North Stand Bar watch

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First game following the enforced move from East stand. I certainly can’t complain about the atmosphere. Though I don’t recall it been that loud the last time we were there, so the jury is still out on that. It was probably more to do with it being first game of the season.

My main concern though is that the bars aren’t sufficient for that area. I thought It’d be useful to start a thread to monitor this in the hope it can be passed on and something done about it.
I started queueing at 3.42. Was served at 4.07. Back to my seat at around 4.20. So including first half injury time, I missed 25 minutes just because I wanted refreshments at half time. We should surely expect much better service than that?

Wondered about other’s experience?

each game we'd take it in turns to go to the bar to get the round in so as to minimize missed minutes.
 
Was going to ask you this tomorrow.
Home bars in North weren’t big enough, or quick enough, last time we were shoe horned into there, and I don’t think it was that sold out then either?
It surely can’t be beyond the wit of bar managers to have a bloody good idea of what’s about to be sold and get way ahead of the pouring before the queues form. It really just needs proper bar staff in there tbh (and maybe roaming drink sales by people on foot round concourse too?)
Queue loads of people questioning why we can’t go 90 minutes without a drink…:emoticon-0138-think:emoticon-0181-fubar
They never have been I used to go in there and didn't bother with the bar Ciz it took ages
 
As well as the bar issue, it made me wonder at what point the overcrowding in the concourse becomes a safety liability. It was really difficult to get across the concourse from the entrance staircase to N4 at about 14:40. There'd be carnage if the stadium had to be evacuated at a time like that. It just seems like a way too small concourse for the amount of people in that area.

CC Stand Concourse is quite big. Just saying …
 
Let’s go back to the days when a cup of Bovril was enough.<laugh> (Ironic that you could take a cup of scalding hot Bovril onto a packed, swaying terrace but nowadays having a cool pint sat down is deemed unacceptable and some sort of risk) I love a pint, more than most my wife would claim, but can manage a couple of hours without one. Wouldn’t be missing any of the game to queue up for a pint of overpriced crap beer. But each to their own.
It’d be the same queue if I wanted a half time pie or a bovril. What’s the point of having refreshments at all if you have to sacrifice a large chunk of the game? It is also costing the club a fair amount in lost revenue.
Extra staff would have helped, the bar I was at only two were serving two queues. A couple more behind there just pulling pints (or actually pulling them beforehand) would speed things up to a degree. However, I do feel the issue is probably a lack of actual bar space, which I suspect probably can’t be easily remedied due to the shortage of overall space in that section of the concourse. As PLT said the concourse does seem overcrowded anyway.
 
Yeah we do.
Surely no one all leaves and stand together to pint separate pints do they?! (I know Askew doesn’t because he’s in my round)
Now there’s a start, make it compulsory to purchase at least two. Similar to car sharing!
There was a lot of people letting mates into the queue. I didn’t say anything as I assumed they were just helping carrying drinks, but then they all bought their own.
 
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It’d be the same queue if I wanted a half time pie or a bovril. What’s the point of having refreshments at all if you have to sacrifice a large chunk of the game? It is also costing the club a fair amount in lost revenue.
Extra staff would have helped, the bar I was at only two were serving two queues. A couple more behind there just pulling pints (or actually pulling them beforehand) would speed things up to a degree. However, I do feel the issue is probably a lack of actual bar space, which I suspect probably can’t be easily remedied due to the shortage of overall space in that section of the concourse. As PLT said the concourse does seem overcrowded anyway.

I know. I was joking. Though it is easier to get something at all than at BP. Again, the stadium was not well designed innthat regard. Though plenty of others are as bad and worse. Digressing, was reading an article about Chelsea and how he plans to alter things at the club, with different levels of fans, including one for super fans Apparently super fans in that context means paying through the nose for everything. A beer on the concourses at his baseball club in America costs £15. That would cut queues down here somewhat.
 
I know. I was joking. Though it is easier to get something at all than at BP. Again, the stadium was not well designed innthat regard. Though plenty of others are as bad and worse. Digressing, was reading an article about Chelsea and how he plans to alter things at the club, with different levels of fans, including one for super fans Apparently super fans in that context means paying through the nose for everything. A beer on the concourses at his baseball club in America costs £15. That would cut queues down here somewhat.
It was a damned sight easier getting some food from that little shed on Kempton. That might have something to do with having **** all fans though
 
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Not sure if just a north stand issue, I rarely bother in south at half time, you have to get down there for 3.40 to stand any chance of getting back for second half in my experience and that’s with a cuppa that you can take back in with you . Do they not do that thing anymore where they pre pour pints? I was at the Etihad for Liam Gallagher in June and the beer ques were a joke as they were pulling every pint when ordered , stadiums used to have them lined up across the back .
 
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It’d be the same queue if I wanted a half time pie or a bovril. What’s the point of having refreshments at all if you have to sacrifice a large chunk of the game? It is also costing the club a fair amount in lost revenue.
Extra staff would have helped, the bar I was at only two were serving two queues. A couple more behind there just pulling pints (or actually pulling them beforehand) would speed things up to a degree. However, I do feel the issue is probably a lack of actual bar space, which I suspect probably can’t be easily remedied due to the shortage of overall space in that section of the concourse. As PLT said the concourse does seem overcrowded anyway.
The East Stand concourse has lost one bar because of the re siting of the away fans but we have two new pop up bars or kiosks serving bottled beer only. I think its cheaper then last season too. The two bigger bars have more staff and more cash points this season and waiting times seemed to have improved. Perhaps the North Stand concourse is next for an over haul ? If you have a problem there then the club need to know because I doubt very much if it is intentional to turn paying customers away and it if can be improved it will be providing the club are aware of the problem.
 
Oh and yes, why no pre-poured pints set up for half-time, that’s just poor bar management. Do they not realise that probably sell more if people thought they could get served, get it down their neck and mebbe even have a pee all before second half kick off.
 
Oh and yes, why no pre-poured pints set up for half-time, that’s just poor bar management. Do they not realise that probably sell more if people thought they could get served, get it down their neck and mebbe even have a pee all before second half kick off.

Wembley have hundreds of pints of lager pulled ready for half time, only it's completely headless and looks like pints of Lucozade.
 
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Turnstile situation in North stand isn't great either obviously losing some to the away fans, we arrived earlier then usual on Saturday so had no issues, had no issues getting beer though as there's a smaller bar that only does drinks at the far end of the concourse
 
I’m astonished all the terrible logistical realities of the North stand haven’t magically gone away since we were last there. A truly inspired decision to shift everyone there.
 
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