I had a chat with Swanny this morning about, inter alia, my own personal concerns over public transport if we move to Barton.

He reiterated Dimes's statement on Tuesday that no decision has yet been taken on whether there will be any change in home ground and, if there is, whether it will be moved to Heywood Road, Barton, Dumplington, Ibrox, Chipping Sodbury or wherever.

He did, however, make one quite reasonable point (yes, you did read that right - reasonable!) and that is that it is all very well us complaining about our transport concerns in general terms but, without specifics, CS cannot see where the problems actually lie and if and how they could address some or all of these concerns.

A fair point, I think you will agree?

So, he is asking any and all of us who have concerns about travel to and from Barton, should we indeed move there, to email him with your own personal and specific concerns and an idea of how it would affect you - not how it might affect the average supporter or the people in the seats next to you at EP. How would it affect you and you alone?

Be selfish, be utterly selfish, for without such data how can the Club understand just what the problems are?

He did say that any possible coaches, again mentioned by Dimes, would not travel merely between A and Z, but would drop off people en route at stops B to Y just like scheduled services so we wouldn't be dumped at journey's end.

So, I suggest we all email Swanny with how the trip would affect us personally - possibly with our home address and/or postcode so a picture can be drawn up of the distribution of potential public transport users and potential coach users.

If you want to see how you will be affected, then may I suggest that you type in your home address and Salford City Stadium or Peel Green, Liverpool Rd/Salford City Stadium into the Plan your journey section on Traveline North West. If you are coming from outside the "North West" then you can do the same exercise via the National Travel Portal.

Swanny's email address is ...

dave dot swanton at salesharks dot com

This is an opportunity for sensible dialogue over your personal travel concerns, take it don't break it, use it don't abuse it!

I've sent mine in, together with an explanation of the National Concessionary Travel Scheme for Twirlies (who might resent paying for laid on coaches when they would otherwise travel free) and correcting Dimes' error over pensioners and half price rail fares.

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 23/03/2012 15:10 by iBozz.

A sensible idea! Wonder how many posters will take this up? It is very easy to post negative comments but how many posters have actually emailed the people in charge and complained? I have said it before and I will say it yet again....

I have emailed/spoke to Swanny, and others at the club, when I have not been happy about various things....I have ALWAYS got a response.

I have taken time out to be involved with the focus group and I have been accused of being a 'yes man' when it comes to issues to do with various perceived 'problems'. Ask Swanny (and others ) if that is the case.... but I have always maintained that if you post something on this message board then also be honest enough to say it to the persons face.

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All well and good.
I will certainly do it
BUT
Since this is still a "what if...."
Why didn't the club suggest this months ago?
They have been in negotiations for months.

Does he want the specific problems for chipping sodbury, Sport city, Warrington etc?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 23/03/2012 15:17 by H's D.

I think this is an excellent and very positive idea.I will take Swanny up on his offer and email him with my details My concerns relate to the issue of having to park at some distance from the ground which will cause problems for a friend who has difficulty in walking very far. I hadn't considered the bus option, but if it is going to operate more as a 'Park and Ride' (!!) then it might be an answer.

IBozz, on the face of it that offer seems very reasonable and I will probably take him up on it. Of course it is more difficult to say exactly how it will affect a car driver though many of us have experience of the area when there aren't 10,000 additional people trying to get there.

However, how does your first paragraph tie in with your report from Tuesday evenings meeting that the decision has to be made within 2/3 days to satisfy pre-season audit requirements?  Three days are now up.

Also LJK reported from the same meeting that there was no third option, no Heywood Road, Ibrox or Chipping Sodbury.

It would appear that either the reports from the meeting were a little awry, or that something has changed.

Alternatively this is a far too late attempt at pretending people are being listened to.

Great idea, but shouldn't we add at the end of our respective tales of misery that "... we are sure the club will already have done something like this as it has the addresses of ST holders."

I think that's irony !

4 of us have decided to go to see a Salford Reds match on a friday night to see what the traffic is like.

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Drinking doesn't cause hangovers, waking up in the morning does!

Just Barton, H's D.

We can assess the delights of travel to and from Chipping Sodbury if and when they announce that that is where we'll go!

Yes, they should have done something like this a while back (confidentiality agreements may have had a bearing, who knows) but equally we should perhaps have made specific points earlier. I'm as guilty as are others for generalised complaints!

Let's not spoil an opportunity for constructive dialogue with related but non-germane issues.

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Quote:

Frodo Shark
However, how does your first paragraph tie in with your report from Tuesday evenings meeting that the decision has to be made within 2/3 days to satisfy pre-season audit requirements?  Three days are now up.

Ask Swanny, I'm not a spokesman for the Club.

