Mugwump wrote:
These are the same kind of teething troubles that dog all new grounds. No matter how much forward thinking is employed during the design phase of a large project such as a stadium you're never able to fully address the unpredictability of crowd behaviour. I remember both Wigan and Bolton having similar problems early on.
I don't remember another ground where you can walk freely between different areas of the stadium unchecked? You certainly can't at Wigan.
It was an entirely predictable outcome that should have been foreseen. Having the 360 degree concourse is fine, it's allowing people into the stand without checking their tickets that brings the problem. It always happened at Knowsley Road, hence the stewards standing in the vomitories of the main stand checking everyones tickets. Having unallocated seating sections also seems a strange situation given how many season tickets have been sold, why fall into the trap of having to reduce capacity because of the daft H&S rules?
As you mention these are teething problems, but surely the club should have hired someone with experience in this field and I've not seen any sign of that.
I'm waiting to see if the club has learned any lessons from the friendly. I am going to be getting to the ground pretty much on time for kick off, so being able to get a drink and something to eat at half time would be splendid. Judging by the queues in the friendly, only those willing to give up half an hour of the match will be able to.
Along with the cladding these issues seem relatively minor, but they could have a massive impact on the club's ability to grow it's attendances. First impressions count, especially with new fans.
