Bristol City

[robins72]

Just thought I would update people on here about the story that was on the website a few weeks ago about prices going up for coaches due to paying TWO drivers for longer trips. After a long debate on here I think alot of people started to understand that maybe that COULD be acceptable. Even though it was expensive.

Well a mate of mine got the coach to Blackpool from Ashton Gate this morning to find that there werent TWO drivers for the two coaches that were going, but only ONE driver for each coach!!

So why are the club lying to loyal fans? Are they going to say its yet another mistake and blame Peter Carol who they have used for years or actually put it down to themselves?

Over to you for your comments......

[Blagdon red]

Let's wait until they get back and confirm that the same driver drove all the way ... I guess it is still possible that a relief driver may meet up with each coach later in the day (however I recall that for Boro last year the second driver did ride on the coach).

[robins72]

I will update on this post later but there are many disgruntled fans on the two coaches that have gone today so far. Lets hope this isnt another error on the clubs part!

[screech]

maybe they'll be sly and switch coaches on the way back to confuse

[Bristol Boy]

Let's hope they finish up:

In Blackpool.

At 3pm......preferably before!

I don't think City lied.

It's a bit like the Millwall fiasco when someone just repeats what the supplier tells them-Disaster and poor Supply Chain Management.

Do you know how many tickets we've sold?

My guess would be 1,200 and it's windy & rainy here.

[robins72]

Let's hope they finish up:

In Blackpool.

At 3pm......preferably before!

I don't think City lied.

It's a bit like the Millwall fiasco when someone just repeats what the supplier tells them-Disaster and poor Supply Chain Management.

Do you know how many tickets we've sold?

My guess would be 1,200 and it's windy & rainy here.

Still disappinting when its Peter Carol who the club have used for many years. Cant see us selling out today with the weather being bad.

[BS10 RED]

They probably put the prices up for this game so they wont lose money really from everyone using there £10 vouchers from the millwall fiasco

[WhistleHappy]

..more than likely a second driver will relieve the first at a motorway services somewhere on the Northern part of journey to complete trip to Blackpool, second driver will then drive back to same services & hand over to original driver again to complete the journey back to Bristol. (the Northern driver probably using his own transport to & from the services so he & the original driver both end up at their respective homes tonight... makes sense?)

Shouldn't start shouting about Club 'lies' until actually proven, give benefit of doubt for now, .... -theres more than enough justified criticism about Club/Supporter issues on other threads to be going on with for now...

(ps, still think even with 2nd driver costs, the prices to supporters are steep -& that CATS should & could make more efforts to negotiate fairer rates with coach companies - where theres a wheel theres a way! soz)

[robins72]

..more than likely a second driver will relieve the first at a motorway services somewhere on the Northern part of journey to complete trip to Blackpool, second driver will then drive back to same services & hand over to original driver again to complete the journey back to Bristol. (the Northern driver probably using his own transport to & from the services so he & the original driver both end up at their respective homes tonight... makes sense?)

Shouldn't start shouting about Club 'lies' until actually proven, give benefit of doubt for now, .... -theres more than enough justified criticism about Club/Supporter issues on other threads to be going on with for now...

(ps, still think even with 2nd driver costs, the prices to supporters are steep -& that CATS should & could make more efforts to negotiate fairer rates with coach companies - where theres a wheel theres a way! soz)

Actually you are wrong. No driver has taken over at services but maybe on the way back? I will be very suprised if that happens"!!

[bristolcityup]

ha this forum is getting better and better by the minute.. I think this all started off by the poor man that went to the open day and ended up with the wrong sized shirt and blamed the poor girl in the club shop! Then it went onto blaming late season tickets which was all the ticket office fault, when it was actually a post strike, then the Man City tickets go on sale the day we are away to Blackpool, oh so shall we blame the fixture organisers for that one then. Some poster then complains that are away kit at Brenford was put together by the local primary school, and finally this one about someones mate seeing only one driver on the coach to Blackpool, who cares because if I was even one coach driver doing the blackpool trip up and back i'd want extra pay, its a long way!

Anymore complaints, if so then make em but don't blame the AG staff, alot of them give up there good time to help us out and sort out our problems..We are not Easyjet, we are Bristol City.

[robins72]

ha this forum is getting better and better by the minute.. I think this all started off by the poor man that went to the open day and ended up with the wrong sized shirt and blamed the poor girl in the club shop! Then it went onto blaming late season tickets which was all the ticket office fault, when it was actually a post strike, then the Man City tickets go on sale the day we are away to Blackpool, oh so shall we blame the fixture organisers for that one then. Some poster then complains that are away kit at Brenford was put together by the local primary school, and finally this one about someones mate seeing only one driver on the coach to Blackpool, who cares because if I was even one coach driver doing the blackpool trip up and back i'd want extra pay, its a long way!

