Many years ago when my son was young we used to go to Pontins (Camber Sands) for short break holidays (it was all we could afford) and many parents who went there were like that. Spent the whole time drinking and the kids had to fend for themselves. The kids were a bit feral but could you blame them, they were left completely to their own devices. Reminded me of the stories you hear from old folks these days about in the 1960s their parents leaving them outside a pub for hours with a lemonade and a packet of crisps.

Not sure what you can do about it at DWFC, it's not the clubs job (apart from obvious safeguarding) - the volunteers can help if there's a lost child or someone needs taking to first aid, but you expect parents to have a basic level of responsibility!

First game in ages where it felt like a National League home game to be honest, crowds of people down the High Street, queues at the bars, traffic in the town and full pubs and car parks. I've missed those days and hope we have more of them (not just play offs and games against big teams)...

Also I saw so many people with the monthly mag - great to see, I really want that to be a success and it appears they must have sold loads of those today.

I don't care if lots were neutrals either, todays curious neutrals are there to be won over as tomorrows fans of the club.

Matthew, even though you have family stand season tickets, you don't have to sit there all season...ground holds 4000 so if you want to stand on the Bank instead just go there and stand. The club can't watch kids who are wandering about, for all they know they could be going to the toilet or getting food. There is a steward in the family stand but he is only a volunteer and is mainly there for safety and emergencies.

By the way, whatever happened with that seated stand the club bought off ebay? Has anyone ever seen it? Or are we saving it for the play-offs?

Like I said, I'm not blaming the club at all, it's just crappy parenting in my opinion.

I just needed to vent after spending two hours next to someone else's two very bored, restless kids, and watching my team fall to have any shots on target! 

At least I got a quad workout getting up out of my seat every 3 minutes to let them in and out.

@dorking-raider It's still in bits awaiting planning permission, would you believe! Although I think we may have this very soon. Just in time for a play off final.

Posted by: @dorking-raider

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Matthew, even though you have family stand season tickets, you don't have to sit there all season...ground holds 4000 so if you want to stand on the Bank instead just go there and stand. The club can't watch kids who are wandering about, for all they know they could be going to the toilet or getting food. There is a steward in the family stand but he is only a volunteer and is mainly there for safety and emergencies.

By the way, whatever happened with that seated stand the club bought off ebay? Has anyone ever seen it? Or are we saving it for the play-offs?

 

As Dorking Raider says, I would try the Bank for a match, or part of a match this season, and see what you think. One disadvantage of the Bank is that they allow people to stand round the pitch to the right of the goal. This means you can't see the goal line area from parts of the Stand, particularly the far end. This is not a problem in the Family Stand. Personally I prefer to stand on the side of the pitch, as you get a better view and don't get the sun in your eyes.

Dorking Eagle - I bought the monthly magazine yesterday and thought it was a good price and provided a lot of information. Nearly 50 pages and only 1 advert. Much better than the Crawley option which was  £6, and the size of a large magazine, but thicker. This was not very popular and only lasted a few months. The owners decided to go for high quality paper and a thick magazine, and that was a mistake.

I have noticed many times kids are left to roam about on their own in the family stand-personally I wouldn’t let mine do it until they were 12/13 at least.
I’ve managed to get my son out of the family stand and into the Bank for the last 3 games(he’s 10). Much more enjoyable experience apart from the sun and lack of visibility of the goal mouth 😂.

The Bank it is then!

@gary-munnery Yeah that lack of visibility is a bit of an issue that needs sorting. Can't see the goal line. Pitch needs to move about a yard or more towards the away end I think?

Posted by: @adeb

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@gary-munnery Yeah that lack of visibility is a bit of an issue that needs sorting. Can't see the goal line. Pitch needs to move about a yard or more towards the away end I think?

Or just not allow people to stand there? It used to be just small kids, but there was a lot of adults there yesterday, including one bloke well over 6ft . I am sure he would be able to see if he stood on the Bank proper (he wasn't  with kids).

Re the magazine - it has got better with each issue. I think the final phase would be to work on the opposition pages.

For the teams we are due to face at home, make the opposition page a bit more 'programme like' - pen pictures (descriptions) of 3 key players and maybe a team picture?

For the teams we are due to play away, make each opposition page a picture of the ground, some directions and parking tips, details of the away coach for each trip.

I must concede it's pushing the content more like a programme than a magazine!

@crawleysth Still wouldn't be perfect, even not allowing standing. Issue is the sightlines aren't great with the goal line too close to the pitch side

For everyone to have a good view at the park end you have to have no pitchside standing in front of the Bank tiered terracing AND no advert boards behind the goal (probably four would have to go)

Those are the most important advert boards in the ground, no doubt the most lucrative and the club is probably contractually obliged to have the Vanarama ones there whatever.