Early leavers and final whistle on Sunday

[tunstallhill]

I think we should install fireman's poles at the top of each flight of stairs for those wanting to make a swift exit.



In seriousness, the stairways have always been problematic. You can stand there friggin' ages without getting anywhere.

i've watched them sometimes intently to try and work out what goes on, and in my block (u8) the stairs are completely rammed with people and don't move an inch for ages, but when you look down, the people at the bottom of the stairs are allowing the lower block - front 15 rows - to completely empty before the upper block starts to move. it happens all along the east stand. you never see queues in the lower block staircases, the queues are exclusively in the upper blocks of the east stand and south stand.

if the club could get those lower blocks to leave via the pitchside path and the SWC tunnel, then the upper stairwells would empty much quicker. in my opinion

 

[Dog in a pram]

I genuinely think the psychological affect of the poor half time fan experience needs looked into. It's f***ing shit and gets me pissed off pretty much every match for one reason or another. If we then have a disappointing second half I can see the instinct to just think get me out of here.

I stay till the end 99%of the time as my seat is right by an exit,but I can get why people have an unconscious instinct to get away, doesn't need too much on field disappointment to kick in.

 

[tunstallhill]

I genuinely think the psychological affect of the poor half time fan experience needs looked into. It's f***ing shit and gets me pissed off pretty much every match for one reason or another. If we then have a disappointing second half I can see the instinct to just think get me out of here.

I stay till the end 99%of the time as my seat is right by an exit,but I can get why people have an unconscious instinct to get away, doesn't need too much on field disappointment to kick in.

theres 100s of tiny factors that are out of the clubs control. we meet up at a small pub after the game, usually about 10 of us, if one of us doesn't get there early then the rest of us are usually the last people out of the ground meaning the pub is rammed by the time we get there and we can barely get a place to stand never mind a seat.

 

[Smiler]

Young lad sits next to me with his grandad is always dragged out early at every home game and it's been the same for years and years. You may get the very odd game they stay but they are very few and far between. Whenever grandad isn't there and he's with who I presume to be his mam or dad they stay until the very end each and every time.
Christ knows why grandad who is obviously retired and isn't rushing to get home and go out on the lash with his mates needs to leave early every single game but he does and the young lad (probs about 14/15 now) always looks annoyed/disappointed he's being taken out early again.
I'm certain the lad will be desperate to hit 16/17 when he'll piss off with his mates to and after the game and grandad won't be able to drag him out all the time.
They've missed soooo many goals.

 

[RedandWhiteRebel]

agree. just have a look at the start of the season, there were very nearly no early leavers and the stands were full to applaud the players

compare those games to Saturdays and a massive difference.

In my opinion at the start we always looked like a piece of magic would happen and we would score. On saturday we looked totally bereft of ideas and when a chance opened up we fluffed it. we need a proper striker.

for others information, the tunnel at the SWC is used when leaving the ground. However there is still a massive build up of fans at the dog leg en route to the pedestrian bridge just before the sheepfolds. when passed the dog leg it is relatively clear (considering). one very annoying feature, is people looking at their phones, slowing down and even stopping to look at their phone.

Yep,

No traffic problems when the team are performing well, the intesity is up and we look like we can nick a goal from nothing.

No traffic problems when beating the Saudis and the stadium was pretty full well after the final whistle.

It simply boils down to performances on the pitch. It has been poor on the pitch lately with no belief we can get back into games so more people leave early.

I'm not sure why it needs an investigation.

 

[Smiler]

theres 100s of tiny factors that are out of the clubs control. we meet up at a small pub after the game, usually about 10 of us, if one of us doesn't get there early then the rest of us are usually the last people out of the ground meaning the pub is rammed by the time we get there and we can barely get a place to stand never mind a seat.

Go to a different pub

I genuinely think the psychological affect of the poor half time fan experience needs looked into. It's f***ing shit and gets me pissed off pretty much every match for one reason or another. If we then have a disappointing second half I can see the instinct to just think get me out of here.

I stay till the end 99%of the time as my seat is right by an exit,but I can get why people have an unconscious instinct to get away, doesn't need too much on field disappointment to kick in.