Anymore complaints, if so then make em but don't blame the AG staff, alot of them give up there good time to help us out and sort out our problems..We are not Easyjet, we are Bristol City.

You might not be bothered but £27 for a coach ticket that was less than £20 last season is a massive hike. Then for the club to announce its to cover costs for 2 drivers and then to find out its only one driver isnt good is it? Cats coaches have been running for years and surely the club need to get things right with the fans if they are going to shell out extra cash to travel.

[CodeRed]

ha this forum is getting better and better by the minute.. I think this all started off by the poor man that went to the open day and ended up with the wrong sized shirt and blamed the poor girl in the club shop! Then it went onto blaming late season tickets which was all the ticket office fault, when it was actually a post strike, then the Man City tickets go on sale the day we are away to Blackpool, oh so shall we blame the fixture organisers for that one then. Some poster then complains that are away kit at Brenford was put together by the local primary school, and finally this one about someones mate seeing only one driver on the coach to Blackpool, who cares because if I was even one coach driver doing the blackpool trip up and back i'd want extra pay, its a long way!

Anymore complaints, if so then make em but don't blame the AG staff, alot of them give up there good time to help us out and sort out our problems..We are not Easyjet, we are Bristol City.

Most peole support the club with their money, time and commitment and it (rightly) upsets them when they are ripped off and lied to, or given very poor service - and basically not treated with fairness and respect.

Maybe you don't care how you are treated, how much you are (over)charged, or how much the p*** is taken out of you - but don't slag off the OP who was only updating people on the much discussed topic of the Blackpool coach price increases and the subsequent explaination by the club which now appears to be yet another patronising fob off by the person at AG who seems to be behind all the discontent.

As you are not on the Blackpool coach you are not the one feeling that you've been ripped off.

CR

[bristolcityup]

You might not be bothered but £27 for a coach ticket that was less than £20 last season is a massive hike. Then for the club to announce its to cover costs for 2 drivers and then to find out its only one driver isnt good is it? Cats coaches have been running for years and surely the club need to get things right with the fans if they are going to shell out extra cash to travel

Yes, agree with you, £27 is alot however coach companies do not come cheap anymore. You have to take into consideration the drivers wages and how much petrol is is for the coaches to get to these games..Its a sighn of the time I'm afraid..If you gotoo Blackpool in a car its alot to spend on petrol, check our the rail prices they are not much better so traveling up on a comfortable coach with a few stops along the way is all good in my opinion for around £30.. If we want to survive financially in the championship then prices all around the club will be oing up all the time so we may aswell get used to it.

[CodeRed]

If we want to survive financially in the championship then prices all around the club will be oing up all the time so we may aswell get used to it.

What has the price charged by Peter Carol got to do with City being in the Championship.

The 2 things are entirely unrelated. The coaches are run without profit to BCFC.

Wages and fuel costs have been analysed and the rise in derv and the extra cost of the second drivers hours (who now seems to have not materialised) do not equate to anywhere near the £8 (over 40%) increase.

That's why people are so cross.

If you don't understand the issues why comment?

CR

[robins72]

What has the price charged by Peter Carol got to do with City being in the Championship.

The 2 things are entirely unrelated. The coaches are run without profit to BCFC.

Wages and fuel costs have been analysed and the rise in derv and the extra cost of the second drivers hours (who now seems to have not materialised) do not equate to anywhere near the £8 (over 40%) increase.

That's why people are so cross.

If you don't understand the issues why comment?

CR

Correct I just don't like the way the club have said that its to cover two drivers when that clearly is not the case. The club have egg on their faces yet again. Only two coaches have gone today I reckon alot more would have gone had the coach prices been the same as last season.

[chalkeyred]

In my humble opinion (for what it's worth), as a member of the haulage industry I would guess the revenue required by the coach operator for that trip to be in the region of approx £800-900. That would equate to approx £2 per mile travelled (remembering it is a Saturday).

I am confident that barring major hold-ups, a single driver's tacho time should allow him to get to Blackpool and back on driving time (approx 430 miles), and he would not exceed permitted duty time either.

On the basis of £27 per person, any amount of people over approx 35 on a coach should be providing a profit for somebody? Do the club have a fixed fee with the coach operator, and who's risk is it if the numbers travelling are low?

Just interested....

[WhistleHappy]

Actually you are wrong. No driver has taken over at services but maybe on the way back? I will be very suprised if that happens"!!

The 'BenefitOfDoubtOmeter', based on your latest update, is beginning to swing towards 'Questions May, Yet Again, Need To Be Asked/Answered' ... hope not though because City fans will only take so much flannel & spin.

(we'll know for sure later on..)

