The Amex – Reviews?

[BrightonEye]

The otherwise-excellent Football Ground Guide contains a lot of outdated information about Brighton's stadium. Most of the reviews were written long before the Amex was extended and its transport arrangements significantly improved.

If you went to the game yesterday, it would be excellent to hear honest opinions about the Amex – good or bad. The Donny fans I had the pleasure of meeting in the away end yesterday seemed happy enough with the travelling & transport arrangements and catering – and issues like accessibility, view and stewarding will always be of interest. 

If anyone feels like writing an informative and honest review on the Football Ground Guide, that would be very welcome. And helpful to other visiting fans in the future.

Anyone?

[Chris Black come back]

Trying to get away from the stadium by train was an absolute joke. Thousands of people stood waiting for half an hour in the freezing rain. Arguably among the worst grounds for public transport in the Football League. Really, really poor.

[GazLaz]

Half hour isn't long.

[silent majority]

And can you complete the away fans survey here;

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/away-fans-2013-14

[Chris Black come back]

Half hour isn't long.

It is if you are stood in the pissing rain.

[SoundbiteBarmyArmy]

I was genuinley underwhelmed I'm afraid. Ugly from the outside, average pricing on refreshments and not the most spectacular of views.

And why did the club decide to put Lewis Dunk in the programme!? Oozes class does that! 

[GazLaz]

We were sat behind the goal, the view is always pretty much the same if you are say behind the goal!

[Bentley Bullet]

It seems 'All things Brighton beautiful' doesn't include the Amex!

[1879Rovers]

I like the Amex. I think for a new stadium, it as the best atmosphere of a new ground. I didn't go yesterday but have been a few times. Getting away from the ground is a nightmare whether it is by road or train.

[BrightonEye]

Trying to get away from the stadium by train was an absolute joke. Thousands of people stood waiting for half an hour in the freezing rain.

Thanks for this worrying feedback. Very surprising if you really had to queue for half an hour. When did you start? The post-match trains leave Falmer every 10 minutes. If you stay till the final whistle, you'll normally get on a train within 15-20 minutes tops. And back in Brighton 8 minutes later. These days, most visiting fans are pleasantly surprised at how quickly they get away from the Amex.

Sorry about the freezing rain, but we can't do too much about that.  As regards poor public transport facilities, there aren't too many grounds with a station next door. Sorry if you're used to better.

[nice one rovers]

Half hour isn't long.

It is if you are stood in the pissing rain.

This is England , it rains. There is no bad weather, just the wrong clothes. Buy a decent coat.

The transport links are excellent , with 27000 people leaving at once, did you expect your own personal train?

[nice one rovers]

Trying to get away from the stadium by train was an absolute joke. Thousands of people stood waiting for half an hour in the freezing rain.

Thanks for this worrying feedback. Very surprising if you really had to queue for half an hour. When did you start? The post-match trains leave Falmer every 10 minutes. If you stay till the final whistle, you'll normally get on a train within 15-20 minutes tops. And back in Brighton 8 minutes later. These days, most visiting fans are pleasantly surprised at how quickly they get away from the Amex.

Sorry about the freezing rain, but we can't do too much about that.  As regards poor public transport facilities, there aren't too many grounds with a station next door. Sorry if you're used to better.

Mate. We were virtually at the back of the queue and we were on the train in 15 minutes. We were impressed.

[knockers]

We went in the north end concourse bar after the game for an hour and caught a train within minutes. Good banter and a friendly group of fans and bar staff

[BessieBlue]

We thought the stadium was very good. The out of town location was different and the free park and ride worked well getting to the ground (from the racecourse) but the return leg was less enjoyable due to having to queue in the rain. Stewards very helpful and friendly as were the fans - it seems a family orientated club. Apart from the result the experience was positive. Thumbs up from this quarter.

[ReadingViking]

Used Mill Road Park and Ride - left the ground smack on the whistle and got onto the 3rd bus back there. Back to the car and on the road within 20 minutes.  Very impressed.

[Plumbster]

My first time at the new ground and I was very impressed.  Got to be one of the most attractive modern stadiums, good facilities, nice pies and friendly stewarding.  I left ten mins after full time and it took about 20 minutes to get a train into Brighton.  Top class set up.

[Chris Black come back]

Trying to get away from the stadium by train was an absolute joke. Thousands of people stood waiting for half an hour in the freezing rain.

Thanks for this worrying feedback. Very surprising if you really had to queue for half an hour. When did you start? The post-match trains leave Falmer every 10 minutes. If you stay till the final whistle, you'll normally get on a train within 15-20 minutes tops. And back in Brighton 8 minutes later. These days, most visiting fans are pleasantly surprised at how quickly they get away from the Amex.

