The Professionals ? Where they not Bodie and Doyle reporting to Cowley ? As for WYP they fall way below being Professional. Bloody clueless and incompetant actually is how i would descibe them
So if telling the police what they should be doing isn't what they're for, what exactly is the point of them, because we don't have them up here.
So how is insisting that 1,500 law abiding citizens be detained purely on the grounds they want to watch a football game not within his remit? That sounds like a pretty big **** up in terms of understanding what is illegal and what isn't when you also consider it's one of the forces responsible for Jimmy Savile going 30 odd years abusing people.
https://freedomforfansblog.wordpress.com/ Please click the link above to keep up to date with a blog being written by a 15 year old Hull City fan, who is considering taking West Yorkshire Police to court over the restrictions being imposed on Tigers fans for the Huddersfield away game. The topic is under discussion on a number of boards including City independent which can be viewed on THIS LINK CLICKETY CLICK Next time it could be YOU.
cardiff have had this for years so whats the big deal>>>>>>i didnt hear you all complain when us lot were being escorted around britain with no freedom of movement.........join the club anymore sheep shagging jokes dog>>>tiz nice 2 hear the old retro stuff again
Don't get what I am going to say wrong: I have been a massive Hull City fan since 1956 ( a long time). But I have to laugh sometimes when some fans get indignant about police actions. The Cardiff fans for years have travelled looking more to fighting then watching football, I have witnessed a lot of it. Hull themselves on occasions have been no angels, I remember a cup game at Coventry in the 90's when after the game they attacked cars as they drove from the surrounding streets. I appreciate it may not be as bad now, but bad reputations are hard to lose. And so now a load of bleating ( sorry Welsh guys) is going on because our whiter than white fans can't understand the authorities being worried. I do believe that in this case the police have over re- acted but get some perspective. Even now we have people on our board talking as if violence and automatic abuse of the police is acceptable. You get treated as grown ups when you are seen to be acting like grown ups.
Fifteen-year-old Hull City fan Louis Cooper is launching a legal challenge against West Yorkshire Police’s (WYP) decision to enforce draconian ticket and travel restrictions for his club’s visit to Huddersfield Town on Saturday 30th March. Last week WYP announced they plan to make the Championship clash a “bubble” match. The decision caused uproar among supporters with fans' groups from both sides condemning the move. Bubble matches are games where all away supporters must travel on designated transport, usually club coaches, from specific pick up points - in this case the club's official Tiger Travel from Hull. Ticket numbers have been cut to 1,500 and no independent travel is allowed. This restricts freedom of movement and causes logistical problems for fans such as Louis who don’t live in the city. Louis said: “The police have made it impossible for a lot of fans to go to the game. It has been done without consulting fans and doesn’t reflect what has happened at previous games. “I travel from Manchester to home and away games and this will be the first away game I will miss this season. I have travelled to Beijing to watch Hull City and have done so without restrictions. I hope the police change their mind sooner rather than later.” WYP have rated the game a Category C (Increased Risk) fixture – the highest level of risk – because the match kicks off at 5.20pm. Police fear that the extra drinking hours will encourage disorder. However, fans of both clubs point out that there is no historic rivalry between the sides. In addition not a single Hull City fan was arrested for an alcohol offence last season. During the 2011/12 season only 14 Tigers fans were arrested at games and half of those arrests occurred at home fixtures. Former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott branded bubble matches the “most draconian travel restrictions since miners’ strike pickets were targeted”. He cites the example of John Miles, a Hull City fan living in Huddersfield, who will have to travel to Hull to board a coach to take him to Huddersfield. Solicitor Lochlinn Parker works at Deighton Pierce Glynn and will handle the case. The firm specialise in civil rights and judicial reviews. Lochlinn said he believes the decision is “unlawful” and will apply for a judicial review if WYP refuse to remove restrictions. Counter productive Some supporters argue that bubble matches are actually counter-productive as many “normal” fans can be put off attending. This gives a higher profile to the few unwanted troublemakers and discourages families from attending games. Bubble matches also mean disorder can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The implication is that many in attendance are potential hooligans. The welcoming party of police and stewards are therefore primed to views away fans as “trouble”. Tensions rise on both