• The forums will be unavailable for a few hours on Saturday 6th June, when they do return they will initially be in a degraded state with some features missing, but normal posting/reading will be possible. The main website will not be affected by these updates.
    New user registrations are currently disabled.
    Some other features of the forum are also currently disabled.

New Stadium Measures

Status
Not open for further replies.
samaistonsrightfoot said:
Tomorow there will be people in the north moving seats though and they know it.

People migrate from South to North as well but only south is having that restricted. Presumably they aren't stopping south stand to move anywhere else at half time if we are kicking towards north second half?
Click to expand...
The difference is the North has plenty of extra seats and isn't overcrowded. I'm in Roker End and always go for half time drink in West stand because of the queues in Roker End
 

Guinness Guzzler said:
I'll be very interested to see what happens in terms of the north stand (especially as I sit there with my 8 year old!). The impression I get from someone who attended the meeting was the the club are very much taking it seriously and that further measures are likely to be introduced. There was also an understanding that there was a time element to this and that it couldn't drag on and on. Obviously nothing above and beyond the measures in this article are going to be in place for QPR, but I'll ask RAWA if there's any progress shortly afterwards. It's all well and good looking at upcoming fixtures and thinking they are fairly low risk until Millwall, but as morecambe showed it doesn't need to be a high risk game to have an idiot or a few idiots throwing stuff that could seriously hurt a supporter in the north stand. Hopefully these initial measures will help but whether stewards at the back will really see much in a standing crowd I'm not convinced, and I don't think stewards are much of a deterrent either. But as I say, the impression is that the club are taking it seriously so fingers crossed there'll be further announcements sooner rather than later
Click to expand...

There is a time element. It's been a couple of weeks. In any other business it could have been agreed and communicated - even if it is yet to be implemented.

Just smacks of going for the cheapest option possible.
HoxtonMackem said:
As someone who has elsewhere on here been massively critical of the way the ticket office and club shop has been ran of late, I honestly don't believe there is much more they could have done in less than 2 weeks in regards to the measures they have taken with regards to the north and south stands.

- South Stand; simple way to stop overcrowding, you only can gain access with a ticket for a seat there....it surely will solve the issue IF they have actually sealed off walkways and turnstiles there only accept tickets for seats in south stand blocks....don't see why an issue?

- Away fans; as awful as the situation is I don't see what more they are supposed to do/or rather have done since the Cov game....installing a net will require lead in times for the contractor(s) to order, deliver and install it (we are talking a net to take into account the entire width of the stand and which will have to be installed via many fixing points which will have to be carefully considered and installed), not to mention health and safety inspections to be passed by whichever body is responsible for signing off safety changes to sports stadia. People think the whole process can be done in a day but trust me from someone who has worked in construction, procurement and project management for years, it can't. If it was done in a few days I'd question it tbf.

Having said that, putting the away fans up there years ago WAS a mistake. However, I believe the issues will get sorted, they'll just take a bit longer than many are expecting.


*Tin hat welded on
Click to expand...

Very true. But agreeing to put netting up and communicating could have been done and give fans some reassurance. The clubs PR is just totally tone deaf
 
samaistonsrightfoot said:
It's fine mate. We have the systems from Minority Report implemented now to save us.


I've suggested a temp solution until a more permanent one can be made however they won't do that as that would mean having to open the ticket office, god forbid.

Also, let's not pretend this is two weeks ago. They've had years to sort it and haven't. They even said in the RAWA meeting prior to the match they had no intention of safety.
Click to expand...
What was the suggestion, marra? Temporarily moving fans who have concerns?

They have had years to sort it, true. But to be fair this has only been a problem in the last few year - and even then it has largely been isolated incidents. Do we know how it compares to similar incidents of away fans (and home fans tbf) cobbing stuff when they were in the south? If moving away fans to the SWC increases the volume of stuff being thrown - both ways - do we do it? How do the mags deal with a similar arrangement for example? We've been caught throwing flares down in the past I recall (and mostly laughed it off too). Is this a case where stadium infrastructure has been caught on the hop by football fans becoming more objectionable in the last few years? The club should undoubtedly be very focused on this issue moving forward. I guess it's a little encouraging that @Guinness Guzzler got the impression that they were serious about it at the last RAWA meeting - albeit the proof of the pudding etc. They certainly haven't been all that bothered in the past admittedly. Ultimately, I don't know how easy it is to satisfy everyone completely this season though. It's certainly not the task of a week or so I wouldn't have thought.
 
Last edited:
Guinness Guzzler said:
I'll be very interested to see what happens in terms of the north stand (especially as I sit there with my 8 year old!). The impression I get from someone who attended the meeting was the the club are very much taking it seriously and that further measures are likely to be introduced. There was also an understanding that there was a time element to this and that it couldn't drag on and on. Obviously nothing above and beyond the measures in this article are going to be in place for QPR, but I'll ask RAWA if there's any progress shortly afterwards. It's all well and good looking at upcoming fixtures and thinking they are fairly low risk until Millwall, but as morecambe showed it doesn't need to be a high risk game to have an idiot or a few idiots throwing stuff that could seriously hurt a supporter in the north stand. Hopefully these initial measures will help but whether stewards at the back will really see much in a standing crowd I'm not convinced, and I don't think stewards are much of a deterrent either. But as I say, the impression is that the club are taking it seriously so fingers crossed there'll be further announcements sooner rather than later
Click to expand...

