Carry on Covid - pre kick off match day experience.

fritter

fritter

UTC Legend
Carry on Covid.

I hate queuing. Not good with free and unfocussed time so needed to do sometimes so I wrote what I saw, did and thought at the time.

A new kind of match day experience. Something no one could have ever anticipated prior to last March. I was lucky enough to get a ticket for this one. 2 weeks ago I became a grandfather. In a week I'll be 64. Sandwiched between these 2 milestones a chance to see the first game of my 54th season.

Whatever the specified precautions I'll go with it. We all will. Because football is a part of us. It'll be different.

Walked to the park to my identified entrance for the Ted Shed. We were told to get there between 1 and 1:30 or risk not being allowed in.

Arrived 13:29. Gates not open yet, so people queuing for half an hour in cold. No one minds but it's unecessary. It's going to be 1000 people, lowest crowd for me at DC since the old reserve days. And they were great days, a chance to see proper players coming back from injury. My best one was Peter Bonetti for Chelsea I don't think there were any Miggins Cup games with a crowd that low.

I see a fan walking past at the back of the South stand. He asks a steward for the entrance to the East stand and is told to walk all the way back around. 'But I was told to come here'. Steward checks with colleague and discovers that this is the right way in. Steward says to colleague that 'No one told us'. Good to have a tiny, tinpot flaw. Reassuring.

The Ted shed queue moves pretty quickly. If all 4 sides are open there won't be more than 250 people. So, why 2 hours early? Either way. It's what the club felt was needed, and thanks to everyone for making it work.

Every one is wanded so absolutely no social distancing there. What are they looking for? What do they expect to find? There are 1000 fans, spread out. What kind of risk assessment is this based on? It's so risk averse that I can't see how Josh King keeps getting injured.

13:37. At this rate everyone will be in by 2 at the latest. One hour and 20 to ko. What is everyone going to do for 90 minutes?

13:45 Queue moving pretty quickly. No obvious hold ups. By 13:47 queue gone. Even allowing for walk ups. 17 minutes.

Wander in to be told that I have to have my ticket scanned. Of course. By one of the 2 people with scanners. Who are behind me. I'd walked past them because they were chatting, backs to me, no idea they were ticket checkers.

13:57. In the ground. Bored. How am I going to watch a game when my glasses steam up. How will singing work? Hurrryyyy Uppppp.

14:14. Some of the players out to applause. Supa and Kelly walk along front of stand. Applause. Surprisingly emotional.

14:28 the team come out. Glasses keep steaming up and it's hard to see properly. I blame Snooty.

14:34. I'd usually be leaving the firkin shed about now. Social Club, Cricketers, Portman and now the Firkin Shed. All regular pre match venues. Games are great but not the same without the pre match meet up. There have been so many times when the time in the pub was far better than the game.

14:42: some dreadful music. No marching band. No pre match entertainment to ridicule.

14:48. Team leave pitch to applause.

14:53. Pitch being watered.

14:57. Teams come out.

14:58 Huddle

14:59 the knee. Applause.

I have wanted this moment since the game stopped. There were times it felt it would never happen. Last game here for me was Chelsea on 29/02/20. 9 months without a game.

But I am here now and for that I am so grateful. Let the game begin.

Score? I don't care. (At the moment)

PS. I did care, it was terrific. Loved it. So great to be back. To celebrate 5 goals on our return? More than I could have hoped for.
Thanks to everyone for making it happen.
 
fritter said:
Carry on Covid.

I hate queuing. Not good with free and unfocussed time so needed to do sometimes so I wrote what I saw, did and thought at the time.

A new kind of match day experience. Something no one could have ever anticipated prior to last March. I was lucky enough to get a ticket for this one. 2 weeks ago I became a grandfather. In a week I'll be 64. Sandwiched between these 2 milestones a chance to see the first game of my 54th season.

Whatever the specified precautions I'll go with it. We all will. Because football is a part of us. It'll be different.

Walked to the park to my identified entrance for the Ted Shed. We were told to get there between 1 and 1:30 or risk not being allowed in.