sides and the concept of policing by consent is lost. The Home Office’s own figures from 2011-12 showed that only one in every 15,782 spectators was arrested and overall arrests at football were down by a quarter. Only seven Hull City fans were arrested at away games last season and the legal route is a last throw of the dice for supporters. Amanda Jacks, Caseworker at the FSF, said: “It’s unusual for football fans to seek a remedy through the courts but on this occasion they seem to be left with no alternative. Legal action is a last resort and we sincerely hope WYP will drop these restrictions on ordinary law-abiding people enabling them to travel to this match unimpeded. “I've been overwhelmed with emails from fans many of whom speak of longstanding arrangements, even flights, to visit Huddersfield and the surrounding areas. Those plans are scuppered. These are fans the police should want at games but sadly they've managed to disrupt and alienate many ordinary supporters.” http://fsf.org.uk/latest-news/view/Teenage-Hull-City-fan-challenges-bubble-match-in-court
STAND against modern football The West Yorkshire Police, Television and Huddersfield vs. Hull Posted by Seb on 2/26/13 • Categorized as Contributions When Hull City’s fixtures were released last June, it didn’t require a great feat of soothsaying to identify the likeliest candidate for an altercation: Leeds at home. There’s no great antipathy between the two clubs, but Leeds have a problem element that may attract local hotheads, and so the decision to impose a 12.30pm kick-off was accepted with a weary sigh. But that wasn’t the end of it. Both games with Huddersfield were given the same early kick-off treatment. Huddersfield?! It may be a Yorkshire derby, but Yorkshire is a pretty big place – at 75 miles apart, Hull to Huddersfield is exactly the same distance as Walsall to Stockport, which few would claim is a local derby. There’s no rivalry between us either and no history of trouble, save for a single match eight years ago when a small gang of Huddersfield-based hooligans (not fans; they didn’t attend the game) caused trouble in the car park after the match. There was a reaction, and a dozen or so people ended up with stiff prison sentences – mainly those from Hull, rather anomalously. And that, you’d think, would be that. Not so. The fixture in Huddersfield and its counterpart in Hull were both immediately shifted to 12.30pm last summer. We grumbled about it, as you do when football’s traditions are needlessly assaulted, but it wasn’t the end of the world. What no-one really saw is the sort of season City are having. We’re third at the time of writing, with a real chance of promotion. This has come to the attention of Sky Sports, who saw a match between a relegation-troubled side and a promotion-chasing side with the added bonus of it being a Yorkshire derby, and not unreasonably wanted to televise it. It could only be at 5.20pm as Sunderland v Man Utd has long been pencilled in for the earlier slot. West Yorkshire Police were not impressed, and refused to sanction it. They’ve already turned down requests for Huddersfield home games to be screened live this season, depriving the unfortunate Terriers of both money and national exposure. This time, it was a little more serious. The Football League intervened, as their agreement with Sky apparently stipulates that all Championship clubs should be willing to have one home game broadcast live. Not doing so can theoretically lead a points deduction; not ideal for a club currently three points above the relegation places. So eventually, WYP were cajoled into “compromise” – if the present situation can be called a compromise. Only 1,500 City fans may travel, despite the away end holding some four thousand people. Yet even more disgraceful than this are the restrictions being placed upon away fans: tickets will only be issued to those travelling on official club coaches leaving only from Hull, and no-one else. The infamous “bubble”; and, as has been noted, a far more stringent set of conditions being imposed in West Yorkshire than we encountered when playing a pair of friendlies a few years ago in Communist China. It’s all so unnecessary. City fans have behaved extremely well in recent years; indeed, there hasn’t been a single arrest for alcohol-related offences in the past year, making nonsense of WYP’s public claim that the risk of ale-fuelled misdemeanours was intolerably high. Ironically, one of the local rugby franchises play in Huddersfield a fortnight earlier, and despite having a far greater reputation for hooliganism, no such restrictions are being attempted. For some reason, only football fans are picked on in this way. West Yorkshire Police tried this in 2005 when City travelled to Elland Road, and eventually backed down when the club’s then chairman, Adam Pearson, refused to accept an allocation under those restrictions. This lesson on how to deal with WYP’s bullying hasn’t been learned as City accepted the conditions, even appearing to claim a partial victory in having managed to increase the allocation from an initial 1,000 and trying to mollify us by reducing the cost of coach travel. Some victory. As fans, we can