Sorry for delay in posting but as you are aware, original meeting was cancelled. Over 40 questions were submitted and as my first post disappeared i will post in sections, valuable lesson learnt. Can we have a flag? Yes. What do you want on it? what colour? It will have to have emblem as part of design. Please don't start a "Ben" competition !!! General upkeep of stadium is poor? The club have an ongoing maintenance programme. As some fans will have seen, there is scaffolding up on the West Stand North section to carry out fascia and guttering repairs. This will be removed for Reading game. Whats happened to Flexi Ticket? Announcement expected next week Why no action against fans using flares both home and away? Despite CCTV Action is being taken behind the scenes. Can we have scores on scoreboard from other games? Do you really want to see that Leeds, Weds and the Blunts are losing again?? Club will look at proposal, however, it may well be a league regulation as can't remember seeing scores at other grounds other than at half time and end of game. Reciprocity ? The club are trying to have an agreement with each club in league. They are monitoring the cost of an away ticket at every game in league this year, at each club. We have agreed a deal with Villa and we will pay the same as they are paying next week. We are still awaiting response from Leeds at time of our meeting. I'm sure Ben will look after us !!!! PS Contrary to other posts Villa are not expecting to sell their full allocation next week. Approx 3,100 sold at time of our meeting. Programme quality is poor? Not sure this is general opinion? The club have a larger media team this season with lots of new ideas. I Player is also showing new features and more often. Careful though Whitey is getting everywhere with that camera!!!! Shirts? The new stock was expected 30th September. It is however, now coming by air so should arrive earlier possibly by 23rd. Please don't shoot the messenger if the plane is delayed. Can i mention though that there are substantial pre orders for these shirts. Don't risk them running out again and having to wait for a further delivery. Pre order now to avoid disappointment. TV's on Concourses showing different content every match? One match Sky game, next game grass growing on pitch or Sky Sports News? TV's controlled by two main TV's. Club will ensure that Sky game etc gets priority. Turnstiles The club have learnt lessons from previous games. However, many fans still queue at wrong turnstiles cash and season ticket and vice versa. It addition, East Stand Upper fans queue at Ponte end lower RHS when many empty turnstiles around the corner. East Stand ST holders also queue on LHS of Exec entrance and ignore RHS turnstiles. Please try a different turnstile. The club gives out turnstile information on the web site prior to every game including where late entry turnstile is. I will be adding to this query in a later thread. Huddersfield away Home fans were treated differently by stewards. No action taken against their fans throwing at our fans and photographers. ? I understand that Huddersfield are aware of this issue. Secondly i can confirm that Huddersfield fans at our end did not have a Cash turnstile, at a cheaper price. The fans are season ticket holders / singing section who are moved about dependent on size of away following. Ball Boys, Poor. can we go back to schools providing ball boys? The ball boys are trained and therefore not appropriate to have different ones every match. Why can't we pre order On Line shop? You can??? Club shop, stock other than shirts poor? I looked in shop loads of new items. Decent stuff. Have a look on Saturday. In addition many different designs of similar clothing. Bollards at Corner of Ponte end / East stand dangerous. These are there to stop vehicles bypassing the gate. Obviously when the game is over loads of fans passing them at same time and may be dark. Club will look to put high visibility paint on them. Some fans on Zebra Finance couldn't gain entry to first game? The club were not at fault for any fan not gaining entry. Any problems were between Zebra Finance and ST holder. Holders were trying to use existing card when Finance not in place. Can we have a Season Ticket on monthly now that we use a card? No. The club are not FCA regulated and therefore cannot use direct debit system. Standing orders would not be appropriate as too time consuming to cancel card month on month if payment not received and then needs reinstating. The club still operate a savings stamp scheme for fans. We would come in earlier if we had free wi fi Not sure if this is true? Too expensive at present. However, the club understands that the Football League are looking at this and may ( FL) look to cover the funding in the future. Disabled Issues including Lift access, Club shop and Ticket Office. The club have recruited a new Safety officer, John Rutherford. He is reviewing all aspects of ground safety and disabled issues. Will report back further in due course. I understand the lift issue is more to do with evacuation procedures rather than using for meetings and pre match. If help is required in ticket office or shop i'm sure the staff will be more than helpful. Patrick shouldn't post BFC issues on his private Facebook page!!! Not sure what i can say other than you can post what you want personally. Perhaps his followers shouldn't pass on information, for their eyes only? Bad smell in East Upper section F14 every game? Oh dear, sorry if you are in this section !!!! Can you identify the seat number!!! No seriously the groundstaff have looked at this and "flushed " out the drains etc in this area. Hopefully now sorted. No vegetarian offer in Kiosks? Not true Juveniles should now be U18 given recent changes in school leaving / college education? Presently U17 for this season.Will review for next season. East Stand Concourse uninspiring Two projects are in progress. Football in the Community have obtained an £80,000 grant to support