The fuck you on about? Half time experience

 

[tunstallhill]

Go to a different pub

aye theres always that, but in reality, if you are the last one out the ground its very unlikely you are going to get a decent spot in any pub in town, especially if there is 10 of you (kids, oaps, lads etc..) wanting to watch the late kick off and that

 

[K3NA]

I have a parking space at the stadium due to mobility issues. They don't open the gates until half an hour after the final whistle so I obviously stay to the end. Once open it can take over an hour to get out of the car park and over the Wearmouth bridge due to sackless drivers blocking the roundabout outside The Colliery Tavern so you can't turn right to the Wheatsheaf and the light system on the roundabout on the other side of the bridge holding up traffic so I can understand people wanting to get out early especially if they have a decent way to travel. The police and council are the only organisations that can sort this on match days.

 

[Bonzo]

I don't know why early leavers get a bad time on here if fans want to leave they can.
You only hear about early leavers what about those that arrive late then moan because there's queues to get in then disrupt everyone having to stand up.
Nothing ever mentioned

I've said it a thousand times the local transport out is shocking the new bridge only helps people going into town ... What about people going the other way

Tyne and Wear metros rubbish should never have been built, it should of went into Shields there was already a train that took you too Newcastle with stops on the way.

But of a rant but the transport still the problem

 

[tony_not_in_london]

I’ve posted this many times before on this subject but they need to make the exit and getting away from the ground easier for people….

I was in a box on Saturday and 15 mins after the final whistle there’s people still making their way out of the east stand and Roker end. There needs to be exists out the back of the stands. Like we had at Roker Park at the end.

The two massive tunnels at the SWC and the NWC also need to be exists for those who sit in the lower bowl of the stands. I mean the full tunnel not a little side but like you get in SWC.

The club and police also need to close all roads around the ground especially KHW and have it filled up with P&R buses sat there waiting to fill up. None leave until 15/20 mins after final whistle and the once full and ready to leave the police manage the traffic lights so that the buses get a clear ride to Sunderland Enterprise Park … the police used to do this at Roker Park which was further away and we had crowds half the size !!! It’s also a much safer way of controlling the flow of people than the absolute shit show it currently is on KHW … someone will get seriously hurt one day on that road.

100% right mate

I have joked about letting loose attack dogs in the Concourse on 85 minutes or requiring people to tap out so points can be deducted for early leavers….

….but seriously there are some things thst could be done

The Park and Ride queue at full time is getting ridiculous

Keir Hardie Way needs to be made traffic free until all P&R buses away

Could also shift the away coaches somewhere sensible where they are not blocking pedestrians and traffic

Egress from the ground itself also needs some serious thinking - sitting half way up the East Stand it can often take over 15 minutes to get from seat to exit.

If for some reason we did ever have to leave in a hurry?

Am not saying there are any easy answers and part of it is we are victims of success- it was a lot easier to get away in League 1 but…

 

[chriswallace85]

Young lad sits next to me with his grandad is always dragged out early at every home game and it's been the same for years and years. You may get the very odd game they stay but they are very few and far between. Whenever grandad isn't there and he's with who I presume to be his mam or dad they stay until the very end each and every time.
Christ knows why grandad who is obviously retired and isn't rushing to get home and go out on the lash with his mates needs to leave early every single game but he does and the young lad (probs about 14/15 now) always looks annoyed/disappointed he's being taken out early again.
I'm certain the lad will be desperate to hit 16/17 when he'll piss off with his mates to and after the game and grandad won't be able to drag him out all the time.
They've missed soooo many goals.

I wonder if you sit near me. I've seen that go on for years.

 

[Fray Bentos]

KHW was worse than ever on Saturday

There was one arsehole flying down, revving their car etc etc

It will take someone being killed or seriously injured before they do something about it

I know its been raised before and the Council say its too inconvenient for the residents to close it for half an hour 19 times a year but surely it cannot be that bad. They manage it for concerts

I'm a resident (granted I go to the match) and I'm all for the road being closed for half an hour after full time. It's actually closed all day when a concert is on and doesn't cause any great hardship to the residents as there's other ways in and out of the estate.

As a resident and how it is now after full time you've actually got no hope of getting a car out of the junction at The Colliery Tavern so closing the road would make no difference to the residents in any way. The council are just using this as an excuse.

Most of the traffic going up and down KHW are not residents in any way and are travelling beyond the local estate to the Stadium. So it's easy for them to use an alternative if the road is closed, such as Thompsons Road if heading to the sea front area or any of the 2 other bridges if heading to the City Centre area.