organise, protest, agitate and do whatever is in our power to counteract this appalling decision, but the real muscle lies with Hull City. Had they refused to go along with, or at the very least made it clear that boycotting was an option, WYP would have faced the prospect of hundreds and perhaps thousands travelling ticketless, or going in the home end – a scenario that would have been far more trying from a policing perspective than 4,000 people travelling independently and all going into the away end. It’s a hard decision for the club, who’ll want at least some City fans there to support the team as the season nears its end, however they’ve played a bad hand poorly. Alas, the club acquiesced, and were immediately blown away by the scale of the protests. The club’s two fanzines, Amber Nectar and City Independent convened with the Official Supporters Club to release a joint statement calling for the club to boycott. The Hull Daily Mail (and Huddersfield Examiner) have run hard with it. The local MPs got involved. The Football Supporters’ Federation, led by the admirable Amanda Jacks, have weighed in. And now a 15 year old City fan by the name of Louis Cooper, with FSF backing and the support of everyone, is threatening legal action – he’d have to travel from Manchester, literally past the Galpharm Stadium and another 75 miles east to Hull, only to return…and then have to repeat the process later on. It’s insane. The noises from Hull City have thus changed. Their public utterances have gone from resigned disappointment to anger, and a harder edge appeared in Managing Director Nick Thompson’s tone in a radio interview last Friday – though sadly, talk of a formal club boycott apparently remains off the table, which we cannot help thinking is a tactical error. So where do we go now? Their national media is beginning to carry the story, their interest piqued by a minor taking legal action against a police force over their surely unlawful restraint on the freedom to travel to watch a football match. WYP’s already poor reputation is being daily shredded, and someone somewhere in that force must be alarmed by that. Locally, the pressure is being maintained. Huddersfield fans are protesting too – they’re furious, and as one said, the point of being back in the second tier was big games against teams with a big travelling support, a simple pleasure a malicious police force seem determined to ruin. Will we succeed? That’s anyone’s guess. WYP police aren’t noted for their reason, so it’s perfectly possible they’ll try to dig their heels in and continue their attempts to spoil everyone’s day. City are reacting to events rather than trying to shape them, so a lead coming from the club seems unlikely at present. It seems our best hope lies in the legal action being mooted – what a depressing prospect it is that one must instruct solicitors against the police in order to travel independently with your friends and family to watch a football match.
Great read. We really cant let this lie. As fans I think were doing well, hopefully the club catch on soon.
Boothferry2Wembley posted this earlier in another thread, but I thought it worth repeating up here to make sure Huddersfield Town fans got the recognition they deserve for their support in this. Huddersfield Town Supporters Association. Freedom Of Information Requests to WYP & KMC Posted on February 25, 2013 by kingy HTSA have today made a number of FOI requests to both West Yorkshire Police (WYP) & Kirklees Metropolitan Council (KMC) in relation to the forthcoming fixture with Hull City on 30 March 2013. To WYP: 1. Please send me a copy of the letter WYP sent to the fixture compilers last summer which requested particular restrictions on matches involving Huddesfield for the forthcoming season. 2. Please send me the last three post-match police match reports for Huddersfield v Hull matches in Huddersfield and, if held, the last three post-match police debriefing documents. 3. Please send me all emails sent by and received by your officers on the subject of the forthcoming Huddersfield v Hull match on March 30. I am happy for names to be redacted. To KMC: 1. Please email the minutes of meetings of Kirklees Safety Advisory Group at which the forthcoming Huddersfield v Hull match – on March 30 – has been discussed. 2. Can you please email me all email correspondence sent by and received by, council employees who are members of the council’s safety advisory group, on the subject of the forthcoming Huddersfield v Hull match on March 30. I am happy for names to be redacted. Updates to follow when available.
It's starting to sound like there's going to be some change to the restrictions... http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/local-west-yorkshire-news/2013/02/27/86081-32887131/?
Come as you like, but you're still only having 1500 tickets (or possibly 2000 subject to 'other' conditions) is my guess. For us as football fans it'd be better to get this to judicial review. The shame is that the Police won't look at their failure in dealing with the public they serve and see how they can improve, they'll look at their failure in getting away with the measures and look at ways of tightening theis system for next time.