a timeline and other projects in East Stand Lower. They asked interested fans to get in touch. Their first meeting is this Saturday. In addition the Supporters Trust are to help redesign the family Area and more information will be available shortly. Car Park dangerous for non car users. Club are reviewing this but can i say that car drivers and passengers only should use the car park. Pedestrians should be using the causeway down Grove Street. The top gate was" barriered" to allow pedestrians only to leave at top of car park. Also it is part of the traffic management system. Cars entering car park are directed left or right dependent on which way they need to exit. One issue is fans being picked up on Pontefract road by family members, whom wait for end of game and then block traffic flow ! Lighting problem is being looked at. Match Entertainment. Cross Bar challenge has been greeted well. Club looking at "Bands" etc. However, would you come in an hour early? or stay after match if we are beaten 4 nil? We want Programme covers back This seasons programme has an emblem on the spine which is completed if you buy all the seasons programmes. For that reason covers were not envisaged. They will however now restock. Can we split North Stand? Not seen as an issue at present, but will be re visited if home crowds near capacity, bearing in mind West Stand restrictions. Hand Dryers Poor? Groundstaff will look at this PA System Too loud or too quiet The system is operated by one control. This appears to give different levels in some stands. Will be looked at but tested when ground empty. Will be reviewed during game time More Half Time draw tickets would be sold if 2nd and 3rd Prize? To prove whether this would be true, Linton has promised as an experiment to have a signed shirt and signed ball as 2nd and 3rd prizes v Villa. It's up to you all now. Beach Towels ? Will be in shop for Christmas. Beth says why not buy a flag and take cane out in short term !!!!! Millwall White wash? Not true investigation still ongoing Can SLO's have some form of uniform? Yes coming shortly, but i won't wear a pink vest. Delicate subject Minutes silence / applause for fans? No easy answers. Fans can ask other fans for spontaneous gestures. I can confirm that the club will put all names in last programme of season and names will appear on scoreboard at same game. Late arrival at ground turnstiles can't cope.? I have been advised that i will be given access figures / times for Villa and Fulham games (one evening one Saturday). These will show what percentage of fan base attempt to gain access over last 30 mins. I know there are many reasons but you will be surprised by breakdown. Finally reached the end. Thanks for all the questions. Until next time. BOTTLE TOPS ARE BACK, SCOREBOARD IN.
Bumped as now complete with all five parts merged together. I've done this so any replies or questions can be easily tracked by the SLO's and all the info is in one place. Hope this helps .....
Cheers Ben. I only asked one question, about the Facebook. I don't think that's a satisfactory response mate, tbh. My point was I didn't think important Club matters should be shared to a select few on a private Facebook page. To say it's a private page and people shouldn't be sharing, is absolutely the wrong answer IMO. My very point is that this type of information shouldn't be exclusive; it should be shared with all fans, or none at all. For clarity, I'm not talking about his personal views on life the universe or anything. I'm talking about Club matters, that are in the fans interest. Who did that response actually come from?
Red with the current logo in white. There you go, this club should hire me if they could afford me. However they would get some of their issues solved. Also i see i didn't get answer to the question of the car park (not just safety) but the entire poor organisation of lack of traffic management. Another one easy to fix but seems the response is to tell us just how it is, which we actually already know. Car Park dangerous for non car users. Club are reviewing this but can i say that car drivers and passengers only should use the car park. Pedestrians should be using the causeway down Grove Street. I would think the danger applies to drivers and passengers too does it not? The top gate was" barriered" to allow pedestrians only to leave at top of car park. Also it is part of the traffic management system. traffic management system is therefore lock gates and force all traffic one route? What about parking in lanes instead of side by side sets? Cars entering car park are directed left or right dependent on which way they need to exit. By whom? One issue is fans being picked up on Pontefract road by family members, whom wait for end of game and then block traffic flow ! Lighting problem is being looked at. Of course they will, what else are they supposed to do given theres no organised official drop off area. Size of our car park and for the cost of a grand we could have a professional traffic management company advise how we should organise the car park. Then might be a pleasurable experience just like the footy If these are the real answers i feel somewhat patronised. Cue SuperTyke
Don't shoot the messenger! I'm not an SLO mate, I just tidied up the BBS as I thought five threads on an SLO update was a bit daft (although no fault of the poster). The responses come from the club. I think there's an added bit of personal viewpoint from the SLO, but nothing that changes the response. I don't fall out with the Facebook page at all. Gives us insight on certain matters you couldn't put in to the public domain officially and wouldn't want to. Just another level of being the most open club in the Football League if you ask me. Nothing controversial but enlighting info. I think you'll find the majority find it a popular place to openly discuss our football club with our owner. I would say that 90% of the posts on there are personal opinion anyway on all aspects of life.