My favourite...
My first visit in a while and a couple of things...
The glass panels Milburn L7 towards the Gallowgate is filthy, absolutely filthy. The roof looks just as filthy.
Rust seems to have set in all over, inside and out.
You can see an N next to the N in the Newcastle United where the old one used to be. The Gallowgate roof is filthy.
SD signage looks sun ‘damaged’ and outside stadium signs look warped too due to heat/cold and faded as well. That’s not even considering how cheap and tacky they look. There are shops in Benwell selling beer and fags with better quality facia signage.
Inside...
It’s chaos, urinals and food and drink.
Stewards haven’t a clue. I was pointed well away from where my actual seat was by one, it took me all of a second to realise my row wasn’t where he was telling me to go.
When I got to the ground with my 4 year old I went into the Milburn reception area and straight away some bloke in a suit strode over to me and asked to see my tickets, how rude, no excuse me can I help you or anything, he was like a bouncer approaching a drunk.
I explained that I would like to use the lift facilities to get to my seat rather than climb level 7 steps with my 4 year old and because I have a dodgy knee. He said the lift doesn’t go to L7 and I was in the wrong place and told me to go to a turnstile.
I insisted on using the lift and had to tell him it goes to L6 and not L7 I know and that I could still access my seat all the same as I’ve done it many a time in the past. He was having none of it and said I would be unable to access my seat any other way than through one of the turnstiles.
At that point I said you’re wrong and he retorted by saying even if I was right he couldn’t allow me into the lift because my ticket would need scanned.
Anyway...
Surely a hand held scanner or some kind of ‘check in’ system with a stamp or whatever can be implemented? I wasn’t the only one turned away or met with rudeness. I left basically calling him a f***ing t***. I honestly got the impression his job is security first and not to assist or help people. Again he was more like a bouncer.
Food before kick-of, my son was hungry and while I’m loathe to give money to SD United I’m not denying my kid some food nor the match day experience on his big day out. I get to the counter and order whatever I order and ask if I can pay with my card, sorry we can’t take card payments. Ok, I go to pay with cash and they asked me if I had the right change as they are struggling and couldn’t take a 20 for example or even a tenner. Luckily I did.
It’s not the poor kid’s fault serving me, it’s the club’s. No signs saying cash only though.
Most of the staff looke miserable and sick of their lives, no enthusiasm, no manners, no customer focused attention, just robots or in the case of the lift prick, a rude jobsworth.
My son, 4, we are sat right near where wheelchairs go and there is like a metal gripped surface. He bangs on it like a drum and a steward comes over and just says to him stop. No excuse me or speaking to me his parent.
Maybe I’m expecting too much and becoming a miserable f***, but honestly, it all sucks and today reaffirmed to me why I don’t go nowadays and just how shitty the match day experience is, win or lose. Again how anyone draws enjoyment from that boggles the mind. I wouldn’t even put up with that if we were playing like KK’s entertainers. It’s unacceptable IMO.
Thankfully my son doesn’t care about any of that s*** and just wants to spend time with his dad seeing some goals, skills and tricks and good decent footy.
So... thank you Arsenal