Correspondence between HTSA and WYP... From: markburns-williamson (GOV) [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 27 February 2013 10:39 To: Stephen King Subject: HTFC v’s HCFC (30th March 2013) [NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED] Dear Mr King Rest assured, the Commissioner is listening to all the concerns regarding the football match and has not deleted your email. He is currently in negotiation with West Yorkshire Police Force. Due to the large amount of correspondence regarding this matter, please allow us to come back to you as developments occur. Many thanks. Julie Julie Dawes Administrative Assistant Int Ext: 27203 Tel: 01924 294003 Fax: 01924 294008 From: Stephen King Sent: Friday, February 22, 2013 12:44 PM To: Contact (WYPCC); markburns-williamson (GOV) Cc: Amanda Jacks; ”Robert Pepper”; ‘Nigel Clibbens’; Ann Hough; ‘Gareth Davies’; [email protected]; ‘TIFFANY, Julie A’; ‘Cllr Mehboob Khan’; [email protected]; Adam Pope; Alex Richardson; ‘Chris Dawkes’; ‘Examiner Editorial’; Independent; John Nagle; John Shires; Margaret Heward; Neil Morrow; Paul Ogden; Richard Sutcliffe; Rob Waugh; Ryan McKnight; [email protected]; SSN; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; ”Robert Pepper” Subject: RE: HTFC v’s HCFC (30th March 2013) [NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED] Importance: High Dear Mr Burns Williamson, Thanks for the stock reply that I’d already read in The Huddersfield Daily Examiner & Hull Daily Mail. How do I get answers to the points raised in my original email? In case you have deleted it I have copied them again for you below? I have also raised a few extra questions (in bold) Why has the kick off time changed when last month, Ged McManus said to my face it would NOT be changed under no circumstances & WYP have the final say as to when games kick off? Why are innocent law abiding citizens from Hull having their human rights infringed by forcing them to get onto a coach in Hull to attend the game? I have already spoken to many Hull City fans who outside of Hull (Manchester; Leeds; North Yorkshire). Why should you treat all football fans like hooligans? Why should Huddersfield Town FC lose out on vital gate receipts – not only from restricted away ticket sales but also from home supporters not being able to pay on the day? Why should businesses in Huddersfield lose out on vital trade from supporters not being allowed to attend this fixture? How can the proposed & much needed investment of the HDOne development go ahead if WYP are unable to even effectively police an undeveloped site? Why is the Policing of football matches in this country, effectively a post-code lottery? Is the tax payer footing the bill of your current attempts to overrule the recent judgment around policing LUFC games in the High Court? HTSA demand a public enquiry into this farcical situation. What time will coaches be leaving Hull? Where will the coaches be parking? Will the Coach passengers be escorted directly into the stadium? I would like to meet friends for a drink? Are there any further restrictions on UK citizens that day/ i.e. can Hull City Supporters go shopping in Huddersfield during the day then watch the game in a public house? Best regards, Stephen King Chairman Huddersfield Town Supporters Association (HTSA) Tel: 07753 634298 http://www.htsa-online.co.uk/2013/0...ce/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Courtesy of an Udders fan who posted on CI... HTSA's latest challenge to the measures is an e-mail to Ruth Shaw, Chairwoman of The Sports Ground Safety Authority. Maybe Hull supporters might be able to pass it on to whoever is dealing with this issue? Dear Ms Shaw, I am chairman of Huddersfield Town Supporters Association. I am writing to raise an issue with you in the hope that you can provide guidance about the correct procedure for setting an away club's ticket allocation. Huddersfield are due to host Hull on March 30 and Hull fans will receive 1,500 tickets - 500 fewer than the league rules state. (http://www.football-league.co.uk/regulati ons/20110629/section-5-fixtures_2293633_2 125729) To the best of our knowledge, this was due to a West Yorkshire Police request. Though the rules don't explicitly say so, that is, of course, subject to any requested amended of the stadium safety certificate, in this case signed by Kirklees Council. It is my understanding that the council - and specifically the safety advisory group that it chairs - has taken no part in making the decision to reduce Hull's allocation and, more so, that West Yorkshire Police took the decision single handily. My submission would be that this is contrary to the guidelines in terms of how allocations affected by safety concerns are supposed to be arrived at. I would be grateful if you could advise me as to whether the police have done anything contrary to the correct procedure and whether they should have allowed the safety advisory group to make the decision so it could properly draw up an amended safety certificate for this game. In our view, it would be a worrying development if an individual member of a safety advisory group has been able to make a decision without the group discussing it. It is important that fans are given the opportunity to understand the reasons for safety measures and for extra police activity to make the match as safe as possible. In our view, we can only learn of this information if a council-run organisation such as the safety advisory group makes the decision, as the minutes of these meetings are made available, though details of the police's decision are not. Any help you can offer would be appreciated. Best regards, Stephen King
WYP at a senior level = Not fit for purpose. Well done Stephen King. A horror show this most certainly is by WYP.
