Away Coach Travel

Stupid place to finish late late at night too . Should go on to maidstone . I’d go away more midweek if it went to maidstone where your able to get a cab . 

PemburyAddick said:

A couple of blokes who run the Hastings supporters branch have been in dialogue with the club for years over the effective running of home and away coaches. But staff cuts at the club have meant that that fewer staff resources have been allocated  -its now a very small part of one overworked person's role I believe.I wonder which CEO instigated the resource cuts...

As I’ve said before, away coach travel makes money. The way the club currently operates it minimises the profit it makes. Paying it little or no attention has nothing to do with economising, it is just foolishness from senior management with no understanding or interest.

Redrobo said:

iamdan said:

First time getting the coach today.. 
where is the Bexleyheath pick up? 

Ta 

Your joking right?

We're away tonight 

iamdan said:

Why would I joke? 

First time getting the coach and unaware where the pick up is..

It is on the CAFC website and I would have thought that one would check pick up points before booking to get the closest.

It is not in Bexleyheath unless things have changed, it is a bus stop near the Blackprince.

Used to be the clock tower many moons ago.

I can't find it on the website, but I believe it has always been on Albion Road Bexleyheath, for about the last 30 years.
Poor form by Redrobo to take the pee, when he doesn't know the answer himself for certain and is possibly wrong.

HP?

Full list of pick-up points,which no longer appears on club website.
Larkfield – Kingfisher Road sheltered bus stop, by Martin Square.
Gravesend – bus stop by old A2 Tollgate underpass
Dartford (1) – Heath Lane, by retail park at junction with Princes Road. 
Bexleyheath – Hall Place car park. 
Bromley – Bromley North Station.
Eltham – Well Hall Road junction with Dickson Road. 
Charlton – Anchor & Hope Lane Bus stop.

Also,it takes 2 hours from Larkfield to Charlton.

clive said:

Full list of pick-up points,which no longer appears on club website.
Larkfield – Kingfisher Road sheltered bus stop, by Martin Square.
Gravesend – bus stop by old A2 Tollgate underpass
Dartford (1) – Heath Lane, by retail park at junction with Princes Road. 
Bexleyheath – Hall Place car park. 
Bromley – Bromley North Station.
Eltham – Well Hall Road junction with Dickson Road. 
Charlton – Anchor & Hope Lane Bus stop.

Also,it takes 2 hours from Larkfield to Charlton.

Pick up points is on the web site under Valley Express pick up times and locations for home games.

I thought he was joking because everyone takes the piss out of the service and where from and when seem to be essential information before booking.

ElfsborgAddick said:

clive said:

Full list of pick-up points,which no longer appears on club website.
Larkfield – Kingfisher Road sheltered bus stop, by Martin Square.
Gravesend – bus stop by old A2 Tollgate underpass
Dartford (1) – Heath Lane, by retail park at junction with Princes Road. 
Bexleyheath – Hall Place car park. 
Bromley – Bromley North Station.
Eltham – Well Hall Road junction with Dickson Road. 
Charlton – Anchor & Hope Lane Bus stop.

Also,it takes 2 hours from Larkfield to Charlton.

Blimey, I imagine you could do Derby in about 3 hours by car if you put your foot down.

You could do it comfortably in that time without putting your foot down.

clb74 said:

Airman Brown said:

PemburyAddick said:

A couple of blokes who run the Hastings supporters branch have been in dialogue with the club for years over the effective running of home and away coaches. But staff cuts at the club have meant that that fewer staff resources have been allocated  -its now a very small part of one overworked person's role I believe.I wonder which CEO instigated the resource cuts...

As I’ve said before, away coach travel makes money. The way the club currently operates it minimises the profit it makes. Paying it little or no attention has nothing to do with economising, it is just foolishness from senior management with no understanding or interest.

I think its wrong though Airman.
Our wage bill is roughly £100,000 a week and the club try and turn a few hundred pounds profit on the coach.
How about don't make a profit and in fact subsidize by £5 a passenger.
The club loses £250 a coach no big deal.
The big thing is though how many fans are put off going by coach because of the times and time it takes to get there?
Derby 6hrs20 from Bromley.
Swansea  7hrs10

You don’t need to subsidise it. You price the coach to break even at 35 passengers, which means you can run two for a minimum of 70 people and the third one pretty much as soon as you have filled the second.

There are virtually no Championship fixtures for which you would only run one coach so there are no circumstances in which you need to plan for one coach, which is what the Bexleyheath to Bromley nonsense is about. 

They even planned Wembley for one coach, because there is no thought going into it.

You use Charlton or Bexleyheath as a hub and you can run any combination that numbers dictate.

A game like tonight is a four coach match, three absolute minimum. Most of the work is done by volunteers so there is a minimal staffing overhead, especially with internet booking. 

There will be the odd game where you get it wrong and lose money but over the season it’s a five-figure profit. We managed it in L1 - it’s much easier in the Championship.

https://forum.charltonlife.com/discussion/97722/groundhopper-notebook