Thousands still outside ground

[theowlsman]

Elliot is a bit disappointed that the car doesn't have black leather seats. 

[theowlsman]

3 minutes ago, akbuk said:

set off at 2am UK time Flight from Bodrum to Istanbul then Istanbul to Stanstead arrived early but couldn't land because of fog ,so missed the first half ,no effin raffle ticket and totally knackered this morning,just waiting for the speeding tickets to arrive

 

Hope you have a great Christmas though mate. You deserve it.

[Mountain Owl]

Surely the club should have printed enough vouchers + 5% for the anticipated attendance. To be short on vouchers is short sightedness and bad planning.

[Mountain Owl]

14 minutes ago, akbuk said:

set off at 2am UK time Flight from Bodrum to Istanbul then Istanbul to Stanstead arrived early but couldn't land because of fog ,so missed the first half ,no effin raffle ticket and totally knackered this morning,just waiting for the speeding tickets to arrive

You were lucky, some people had the misfortune to watch the first half. It was diabolical. 2nd half was an improvement.

[i used to be sc_owl]

We walked round the Leppings Lane end and thought the game would be delayed.  Walking down towards the South Stand and everything was fine.  

 

Was this just an issue with certain entrances?  

 

Just wondering as well; do the club factor in the predicted attendance when opening turnstiles or is it just the same number opened for every league fixture?

[modboy]

still dont believe there was 20k raffle tickets in that small tombola 

[Salmonbones]

I've never turned up later than 2:30 to Hillsborough, usually a little earlier - I don't get why people leave it so late.   It's not like we're scousers leaving the pub at 2:55 with a 10 minute walk to make.

 

I'm not as bad as my dad though, he used to get us there for just after turnstiles opened some games.   Its a good time to have a natter, read the programme, take it in - have a drink.

[Guest mkowl]

Got there early but it was noticeable that fewer turnstiles on Penistone Road were open than usual. Fella behind said they lot still outside when he came in just before it started and that a rumour was started that kick off was delayed.

 

Given the issues SAG raise on other points I would have thought having enough turnstiles open would be a basic requirement. 

[LiamK2292]

The organisation was a complete farce.

 

I asked a steward why the turnstiles were closed yesterday and his response was superb... "They're shut because we didn't open them!"

[nevthelodgemoorowl]

20 hours ago, Andrew Robinson said:

Another complete cuck-up by Wednesday. Arrived at Leppings Lane about 25 minutes before the game and huge queues to get into the North going all along Leppings Lane both ways. Apparently giving out the raffle tickets was the problem but many hundreds queuing at kick-off time but neither stewards or police doing anything in spite of shouts to "open the gates". Finally got into the ground at 3.10. Useless team and useless organisation at the club at present.

Club Rules... "You are advised to take up your seat half an hour before kick off"

[nevthelodgemoorowl]

As for turn styles closed. I blame the women folk insisting that husbands, partners and lovers accompany them on pre Christmas shopping expeditions.

 

Part time Turn Style operators are particularly vulnerable. 

[Portugal Owl]

I had a Christmas 'do' in town so got a cab at and was dropped off just outside the ground at 2.50. I was surprised at the really long queues to get in to the Kop. I was even more surprised that when I got to the South stand gate at 2.55 there were only 4 people in front of me. I got my 'free' raffle ticket and was in my seat in time for the 'Hi Ho Sheffield Wednesday'. I could see there was obviously a problem getting on to the Kop. But as far as I could tell not the South Stand. If I had got in after kick off, arriving at the time I did, I would have had no one to blame but myself. But I guess by the length of the queues some of those going in to the Kop must have arrived in what would normally be good time. The unavailability of 'free' raffle tickets is annoying for those who didn't get them.  But it was a gift not an entitlement. The lack of turn style operators is however the responsibility of the Club and should be investigated by them in conjunction with the Police.  Not to apportion blame but to ensure it isn't repeated. Only a little longer and those queues could have presented a real danger.  Through crushing or spilling out in to moving traffic or both.  At Hillsborough, of all grounds, this can't be allowed to go unchallenged. I hope those who experienced difficulties getting in to the ground complain to the club or even the police. I hope anyone from the Club or Police reading this thread will instigate an investigation and publish the results and their recommendations for preventing a reoccurrence. Of course we should all aim to arrive at the ground in good time. But what happened on Saturday appeared to only have affected one section of the ground. This is a management failure, not the fault of the fans, and it has safety implications that need to be dealt with.

