Car park chaos

[Too occasional fan]

Bottom line is arrive early to park responsibly and stay for presentation post match. No problem.

Someone please name a club that doesn't have match day parking issues, not sure there is one.

I think this is the point.

[Lee A]

Bottom line is arrive early to park responsibly and stay for presentation post match. No problem.

Someone please name a club that doesn't have match day parking issues, not sure there is one.

I think this is the point.

I can think of a couple of clubs that built fancy big grounds yet struggle to fill them

But i'd give establishing ourselves in the league over new grounds or better car parking any day,

[Stewjacksam]

Not everyone can take all day to leisurely wander up and back to TNL!
Surely the match day experience should be a good one from start to finish - its really isn't enhanced by sitting going nowhere for 20-30 mins each side of kick off!
It will be away fans who will continue to create the parking chaos - as they did Saturday - they will not know about park n ride and not be inclined to use it anyway
The single road outside the ground should be kept free of ANY obstruction - DONT park Park n ride buses in the road you simply create a bottle neck - park them alongside the stadium - nice and easy to get on - no obstruction in the public highway
Simples!

[StadiumMgr]

Hi All,

Saw this thread yesterday, so thought I would provide some info and explanation on parking onsite:

Interestingly many car parking slots still vacant in the main car park yet the sign at 2pm is car park full ?????

For most games this season, there are no parking spaces left due to the number of people that have booked spaces in advance: these include Disabled Supporters, hospitality, league officials, sponsors, staff and players of course. People who have pre-booked spaces don't always don't turn up; which is what I guess happened on Saturday.

If we do have spaces left, we do always try to fill them; Brian on the front gate is very good at doing this.

The car park full sign is often there no matter what time it is. It isn't clear whether the car park is full or if the location of the sign just happens to be a convenient place for it to be kept.

Before each game we know how many spaces we have remaining after those who have pre-booked; so if the car park is full, then the sign will show car park full right from the start. In previous seasons this was just when we had a big game, but this season this has been the case for almost every game.

ParknRide is fantastic ....should have it for every game please.

Great to hear good feedback on the P&R; we will be pushing this out in the media again to try and get more people to use it.

We have been running it for every game when we can since around September time; the only times we can't is when Renishaw is closed.
Looking ahead, the only two games when it may not run is Stevenage next week and Colchester on Easter Monday; as we have to wait to see if Renishaw need their car park or we can use it.

Somebody down in Nailsworth on the roundabout getting the traffic away would ease the queues coming down the hill. ( it's not rocket science) !

I think it would make a big positive difference to traffic flow, but we aren't allowed to direct traffic on a public road; it isn't our land and you need specific training/badges to be able to do this. This is also why it is hard to manage the school car park exit, after the game; same rule applies, we aren't allowed to do it.

We are testing a new way of running the School car park in late March/early April; which I hope will allow us to make some good improvements to how the cars are parked (seems to vary depending on which steward we get), with warning people about double parking and see if we can get the lights on as well.


Hope this all helps; let me know if there any questions or ideas - or just grab me after a game in the Carol Embrey suite and I will be happy to discuss.

Cheers

[The Game Within]

StadiumMgr what about the idea of parking the first 2 P&R buses alongside the stadium, having buses on main road straight after the game is where the problems came on Saturday.

[NewForestRover]

Do the number 63 buses get caught up in the traffic after matches? Do they even run if the traffic isn't moving?

I think there is supposed to be one at approx 5.30 and another at 6.00 but I wonder how reliable they are.

[TreeHugger]

It will be away fans who will continue to create the parking chaos - as they did Saturday - they will not know about park n ride and not be inclined to use it anyway

On the way to the ground on Saturday, my daughter and I were the only FGR fans on a whole bus load of Coventry fans from the park and ride. Away fans certainly seem to know about it each time we go.

[Timb]

Saturday's crowd was significantly larger than our new average crowd, I got a lift back to stroud around 5.45 and the queue was still above Northfields Road.

Such is life with a crowd of 3500 plus. The 5.30 bus was just picking up passengers as I left so running 15 minutes late. I suspect the next bus would be on time.

3500 crowd at maybe 2 per car for 70% of the crowd is around 1000 cars, minus 200 at the P&R? That's a lot of cars to come down Spring Hill.

I got a lift back to London straight after the Swindon game and we didn't get over the magic roundabout for 25 minutes or so. Plenty of time to take in David Hockaday's take on the match and other STFC comment on BBC radio Wilts.

[Tommo]

Helpful response Stadium Manager. Thanks

[Theoperator]

Theres a lot that could be done but as ever there seems to be a legal or fear of legal problem. The police have become less and less inclined to get involved with traffic management, which seems daft when the answer is obvious. A couple of PCSOs at the roundabout and one at the top of Tinkley Lane advising motorists not to come down Tinkley lane from 4.45 to 5.30 would help enormously. Im sure everyone would be grateful to a steward guiding cars from the school car park but thats a legal no no (How mad is that really, Ive seen Gymkhana and Village fete stewards do this effectively often round villages)

However some posters seem never to have been to any PL games, the queues at the end of matches especially in London Liverpool or Manchester games are notorious, once took me 2 hours to get onto the tube, but it is part of the fun too.