May I repeat ...

This is an opportunity for sensible dialogue over your personal travel concerns, take it don't break it, use it don't abuse it!

... and ...

Let's not spoil an opportunity for constructive dialogue with related but non-germane issues.

---

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Has there been a focus group about a proposed move to Barton? If not that would be an excellent suggestion Tigger.

The SSSC are ideally placed to offer advice on running coaches. If they haven't been asked already I would suggest they are a good starting point.

The problem I see with coaches - you need them to arrive at 7.40 pm at the latest in order to get people through turnstyles and into seats. If you want to allow time for them to get a drink, food, programme etc then you might want to have them there for 7.20 ish.

Allow the last mile or more might take half an hour or more if the Trafford Centre is busy then the coach needs to be within a mile or so of the ground by 6.50.

Say 6 stops on the way with say 3 mins per stop for people to get on and seated, coach to get in and out of traffic. Round it to 20 mins for stops.

Let's say Macclesfield, Poynton, Bramhall, Davenport, Edgeley Park, Cheadle then on to the M60 as a possible route because it's one I know quite well. In a car, in reasonable traffic Macc to Edgeley Park takes 40 mins, if the motorway is reasonable (big if) then 15/20 mins around to Trafford Centre exit.

So journey = 60 mins + stops 20 mins = 1 hr 20 = assuming last mile or so = 30 mins = 1 hr 50 mins.

The coach would have to leave Macc at 5.30 to arrive at 7.20.

A much better option would be Park & Ride - hire a large unused area of land and run shuttle buses from there as at High Wycombe.

My concerns in a nutshell CE. i have already sent them to Swanny.
The transient (SSSC suggested) Macc. coach to EP of yore came through Poynton just before 6, in order to get to EP in good time.
I couldn't quite make that. I suspect that your times from Macclesfield need to be at least half an hour earlier with traffic conditions as they are now.

I have sent my e-mail with my concerns

my philosophy is that you cant please all the people all the time, the club at the end of the day needs to do what is best for Sale Sharks and hopefully bring as many people along with them as they can.

if I can move with them I will if I can't then I will support Sale Sharks (or what ever they are called) from a distance.

change is inevitable if you stand still you will fade away. If sale had not moved from Haywood Rd does anyone think they will still be in the Premiership I for one don't, they would have gone they way of other clubs.

I know others have their own views on this which they are entitled to but i will always support Sale Sharks either as a season ticket holder or as an occasional attender.

Sorry, iBozz, if that sounded as though I was having a go at you. It certainly wasn't meant to, just genuinely wondering whether you knew.

As to my question at the end, as to the reason for this apparent sudden change, again that was a genuine question.

I have never said more than "hello" to BK and he has never said more back. I do not know him at all.

But what I do know of him, in the press and so on is that his life story has some similarities to someone I know well.

On the basis of my acquaintance, I could be convinced that this is a genuine offer from the very top of the club.

If that is the case, then it is certainly to be welcomed.

No problem, Frodo.

I really do not know, I merely had a chat with Swanny which touched on several matters, including public transport as it affected me were we to move to Barton - or anywhere.

I don't own a car, nor do I currently either want or need one, so buses, trams, trains and Twirlies are what matters to me.

Sod the rest of you, me is what matters!

And Heywood Road, Ibrox or Chipping Sodbury were tongue in cheek!

---

No matter what you say, or how you say it, someone somewhere will deliberately go out of their way to be offended.

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Please help medical research by Folding@Home and join Swanny's Irregulars - PM me for details. Please!

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 23/03/2012 16:15 by iBozz.

I'll give you a lift iBozz.
My mileage rates are very reasonable, but as i can't leave till 6.15, it going to be touch and go to get there for kick off , reliant also on Swanny finding us a place to park which doesn't involve negotiating the Partington roundabout or involve a two mile walk.
I also reckon we may need to ask for a Season ticket excluding games in the two months before Xmas, and January sales. The M60 is one big taffic jam then even wthout all our supporters cars..

Quote:

CEintheSun
Has there been a focus group about a proposed move to Barton? If not that would be an excellent suggestion Tigger.

The SSSC are ideally placed to offer advice on running coaches. If they haven't been asked already I would suggest they are a good starting point.

The problem I see with coaches - you need them to arrive at 7.40 pm at the latest in order to get people through turnstyles and into seats. If you want to allow time for them to get a drink, food, programme etc then you might want to have them there for 7.20 ish.

Allow the last mile or more might take half an hour or more if the Trafford Centre is busy then the coach needs to be within a mile or so of the ground by 6.50.

Say 6 stops on the way with say 3 mins per stop for people to get on and seated, coach to get in and out of traffic. Round it to 20 mins for stops.