Sorry about the freezing rain, but we can't do too much about that.  As regards poor public transport facilities, there aren't too many grounds with a station next door. Sorry if you're used to better.

You built your stadium four miles out of the city centre. People are going to be reliant on the train, especially away fans, yet there is no cover for fans queuing in the event of inclement weather. No real issue for me with my nice warm coat but not much fun for the two wheelchair users who were stuck sat down getting pissed on while waiting for the train.

Few other points since you asked.

You don't sell chicken balti pies. Football is about three things: bovril, sausage rolls and chicken balti pies. Your selection appeared to be sourced from some Brighton delicatessen rather than a proper pie manufacturer.

Not sure if you have noticed but your ground is lop sided. The 'Kop' end is tiny and looks like the money ran out at that point while the two stands on either side of the pitch (where monied types like to sit their fat arses in corporate boxes to watch the game) are massive. Nobody ever talks about stands and atmosphere in reverential terms unless they are behind the goal (Kop, Stretford END, Trent END, Gallowgate END etc) but you appear to have sacrificed this in your ground in order to put more money into the large stands on the side of the pitch so corporate guests can get a good view of the action from their boxes, while they slowly strangle the atmosphere out of the People's Game.

Final point. You have a display of club 'legends' painted on canvas on the way to the away end. This is quite attractive and fundamentally a good idea, but some of the choices are a bit odd. A number of the said 'legends' only played for a season or two. Must have made one hell of an impact.

 

[SoundbiteBarmyArmy]

Trying to get away from the stadium by train was an absolute joke. Thousands of people stood waiting for half an hour in the freezing rain.

Thanks for this worrying feedback. Very surprising if you really had to queue for half an hour. When did you start? The post-match trains leave Falmer every 10 minutes. If you stay till the final whistle, you'll normally get on a train within 15-20 minutes tops. And back in Brighton 8 minutes later. These days, most visiting fans are pleasantly surprised at how quickly they get away from the Amex.

Sorry about the freezing rain, but we can't do too much about that.  As regards poor public transport facilities, there aren't too many grounds with a station next door. Sorry if you're used to better.

You built your stadium four miles out of the city centre. People are going to be reliant on the train, especially away fans, yet there is no cover for fans queuing in the event of inclement weather. No real issue for me with my nice warm coat but not much fun for the two wheelchair users who were stuck sat down getting pissed on while waiting for the train.

Few other points since you asked.

You don't sell chicken balti pies. Football is about three things: bovril, sausage rolls and chicken balti pies. Your selection appeared to be sourced from some Brighton delicatessen rather than a proper pie manufacturer.

Not sure if you have noticed but your ground is lop sided. The 'Kop' end is tiny and looks like the money ran out at that point while the two stands on either side of the pitch (where monied types like to sit their fat arses in corporate boxes to watch the game) are massive. Nobody ever talks about stands and atmosphere in reverential terms unless they are behind the goal (Kop, Stretford END, Trent END, Gallowgate END etc) but you appear to have sacrificed this in your ground in order to put more money into the large stands on the side of the pitch so corporate guests can get a good view of the action from their boxes, while they slowly strangle the atmosphere out of the People's Game.

Final point. You have a display of club 'legends' painted on canvas on the way to the away end. This is quite attractive and fundamentally a good idea, but some of the choices are a bit odd. A number of the said 'legends' only played for a season or two. Must have made one hell of an impact.

I didn't see that! Who were our 'legends' on display?

When I saw the queue for the train back to Brighton, I thought to myself 'here we go, this is going to be mayhem!', it reminded me of a mini Wembley Way in the sense you queue in a large, wide concourse to be crammed onto a train. I was drunk, so the queue was probably 15 minutes but only seemed like 2 minutes. When the train turned up I'm surprised me & the other 6 people I was with made it on and managed to be stood next to each other with enough space to move, again the journey was probably 10 minutes, but, we were singing, chanting & having a laugh, so it flew by really.

[Rios]

Trying to get away from the stadium by train was an absolute joke. Thousands of people stood waiting for half an hour in the freezing rain. Arguably among the worst grounds for public transport in the Football League. Really, really poor.

As someone who uses Doncaster station (and many at away grounds) almost every match, it's a good half hour walk at a steady pace in the rain/snow/wind/etc... I'd swap em!

[Hounslowrover]

Same here Rios, always use train to Donny now and walk to ground.  I think the Amex is a good ground and the free train is great.  I took my father in law (89 years old and Brighton supporter) and went by train from Haywards Heath.  He had no complaints about the wait in the rain afterwards.