At FGR I like sitting in my car listening to the sports reports after games, reminds me of doing the same in same sort of Queues at West Brom Stoke or Derby in the 70s .

The queue off the J13 with the New stadium is a very likely scenario, so Highways England had better be taking a view and plan for that

[Fartvs Antiqvvs]

... Im sure everyone would be grateful to a steward guiding cars from the school car park but thats a legal no no (How mad is that really, Ive seen Gymkhana and Village fete stewards do this effectively often round villages)

However some posters seem never to have been to any PL games, the queues at the end of matches especially in London Liverpool or Manchester games are notorious, once took me 2 hours to get onto the tube, but it is part of the fun too.

Swindon stewards did a good job getting the coaches away, with a line of them guarding against invasion, one leading ahead, out of the ground area and then holding back traffic on the main road to enable us to get on our way.[/quote]

[StadiumMgr]

StadiumMgr what about the idea of parking the first 2 P&R buses alongside the stadium, having buses on main road straight after the game is where the problems came on Saturday.

We can't park the P&R buses along the stadium road side, as it would block emergency services access to the stadium.

I know that putting the P&R buses on the road is far from ideal, but there are very few options where we can fit a bus and be near to the ground.

With the re-graveled front car park, at least we can now accommodate most away supporters coaches onsite, so this there are fewer buses on the main road when compared to say the Bristol Rovers game.

Do the number 63 buses get caught up in the traffic after matches? Do they even run if the traffic isn't moving?

I think there is supposed to be one at approx 5.30 and another at 6.00 but I wonder how reliable they are.

Yes the 63 buses do get caught up to a certain degree, but they won't stop running; just get delayed.

We have seen an increase in the number of supporters using the 63 service, so I would say it is reliable enough. I think the last bus is around 7pm, so plenty of time after the final whistle to enjoy the post-match in the Carol Embrey and then jump on a bus.

Helpful response Stadium Manager. Thanks

No problem, glad it is useful.

[Stewjacksam]

Coaches seem to park alongside the main stand already?
Along with very many cars!
One bus stopped in the public road = chaos!

[The Game Within]

I've seen 2 coaches and small 21 seater along with 2-3 cars outside stadium.

[king giraffe III]

Coaches seem to park alongside the main stand already?
Along with very many cars!
One bus stopped in the public road = chaos!

CHAOS! There simply needs to be better enforcement of the parking regulations. At the same time, a ground by the motorway is likely to lead to CHAOS there as well. A new ground doesn't always mean an ease on traffic issues. I recall being stuck in that car park at Northwich Victoria.

[gooseman]

"CHAOS! There simply needs to be better enforcement of the parking regulations. "

Totally agree. So far this season I have seen a Parking Enforcement Officer once and that was the game against Cheltenham. Gloucestershire County Council who are the enforcing authority are not interested one iota. I have written on several occasions but to no avail. The police are also not interested. Therefore, its no surprise to find cars parked on private property or parked illegally. The chances of getting a parking ticket is remote. Lets say you come to every home game ( 23 ) and its £5 to park. That's £115. A parking fine is what £60. ( £30 if you pay within 2 weeks.) Just makes you think. Only a few weeks ago a Fire appliance had trouble getting to an incident, due to parking for the football. Made the local news. Did this get GCC into action. Not a jot. Fact is when the Police and Enforcing authority are not interested, therefore it will take a tragedy for them to act.

[GETCARTER]

I looked out of the windows in the CE suite after the game v Coventry, to see three cars illegally parked half on the kerb and road just at the entrance/exit of the ground ( where the stewards meet and greet and check car-park bookings ), surely they cannot be allowed to remain there, until their owners see fit to move them?.Away coaches coming out of the parking spaces behind the South Stand could not possibly negotiate the tight turn involved, thus creating further chaos.

[Greeners]

Hi
I suspect that the public highway starts at the line of stones set in the road and where what appears to be the correct size, type and style of yellow line starts.
If the cars were nearer the gates than that they were not on the public highway and were merely parked inconsiderately and only breaking any club rulings not laws..
Even if the rest of Another Way is public highway the lines do not meet the relevant standards for enforcement.
https://goo.gl/maps/J6QqEcdi3WE2

[The Game Within]

We can't park the P&R buses along the stadium road side, as it would block emergency services access to the stadium. 
Above is reply from StadiumMgr last night there was coach 3-4 cars so maybe someone from club needs to go and look for themselves after a match.

[king giraffe III]

Total KAOS last night with parking. Walked down the hill post match, drove up it and didn't stop until meeting a car coming the other way at Nympsfield. We need to sort CHAOS out. KAOTIC!