 30 mins late as it was, whatever you monkey), The escort out and us being left behind and finally the lovely he/she who kindly threw us a can of lager, most kind and boy was she a munt!!!

On a serious side it's only the 2nd time this season I've done the coaches, the other being to that little Welsh mining town full of old slag and I have to say it shall be the last ever......My mate and I are well into our 30's and the car is now the favoured mode of transport, it's only cause we thoguht it would be safer that we did take the coach.....safer I thought as we were all running round the ground!!!!

At least we didn't have to stop on the way home and at least we didn't give the driver much stick.

Oh well keep an eye open for the first meeting so we can all meet again.

I was on coach 5 myself, that bird who thre the can of lager was a stunner :noexpression: :noexpression:

don't forget the geezer who stalled his convertable on the M4 (Mr Midlife crisis) and the joke when a copper finally took charge to give us an escort away from the Den "don't laugh, he is probally giving us an escort TO the ground" :noexpression:

You had to be there, Ill get my coat

[Always Believesham]

was this coach 16?

he was on the phone a lot and driving at the same time and also he seemed

to be racing with another bakers dolphin driver on the way back.stop at services

20 miles away from bristol. wait for new drivers who apparently chasing us down the

motorway with the new drivers . they were suppose

to stop near reading.

our coach driver wasn't too happy about this and was annoyed with his fellow drivers.

it is not there fault that their hours of driving had surpassed. it is the law.it is down to the company

that the drivers have enough time to drive us there and back.think of what would of happened if this was from

carlisles trip?

you can't blame the club as they only book the coaches.it is the coach company to blame for not getting there drivers

to know the way to the ground and where the escorts to the ground is.the club can take up your complaint.

our coach followed another coach through london so whether they knew of the point of pickup for the police to escort us i don't know.

Had the coaches gone to carlisle via the south circular there would have been questions asked!

But on a serious note living in solihull i had too rely on a lift from my mum at 7.27 am to get to ashton gate incase there was traffic or any other problems but arriving at the gate at 10 to 9 i thought the day was going to be really good HOW WRONG COULD A LAD BE

Suffered basically the same problems as most others on coaches... got in the ground at 3.35 ish having been dropped off at the end of a street the coachload of us ran towards the stadium, wakning up the police who basically said...you don't want to be going in there, so frustrated we marched in the other end saw the second half and a bit of the first. Then on the way home we stop at reading to be told you've got 10minutes right we go in and are straight out and stood there and waited for the driver ... and waited...and waited until finally at 8.45 he got on and we came out of the services ...(i think {don't quote me on that}) and when we got back to bristol the driver had to drop us off at the wrong end of the gate but that [luckily] wasn't a problem me & my dad then walked back to the car to drive back to solihull 23.53 we got home i'd travelled 16 hours 26 minutes {minus the first hour in the services hour & 10 at football and the 45 mins for a new driver} to see the second half and the tail end of the first! and now the club are affoering £16 off a future travel or £10 in cash by 2morrow!!!! If we win on saturday the only place it would be feasable to get the coach would be plymouth away and that would be dependant on weather thats a december night match or not its not up 2 me needless to say though i'll be there saturday COME ON UUUU REDS!

[Bristol Boy]

Okay I've read through this thread and feel it's time for some right of reply. I was the Steward on Coach 5 this weekend so here is the trip from my point of view.

I arrived at Ashton Gate like the 47 other customers on the coach but because I used to travel regularly on CATS was asked to Steward, I had never done this before but thought it would be fine. I was handed a pack which gave me a map to the Rendezvous Point and a letter from Tommy Alford providing 3 agreed routes to the RV. After talking with the driver we decided that the quickest route would be M25 then A2 to the RV but was told that we had to use the South Circular as the police had been informed which route we would take. We had no directions to the New Den so had to head for the RV.

The problems started with the accident on the M4 where we lost 45 minutes. The route through the South Circular was terrible as these are main traffic routes. We were not lost on this part of the trip because we were using the GPS and had a road map to check how far along the A205 we were. Things started to turn for the worst when I got a call telling me that the escort had taken some coaches in and that they would be back for the rest. I wasn't convinced so started trying to get an escort sent out even asking a friend to talk to an Officer outside the away end hoping he could arrange something.

We arrived at the RV at 3pm which is where we saw the coach on the opposite side of the road. The passengers then agreed we wouldn't wait as there was no guarantee an escort would arrive. I asked the driver to put Zampa Road into the GPS as I know the ground is in that area so we followed the GPS in a fashion until we were getting mixed signals so asked for directions from a passerby, unfortunately he was a foreigner!! We continued on and almost missed the sign for the ground admittedly but were quickly made aware of this :-). We found the ground and I didn't realise this was the home end or I wouldn't have let everybody off but most people saw the ground and just wanted to go.

It was a terrible day for which personally I can only apologise but would add that had I be aware in advance that I was stewarding I would have arrived with AA Routes and the Football Ground Guide. Secondly I'd ask anyone on my coach to ask themselves what they would have done differently with the information they had available.

It's not for you to apologise, but well done for the detailed explanation.

I presume the coach driver knew where he was going when he picked up the coach at the latest and he should have done an AA Autoroute from post code to post code.That takes about two minutes.It should have been done for him if the guy wasn't Computer Literate.That's called planning and it was the place of the coach company to do that to cover possible emergencies.

[Andy082005]

Okay I've read through this thread and feel it's time for some right of reply. I was the Steward on Coach 5 this weekend so here is the trip from my point of view.

I arrived at Ashton Gate like the 47 other customers on the coach but because I used to travel regularly on CATS was asked to Steward, I had never done this before but thought it would be fine. I was handed a pack which gave me a map to the Rendezvous Point and a letter from Tommy Alford providing 3 agreed routes to the RV. After talking with the driver we decided that the quickest route would be M25 then A2 to the RV but was told that we had to use the South Circular as the police had been informed which route we would take. We had no directions to the New Den so had to head for the RV.

The problems started with the accident on the M4 where we lost 45 minutes. The route through the South Circular was terrible as these are main traffic routes. We were not lost on this part of the trip because we were using the GPS and had a road map to check how far along the A205 we were. Things started to turn for the worst when I got a call telling me that the escort had taken some coaches in and that they would be back for the rest. I wasn't convinced so started trying to get an escort sent out even asking a friend to talk to an Officer outside the away end hoping he could arrange something.

We arrived at the RV at 3pm which is where we saw the coach on the opposite side of the road. The passengers then agreed we wouldn't wait as there was no guarantee an escort would arrive. I asked the driver to put Zampa Road into the GPS as I know the ground is in that area so we followed the GPS in a fashion until we were getting mixed signals so asked for directions from a passerby, unfortunately he was a foreigner!! We continued on and almost missed the sign for the ground admittedly but were quickly made aware of this :-). We found the ground and I didn't realise this was the home end or I wouldn't have let everybody off but most people saw the ground and just wanted to go.

It was a terrible day for which personally I can only apologise but would add that had I be aware in advance that I was stewarding I would have arrived with AA Routes and the Football Ground Guide. Secondly I'd ask anyone on my coach to ask themselves what they would have done differently with the information they had available.

mate, I was on your coach, sat near the front (the lad whose dad had a broken leg). Personally, I thought you done everything right. It had nothing to do with you, unfortunately what should have been a straight forward journey ended in disaster.

You done everything right,