BTW, Hope all the Reds up there today have a good day - & manage to get their Man City tickets OK, -come on City help your supporters out a bit eh? use a little of the windfall profits you're getting via the Cup draw & TV money to sort the admin out to make Supporting City easier for your loyal fans!

(We're a Club - not a budget airline - a bit more mutual respect will go a long way!)

[WhistleHappy]

...any news/updates on the coaching front yet Robins?

Has CS himself taken over the wheel yet maybe?

[robins72]

...any news/updates on the coaching front yet Robins?

Has CS himself taken over the wheel yet maybe?

Just the one driver today. Perhaps he was on a bonus

[WhistleHappy]

Just the one driver today. Perhaps he was on a bonus

..in view of Club statement 'justifying' the coach fare increase - the BENEFITOFDOUBT-OMETER has gone right off the scale - I hope the hundred or so who travelled today on the two Cats coaches get together and DEMAND an explaination..

With all the balls - ups lately & complaints on so many issues (judging by forum) I think the Club needs to do a LOT of thinking regarding fans, erm no 'customer' satisfaction. -cut out the 'spin'(you'll only get away with it for so long -ask New Labour) & get back to basics.

(Things are good on the playing front, Championship/team/manager etc... but it seems that AG is still firmly in the lower divisions administratively - things a far from fan friendly (despite the free teas & coffees provided for Man C tickets buyers today) come on City.. must do better! )

[chinapig]

ha this forum is getting better and better by the minute.. I think this all started off by the poor man that went to the open day and ended up with the wrong sized shirt and blamed the poor girl in the club shop! Then it went onto blaming late season tickets which was all the ticket office fault, when it was actually a post strike, then the Man City tickets go on sale the day we are away to Blackpool, oh so shall we blame the fixture organisers for that one then. Some poster then complains that are away kit at Brenford was put together by the local primary school, and finally this one about someones mate seeing only one driver on the coach to Blackpool, who cares because if I was even one coach driver doing the blackpool trip up and back i'd want extra pay, its a long way!

Anymore complaints, if so then make em but don't blame the AG staff, alot of them give up there good time to help us out and sort out our problems..We are not Easyjet, we are Bristol City.

Have to disagree with part of what you say. I posted my experience on the original season tickets thread. In brief my son's ST did not arrive with mine in an envelope addressed to both of us and I was told it was in the post. When I went to get a replacement for the QPR game I was handed his ST in a partly addressed envelope. How is the fact it had never been posted down to a postal strike? I'm quite prepared to accept that people make mistakes but why not admit it and apologise rather than lie? IMHO the number of complaints on here about the admin indicate a general problem and the accountability has to rest with the Chief Executive not the poor s*ds on the front line.

[italian dave]

ha this forum is getting better and better by the minute.. I think this all started off by the poor man that went to the open day and ended up with the wrong sized shirt and blamed the poor girl in the club shop! Then it went onto blaming late season tickets which was all the ticket office fault, when it was actually a post strike, then the Man City tickets go on sale the day we are away to Blackpool, oh so shall we blame the fixture organisers for that one then. Some poster then complains that are away kit at Brenford was put together by the local primary school, and finally this one about someones mate seeing only one driver on the coach to Blackpool, who cares because if I was even one coach driver doing the blackpool trip up and back i'd want extra pay, its a long way!

Anymore complaints, if so then make em but don't blame the AG staff, alot of them give up there good time to help us out and sort out our problems..We are not Easyjet, we are Bristol City.

No,you're wrong; this didn't start with the man on the open day. This started with a thread on this forum that was specifically about the prices the club announced for the Blackpool trip - £27, as against £19 just a few months earlier for the same trip.

The thread sparked such anger that the club had to issue a statement on the official site, and they justified the increase by reference to "new EU regulations" that meant the coach needed two drivers. And from what I've heard so far today, from fans at Blackpool and on this thread, there are now even more questions to be answered.

There were only two coaches - which says it all. I've been travelling on CATS coaches since the days Beryl Fudge used to run them. Even in the old 4th division we'd take 4 coaches to the most meaningless game.

But I drove up today, and there's no way I'm going to use them again at these prices. How can £27 today, and £25 to Sheffield possibly be justified. The Gas coaches to Port Vale last week were, I believe, £13. Only 6 months ago we paid £17 to Chesterfield and £18 to Rotherham - both similar distances to Sheffield. With 4 of us in a car today it cost us £12 each.

The club can't even point to our "executive" coaches - apparently todays two were anything but.

I'm sorry, but the increased season ticket prices, increased ticket prices for away games, I can take. But CATS is about helping people the club need to support them - it shouldn't be about commercial decisions and about squeezing the last penny that can be got out of a situation. I think its just outrageous. And if it is true that there was only one driver on each coach today then the club needs to explain itself pretty quickly.

