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Post by michaelefc on Nov 6, 2017 8:32:03 GMT
Even at 5.30 I was stuck in a car for around 15 minutes, at the junction with Bassett Green Road.
Don't see why people are keen to highlight the declining attendances. Of course they are declining! How many home games have we won in the last year!! I think bearing in mind the poor results and dire football, attendances have held up very well. I thought they called the attendance against Chester about right. I guessed 1880. Not sure why anyone should be questioning the figure.
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Post by hantslondoner on Nov 6, 2017 9:35:41 GMT
We don't question the figure - we know that the official attendance includes season-ticket holders, whether they turn up or not. That's why I estimated about 1500 INSIDE THE GROUND. Despite the vouchers, I wasn't surprised, given our recent form and the fact that Chester were not attractive opponents. Having said that, thinking about the last five home games, I'd say that the entertainment value in them for the neutral has been either average or better than average.
We've also discussed here that access to the ground is ONE REASON for declining attendances - obviously performance/results is a major factor, but if we are hoping to attract new fans (or even keep existing fans) then we need to make it easier to get to the ground. If crowds have held up well then I'd say a lot of that is due to the large number of season-ticket holders. As we are discussing here, if traffic is becoming an increasing problem, it's another reason for them not to renew next year.
For the record, I was lucky enough to able to get out of the ground at about 5.05 and got out of the Bassett Green traffic light system at 5.15, presumably just before the Saints rush (although TV showed a lot of them leaving early, after Burnley scored). With a relatively small crowd, the fact that so many of you had worse problems than usual just shows that the traffic lights there would benefit from a review, which was the original point.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2017 10:24:01 GMT
I know its a couple of years away yet, but once they start building those homes next to the church all through those fields to virtually the top of Nightingale Ave there is absolutely no way Stoneham Lane will be closed for home matches on Saturdays for 6 hours is it? And just over 4 hours for evening games? We're having a fantastic stadia built but I bet a pound to a penny the council will move the club elsewhere, especially when it becomes a football league club....the new home owners on the new estate won't want the club there either!!!!!! The area will be more gridlocked than ever, though I'm lucky enough to live on the Nightingale Est, I can take the short cut public footpath across the fields from Chesnut Ave to the church in 10 minutes for a little while longer.
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Post by hantslondoner on Nov 6, 2017 10:32:34 GMT
Won't there be another exit onto Chestnut Avenue for the new houses? Either way, yes, access on Stoneham Lane will become impracticable (as I said earlier).
Isn't AFC Stoneham going to move to the space behind the Silverlake (forgotten what it's called) when the new houses are built? Won't be a problem for their crowds, but may give us even less space. And as you say, may encouraqge the council to consider moving us too.
They've already started digging around Stoneham church, so it may be less than a couple of years before this problem surfaces.
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Post by durkiboy on Nov 6, 2017 11:15:03 GMT
Won't there be another exit onto Chestnut Avenue for the new houses? Either way, yes, access on Stoneham Lane will become impracticable (as I said earlier). Isn't AFC Stoneham going to move to the space behind the Silverlake (forgotten what they're called) when the new houses are built? Won't be a problem for their crowds, but may give us even less space. And as you say, may encouraqge the council to consider moving us too. They've already started digging around Stoneham church, so it may be less than a couple of years before this problem surfaces. Hants, a couple of points re the above:
No, AFC Stoneham are not going to move to the ground (Lower Hardmoor) behind the Silverlake (Mackoy Stand). This area is used by the Eastleigh and District Mini Soccer League. The FA's and Eastleigh Council would like us (AFC Stoneham) to move to the new proposed "Park Life" setting at Hardmoor, but we are currently fighting this. The new proposal for the Park Life facility will again bring more traffic to Stoneham Lane, as it is envisaged to be like Goals at Millbrook, but on a larger scale. We will not be leaving our ground for another couple of years yet.
Basically, it appears that the FA are trying to ride roughshod over people's needs etc and wanting to stamp their authority
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Post by hantslondoner on Nov 6, 2017 11:18:28 GMT
Thanks for the update, durkiboy. Certainly wasn't aware of that. Yes, more traffic at Park Life would be yet another problem.
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Post by bomber on Nov 6, 2017 11:56:32 GMT
Unlike the last couple of seasons when we only had one Saturday clash of fixtures with Saints, I gather that this season has thrown up no less than 5 such dates. Yesterday was one. Jill and I waited in the old clubhouse to let the traffic go in the lane - big mistake. More than half an hour after the end of our game we were still stuck at the traffic lights at the junction of Stoneham Lane and Bassett Green Road in a complete gridlock. It took another 15 minutes to travel the few hundred yards down to the A27. I am having serious doubts about coming to watch EFC on future days when Saints are at home, the only other option being to leave 15 minutes before the end of the match. Rock and hard place? Park up elsewhere and walk down.
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Post by durkiboy on Nov 6, 2017 13:01:42 GMT
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Post by taylov on Nov 6, 2017 14:37:21 GMT
"Park up elsewhere and walk down".
Thanks, bomber but with over 130 years between Jill and I, you might want to cut us some slack.
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Post by back4more on Nov 6, 2017 16:33:56 GMT
"Park up elsewhere and walk down". Thanks, bomber but with over 130 years between Jill and I, you might want to cut us some slack. I don't know. You youngsters!
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Post by nobadspitfire on Nov 6, 2017 17:37:53 GMT
Do Bristol City & Rovers play at home on the same day? Or the Manchester, Sheffield etc etc clubs??? No & No. Do the Premier League fixtures come out before the NL? If so can we not request that our home games avoid SFC playing at home? Can't see a PL club deferring to us. One thing, we don't want Friday or Sunday matches to avoid clashing with SFC.
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Post by spitfire9 on Nov 6, 2017 17:56:09 GMT
Do Bristol City & Rovers play at home on the same day? Or the Manchester, Sheffield etc etc clubs??? No & No. Do the Premier League fixtures come out before the NL? If so can we not request that our home games avoid SFC playing at home? Can't see a PL club deferring to us. One thing, we don't want Friday or Sunday matches to avoid clashing with SFC. Are you really comparing us and Southampton to the Manchester, Sheffield and Bristol clubs?
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Post by spitfire9 on Nov 6, 2017 17:59:20 GMT
Why should they not clash just so people can get home at a certain time.
"Sorry National league can we not play at home when Southampton do as our fans don't want to be stuck in traffic?" really
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Post by hantslondoner on Nov 6, 2017 18:08:44 GMT
The Chester game clashing with Saints was our fault.
We had the pitch problem on Sept 30th. We then changed it from the rearranged date on Oct 31st to Nov 4th. Why? Because we lost at home to Hereford in the FA Cup (OK, and because Chester lost too).
A strange set of coincidences.
I think the main reason to avoid clashing with Saints is not the traffic, but because some Eastleigh fans go to St.Mary's instead!
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Post by willk on Nov 6, 2017 18:44:25 GMT
Yes, quite incredible moaning from fans of a non league club.
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