FOOTBALL FAN COULD SUE STADIUM BOSSES

6 January 2006

An angry Swansea football fan is considering suing bosses at the city's new £27 million stadium.
He says their decision to scrap a park and ride service from the west of the city to the Liberty Stadium goes against their travel plan for getting fans to the ground.

John Jones, of Baglan, said that when the stadium at Landore was being planned and concerns were raised about the lack of parking, developers argued that three park and ride services would ferry supporters from different parts of the city.

When the stadium first opened, three were set up. But that has now fallen to two, with the axing of the service from the Recreation Ground next to St Helen's.

StadCo, the stadium management company, stopped the service and asked fans to use regular service buses, arguing it would mean quicker journey times.

But fans have been left angry and waiting for buses for up to three-quarters of an hour after matches, as thousands queue for a ride home.Mr Jones says he cannot understand the decision to stop the popular service.

He said: "I am a bit frustrated by what is going on. I have been told it was the stadium's decision to axe the service.

"I did talk to the stadium and they said that they wanted to offer the best facilities for supporters so they had decided to dispense with the park and ride.

"They felt it would be better if the supporters had free parking at County Hall and got the number 54 bus."

But Mr Jones says the new system just is not working.

He said: "Why have they stopped what was a good thing? It was such an effective system. The main problem with the latest idea is coming back. People go up in dribs and drabs but when we come out of the ground we are talking about hundreds of people at the same time."

Mr Jones want to know the reasons behind the decision and said he was considering legal action.

He said: "That is what I am exploring, I think I have been badly done by, and thousands of others.

"Their website still says there is a park and ride in the west of the city on their travel plan. That document doesn't make any exceptions. It said the philosophy of the stadium was to provide park and ride.

"I am aggrieved they have reneged on their promise to provide park and ride facilities."

A spokeswoman for Swansea Council said no planning conditions had been broken.

She said: "The travel plan is the subject of ongoing review and all other conditions have been, or are being, complied with."

A spokesman for the stadium management company said: "The original planning conditions for the stadium required the production of a travel plan, which has been fully complied with.

"In fact, this plan is continually reviewed and updated to take into account the evolving needs of the stadium and its visitors."