Keepmoat after match experience

[graingrover]

My match day experience is a bit arduous as it involves a train journey from Brussels to London then a train to Donny . No problem as such since I can also get a taxi from town to Keepmoat . However the rub after the Gillingham game was no buses available back into town from Keepmoat despite assurances from the stewards that they were running from car park three .No taxis will until 6 pm either ! Fortunately Mark our SLO kindly  helped us out with a lift .
             I would welcome the club sorting this after match bus service once and for all.

[Dagenham Rover]

Didn't this happen a few games ago as well and we were promised it was being sorted?

[drfc1951]

If the bus company don't send any buses theres nothing the club can do about it on the day.

[Dagenham Rover]

If the bus company don't send any buses theres nothing the club can do about it on the day.

I appreciate that, but they are supposed to send them!!

 Surely the club hasn't got to phone the bus company every matchday to remind them having already supplied the dates, and if I remember rightly last time it happened a first employee  (and fan) came on here and said they couldn't get the drivers so in that scenario the bus company should be ringing the club advising them so it can be announced

[ss1953]

I have had exactly the same experience on several occasions.

I travel down from Scotland and have to catch a train back. I am the first down the premier club exit and walk as quickly as possible round to the buses. If I cannot get on a bus how the hell can anyone who is stuck in the south stand or older than me.

Had to walk back to the station on more than one occasion.

I have raised this before but nothing has been done.

The whole thing is not helped by the gridlock around the stadium. Have suggested before a one way system on match days with the bit in front of the stadium blocked off.

[Dagenham Rover]

When the stadium first opened there was talk of it being one way on matchdays, I think the police put the kibosh on it

[drfc1951]

I sometimes have to get to train station after the match, theres usually a service bus about ten past five from opposite the ground.

[Chris Black come back]

Don't know if some folk have mobility problems but is it that far to walk back to town? When I have needed to do this you can make it into town in 20 minutes easy. Not as if walking back from Hatfield or Rosso. Quite lucky really with Belle Vue and the Keepquiet both being short stroll into town. Compare that to somewhere like Reading which is an absolute joke to get to and from. God awful place.

[lee.j09]

your just moaning for sake of it, just get a taxi booked for after game or make the 20 minute walk

[Dagenham Rover]

your just moaning for sake of it, just get a taxi booked for after game or make the 20 minute walk

Nice attitude Lee! I don't think.

Its not a case of moaning for the sake of it, its a case of a service that supposedly is in place is not being delivered, cancelled or just doesn't turn up with no warning.

Personally theres no way I could walk back to town in a couple of hours never mind 20 minutes, I pay the club to park the car in the car park, however sometimes the wife wants the car and I get the bus!

[silent majority]

The club have an agreement with First buses. We should have buses parked in car park 3 to enable people to get back to town. Hopefully the buses can leave with the away fans coaches therefore alleviating the congestion around the stadium.

In the last 3 seasons we have only been let down on the odd occasion so I'm not sure what's going wrong. As I've stated on here before First are very happy with the relationship they now have with the club and that an extension to the scheme is being worked on for next season.

It must be annoying for the people who rely on this service and I'll try and make sure we get an answer to what's happened.

[DRFCSouth]

Would the club consider putting on buses before and after the game? (To outlying villages).They could charge 'x' amount, get people to games who may not have gone, get them spending and look after the needs of thosewho struggle a little more.

[Filo]

Would the club consider putting on buses before and after the game? (To outlying villages).They could charge 'x' amount, get people to games who may not have gone, get them spending and look after the needs of thosewho struggle a little more.

In principle that is a good idea, in practice I should imagine that any scheme should be at least self financing

The Blue Line bus company ran Rovers Specials fromthe Thorne, Stainforth and Hatfield areas for many years

[silent majority]

As I've posted above we have been looking at extending the scheme.

[StocktonRover]

On that theme of transporting fans to matches, we do have the Retford bus already.
Up here around Middlesbrough, a number of pubs in outlying communities put on a coach free or subsidised for fans before and after the match.

The incentive being that the fans congregate in the pub before and after the game boosting the takings enough to fund the coach and allowing the fans to have a drink and save on car parking charges.
A byproduct of this is that groups of fans arrive in good spirits just like the away games.

