SAB: Match Day Experience Sub-Group Meeting

I attended the above meeting last night at Upton Park.

• A new catering company came on board at the start of the season. The pies provider was changed.
• New hot water boilers have been installed at UP, at I am told huge expense, as there has been a big issue with no hot water in the East Stand.
• More cleaners before during and after a match have been employed.
• We were told that Newham council are in the middle of a programme of removing ALL food trucks and burger vans from Green Street, by the end of this season they will all be gone.

We have been ask once again to consult with fans, so if you would be kind enough to give me your thoughts on the following;

1. What would induce you to go into the ground when it opens 90minutes prior to kick-off?
2. What stops you from going into the ground when it opens 90minutes prior to kick-off?
3. Stewards; do you like seeing the same steward in your section of the ground, how could stewarding be improved? Would you like to see a more ‘customer service’ approach to stewarding (at FLUM they welcome you into the ground)?
4. What do you think of the changes made to the concession stands (I hadn’t notice they’d changed to be honest) and how do you think they could be improved?
5. What type of food would you like to see provided that isn’t currently?
6. Anything else you think is relevant to improving the match day experience? (this doesn’t include getting the team to win, unfortunately).


(we were not told anything about any progress been made on the Olympic stadium stuff)


Oh something I forgot to mention (there will be other things but as yet I don’t know what they are). There has been a bit of a turf war over Upton Park Station between the club, the MET, BTP and LU and whose responsibility it is to get us all in the station and on a train safely. At present WHU stewards organise the barriers and queuing system, the MET watch (unless someone breaks the law then they may step in), the BTP stand at the entrance to the station and just watch, LU washes its hands of the whole thing. LU no longer run extra District Line trains in order to accommodate extra passengers on match day, WHU have offered to pay but LU have declined.

Why would you want to go in to the ground 90mins before kick off???

Campo wrote:Why would you want to go in to the ground 90mins before kick off???

Free beer?

Cochese wrote:

Campo wrote:Why would you want to go in to the ground 90mins before kick off???

Free beer?

I'm in

90 mins, they are having a giraffe surely?? The seats aren't that comfortable, the weather that nice that id want to spend 1 minute over the 93 in them! If they mean they want people to mooch about in the concourse then more TVs with football on, much cheaper food and hammerettes wondering around selling something (I don't care what) in hot pants. They could try adding some healthier food to sell but to be honest when i'm at a football match it goes out the window and I want all the traditional crap.

Suz, perhaps they could open the supporters club earlier for you guys, upgrade it,and make it better??

Getting rid of the burger vans outside?? Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

That is one of the overriding memories my youngest has of when we visited, the burger van outside the ground. Not just the burgers but the people around them, the banter the atmosphere they create etc etc. Getting rid of them will kill a lot of the match day experience. Can they not licence pitches inside the carpark?

I would only go in 90mins early if there was the equivalent of The Marquee at the DW. I know I sound like a stuck record but the way they cater for the visiting fans at the DW should be applauded. If West Ham could do something similar, like incorporating the Supporters Club into the ground, that would get me in early.

What Blakey said, although I believe the supporters club is independent of the club (?) and kind of like that fact so maybe the club would still let someone have complete control over it but locate it within it walls?

manurewa hammer wrote:Suz, perhaps they could open the supporters club earlier for you guys, upgrade it,and make it better??

The football club do not make any profit from the SuppsClub, they want us out of there and in the ground as soon as the doors open.

Martin, we asked about putting club concession stands in the card park but there is 6 drivers for every parking space so that’s a no go.

It looks to me like the council are working with the club and the independent burger vans will be replaced by something from the clubs catering company.

serious head on .......

1. What would induce you to go into the ground when it opens 90minutes prior to kick-off?

maybe a bit of proper entertainment .... and the price of the food has to come down and the quality up ..... not that im a boozer but again the cost and quality of the stuf has to do the same

2. What stops you from going into the ground when it opens 90minutes prior to kick-off?

see above


3. Stewards; do you like seeing the same steward in your section of the ground, how could stewarding be improved? Would you like to see a more ‘customer service’ approach to stewarding (at FLUM they welcome you into the ground)?

no comment

4. What do you think of the changes made to the concession stands (I hadn’t notice they’d changed to be honest) and how do you think they could be improved?

there is no change ...still a poor quality rip off

5. What type of food would you like to see provided that isn’t currently?

same grub bt in better condition

6. Anything else you think is relevant to improving the match day experience? (this doesn’t include getting the team to win, unfortunately).

eject any totally pissed supporters ...

also ...back to food .... I stood and watched the people handling the food at the spurs game .... some wearing gloves sme not ...both holdng the food ... one server running his hands through his hair and wiping his nose with his hand then handling the food ... handling the cash and the food with the same gloved / non gloved hand .... enough to put me right off even if i could afford the extortionate prices .... maybe a club supervisor should patrol the food stands and keep an eye on them ...and remind the club that the millionairs own and play for the club .... and dont sit in the cheap seats


serious head off

I've noticed that too - the gloved / non-gloved / food / money /face touching thing.

I did mention to the Catering Rep on Thursday that her staff needed much much much more training.

Have to agree with the dude , we did talk about this over the weekend , not that I,m there as often as some of you but I have never bought anything from the food bars apart from once , some cold hot dog with a stale roll . The beer pisses me off when they open the shutters and there is 100 beers standing there that they have poured to save time , no one wants flat warm beer at those prices , I dont know if it is still the same , if it is then more staff and more beer pumps would be a simple remedy with some sort of queueing system instead of a free for all , nothing worse than someone who has just been served with five beers trying to get out , half of it gets spilt down some poor fuckers neck .

We have been ask once again to consult with fans, so if you would be kind enough to give me your thoughts on the following;

1. What would induce you to go into the ground when it opens 90minutes prior to kick-off?
Being allowed to smoke

2. What stops you from going into the ground when it opens 90minutes prior to kick-off?
Not being allowed to smoke

3. Stewards; do you like seeing the same steward in your section of the ground, how could stewarding be improved? Would you like to see a more ‘customer service’ approach to stewarding (at FLUM they welcome you into the ground)?
Not fussed about which stewards are where or being welcomed into the ground

4. What do you think of the changes made to the concession stands (I hadn’t notice they’d changed to be honest) and how do you think they could be improved?
What changes?

5. What type of food would you like to see provided that isn’t currently?
Sometimes you don't fancy a filling, fattening burger or pie. A sandwich or roll with a healthy filling would be nice. But then again, on days when you're not bothered about the healthy option, big fat chips would be nice

6. Anything else you think is relevant to improving the match day experience? (this doesn’t include getting the team to win, unfortunately)
Proper trained staff with a brain cell each would be good. And what Abbi said about the hygiene

TaniaP wrote:We have been ask once again to consult with fans, so if you would be kind enough to give me your thoughts on the following;

1. What would induce you to go into the ground when it opens 90minutes prior to kick-off?
Being allowed to smoke

One of the advantages of non league football

Suzanne Claret wrote:I've noticed that too - the gloved / non-gloved / food / money /face touching thing.

I did mention to the Catering Rep on Thursday that her staff needed much much much more training.

Needs reporting to Newham EHO department.That would sort them.