The stewards are employed by theSMC, aren't they? Not that I am blaming the Allams for this, it has been the case since the KC opened. The same with the police who spend a lot of time and money tracking down home fans nd having thrm banned for innocuous offences whilst ignoring away fans acting far worse. I presume you are referring to the East Stand regarding the Boro game? Why can't they just build a fence and leave a row of seats for stewards to sit in like they do at Reading and other grounds? Reading lose about 50 seats to segregation, far less than ourselves. The stewards act the way they do because too many of fans are too meek and let them get away with acting like bully boys and others are not bothered as long s they can watch in peace and quiet. They wouldn't get way with it at a lot of clubs. Probably why our fans complain of being made to sit down at other grounds where they don't seem to enforce things with other clubs as much. Word gets around who is a soft touch with fans unconcerned bout fellow supporters being ejected.
In todays HDM Adam Pearson say's 'The SMC have appointed a new chief executive who we are working very closely with'........have I missed the announcement who this is ? Will he (or she ) be at your meeting?
The problem is that as I sit in the West Stand Upper I do not have issues with our stewards, they are generally very nice and polite. In fact they could be replaced with cardboard cut outs. The only thing they ever do is point someones seat out like cinema ushers.
I wonder if it's Sue Watson, who was responsible for the letter that went out to N5 season ticket holders on Friday. There's a Sue Watson who was Deputy Safety Officer at Leeds United for nine years and has more recently been running Watson Associates (who claim to be the UK's biggest stadium safely training organisation) http://www.suewatson.co.uk/index-1.html The segregation and N5 pass holder displacement is already on the agenda for tomorrows meeting.
I might be wrong but werent there our fans in N5 against Derby. Seemed to be plenty at the top of N5???
That wasn't the issue. Some season ticket holders had (supposedly) said they were intimidated by being near away fans so the club had moved all the pass holders from that area. You can still buy tickets on a match to match basis. If it is true, and I doubt it is, then amongst many cringeworthy acts by some of our fans which suggests football is not the thing for them, this is off the scale on the cringometer. Whatnext, moving a whole section in the East Stand and a cpacity of 23,000 in a 25,000 stadium?
Will i be able to move from N4 to N5 right next to the away fans next season as planned..you cant beat a bit of intimidation with the match day experience
John Hawley announces the team in the Dugout Bar and for the last five games the microphone has been out of order. All the bloody cash the club have & they can't afford a new mic. Poor old John is going to have a heart attack soon.
Given the extra security against Derby, when the smokers go out at half time, anyone could walk in with any type of weapon unnoticed
Plenty of stewards at the game on friday , ask the question as above . I queried it and was told the Derby flag was in a section allocated to away fans . Derby had not sold their full allocation , the fans with flag asked permission and it was allowed . We have had our flags placed in unsold home sections in the past , not often though .
I'd have thought neither the SMC or the Club employ any stewards. Won't they all be hired from Agencies? In a role where staff seem to turn over so quickly, it'd be a right pain in the arse employing and managing that amount of people, when they could just go to an agency and say we want x amount of people for this date, here is some monies.
Quite possibly. In that case they should have a word with the agency and tell them to instruct the stewards "stop being ****". Though given the consistency in the difference in attitude shown to home fans compared to away ones right from the opening of the KC you have to wonder if someone hasn't instructed them to act like that. Or, maybe we have too many fans happy to put up with it.
Half the stewards are employed directly by the SMC, the other half from agencies, either way it's the SMC who are paying for them and are responsible for what they do in the ground. I'm on my way now, I'll post some updates later.
He's called James Deacon. He was interviewed by Burnsy a few months ago about the lift problem at the KC
All things discussed are under embargo until the minutes are released to everyone, so I'm afraid I can't post about what was discussed yet, but I'll post the minutes and my additional comments as soon as I can.
Though i was searched and searched again against Derby When steward tried to search the juniors they told him they are under 16 and it was against the law to search them. Dont know if it is but steward backed off and just let them in.
Whenever I've been searched at away game, if the cousin is with me, they never are because they are under 16. Don't know if it's a law as such. Also noticed make stewards don't search female fans (not talking about their bags) - certainly seen that at most away games anyway.
