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Half time.

How bad is that concourse to get a drink or something to eat at half time ? 30 minutes to get a portion of chips and drink for my daughter.

You have one young kid serving two rows, it’s not rocket science is it? The more staff you javelin the more food/ beer you serve, more money you generate rather than people walking away 
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Comments

  • edited August 2023
    How bad is that concourse to get a drink or something to eat at half time ? 30 minutes to get a portion of chips and drink for my daughter.

    You have one young kid serving two rows, it’s not rocket science is it? The more staff you javelin the more food/ beer you serve, more money you generate rather than people walking away 
    Always like this.

    In Plymouth you get a pint of decent beer in 2 minutes. The Valley you need to leave your seat before the half time whistle and drink your piss quickly to see the second half kick off.
  • edited August 2023
    How bad is that concourse to get a drink or something to eat at half time ? 30 minutes to get a portion of chips and drink for my daughter.

    You have one young kid serving two rows, it’s not rocket science is it? The more staff you javelin the more food/ beer you serve, more money you generate rather than people walking away 
    In the East I went out at HT and saw someone I knew queuing for a beer. Walked about with my lad and as we were going back into the stand 15 mins later as the game was starting the bloke was still about 6th in his queue. 

    The East was less than a half full as well, so the queues were no different to normal. Always goes back to the wall and blocks the walkway. Imagine West Lower is the same 
  • Left my seat in F block covered end, 7-8 minutes before HT due to previous experience with the waiting time.
    20 minutes in the queue to be told I would have to wait another 5 minutes for a bhaji burger, so told him just to give me anything that was already cooked, by the time I got back to my seat we had kicked off again.
    Not enough staff and the ones that were there were not exactly proactive.
    Everytime somebody ordered chips you had the ridiculous situation of one woman at the back making them to order, which is never going to work with the numbers to serve queuing, seems they don’t want to have food pre prepared for fear of wastage, which I get to a certain degree but it needs more thought and Gather & Gather need a better strategy.
    Even more ridiculously, the server stopped dead waiting for chips rather than trying to serve anybody else, hence even longer waits.
    The whole thing is completely amateur and needs an overhaul, I for one won’t be queuing again and will eat before going into the ground, more lost revenue for the club.
    Not enough staff, and badly trained and supervised ones that are there.
  • It was awful in lower covered end

  • edited August 2023
    Genuinely think they should have a cart going up and down the concourse selling bottles to alleviate the queues a bit. Doubt they'll get more staff as catering is outsourced so not really down to the club.  
  • The food and drink offering and staffing is woeful - from now on I will stay in the Oak until 15 mins before kick off - never getting a beer inside the ground again - no disrespect, as they are mainly kids, but most of them don’t know how to pour a beer properly - bought my mate a beer, and the head on it looked like it belonged in an old fashioned barbers shop when they are about to shave you using a cut throat razor !!!

  • A bit OTT, bloke only asked for 3000 pints of Guinness.
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  • End of last season I went to the game at Cheltenham and was in the home end as I was with family. Bear in mind, this is a smaller ground with less punters.
    At halftime, my nephews wanted a bite to eat. There were two kiosks for the whole stand. There was a sign on the first one saying “NO CHIPS use other kiosk” with an arrow. We went to the other kiosk where there was an enormous queue that was barely moving. By the time we got within about twenty people from the front, people who had been served were telling us they’d run out of food. Some brave soul called out “Have you got any food left?” and was greeted with apologetic shrugs. The queue dispersed and on closer inspection, they had a squashed sausage roll and a couple of mystery items. And no chips. And no drinks. We returned to the other kiosk (second half had kicked off, but nephews (and us too) were hungry and it’d become a bit of a mission) there was a shorter queue now, but the options were very limited. I think we had some sort of sausage roll or pie - can’t remember, but there wasn’t much choice left - and 4 cups of tea. The food was ok but a bit meh. The teas were the temperature of the surface of the sun. You genuinely couldn’t hold the polystyrene cup for longer than 10 seconds, the tea was so hot. Burnt my lips. Twice. (I’m an idiot). One of the nephews had his lid pop off so spilled it all over himself, fortunately managed to lean forward so he didn’t burn himself.
    And we missed the first equaliser.