Edited December 18, 2016 by Portugal Owl
Typo in one line.

[royalowlisback]

The North stand turnstiles were as above on Saturday.^^^^

 

We live 10 minutes from the ground, so don't rock up an hour before - yet still arrive in plenty of time.

 

We got to the ground at our usual time of 2.45pm, got to our seat just at the minutes applause finished. It was pretty dangerous on Penistone Rd, you basically got 'swept' along, but this involved being crushed between people in queues at the various Kop and North turnstiles, and the traffic which was wedged in between 'the moving few', and the folk crossing Penistone Road to join the melee.

[owl-zat]

I work on the turnstiles and let in well over 500 people yesterday on the Kop (I was issued 600 raffle tickets so just enough) and literally didn't stop and the queue was constant for the last 40-50 minutes letting in over 400 in that time.

 

The delay was handing out the raffle tickets and in the end instead of tearing out one at a time I tore a handful, maybe 10-15 at a time which sped things up for me but still received abuse from a few so thanks for that whoever you were.

 

May I suggest if coming to the Wolves game you turn up early (remember Swindon in the late 90's when nearly 30,000 turned up over the Christmas period) and so with admission being discounted and I believe some not so straight forward pricing (isn't it £18.50 on the Kop for adults?) I'd forecast the cash turnstiles will be very busy and slow.

[royalowlisback]

Think the Wolves game will sell out long before the day of the game - so shouldn't be that much of an issue.

Edited December 18, 2016 by royalowlisback

[Blueblood]

I arrived at my normal time about 2.50. There were big queues at the turnstiles to the kop at the South Stand side. At first I was a but narked, but then I rethought to myself it my own fault for coming late. I got in about 3.10 with a raffle ticket, there was still a few hundred in the queue, but I think most of them would have got a ticket as one of the prizes was a couple of hundred number after mine. 

My only moan would be the fact there was 3 different queues for the same turnstile. Surely the stewards could have sorted the queues out so they were a bit more orderly. 

[clud17]

3 hours ago, HOOTIE AND THE bobbar TU said:

To avoid queues on the last home game this season maybe?

 

Yeh maybe but a bit extreme though, an hour before. I queued for about  10 minutes and sat down just as the first Hi Ho sounded. 

[HOOTIE AND THE SHIT TU]

35 minutes ago, clud17 said:

 

Yeh maybe but a bit extreme though, an hour before. I queued for about  10 minutes and sat down just as the first Hi Ho sounded. 

I like to get in early have a beer and watch the end of whatever game is on

 

[PortlandOwl]

Couldn't everyone have got a raffle ticket number digitally when they bought their ticket?....of course they couldn't, what was I thinking, this is Wednesday I'm talking about.

[full fathom five]

5 hours ago, RobbieOwler said:

As a turnstile operator I got so much abuse yesterday, F-ing and blinding that I didn't have any more raffle tickets left, completely out of my control, I was only given 300 and I let in over 450, another turnstiler only had 200 tickets and let through 550 people.

We're not to blame but the abuse was completely unwarranted, I understand that people will get annoyed but to get so aggressive to someone just doing a job is ridiculous, I could tell that some of the people abusing us had the same level of idiotic paranoia as you thinking we were stealing all the raffle tickets but it was just down to a massive underestimation from the stadium operating team.

It's just typical that people would blame the front line for all the problem just like how some fools blame migration for the failings of this country and not the tax-avoiding bosses of massive companies which pay the minimum wage.

Didn't  see or hear anybody abusing the  turnstile  operators but I did see very large queues right out to the road which obviously  isn't  very safe. I asked one of the "stewards" stood on Penistone  road what the problem  was after I'd  managed to interupting his conversation  about how his uncle was. His response  was a shrug of the shoulders and said that it was like it all around the  stadium (very helpful). These people cause more obstruction  than help in my experience  with them.

I shouldn't  be surprised  as the  turnstile  I'm supposed  to  use hasn't  been  open for the  last two seasons even when we know a big crowd is expected????

Seriously  how hard would it be to have 30,000 tickets printed for this promotion???? Or even easier  to just use people's seat numbers but I suppose  that would  be too much like common sense. 

I don't  like to knock the club for the sake of it and the gesture was well placed but as usual with this club the carrying out of this along with  the  catering and club shop operations leaves a lot to be desired.

 

Just to say can someone  please advise the club to open more turnstiles  on Penistone  road because  it's  only a matter of time before someone  gets knocked down by a bus or car trying to manoeuvre  round the  large queues.