Match Preview/Thread - Morton vs Partick (13th January)

[astuartm]

If there is a continuous flow of people going through the turnstiles, turning up early would make no difference except make the cue that much bigger as there is no pause from 14:35, so with only four gates the speed of entry cannot not be increased Turning up early would only magnify the situation. We are told the same excuse at every 'big' game. Thought needs to be diverted to the proper solution and get rid of the blame excuse which we are sick and tired of hearing.

[Scapaflow]

My observations from yesterday

1 A lot of people don't know how to use scanner properly (double scanning , not allowing scanner to turn grey before scanning QR code. Instruction sign as mentioned in other posts would help

2 Stewards searching bags/youngsters and holding queue up rather than taking to side

3 Definitely people turning up late , a few jumping queue. We expected a bigger crowd so like others I arrived earlier than usual

4 2 more turnstiles would be a massive difference  but can club absorb cost

5 A better queuing system including season ticket gate for those who are familiar with system

6 Think opening gate with hand held scanners can be dangerous as you will always get chancers trying to force themselves in

[SpoonTon]

3 hours ago, vikingTON said:

I misread your post but the main reason for that is that your original post does not stand up your argument anyway.

1) That some people joined a queue after you did doesn't address the most significant issue yesterday - the ginormo-queue that was already present, by the time that you and others politely request customers turn up at. 

2) At least a few of those fans will likely have been waiting for the queue to subside before actually joining it. Just because they're behind you doesn't mean that they didn't turn up at their mandated timeslot. 

3) Your assertion on another thread that it's not difficult to scan tickets  "as long as you don't hold it too close" is an obvious contradiction in terms. How close exactly is 'too close' - where is the instruction about this at the gate? Or better still, where is a rest fitted underneath the scanner that would allow customers to automatically place their ticket at a scannable distance? 

It's ridiculous to presume that the onus is on the customer to traipse to the ground half an hour before kick off - rain or shine - and to internalise the ins and outs of the club's white elephant infrastructure project, all before paying significant money to watch Championship football. They're not going to their place of work - they are spending their free time on a leisure activity. And with the eye-rolling mentality that persists among a minority of posters and club officials too (hopefully only a minority too), the chances are that they'll find something else to do with that time and money instead. 

I think you've misread a few things, to be honest. I wish you'd go back and re-read things without whatever assumptions you seem to have brought to it.

On point 3, my repeated point is that people need to be shown those things. So I'm not sure why you're rewording what I already said. But, yes, once you understand how it works it's very easy (and that is precisely about learning how close is too close). Why there isn't more instruction on this, I have no idea. 

And the main reason for my original post was about the club blaming an issue after the game that they didn't even try to mitigate beforehand. 

On point 2, btw, I suspect plenty were late to the queue because of the traffic problems around the ground. 

[SpoonTon]

2 hours ago, astuartm said:

If there is a continuous flow of people going through the turnstiles, turning up early would make no difference except make the cue that much bigger as there is no pause from 14:35, so with only four gates the speed of entry cannot not be increased Turning up early would only magnify the situation. We are told the same excuse at every 'big' game. Thought needs to be diverted to the proper solution and get rid of the blame excuse which we are sick and tired of hearing.

We've not actually had a really big game. My, pretty non scientific, calculations are that it could take up to 2 hours to fill the Cowshed/Sinclair Street (based partly on it being about 40 minutes to get it about a third full on Saturday). Efficiency could cut that by a bit, but by this point we should all know that a full house would be a disaster - I mean, they always were a bit awkward (thinking of Dundee utd and Peterhead games) but I'm not sure how it works be manageable at all now. 

[vikingTON]

13 minutes ago, SpoonTon said:

I think you've misread a few things, to be honest. I wish you'd go back and re-read things without whatever assumptions you seem to have brought to it.

On point 3, my repeated point is that people need to be shown those things. So I'm not sure why you're rewording what I already said. But, yes, once you understand how it works it's very easy (and that is precisely about learning how close is too close). Why there isn't more instruction on this, I have no idea. 