[robins72]

No,you're wrong; this didn't start with the man on the open day. This started with a thread on this forum that was specifically about the prices the club announced for the Blackpool trip - £27, as against £19 just a few months earlier for the same trip.

The thread sparked such anger that the club had to issue a statement on the official site, and they justified the increase by reference to "new EU regulations" that meant the coach needed two drivers. And from what I've heard so far today, from fans at Blackpool and on this thread, there are now even more questions to be answered.

There were only two coaches - which says it all. I've been travelling on CATS coaches since the days Beryl Fudge used to run them. Even in the old 4th division we'd take 4 coaches to the most meaningless game.

But I drove up today, and there's no way I'm going to use them again at these prices. How can £27 today, and £25 to Sheffield possibly be justified. The Gas coaches to Port Vale last week were, I believe, £13. Only 6 months ago we paid £17 to Chesterfield and £18 to Rotherham - both similar distances to Sheffield. With 4 of us in a car today it cost us £12 each.

The club can't even point to our "executive" coaches - apparently todays two were anything but.

I'm sorry, but the increased season ticket prices, increased ticket prices for away games, I can take. But CATS is about helping people the club need to support them - it shouldn't be about commercial decisions and about squeezing the last penny that can be got out of a situation. I think its just outrageous. And if it is true that there was only one driver on each coach today then the club needs to explain itself pretty quickly.

thanks for your post just sums up what Ive been saying. Mate of mine used the coaches througout last season cant afford it this season due to price increases and has used them for years as cant drive. Its embarrassing that they said there was an increase due to regulations and then he finds out today after saving to get a coach to go to the game, that theres only one driver! I hope the club have an explanation for this and apologise for yet another c**k up!

[sephjnr]

What's slightly more disconcerting was the decision to pull Coach 3 and not tell the 4 people who bought tickets (myself included) until 10 minutes before we're supposed to leave.

Good job they found room, that's all...

[ice_cold]

Not only did we only have 1 driver on the coaches today but the coaches weren't even Peter Carol. One was Arleen and the other on I wasn't sure which company it was from.

The driver of coach 1 also decided to smoke whilst sitting in his seat when we got up to Blackpool because it was raining!

[italian dave]

Not only did we only have 1 driver on the coaches today but the coaches weren't even Peter Carol. One was Arleen and the other on I wasn't sure which company it was from.

The driver of coach 1 also decided to smoke whilst sitting in his seat when we got up to Blackpool because it was raining!

Isn't that illegal now? I thought vehicles were covered by the new legislation and count as a 'public place' or a 'workplace' - and even applies to company cars in some circumstances. Maybe that why they needed two drivers - so they had a spare for when the first one got arrested?!!

[Harry]

I think an earlier poster mentioned the true reason behind all this.

Feb 17th 2007 - Blackpool Away - CATS coach costs £19.

Apr 28th 2007 - CATS C**k up away to Millwall (eventually fans given £10 voucher for future use on away travel).

Aug 18th 2007 - Blackpool away - CATS coach cost £27.

So in 6 months the cost of travelling to Blackpool has increased £8.

I think 99% of people on here will understand that this is not a realistic increase (the other 1% appear to be a little ignorant of what the fans are saying and stand by the club no matter what decisions they make. I know we are the Red Army, but supporting BCFC does not equal communism, we are allowed to challenge or question their decisions).

I'm also pretty sure the coach Company haven't increased their prices this much to cover increased overheads. Over 6 years I could probably understand this sort of rise, but not over 6 months.

So, breaking it down, for the Millwall fiasco, anyone who used their voucher today has actually only been refunded £2, and not the £10 they think they have been given as a gesture.

Before I get shot down by the nockers, I am completely happy, absolutely 100% with whats going on with the club in terms of the playing side of things. No doubt we are all 100% behind the team. But surely even the most stubborn of you can see that something is amiss with the administration down at the Gate at the mo.

[WarksRed]

Not only did we only have 1 driver on the coaches today but the coaches weren't even Peter Carol. One was Arleen and the other on I wasn't sure which company it was from.

The driver of coach 1 also decided to smoke whilst sitting in his seat when we got up to Blackpool because it was raining!

whoaaaaa thats a BIGGGGGGGGGGGGG fine for his employer if anyone complains

[ice_cold]

Isn't that illegal now? I thought vehicles were covered by the new legislation and count as a 'public place' or a 'workplace' - and even applies to company cars in some circumstances. Maybe that why they needed two drivers - so they had a spare for when the first one got arrested?!!

Yes it is illegal. There were still quite a few of us on the coach at this point and he wasn't at all subtle about it!

[Pickle Rick]

I don't think I'll be using the coaches personally at all, now the prices have gone up ridiculously.

Better day out when I don't use them too. I feel sorry for the people that use CATS coaches for whichever reason as they're ripping people off, especially if they aren't using two drivers and taking the piss.