Eagle Express - Coach travel to home games

[Billy Rhino]

Any ideas of how may have bough tickets so far? £10 without concessions seems a bit steep to me if Charlton are charging £7 though I guess Selhurst is a bit further coming from Kent.

[Ridcully]

I think its the concession thing that will make the difference for me, I take two kids usually (three next year) so £30/£40 instead of the car isn't attractive from Medway.

For two though its a good deal.

[Ian of Chatham]

Originally Posted by W Malling Eagle

I was hoping it would be a Maidstone area service rather than Medway Towns, but fingers crossed that it's a success. I do wonder how the Gills feel about it as it goes so close to their ground!

Hopefully the service will be well-subscribed and may be extended to other areas without direct rail links. Great to see the club doing things to encourage fans to come to Selhurst. If only we could start scoring goals, I think attendances would be on the rise...

It will now run to Maidstone, but it appears the Gravesend and Dartford stops have quietly disappeared!

[Billy Rhino]

This is today I believe. Anyone know how many tickets were sold etc? Would be a shame if this doesn't get off the ground.

[Pistol Knight]

This thread should have been stickied

[Eye-dee]

Originally Posted by Pistol Knight

This thread should have been stickied

I agree

[Ridcully]

Has anyone used it yet?

[Billy Rhino]

SB said it had 18 people for the Leeds game. I'm not convinced Kent is the best place to start with but one way or the other I think we need to keep this project going and bigger. It could have a major impact on the future of the club.

[Ian of Chatham]

Would have been 19, unfortunately I had to change my plans last minute as I was not going straight home after that game so had to take the car. I did buy a coach ticket for the Doncaster game and intend to use it for the Watford game on Saturday.

It might be used more if there is another pick up point on the route closer to London, depending on the route it uses, e.g. somewhere like Farnborough if it goes via the A21

[laggin]

Originally Posted by Billy Rhino

SB said it had 18 people for the Leeds game. I'm not convinced Kent is the best place to start with but one way or the other I think we need to keep this project going and bigger. It could have a major impact on the future of the club.

kent is ideal, as there is no trains getting into croy/NJ unlike surrey and sussex, you have to go all the way upto victoria and change or use the complicated short cut of bromley south-beck jn-tram to harrington rd

[Dorking .Eagle]

Doing it for Saturday games but not midweek ones (eg Br*ghton home) doesn't send out the strongest signal of commitment to running the service IMO. However it's only a trial period at the moment, hopefully the club can get some feedback and end up with something really great.

[AJ's right boot]

I might use it but it has too many stops for me. Looking at all the pick up it seems like you might be on the coach for a bloody long time!

[Ian of Chatham]

Originally Posted by Ridcully

Has anyone used it yet?

Yes I used it yesterday. I think there was 13 on the coach in total. Two were from Faversham, I got on at Medway services and the rest got on at the Hilton in Maidstone.

Originally Posted by Dorking .Eagle

Doing it for Saturday games but not midweek ones (eg Br*ghton home) doesn't send out the strongest signal of commitment to running the service IMO. However it's only a trial period at the moment, hopefully the club can get some feedback and end up with something really great.

True but a lot of people don't work in the areas where they live, so the numbers would be lower in the weekdays. I would struggle to get to Medway Services to use the service if the departure time at the point was say 5:00 pm. If it was 5:30pm I may be able to use it.

Also I wonder what happens now that the Doncaster game was moved to the evening six people (myself included) had paid to take the coach on the day it was postponed.

I would use the service again. but I think the take up for this service would be improved if the following measures were taken:

• Giving concessions for OAPs and children.
• Sell tickets for the coach online on the club website.
• Include a stop closer to London (e.g. Swanley, and or Farnborough if using the A21/A232 route to Selhurst)
• Start back the service from Canterbury to include other Kent towns (e.g. Herne Bay or Whistable)
• Reduce prices for the Canterbury, Faversham and Sittingbourne stops.

