The comfort of the concourse

[Red]

How much of the match do you watch from the concourse?

With the mammoth queues at half time, and draconian drinking laws in the "main bowl", I've often spent 20-30 minutes of a match watching the game from the concourse. And I've enjoyed every minute of it - noone telling you to sit down and you can drink while you watch the match.

How much of the match do you usually catch "down under"?

[Man Friday]

How much of the match do you watch from the concourse?

With the mammoth queues at half time, and draconian drinking laws in the "main bowl", I've often spent 20-30 minutes of a match watching the game from the concourse. And I've enjoyed every minute of it - noone telling you to sit down and you can drink while you watch the match.

How much of the match do you usually catch "down under"?

What are you? An alcoholic?

[Red]

I've been called worse

[Stranded]

About the last 30 seconds of the 1st half and injury time if I head down for a pint.

[cmonurz]

Why pay for a ticket and then watch the match on TV?

Have you 'seen' any goals whilst watching in the concourse? Wouldn't you rather be out in your seat when the goal goes in?

Madness.

[londinium]

If you feel you have to eat/drink at half time knowing full well there will be queues and you are going to miss either the end of the first half or the start of the second half then you are either a food junkie or an alcoholic.

If you cannot last 2 hours without food or alcohol then you need to see a doctor rather than watching RFC on a small tv on the concourse.

[Maguire]

There's nothing (and I mean NOTHING) worse than going to a football match and not being able to get a beer. Potentially day-ruining.

I'm happy to go tot he councourse for the beer run any time from 40mins onwards and would happily miss the first 5 or so minutes of a game if i've got a beer on the go. Frequently miss second half kick-off.

The TVs in the concourse only make this course of action all the more likely.

[WoodleyRoyal]

There's nothing (and I mean NOTHING) worse than going to a football match and not being able to get a beer. Potentially day-ruining.

I'm happy to go tot he councourse for the beer run any time from 40mins onwards and would happily miss the first 5 or so minutes of a game if i've got a beer on the go. Frequently miss second half kick-off.

The TVs in the concourse only make this course of action all the more likely.

massive +1 nearly got thrown out at villa park first season in the prem when they said they didn't sell beer i was shocked that a club of there size didnt sell it in the away end

[Red]

To answer our learned friend Londinium - of course I can survive 2 hours without alcohol (I did so only last week in fact) - but it's more a case of if I'm watching football I have to have had a few drinks and keep myself topped up.

Otherwise it's all rather dull isn't it? At other sporting events (darts, F1) and even gigs these days you end up watching some of it on the screen - so why not at the hallowed Mad Stad?

[Terminal Boardom]

The concourses have not been created with the comfort of the customer in mind. Not once has anything been done to remove the prison like look of the breeze blocks. The concourses reflect the overall approach and attitude towards its visitors ie everything on the cheap.

[Red]

The concourses have not been created with the comfort of the customer in mind. Not once has anything been done to remove the prison like look of the breeze blocks. The concourses reflect the overall approach and attitude towards its visitors ie everything on the cheap.

It's a fair point. Chuck in some ambient lighting and a leather sofa or two, maybe some artwork dotted around the empty wall space and I'd probably never even make it to my seat

[Maguire]

The concourses have not been created with the comfort of the customer in mind. Not once has anything been done to remove the prison like look of the breeze blocks. The concourses reflect the overall approach and attitude towards its visitors ie everything on the cheap.

I agree with this. The breeze blocks make it feel like it's still only just got beyond being a building site.

If you go drinking all day (and why wouldn't you), the 2+ hour gap in the middle of the afternoon can spell doom in the form of an early hangover.

[brendywendy]

or save you from being so drunk you fall over throw up etc

[Muskrat]

The concourses have not been created with the comfort of the customer in mind. Not once has anything been done to remove the prison like look of the breeze blocks. The concourses reflect the overall approach and attitude towards its visitors ie everything on the cheap.

LOL, just LOL. Yeah cos a bit of finishing plaster on the walls is going to make all the difference to your comfort levels isn't it.

[Svlad Cjelli]

At some time in the past ISTR being told that the breezeblocks was a deliberate choice.

If you have paint or plaster on walls where crowds congregate and move about then it very quickly gets scuffed, dented and scratched, and requires constant maintenance to avoid it looking crap.

[Red]

At some time in the past ISTR being told that the breezeblocks was a deliberate choice.

If you have paint or plaster on walls where crowds congregate and move about then it very quickly gets scuffed, dented and scratched, and requires constant maintenance to avoid it looking crap.

I can believe someone at RFC came out with that but LOL, it's so defeatist - a bit like saying why bother hoovering your home it'll just get dirty again.

[Winnershroyal]

To answer our learned friend Londinium - of course I can survive 2 hours without alcohol (I did so only last week in fact) - but it's more a case of if I'm watching football I have to have had a few drinks and keep myself topped up.

Otherwise it's all rather dull isn't it? At other sporting events (darts, F1) and even gigs these days you end up watching some of it on the screen - so why not at the hallowed Mad Stad?

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Theres an episode of the Simpsons ( ive long since abandoned them for Family Guy- but always have a special affection for them ) where Homer is on the wagon and goes to a baseball game.

He says during it that in all the years of going he never relaised how boring and tedious it was without being steamboats( wittily- cant remember the exact phrasing )

[Red]

He has a point.

[pea]

I watched the last two minutes of the Newcastle game in the concourse last season because we were sat in y26 and wanted to get closer to the buses before the match finished so we could make sure we didn't miss the last train home.

[Royal With Cheese]

Why would you want to drink beer in a huge, cold, dirty concrete corridor and crane your neck to see a TV positioned in such a way to guarantee you a headache after 10 minutes?

Imagine a pub that recreated this unique atmos. It wouldn't last very long.