No it is not 'very easy'. Most normal people do not actually spend their lives memorising how close is too close to use a QR scanner. Which is why at any area where QR scanners are used on a much more regular basis than a football ground - in train stations and supermarkets - they do not in fact operate seamlessly.

When handling a thousand punters minimum in the space of an hour outside a football ground, regular hold ups and issues are inevitable. The reason why this becomes a problem is not down to the fans, nor the queue formation that the chief steward thinks will magically solve the problem. It's not even the fault of the QR technology either. The fault lies solely with club's 4 turnstile capacity being insufficient to cope with the slightest inefficiency without piling up everyone behind them. It was signed off as sufficient by a clownshoe based on crap, back of a fag packet sums - that is the issue that needs resolved here. 

[DreamOakTree]

1 hour ago, vikingTON said:

No it is not 'very easy'. Most normal people do not actually spend their lives memorising how close is too close to use a QR scanner. Which is why at any area where QR scanners are used on a much more regular basis than a football ground - in train stations and supermarkets - they do not in fact operate seamlessly.

When handling a thousand punters minimum in the space of an hour outside a football ground, regular hold ups and issues are inevitable. The reason why this becomes a problem is not down to the fans, nor the queue formation that the chief steward thinks will magically solve the problem. It's not even the fault of the QR technology either. The fault lies solely with club's 4 turnstile capacity being insufficient to cope with the slightest inefficiency without piling up everyone behind them. It was signed off as sufficient by a clownshoe based on crap, back of a fag packet sums - that is the issue that needs resolved here. 

100% correct!

[GiGi]

If one or two people can't operate your scanners, it's probably their problem but if literal hundreds of people regularly can't work them then its definitely your problem.

That and as said we need double the number if turnstiles. I don't like the message that people should turn up ever earlier to alleviate the problem so the club don't have to. It's a ground operating at no more than one third capacity at any given time. You know when your punters turn up and we've got a small choke point wasting too much of their time. 

[DreamOakTree]

I thought it was an enjoyable match with a great atmosphere. Morton should've been 2 or three up before Partick scored. The substitutions changed the game and once Partick scored it looked as if they could even win it. Jai coming on for Wilson and Crawford moving back one seemed okay as did Garrity replacing Muirhead, but for some reason we suddenly seemed wide open down our left side, which Partick exploited several times. For Muirhead's miss we were right in line and the ball was actually behind him, as Strapp had lashed the ball across from inside the 6 yard box, possibly trying to score. Muirhead tried to get his foot over it to keep it down but was a bit unlucky due to the speed and position of the ball behind him. As to the crowd, if Cappielow holds 11,500, that means another 8,000 could have squeezed in. I find that hard to believe, where would they have fitted in? Or how long would it have taken to get them in with the ticketing shambles. We got our tickets from Smith's and the ground tickets were sold out before 2pm. It's a bit concerning as some people were talking about not going back till it's sorted out.

[RossMcC1874]

Robbie Crawford must cover the most ground of any championship player, his work rate is phenomenal he was my player of the season last year and just keeps on performing. I really hope we keep hold of him. I have a feeling if certain players keep performing to the standard they have been it's only a matter of time before we lose a few key players hope it doesn't happen but I think it might be inevitable. 

[Alibi]

A post came up on my Twitter/X feed about some wee Partick neds bravely stealing a drum from a young Ross County supporter at Dingwall yesterday. I didn’t realise that the media luvvies had “ultras”, which I assume means they put low calorie sweetener in their skinny lattes or something like that. However what caught my eye was a poster called Manpreet, whose name was familiar from a few years ago. Did he not get charged with something relating to football? Seems to think Morton are a bunch of dirty cloggers but perfectly happy to have Brian Graham in their own squad. The very reason they title themselves “Thistle” is because they’re pricks.

[The Bewilderedbeast]

The Manpreet character was charged with making a racial comment towards a player (Derek Gaston if I recall correctly).

I'm sure he was found Not Guilty/Not Proven after a trial.