New Barriers outside Goldsmiths Stand

[sapajo]

I did not enjoy the experience of exiting the ground tonight getting crushed against the newly installed barriers. This was due to the mind numbingly obvious fact that huge numbers of ever increasing supporters are herded and funneled into a very small area waiting ages for the traffic lights to change and then having literally seconds to cross. It will only be a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured.

[daniel]

Surely your joking? having had a season ticket for the last 5 seasons I have winessed countless times where people have run across the road, narrowly missing traffic, while also seeing inconsiderate drivers race by without even looking at the traffic lights. The barriers have been put I n place in an attempt to prevent accidents as supporters use the crossings rather than darting into the road from any position.

Common sense surely states that having supporters cross a busy road at a safe junction is better than them crossing at any point along a 100 meter stretch.

The extra 5 minutes wait won't kill anyone

[mike]

Daniel - the old system was far ,far better than what has been put in place now. Last night , even with a half full Ground and with the crowd leaving the match early , the barrier system was dangerous . It is madness for people to be herded into a very small space with no safe exit whilst other people are allowed to crowd in behind in a completely uncontrolled fashion . When you have a Full house the pressure on the barriers will cause some very serious problems .

[InGuinnessVeritas]

Due to receiving an urgent phone call, I had to leave last night's match 10 minutes before the end. As I rounded the corner by the ticket office on to Aylestone Road, I saw the long line of barriers and shuddered. I fully appreciate the previous problems of people crossing the road after a match since I park at the cricket ground and drive up Aylestone Road on my way home. However, I truly believe trying to funnel that many people to just one crossing place is a disaster waiting to happen.

Daniel says the extra 5 minutes wait won't kill anyone but I can almost guarantee someone will not be willing to wait that time. They will try to vault the barriers and I dread to think what would ensue.

Something has to be done to improve the situation on Aylestone Road after a match. What this might be, I don't know but I don't think this latest development is the right one.

[Tigerbeat]

The system won't cause an accident......it will be the people who do not have the patience to wait and queue.

[sapajo]

Daniel - the old system was far ,far better than what has been put in place now. Last night , even with a half full Ground and with the crowd leaving the match early , the barrier system was dangerous . It is madness for people to be herded into a very small space with no safe exit whilst other people are allowed to crowd in behind in a completely uncontrolled fashion . When you have a Full house the pressure on the barriers will cause some very serious problems .

Thank heavens for such wise words and common sense This is a serious problem and it is no joke when you are forced against a barrier due to the sheer weight of numbers.

[sapajo]

The system won't cause an accident......it will be the people who do not have the patience to wait and queue.

That I must say is totally irresponsible because in the act of waiting and queuing is when I got crushed against the barrier

[InGuinnessVeritas]

This is a serious problem and it is no joke when you are forced against a barrier due to the sheer weight of numbers.

Indeed. Try telling that to the poor sods who didn't come home from Hillsborough.

Was there or will they be some form of crowd control behind the Crumbie and GNC Stands to regulate the flow of people towards this one crossing point or will they simply be allowed to constantly push towards it? I know we're meant to be rugby supporters and therefore have more than two brain cells to rub together but it would only take one person to stumble and fall near the crossing and mayhem would ensue.

[ellis9]

I have to agree with the barriers being a bad thing. Even last night with a much lower attendance than a league game it was a pain to get across and because every one was being sent to the crossing even when the traffic lights had changed to green, people were still crossing.

[Tigerbeat]

The system won't cause an accident......it will be the people who do not have the patience to wait and queue.

That I must say is totally irresponsible because in the act of waiting and queuing is when I got crushed against the barrier

Sapajo, if people take their time and do not rush and with stewarding it should be okay. Have you been to Twickenham Tain station immediately after a game? Fans are fed through a bariered area whilst waiting for trains to arrive.
I am sure that this will be monitored and changed if it is presenting a problem.

[InGuinnessVeritas]

Have you been to Twickenham Tain station immediately after a game? Fans are fed through a bariered area whilst waiting for trains to arrive.
I am sure that this will be monitored and changed if it is presenting a problem.

There's a big difference between people waiting for trains to arrive and leave at set times and people being made to wait to get back to their cars.

[sapajo]

The system won't cause an accident......it will be the people who do not have the patience to wait and queue.

That I must say is totally irresponsible because in the act of waiting and queuing is when I got crushed against the barrier

Sapajo, if people take their time and do not rush and with stewarding it should be okay. Have you been to Twickenham Tain station immediately after a game? Fans are fed through a bariered area whilst waiting for trains to arrive.
I am sure that this will be monitored and changed if it is presenting a problem.

Tigerbeat thank you, firstly yes I have been through said Twickenham Train Station barriers immediately after a game and that is why I will never repeat the experience. Furthermore as you know there was no stewarding at the barriers last night and frankly "should be okay" does not reassure me. The club must take action next Saturday to adequately police and control this new system. The pedestrian crossing point involves negotiating two sets of traffic lights in order to get to the Mandela Park pathway and is in effect the safety relief valve. Unless a quick and controlled method of passing through this valve quickly and safely is introduced the sheer number of supporters will not dissipate to safely relieve the pressure.

[InGuinnessVeritas]

Sapajo, are you saying there were also barriers on the Welford Road side of the ground? I was only aware of those on Aylestone Road.

[sapajo]

Sapajo, are you saying there were also barriers on the Welford Road side of the ground? I was only aware of those on Aylestone Road.

Yes Sir! Apologies if I have caused any confusion but I did say behind the Goldsmiths Stand

[parkerd68]

What's the situation further up where people come out by the Crumbie stand? Are there barriers there? In some repects, up there is more dangerous with another lane (or 2?) and cars accelerating away from the lights.

If one assumes that half the crowd will cross Welford Road, and half the crowd will cross Aylestone Road, and then half again will cross by the CAT stand, and half by the Crumbie stand, that's up to 6000 leaving through that narrow barrier. Take away the number who go to the shop and the bars, there would still be a lot of people going through. As a still (reasonably) fit middle aged man, I wasn't in a hurry, but actually found myself getting bumped most by elderly people (of bothe sexes!)

I'm not sure if it's the solution, but then I'm not sure of an alternative, although closing the lane by the ground didn't seem too bad.