    The whole experience brought home to me why I generally don’t visit the kiosks when I go to live football. It’s invariably a disappointing and frustrating experience.
    I expect the lack of chips (and sufficient other options) on this occasion was a decision not to overstock as the season was nearly over, but still, you’d expect them to have enough to cater for an expected crowd right? But the lack of choice, clueless staff and bizarre overheating of tea reminded me that it’s not just Charlton.

    Compare it to watching live sport in the US, it’s a different animal. There’s variety and choice and loads of places to get food quickly. Yes it’s still pricey, but those yanks sure know how to take your money. The British are clueless.
  • edited August 2023
    End of last season I went to the game at Cheltenham and was in the home end as I was with family. Bear in mind, this is a smaller ground with less punters.
    At halftime, my nephews wanted a bite to eat. There were two kiosks for the whole stand. There was a sign on the first one saying “NO CHIPS use other kiosk” with an arrow. We went to the other kiosk where there was an enormous queue that was barely moving. By the time we got within about twenty people from the front, people who had been served were telling us they’d run out of food. Some brave soul called out “Have you got any food left?” and was greeted with apologetic shrugs. The queue dispersed and on closer inspection, they had a squashed sausage roll and a couple of mystery items. And no chips. And no drinks. We returned to the other kiosk (second half had kicked off, but nephews (and us too) were hungry and it’d become a bit of a mission) there was a shorter queue now, but the options were very limited. I think we had some sort of sausage roll or pie - can’t remember, but there wasn’t much choice left - and 4 cups of tea. The food was ok but a bit meh. The teas were the temperature of the surface of the sun. You genuinely couldn’t hold the polystyrene cup for longer than 10 seconds, the tea was so hot. Burnt my lips. Twice. (I’m an idiot). One of the nephews had his lid pop off so spilled it all over himself, fortunately managed to lean forward so he didn’t burn himself.
    And we missed the first equaliser.

    The whole experience brought home to me why I generally don’t visit the kiosks when I go to live football. It’s invariably a disappointing and frustrating experience.
    I expect the lack of chips (and sufficient other options) on this occasion was a decision not to overstock as the season was nearly over, but still, you’d expect them to have enough to cater for an expected crowd right? But the lack of choice, clueless staff and bizarre overheating of tea reminded me that it’s not just Charlton.

    Compare it to watching live sport in the US, it’s a different animal. There’s variety and choice and loads of places to get food quickly. Yes it’s still pricey, but those yanks sure know how to take your money. The British are clueless.
    Huge difference, is that sports in the US are glorified food and merch selling events spread out over many hours
  • Just do what I do and go to the Old Cottage Shop cafe in Charlton Park before the game. Cheaper, nicer, much friendlier
  • Leuth said:
    Just do what I do and go to the Old Cottage Shop cafe in Charlton Park before the game. Cheaper, nicer, much friendlier
    Yeah. I used to go there, recommended.
  • End of last season I went to the game at Cheltenham and was in the home end as I was with family. Bear in mind, this is a smaller ground with less punters.
    At halftime, my nephews wanted a bite to eat. There were two kiosks for the whole stand. There was a sign on the first one saying “NO CHIPS use other kiosk” with an arrow. We went to the other kiosk where there was an enormous queue that was barely moving. By the time we got within about twenty people from the front, people who had been served were telling us they’d run out of food. Some brave soul called out “Have you got any food left?” and was greeted with apologetic shrugs. The queue dispersed and on closer inspection, they had a squashed sausage roll and a couple of mystery items. And no chips. And no drinks. We returned to the other kiosk (second half had kicked off, but nephews (and us too) were hungry and it’d become a bit of a mission) there was a shorter queue now, but the options were very limited. I think we had some sort of sausage roll or pie - can’t remember, but there wasn’t much choice left - and 4 cups of tea. The food was ok but a bit meh. The teas were the temperature of the surface of the sun. You genuinely couldn’t hold the polystyrene cup for longer than 10 seconds, the tea was so hot. Burnt my lips. Twice. (I’m an idiot). One of the nephews had his lid pop off so spilled it all over himself, fortunately managed to lean forward so he didn’t burn himself.
    And we missed the first equaliser.

    The whole experience brought home to me why I generally don’t visit the kiosks when I go to live football. It’s invariably a disappointing and frustrating experience.
    I expect the lack of chips (and sufficient other options) on this occasion was a decision not to overstock as the season was nearly over, but still, you’d expect them to have enough to cater for an expected crowd right? But the lack of choice, clueless staff and bizarre overheating of tea reminded me that it’s not just Charlton.