Arrived 13:29. Gates not open yet, so people queuing for half an hour in cold. No one minds but it's unecessary. It's going to be 1000 people, lowest crowd for me at DC since the old reserve days. And they were great days, a chance to see proper players coming back from injury. My best one was Peter Bonetti for Chelsea I don't think there were any Miggins Cup games with a crowd that low.

I see a fan walking past at the back of the South stand. He asks a steward for the entrance to the East stand and is told to walk all the way back around. 'But I was told to come here'. Steward checks with colleague and discovers that this is the right way in. Steward says to colleague that 'No one told us'. Good to have a tiny, tinpot flaw. Reassuring.

The Ted shed queue moves pretty quickly. If all 4 sides are open there won't be more than 250 people. So, why 2 hours early? Either way. It's what the club felt was needed, and thanks to everyone for making it work.

Every one is wanded so absolutely no social distancing there. What are they looking for? What do they expect to find? There are 1000 fans, spread out. What kind of risk assessment is this based on? It's so risk averse that I can't see how Josh King keeps getting injured.

13:37. At this rate everyone will be in by 2 at the latest. One hour and 20 to ko. What is everyone going to do for 90 minutes?

13:45 Queue moving pretty quickly. No obvious hold ups. By 13:47 queue gone. Even allowing for walk ups. 17 minutes.

Wander in to be told that I have to have my ticket scanned. Of course. By one of the 2 people with scanners. Who are behind me. I'd walked past them because they were chatting, backs to me, no idea they were ticket checkers.

13:57. In the ground. Bored. How am I going to watch a game when my glasses steam up. How will singing work? Hurrryyyy Uppppp.

14:14. Some of the players out to applause. Supa and Kelly walk along front of stand. Applause. Surprisingly emotional.

14:28 the team come out. Glasses keep steaming up and it's hard to see properly. I blame Snooty.

14:34. I'd usually be leaving the firkin shed about now. Social Club, Cricketers, Portman and now the Firkin Shed. All regular pre match venues. Games are great but not the same without the pre match meet up. There have been so many times when the time in the pub was far better than the game.

14:42: some dreadful music. No marching band. No pre match entertainment to ridicule.

14:48. Team leave pitch to applause.

14:53. Pitch being watered.

14:57. Teams come out.

14:58 Huddle

14:59 the knee. Applause.

I have wanted this moment since the game stopped. There were times it felt it would never happen. Last game here for me was Chelsea on 29/02/20. 9 months without a game.

But I am here now and for that I am so grateful. Let the game begin.

Score? I don't care. (At the moment)

PS. I did care, it was terrific. Loved it. So great to be back. To celebrate 5 goals on our return? More than I could have hoped for.
Thanks to everyone for making it happen.
Click to expand...
A great report, almost felt as if I was there with you !
Thanks for sharing :thumbup:
What a game to come back to too !!!
 
fritter said:
Carry on Covid.

I hate queuing. Not good with free and unfocussed time so needed to do sometimes so I wrote what I saw, did and thought at the time.

A new kind of match day experience. Something no one could have ever anticipated prior to last March. I was lucky enough to get a ticket for this one. 2 weeks ago I became a grandfather. In a week I'll be 64. Sandwiched between these 2 milestones a chance to see the first game of my 54th season.

Whatever the specified precautions I'll go with it. We all will. Because football is a part of us. It'll be different.

Walked to the park to my identified entrance for the Ted Shed. We were told to get there between 1 and 1:30 or risk not being allowed in.

Arrived 13:29. Gates not open yet, so people queuing for half an hour in cold. No one minds but it's unecessary. It's going to be 1000 people, lowest crowd for me at DC since the old reserve days. And they were great days, a chance to see proper players coming back from injury. My best one was Peter Bonetti for Chelsea I don't think there were any Miggins Cup games with a crowd that low.

I see a fan walking past at the back of the South stand. He asks a steward for the entrance to the East stand and is told to walk all the way back around. 'But I was told to come here'. Steward checks with colleague and discovers that this is the right way in. Steward says to colleague that 'No one told us'. Good to have a tiny, tinpot flaw. Reassuring.

The Ted shed queue moves pretty quickly. If all 4 sides are open there won't be more than 250 people. So, why 2 hours early? Either way. It's what the club felt was needed, and thanks to everyone for making it work.

