Some cautionary tales from Gillingham. The first relates to the alleged abuse at Evans. http://www.not606.com/showthread.php/261266-Article-Three-arrested-Gillingham-FC-Football?p=6461585#post6461585
At the very least sounds like a steward should be for the chop, and Mr Scally faces a bigger PR problem than Mr Allam
All part of the creeping Police state that we are all allowing to happen without a murmur of protest !
"A steward who clearly could not identify from a group of 1000 shouting men the correct people removed us from the stand, lied outright saying there had been a complaint from an official and then removed us from the ground into the waiting hands of Medway Police. The stewards who must have outnumbered us 10 to 1 surrounded us and I felt physically intimidated despite the fact we where leaving peacefully of our own volition." Football stewards should not take a person from the crowd and hand them over to the Police for racial abuse. This action is is unlawful and should be challenged. They should inform the Police of the incident and clearly identify the abuser. The Police should then enter the crowd and arrest the person. A steward can only "hand" someone over for the following. (a) a breach of the peace is committed in his presence, (b) the person effecting the arrest reasonably believes that such a breach will be committed in the immediate future by the person arrested, or (c) a breach of the peace has been committed or the person effecting the arrest reasonably believes that a breach of the peace has occurred and that a further breach is threatened. A breach of the peace occurs whenever harm is actually done or is likely to be done to a person or, in their presence, to their property, or where a person is in fear of being harmed through an assault, affray, riot, unlawful assembly or other disturbance. I am not defending those who racially abuse, if someone is properly identified and charged, they will get away with the offence if a steward has acted in the way that the Gills stewards appear to have done. The charges would be dropped like a stone.
Facking hell, that stewarding story from Gillingham is an utter disgrace, and i don't blame the lad one bit for his reaction in ending all links to the club. There is no justice sometimes, with accusers in many walks of life maintaining anonymity and being answerable ultimately to no one. Like he says, it's hard to blame the old bill if they've been lied to, they've got a process to follow