[Billy Rhino]

This idea should work but, as is the Palace way, it's been done half-heartedly with just 1 coach along some random stop offs in Kent, it's too expensive and randomly priced (Charlton charge £7 full stop) and it's not advertised well. Very disappointed, but not surprised.

[LONDONMAN]

Originally Posted by Billy Rhino

This idea should work but, as is the Palace way, it's been done half-heartedly with just 1 coach along some random stop offs in Kent, it's too expensive and randomly priced (Charlton charge £7 full stop) and it's not advertised well. Very disappointed, but not surprised.

I'm not trying to upset people here - I know the people in the Palace Box Office work very hard and have numerous other ticketing and other duties to fulfil - but since the demise of the supporters Away Travel - the travel organised and offered by the Club has just got progessively poorer and less well structured.

Does the person that organises the Travel go to the matches? I think not - and that's a huge problem, with a lack of sensible departure times and structured pick-up points.

I think CPFC2010 have done a fantastic job in turning the club around - but as Steve Browett recently pointed out - the four guys do not actually work at Selhurst Park and so have to delegate the work to those who do - not having people running away travel that actually go to games and have a working knowledge of dealing with the various situations will always bring the service problems.

[TheMexicanHorse]

Originally Posted by LONDONMAN

I'm not trying to upset people here - I know the people in the Palace Box Office work very hard and have numerous other ticketing and other duties to fulfil - but since the demise of the supporters Away Travel - the travel organised and offered by the Club has just got progessively poorer and less well structured.

Does the person that organises the Travel go to the matches? I think not - and that's a huge problem, with a lack of sensible departure times and structured pick-up points.

I think CPFC2010 have done a fantastic job in turning the club around - but as Steve Browett recently pointed out - the four guys do not actually work at Selhurst Park and so have to delegate the work to those who do - not having people running away travel that actually go to games and have a working knowledge of dealing with the various situations will always bring the service problems.

Do we need an 'away supporters travel club' though?

Anyone can access cheap train fares on the internet, and have some flexibility as to when they arrived and depart a destination.

Certainly, as we have seen with official coach travel, the prices they charge for coach travel compared to the prices you can get to away games for on the train is very uncompetitive.

I mean take the coach travel prices for Millwall away this year:

Eagle Gold £13.00

Season tkt holders £16.00

Guests £17.00

When a return from Croydon to South Bermondsey was about £5. It's totally uncompetitive.

[jamie12]

Originally Posted by TheMexicanHorse

Do we need an 'away supporters travel club' though?

Anyone can access cheap train fares on the internet, and have some flexibility as to when they arrived and depart a destination.

Certainly, as we have seen with official coach travel, the prices they charge for coach travel compared to the prices you can get to away games for on the train is very uncompetitive.

I mean take the coach travel prices for Millwall away this year:

Eagle Gold £13.00

Season tkt holders £16.00

Guests £17.00

When a return from Croydon to South Bermondsey was about £5. It's totally uncompetitive.

But tbf, if you're an old geezer who's legs haven't quite got the same power, it's a lot easier to jump on a coach which takes you right to the ground, then have to mess about train/tube to a busy terminal station, walk down steps, get on the train, walk from the station etc.
Trains much better, but you can see why those less able love the coach service.

[W Malling Eagle]

I would have given this a go for the Peterboro game, but it goes right past West Malling. Hardly worth leaving the motorway for one passenger though, so looks like I'll be on the train.

[TheMexicanHorse]

Originally Posted by jamie12

But tbf, if you're an old geezer who's legs haven't quite got the same power, it's a lot easier to jump on a coach which takes you right to the ground, then have to mess about train/tube to a busy terminal station, walk down steps, get on the train, walk from the station etc.
Trains much better, but you can see why those less able love the coach service.

I totally appreciated the club coach has a small, if loyal band of customers. I'm just saying there is no need for some sort of official away club when the majority of visiting fans either train or car it.

[Billy Rhino]

Why aren't our Kent fans using this? Is it cost, pick up points or something else?

Looks like we could lose this if not enough people use it, which would be a shame.