Every one is wanded so absolutely no social distancing there. What are they looking for? What do they expect to find? There are 1000 fans, spread out. What kind of risk assessment is this based on? It's so risk averse that I can't see how Josh King keeps getting injured.

13:37. At this rate everyone will be in by 2 at the latest. One hour and 20 to ko. What is everyone going to do for 90 minutes?

13:45 Queue moving pretty quickly. No obvious hold ups. By 13:47 queue gone. Even allowing for walk ups. 17 minutes.

Wander in to be told that I have to have my ticket scanned. Of course. By one of the 2 people with scanners. Who are behind me. I'd walked past them because they were chatting, backs to me, no idea they were ticket checkers.

13:57. In the ground. Bored. How am I going to watch a game when my glasses steam up. How will singing work? Hurrryyyy Uppppp.

14:14. Some of the players out to applause. Supa and Kelly walk along front of stand. Applause. Surprisingly emotional.

14:28 the team come out. Glasses keep steaming up and it's hard to see properly. I blame Snooty.

14:34. I'd usually be leaving the firkin shed about now. Social Club, Cricketers, Portman and now the Firkin Shed. All regular pre match venues. Games are great but not the same without the pre match meet up. There have been so many times when the time in the pub was far better than the game.

14:42: some dreadful music. No marching band. No pre match entertainment to ridicule.

14:48. Team leave pitch to applause.

14:53. Pitch being watered.

14:57. Teams come out.

14:58 Huddle

14:59 the knee. Applause.

I have wanted this moment since the game stopped. There were times it felt it would never happen. Last game here for me was Chelsea on 29/02/20. 9 months without a game.

But I am here now and for that I am so grateful. Let the game begin.

Score? I don't care. (At the moment)

PS. I did care, it was terrific. Loved it. So great to be back. To celebrate 5 goals on our return? More than I could have hoped for.
Thanks to everyone for making it happen.
Click to expand...
That was a lovely read, thanks for sharing...

...and congratulations on becoming a grandfather (I can throughly recommend it) and all good wishes to you for your birthday next week.
 
great summary
why did they ever think such early arrival times were going to be necessary?
if they make us rock up an hour and a half before ko on tuesday they're going to be some pretty cold cherries
 
I guess it being the first time under these restrictions it was a learning curve for all of us....yes the lingering in your seat was a ball ache but the sun was shining....a lady close to me had brought a book to read....stewards kept shouting put your mask on to those who were removing them to breath properly!...glasses did keep steaming up until I just adjusted it to allow my nose some freedom....at least my 4g worked with fewer people saturating the signal....to be fair it was just great to be at a live game after all the trials and tribulations of the last nine months.
 
Good write up fritter thanks.............but imagine a poor game and crap weather, you may have thought differently......the rest of the report is the reason I chose not to bother........I've waited this long, I can wait a while longer
 
tedisking said:
Good write up fritter thanks.............but imagine a poor game and crap weather, you may have thought differently......the rest of the report is the reason I chose not to bother........I've waited this long, I can wait a while longer
Click to expand...
Fair point it would have been miserable in crap weather such as today.

Hopefully the club learn from that, and either reduce the arrival time requirement, or if they maintain it, actually open the gate up instead of letting such a queue form.
 
I guess Tuesday will be double the attendance? I’m all for people getting there early, but open the ground early as well.

if it rains I’ll take a brolly, unless they’re banned?
 
Any idea when the ballot opens for boxing day?

We've only going to get one chance until the world returns to relative normal, so I really want us in the ballot!

I fully appreciate that a lot of us are in the same (socially distanced) boat so have very little chance of getting tickets.
 
The ballot only involves those ST holders who apply. The pool is reduced from the total numbers of ST holders by those like myself who are not applying for Covid reasons at present.
 
TrevorMorganFanClub said:
Any idea when the ballot opens for boxing day?

We've only going to get one chance until the world returns to relative normal, so I really want us in the ballot!

I fully appreciate that a lot of us are in the same (socially distanced) boat so have very little chance of getting tickets.
Click to expand...

I can’t go on Boxing Day because I’ll be on the other side of the country and I expect that a fair number of people will be in the same situation. What with that, and ST holders who are choosing not to return yet, I imagine the chances of success in the ballot will be quite high.
 
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