Thanks to the OSC this comment from Dan Briggs - Club Press Officer The club are aware of it and will again be speaking to the EFL for this totally unacceptable treatment of our supporters. Happened twice this season and that’s twice too many
It really irritates me that this is treated as something where supporters have to prove they are innocent. The gambling industry has a problem with markets that they decide to offer being open to exploitation. That is 100% their problem.
I just thought that you might appreciate an update. I have just spoken to someone from the commercial department of the club who has outlined the situation as they see it. It turns out that the EFL sell data gathering rights to organisations who in turn sell that information to Bookmakers and the like. In this instance, the people we encountered are from a company called ComSec. A private security company that are given access to the stadium by the club. I pointed out that by allowing the use of their stewards to hassle supporters they are guilty by association and they fully accept that and are going to undertake their own investigation to understand how they were put in this position and the use of their stewards and others. They have also promised to liaise with the EFA. As soon as I hear anything I will let you know. I have to say, the club is furious about this and has been very supportive and open about the whole thing. We're not giving up on this and I've spent this morning contacting the media and Football Supporters Association and the EFL and won't stop until this practice is finished and companies like this are banned from stadiums. I think that football needs to consider the wisdom of accepting sponsorship from betting companies who are profiting from sporting markets like football and who seem to think that that sponsorship buys them the right to ride roughshod over the paying customers.
Interestingly the guy from the club said the same thing - that he hadn't heard any fuss from elsewhere and was querying whether our supporters were being singled out for different treatment.
Sounds like they are trying to catch someone specific that they have other info on, like the games/teams he is operating at. Seems very strange it has happened twice at the KC if its just random.
I still don't see what these companies think a supporter could be doing over and above what is available to the wider world. The game has a live radio commentary and in many cases watchable live on TV or the internet.
The radio commentaries are also a few seconds behind the match, i sometimes listen in to Burnsie on my DAB radio via headphones at the end of the game, and the commentary is approx 3-5 seconds behind the action. The online streams are approx 30-40 seconds behind the action.
In other news, this weekend was the 30th anniversary of the Berlin Wall coming down, ending years of oppression.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p07hjnl6/can-you-beat-the-bookies Courtsiding explained from 28 minutes in, talks about mobile phones, headphones, bluetooth etc.
HDM on it ... https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/hull-city-fans-anger-son-3521938