Let's say Macclesfield, Poynton, Bramhall, Davenport, Edgeley Park, Cheadle then on to the M60 as a possible route because it's one I know quite well. In a car, in reasonable traffic Macc to Edgeley Park takes 40 mins, if the motorway is reasonable (big if) then 15/20 mins around to Trafford Centre exit.

So journey = 60 mins + stops 20 mins = 1 hr 20 = assuming last mile or so = 30 mins = 1 hr 50 mins.

The coach would have to leave Macc at 5.30 to arrive at 7.20.

A much better option would be Park & Ride - hire a large unused area of land and run shuttle buses from there as at High Wycombe.

Already been made CE...Swanny is very aware of certain problems issues...it is worth taking the time out to email him with problems AND ideas.

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Thanks H's D, I'll bear that in mind.

My charges for giving you the undoubted honour of giving me a lift will also be very reasonable.

However, if you really insist that I pay my way, then I'm prepared to offer you up to full Twirly rates!

---

No matter what you say, or how you say it, someone somewhere will deliberately go out of their way to be offended.

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Please help medical research by Folding@Home and join Swanny's Irregulars - PM me for details. Please!

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Ideas like ........
Whatever you do ensure the proposed new stadium has good multiple access routes in and out, and is well served by existing road and rail/tram public transport , (ie as good as EP)?
I did that on here as soon as Barton was mentioned, Tigger.
In fact you and I were mostly responsible for elucidating possible "answers" to the obvious barton failings, NOT the club.

Ibozz I will be a train service.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 23/03/2012 16:34 by H's D.

Just got in to read the reports about Swanny taking comments on transport to barton and SD stating the club will further discuss the possible change of name with us.... good stuff. However, with a week to go to the PR stated deadline of end March to advise the club's home ground I find it almost impossible to accept that the decision on the move to Barton (or not) has not been taken by today

The whole suggestion just reeks of disingenuousnness.

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I am anyones equal, but no ones superior

SS should have gleaned feedback months ago. They know perfectly well Supporters are Engineers, Developers, Architects, etc as well as rugby nuts! We all want to help as well as having the odd moan. I've sat in Mick Hogan's and Howard Thomas' offices helping on similar issues in the past.

The horse has bolted on this one. It's obvious SS are going to Barton so it's a 'damage limitation' exercise. I don't know how Swanny will manage to sift everyone's personal travel problems. The access problems needs splitting down into categories including those driving and coming by public transport, and direction of travel.

Rather then do a blanket coverage of coaches (a lot will be required) batches between key transport nodes would probably be best. Coaches would best have a stopping point say half a mile from the ground to reduce jams at the ground. Also a park & ride system for drivers, not just to TC, might be good, again with the final bus stopping short of the ground. There's also the option of a footpath along the Canal from the Barton swing bridge (Closed at present).

These possibilities and many others should have been discussed months ago and incorporated into negotiations with Salford and Peel Holdings. They would have got a better deal, have a more workable solution and made their supporters a lot happier!

Partington Roundabout is half a mile from the ground Rugbydon.
That is the choke point. It takes 45 minutes to get through on a matchday from an Eccles direction and you can't unload coaches on the motorway sliproad.
Anywhere on that side of the stadium will suffer congestion problems.

CE's suggestion of aiming to get everyone coming by car parking up on a designated Park and Ride site and swapping to shuttles a mile or two from the ground is much more sensible.

That location will need to be somewhere around Cadishead IMHO.
This would allow access from both the M62 junction 11 and M6 junction 21.
Shuttle coaches could also do pick-ups from Glazebrook/Irlam rail stations.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 24/03/2012 10:31 by H's D.

Thanks H's D, I need a map to look at your suggestions but it seems to me that that is the kind of suggestion that Swanny needs rather than our individual problems.

I "hear" what you and CE say, but just why should everybody come to a designated Park and Ride point by car?

The government is trying to get more people to use public transport, and many people don't have a car.

Am I misunderstanding the point?

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The point is there is no way you could get enough people there by coach in the time available. They would have to set off from their starting point before most people have even finished work.

In an ideal world there would be adequate public transport, or you would choose a stadium that already had adequate links but if the choice is Barton and if the transport is as it is then Park & Ride with shuttles and shuttles from nearest station/public transport hub is probably the only way to do it.

At least until the public transport problem is resolved - and even if they start now that isn't going to be resolved by September....