    Compare it to watching live sport in the US, it’s a different animal. There’s variety and choice and loads of places to get food quickly. Yes it’s still pricey, but those yanks sure know how to take your money. The British are clueless.
    Would appear Cheltenham are clueless. 
    How about feeding the kids before the match starts next time.
  • shine166 said:
    End of last season I went to the game at Cheltenham and was in the home end as I was with family. Bear in mind, this is a smaller ground with less punters.
    At halftime, my nephews wanted a bite to eat. There were two kiosks for the whole stand. There was a sign on the first one saying “NO CHIPS use other kiosk” with an arrow. We went to the other kiosk where there was an enormous queue that was barely moving. By the time we got within about twenty people from the front, people who had been served were telling us they’d run out of food. Some brave soul called out “Have you got any food left?” and was greeted with apologetic shrugs. The queue dispersed and on closer inspection, they had a squashed sausage roll and a couple of mystery items. And no chips. And no drinks. We returned to the other kiosk (second half had kicked off, but nephews (and us too) were hungry and it’d become a bit of a mission) there was a shorter queue now, but the options were very limited. I think we had some sort of sausage roll or pie - can’t remember, but there wasn’t much choice left - and 4 cups of tea. The food was ok but a bit meh. The teas were the temperature of the surface of the sun. You genuinely couldn’t hold the polystyrene cup for longer than 10 seconds, the tea was so hot. Burnt my lips. Twice. (I’m an idiot). One of the nephews had his lid pop off so spilled it all over himself, fortunately managed to lean forward so he didn’t burn himself.
    And we missed the first equaliser.

    The whole experience brought home to me why I generally don’t visit the kiosks when I go to live football. It’s invariably a disappointing and frustrating experience.
    I expect the lack of chips (and sufficient other options) on this occasion was a decision not to overstock as the season was nearly over, but still, you’d expect them to have enough to cater for an expected crowd right? But the lack of choice, clueless staff and bizarre overheating of tea reminded me that it’s not just Charlton.

    Compare it to watching live sport in the US, it’s a different animal. There’s variety and choice and loads of places to get food quickly. Yes it’s still pricey, but those yanks sure know how to take your money. The British are clueless.
    Huge difference, is that sports in the US are glorified food and merch selling events spread out over many hours
    And true spectators get fed up with streams of people constantly pushing past carrying trays of drinks while the game goes on. Baseball in particular is trying to be more "intense" so that people actually sit and watch it! 

    Surely anyone can last two hours  without needing some chips!


    I've been twice and am pretty sure that baseball was invented to sell hotdogs. 
  • My son who went out early at half time in the west lower stand to get a coke and a black coffee (over £6 which is incidentally a ridiculous price), got served fairly quickly, but would have been served much quicker but had to wait until a server that had been trained to use hot water was available. 
    How do these prices compare to lower west?
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  • My son who went out early at half time in the west lower stand to get a coke and a black coffee (over £6 which is incidentally a ridiculous price), got served fairly quickly, but would have been served much quicker but had to wait until a server that had been trained to use hot water was available. 
    How do these prices compare to lower west?
    Cheaper, looking at prices a coffee and a Pepsi would be £5.50 there where I believe he paid £6.15, pre game in the west lower I brought a water and coke which was £5.85 where as there it would have been £5.25p
  • shine166 said:

    Huge difference, is that sports in the US are glorified food and merch selling events spread out over many hours
    It’s eye-wateringly expensive though. I was at a MLB game in LA 3 weeks ago and cheapest beer was USD18; that’s  over 14 quid for a 700ml can.
  • When the kids were younger and admittedly it was the Roland era and i was spending nothing at the club , I would bring a rucksack with food/drink for them , the way the system is now I’d prolly do the same , queuing and missing the footy , no thanks 
  • Perhaps referees should add on stoppage time for half time when a beer pump runs out or a new batch of chips are needed. I think the staff at The Valley are deliberately time wasting and it needs to be stamped out.
  • Cant see why they dont do what a lot of the big open air venues do . seems like a small outlay for equipment .
     
  • Reminds me why I always take a flask and chocolate bars! 
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