Most other away grounds I've been to have closed roads after the game to disperse fans as quickly and safely as possible. I really don't understand why we don't.

 

[chriswallace85]

I don't know why early leavers get a bad time on here if fans want to leave they can.
You only hear about early leavers what about those that arrive late then moan because there's queues to get in then disrupt everyone having to stand up.
Nothing ever mentioned

I've said it a thousand times the local transport out is shocking the new bridge only helps people going into town ... What about people going the other way

Tyne and Wear metros rubbish should never have been built, it should of went into Shields there was already a train that took you too Newcastle with stops on the way.

But of a rant but the transport still the problem

I think you tend to find the early leavers are the same ones who rock up late, and the same ones who fuck off down to the concourse on the 35 minutes, and saunter back in on 50.

 

[nelford_safc]

Exactly this. We're at the back of the East Stand, row 43. We know it takes 15 minutes to get out the ground at full time, we know we won't get to Boldon for maybe an hour after that, so we make plans for the rest of the afternoon/evening etc accordingly. It's not rocket science. I do feel for those that travel a lot further mind, I also know there are some people who have to leave for work etc on occasion, but you see the same people week in week out, no matter the time/day of kick off still leaving on 80 minutes (oh, apart from the Coventry and Mags match when every pub and business must have been closed)

I don’t get home from an 8pm kickoff until after midnight but I don’t leave early. The Ballard header was one of the best and wildest events I’ve ever seen at the SoL and I would have devastated to have missed it.

 

[Smiler]

I wonder if you sit near me. I've seen that go on for years.

I reckon quite a few dotted about will be the same. Now we've a waiting list they'll struggle to get sat with mates

 

[Inside Forward]

I’d honestly go as far as saying if you don’t stay till the end do 75% of games then you forfeit your season card the following season and go to the back of the waiting list.

 

[safc3nufc0]

I sit in row 37 east stand and if you wait till very end it ridiculous how long it takes to get out.

 

[Ambivalent Dave]

I don't know why early leavers get a bad time on here if fans want to leave they can.
You only hear about early leavers what about those that arrive late then moan because there's queues to get in then disrupt everyone having to stand up.
Nothing ever mentioned

I've said it a thousand times the local transport out is shocking the new bridge only helps people going into town ... What about people going the other way

Tyne and Wear metros rubbish should never have been built, it should of went into Shields there was already a train that took you too Newcastle with stops on the way.

But of a rant but the transport still the problem

they seem to get to the match ok

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

The issue with most early leavers is that they value “beating the traffic” and getting home earlier over watching the full match. Why that is I don’t know - I’m sure if I left on 85 mins I could get home at 5:30 instead of 6:15 but I don’t see the point, I’m in no rush, the match is the priority.

If the club are serious about tackling this issue they need to look at ways of clearing the ground quicker, better organisation of the park and ride and easing traffic congestion. Probably easier said than done though, blocking off roads etc requires the police and that costs money.

 

[JaFlan86]

I put alot of this down to infrastructure both in and outside the SOL.

For me, the match day experience is pretty poor. At half time especially you can bearly get moved never mind get to the toilet or get a pint/pie etc. Clearly people are leaving early before half time to beat the que' and the ones returning late for the second half are prepared to wait- probably because its now routine. There must be thousands of other fans that just don't bother at half time because its right chew on - and its now their routine.

And from reading some of the post on here, its clear to me that this mentality exists at full time - people leaving early to avoid being stuck in the ground or to beat traffic.

I've said this before. The steel work around from the SWC to NWC juts out over the turnstiles. I think new walls/turnstiles could be installed, bring them down flush/plum from this point. This would create alot more space within the ground (possibky doubke the current size). I wouldn't imagine the existing walls/turnstiles are load bearing so they would come out easily enough. Maybe there would be enough room for some internal stair cases to assist fans in the higher bowl to exit too?

Imo if they created more space, it may stop bottle necks, effectively reducing exit times. Who knows the club may even recoup the money from more folk buying refresments, enjoying an improved match day experience. Add a few more turnstiles in while were at it - might help with the ques getting in!

I would also allow fans in lower bowls on the West Side to exit using massive the tunnels in the SWC NWC. Park n ride is a very good suggestion.

We are lucky to have the space around the SOL to extend the capacity, so what I am suggesting who be more than possible.