I can't make Bath game - out of country- so last night might be my last at Edgley Park- disappointing game but been and gone and forever onwards and upwards. Whether the move is on or not ( i tend to think it will happen) it is a major change that with hindsight could have been handled with more thoughtfulness towards the fans. When there's been such detailed discussions to move the club (even if decision made by owners) it would have been worthwhile well before now to say to fans that while negotations are well advanced to invite some fans especially from Supporters club to visit Barton and give their feedback.
Emailed my concerns to Swanny as I travel up from Stafford/ Stone and we experimented a little last night trying to get close to Barton and on to Stockport avoiding M6. Will renew (there's four of us who love the rugby night out) and give it a go but looking for alternatives to make our journey an acceptable experience. As a couple of our group are recycled teenagers (85 & 73) we hope we can purchase a stadium car park pass like Booth St beacuse a long walk would be too much!

Can some one please make their mind up? ~ are we moving or do I need to cancel my order?

link

You're bl**dy lucky to have one on order, when I tried to get one I was told that the entire production run was reserved for Wasps.

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Please help medical research by Folding@Home and join Swanny's Irregulars - PM me for details. Please!

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I'm a little surprised at some of the responses.

Yes it might be disingenuous, it might be too late, it might be a cynical PR exercise.

Or it might not.

It might be a genuine offer to gather facts or to go some small way repair damage done by the previous lack of information and/or consultation.

Goodness knows I'm no sycophant to Swanny and we have, in the past, had some pretty exciting and heated differences of opinion, but come on - give the Club the benefit of the doubt here.

After all, what have we to lose?

---

No matter what you say, or how you say it, someone somewhere will deliberately go out of their way to be offended.

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Please help medical research by Folding@Home and join Swanny's Irregulars - PM me for details. Please!

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Some are pretty certain they have already lost it, iBozz.The possibility of continuing to support Sale Sharks.

An extra hour travelling to and from games precludes them from continuing to support the team they love if, as Dimes states, 2/3 of games will be on a Friday night.

How can we answer with specifics, if we don't know where we are possibly moving to?

For instance amongst the possible venues cited by DS, where is Chipping Sodbury? Will the club provide buses to get there etc...?

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I am anyones equal, but no ones superior

I've just found another slight problem with the SCR ground at Barton. I put their post code into google maps, and got Metropolis Municipal Airport, Metropolis, Illinois, which I gather is somewhat to the left of Eccles. I then sought to find the distance between Chorley and Metropolis to be informed by google that "We could not calculate directions between Withnell, UK and Metropolis, Illinois." It did however worryingly know the "Approximate distance as the crow flies in miles from Metropolis United States to Chipping Campden Great Britain (UK) is 4141 miles or 6662.87 Kilometers"; I'm assuming CC is not too far from CS!

Ok it's been a waste of both mine and your time, but that's what t'internet is good for.

H's D: The extra travelling time doesn't mean that the Club shouldn't collect travel information, surely?

I hope, Ganders, that ypur comment For instance amongst the possible venues cited by DS, where is Chipping Sodbury is as tongue in cheek as when I, nor DS, suggested it?

If you really must know, Chipping Sodbury, just like Bognor Regis, is where those unfit to live in normal modern society reside! And it they are too old fashioned for even Bognor or Sodbury, they move to the Isle of Wight.

Timpers: I'm delighted that I'm not the only one. There's an iPad weather app which insists that Bramhall, England, is firmly located on the west coast of America!

---

No matter what you say, or how you say it, someone somewhere will deliberately go out of their way to be offended.

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Please help medical research by Folding@Home and join Swanny's Irregulars - PM me for details. Please!

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IMHO they should have been collecting it from last May onwards, iBozz, as soon as move became a distinct possibility.
Too little too late.

did some looking myself
My 40 minute stroll becomes a 15 minute walk and two bus journeys, taking a little over 90 minutes arriving at the ground at approx 19:00. Adding traffic delays - I could catch kick off, I expect.
The return journey gets me back to Stockport at about midnight. Sadly, there's no way (that I found) to price the journey. That may well leave no time for consumption of overpriced ale, lime & lemonade or diet coke or any food items in the ground.

One of the lads I drink with, post match, in the Olde Vic priced up a 50 seat coach to make the journey - approx £200

All in all - too much effort.

Maybe reserved parking for lots of 10, 12 or 15 seat minibuses would help, then little groups of chums could rally together to get to the new ground.

MikeGC, the situation is now so farcical that we're contemplating not telling our respective wives that Sale have moved and still meeting on 'match nights' in the aforementioned Olde Vic next season...

I've checked the journey time from Sandbach and what took 35 minutes on the train now takes 2 hours and 31 minutes which appears to involve planes, trains and automobiles.

Rugby at Barton? Not for us I'm sorry.

We'll continue to Fun Bus it to away games and the cost of the season ticket will fund the European weekend away.

Happy days.