Maybe an enterprising pub in Thorne, edlo, askern, etc could look into this?

[RedRover45]

The club have an agreement with First buses. We should have buses parked in car park 3 to enable people to get back to town. Hopefully the buses can leave with the away fans coaches therefore alleviating the congestion around the stadium.

In the last 3 seasons we have only been let down on the odd occasion so I'm not sure what's going wrong. As I've stated on here before First are very happy with the relationship they now have with the club and that an extension to the scheme is being worked on for next season.

It must be annoying for the people who rely on this service and I'll try and make sure we get an answer to what's happened.

Martin, to my knowledge there has been at least three occasions this season when no bus has turned up. These being Crawley, Sheffield Utd and Gillingham. There could have been more. It's less of an issue if at the very least the bus company could advise DRFC they won't be providing a bus so it can be announced and people know to make alternative arrangements and not congregate in front if the stadium or at Car Park 3. Surely that's not too much to ask ?

[graingrover]

My problem after the Gillingham game was exacerbated by the fact that my mate is physically incapable of walking that far to the station so the only option in such a case is a taxi .. but understandably taxi firms are not interested in coming to Keepmoat during after match gridlock... but thanks for the kind advice Lee. .

[Muttley]

My problem after the Gillingham game was exacerbated by the fact that my mate is physically incapable of walking that far to the station so the only option in such a case is a taxi .. but understandably taxi firms are not interested in coming to Keepmoat during after match gridlock... but thanks for the kind advice Lee. .

58 and 72 both go into town from the Keepmoat

http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/south_yorkshire/journey_planning/timetables/timetable.php?day=2&source_id=2&service=58&routeid=11062371&operator=26&source=sp

http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/south_yorkshire/journey_planning/timetables/timetable.php?day=2&source_id=2&service=72&routeid=11062481&operator=26&source=sp

[graingrover]

Thanks Muttley I have copied all that and provided I can get my mate to the Lakeside Shopping outlet by 18.08 .. problem solved .. thanks .. good to have a Plan B .. just like during the game .

[neil grainger]

I wish I'd known you were stranded out there Bruv, I would have  come out and gone and fetched the car and taken you to the station.

The club needs to look at this, it's pretty basic stuff.

[Dagenham Rover]

I wish I'd known you were stranded out there Bruv, I would have  come out and gone and fetched the car and taken you to the station.

The club needs to look at this, it's pretty basic stuff.

Yes it is, an agreement is in place with the Bus company and they are cancelling/not turning up for whatever reason and can't even be bothered to inform the club so they can warn supporters to at the very least use the service bus stops.

and then some inane comments on here just expecting everybody to be able to walk to the town centre or just book a taxi after being let down with no warning 

[neil grainger]

I wish I'd known you were stranded out there Bruv, I would have  come out and gone and fetched the car and taken you to the station.

The club needs to look at this, it's pretty basic stuff.

Yes it is, an agreement is in place with the Bus company and they are cancelling/not turning up for whatever reason and can't even be bothered to inform the club so they can warn supporters to at the very least use the service bus stops.

and then some inane comments on here just expecting everybody
to be able to walk to the town centre or just book a taxi after being let down with no warning 

Exactly Dagenham.

Graingrover brings his mate to the Rovers. His mate lives in Cambridge. Said mate has got nothing to do with the Rovers other than the fact he is graingrovers' mate and has therefore become an adopted fan over the years.
He really enjoys his visits to the Keepmoat and has become a true Donny fan.
But he struggles with his mobility and it would be impossible for him to walk back into town after a game.

Hence Graingrovers posts. Let's stop being so condescending and inconsiderate and let's help bring extra supporters to the Rovers who would otherwise find it prohibitive.

[neil grainger]

In other words lee.jo9, have a long look at yourself.

[Dagenham Rover]

and especially if they have cancelled the dedicated buses, chuck double deckers onto the service bus route they really are quick enough to swop the double deckers to single deck buses in off peak hours  and vice versa.

Does it really save that much running costs swopping double deckers to single deckers outside peak times? and thats actually a serious question.

[SLO@DRFC]

Please note that there will be NO shuttle service running on Boxing Day.

[keith79]

no buses at all from first in doncaster boxing
day