Dover Athletic v Dartford Sat 7 Sep 2024

[Sleightly Deceptive]

As a regular user of the coach, I for one am grateful to the DFCSA, a group of volunteers, for their efforts in helping to make sure people can get to away games - I don’t drive !

Speaking to people yesterday, the coach company was changed for this season as they were cheaper. The new company (Bayliss) had a shortage of normal fleet for yesterday due to a prior commitment, hence the bus provided for yesterday - which to be fair, wasn’t that bad and got us to the game.

Unfortunately the costs of coach travel, like most things in today’s world, have significantly increased in recent years. I understand that there were 30 people on the coach yesterday which just about covered the cost. Surely if more people supported the coach travel then it would help reduce the cost, and may actually attract more people attending games !

Aah. That’s a relief. I thought that was to be the ‘standard’ for all away games. Yes, DFCSA’s commitment never was, and never is, questioned. But that ‘coach’ was not appropriate for that kind of journey. Thankfully I drive but I know of at least two peeps who are properly suffering today. Both too proud to ‘complain.’ Me? I just say what I see.

[KentC]

I like the way AP talks.
The result can’t be dressed up against our rivals but it’s good he’s called out the effort if he thinks it wasn’t right.
No time for criticism from supporters it’s all about backing the team , what I think is happening quite well to be fair.

[The Futures White]

I took the supporters coach/bus to Dover yesterday mainly because I didn't want to put up with a number of changes in each direction if I took the train from Dartford even though it would have been a fair bit cheaper. I hadn't realised that the cost of travelling on the supporters coach had increased so much this season. Upon checking tonight I found that the price of the supporters coach for our trip to Dover last February was only £15 members/£20 non-members compared to £25 members/£30 non-members for yesterdays trip. Had I realised this in advance I probably would have suffered the train. It's no wonder the bus was only half full. I appreciate that price increases are the norm these days but an increase of £10 (67%) in just 7 months is a bit steep IMO.

I noticed an advert on X/Twitter from Margate FC earlier today offering coach travel to Bognor Regis Town on Saturday for their FA Cup match at just £20 per person. Dartford FC to Dover FC is 59 miles, Margate FC to Bognor Regis Town FC is 124 miles. Not sure how there can be such a big difference in prices?.

Unless the coach prices are competitive with train prices I don't think that I'll be using the supporters coach again anytime soon.

[Lars Resort]

Baylis are predominantly a private coach company, I don't know if that makes any difference to the prices, but I'm guessing probably.
We could have gone to a bus company ie stagecoach/Aviva but they are pretty good at cutting services at the drop of a hat leaving passenger's stranded.
After watching that game I would find that a bit annoying.

[Lars Resort]

For the record, I thought we marginally looked better second half, slicker and quicker but we still managed to gift them two goals.
I don't think we'll play that badly again this season.

[Gary C]

Just in case you don't look at other threads, I have made a post on behalf of the DFCSA Committee with regards to away travel which may or may not provide answers for some of you.

viewtopic.php?p=22185#p22185

I would ask that if you have any questions, they are added to the Away Travel thread rather than this one. I will try to reply on behalf of the Committee to any further points made (might not be immediately) or you can always speak to any members of the Committee at matches. We also have the AGM coming up on 21st September for members to raise their points.

[Tony H]

Just in case you don't look at other threads, I have made a post on behalf of the DFCSA Committee with regards to away travel which may or may not provide answers for some of you.

viewtopic.php?p=22185#p22185

I would ask that if you have any questions, they are added to the Away Travel thread rather than this one. I will try to reply on behalf of the Committee to any further points made (might not be immediately) or you can always speak to any members of the Committee at matches. We also have the AGM coming up on 21st September for members to raise their points.

Thanks for the explanation Gary, much appreciated.

[Park Life]

[ozymandias]

Painful to watch again. Can't believe the second, two Dover players on the far post it seemed for ages.
And there was me thinking The Rocky Horror Show was on tour as from this week.
A real shambles of a performance.

[The 5th Searcher]

That was an absolute joke to watch, our defence was a shambles and had more holes than a tetley tea bag.

As for the keeper it looked like he’d struggle to catch a cold in that game.

I only hope all our mistakes have come out in that 1 game and we don’t see anything that bad again.