Its a bit reactive, the steward wouldnt have stopped a bottle being thrown, they may have caught the perpetrator, but by that time someone could be seriously injured

Not having a go at you by the way
 
Mighty Boosh said:
The difference is the North has plenty of extra seats and isn't overcrowded. I'm in Roker End and always go for half time drink in West stand because of the queues in Roker End
Click to expand...

Either fans are allowed to sit in different seats are they aren't. Can't have it both ways. If nobody is allowed to go into south stand then south stand shouldn't be allowed to migrate either.

Shouldn't matter where there are seats it people stayed where they are meant to be.

That said I'm sitting in east tomorrow as I don't feel comfortable in the north with two young kids. Not because I want a different view or a smaller queue for a pint, mind.
 
samaistonsrightfoot said:
Either fans are allowed to sit in different seats are they aren't. Can't have it both ways. If nobody is allowed to go into south stand then south stand shouldn't be allowed to migrate either.

Shouldn't matter where there are seats it people stayed where they are meant to be.

That said I'm sitting in east tomorrow as I don't feel comfortable in the north with two young kids. Not because I want a different view or a smaller queue for a pint, mind.
Click to expand...
Have you paid for an extra tickets? You may find it hard to find a few empty seats in the east judging by the number sold. Unless you are going to be in the corner bit on the lower side (NEC ish)
 
Give the measures a chance man. You never know by time we play Coventry again at the SOL they might have sorted the south stand issue out and that will clearly prevent the fans from throwing objects on to Sunderland fans heads.
 
The Cabbage said:
What was the suggestion, marra? Temporarily moving fans who have concerns?

They have had years to sort it, true. But to be fair this has only been a problem in the last few year - and even then it has largely been isolated incidents. Do we know how it compares to similar incidents of away fans (and home fans tbf) cobbing stuff when they were in the south? If moving away fans to the SWC increases the volume of stuff being thrown - both ways - do we do it? How do the mags deal with a similar arrangement for example? We've been caught throwing flares down in the past I recall (and mostly laughed it off too). Is this a case where stadium infrastructure has been caught on the hop by football fans becoming more objectionable in the last few years? The club should undoubtedly be very focused on this issue moving forward. I guess it's a little encouraging that @Guinness Guzzler got the impression that they were serious about it at the last RAWA meeting - albeit the proof of the pudding etc. They certainly haven't been all that bothered in the past admittedly. Ultimately, I don't know how easy it is to satisfy everyone completely this season though. It's certainly not the task of a week or so I wouldn't have thought.
Click to expand...

Impressions are subjective and words mean nowt if actions don't follow suit. It's really easy to say they are concerned then at rhe next meeting, when more things have came down, say 'well we put extra pyro dogs on' but we are really concerned now.

An offer to relocate two kids temporarily would go way further with me than an extra pyro dog. I don't even care where as long as it's not in north. I've told the safety officer I'm not sitting there and best I got back was 'sorry, I requested nets but the people above won't do anything'.

So we have the club head safety officer admitting a risk report deems a net necessary but owners who won't listen. As long as the head safety officer is telling me it's not safe there's nee chance I'm sitting there with the kids both for the potential injury it can cause and the fact I'll not be able to concentrate on the game at all for it. People in North were going home mid game v Cov to avoid it all. It's a shambles.

And adding more pyro dogs, that the safety officer admitted were used v Cov (but didn't work) does nowt. I don't mind pyro btw as long as it isn't being thrown.

Had a net been put up 3(?) years ago, or at any point since when saftey has required it, we wouldn't even need to be having this discussion now.
 
Wayne The Punk said:
Its a bit reactive, the steward wouldnt have stopped a bottle being thrown, they may have caught the perpetrator, but by that time someone could be seriously injured

Not having a go at you by the way
Click to expand...
If they're doing a better job of screening on the way in there shouldn't be any glass getting into the ground - or at least the chances get reduced. Won't completely remove the threat of a f***ing arsehole, but should be a better deterrent.
 
HoxtonMackem said:
Have you paid for an extra tickets? You may find it hard to find a few empty seats in the east judging by the number sold. Unless you are going to be in the corner bit on the lower side (NEC ish)
Click to expand...

No, for two reasons:

- Ticket office is impossible.
- I don't think I should pay extra to sit somewhere I don't want to, to keep my kids safe because the club won't.

I'll just be waiting till a few mins after kickoff to reduce chances of sitting in someones (although ill obviously happily move if that was still to happen). There used to be loads at the south end of the east stand but I'll sit anywhere there are any free tbh.
 
If you haven't got a ticket for a particular part of the ground then you've got no business being in that part of the ground.

It's all rather simple, unless you're a fuckwit
 
The Cabbage said:
If they're doing a better job of screening on the way in there shouldn't be any glass getting into the ground - or at least the chances get reduced. Won't completely remove the threat of a f***ing arsehole, but should be a better deterrent.
Click to expand...
To be honest if some arsehole wants to smuggle a bottle in, they will get it in, the searches will be a brief pat down and no where near enough to prevent it. Wonder if they are going to search everyone? Also need female Stewards to search females
 
samaistonsrightfoot said:
Impressions are subjective and words mean nowt if actions don't follow suit. It's really easy to say they are concerned then at rhe next meeting, when more things have came down, say 'well we put extra pyro dogs on' but we are really concerned now.

An offer to relocate two kids temporarily would go way further with me than an extra pyro dog. I don't even care where as long as it's not in north. I've told the safety officer I'm not sitting there and best I got back was 'sorry, I requested nets but the people above won't do anything'.

So we have the club head safety officer admitting a risk report deems a net necessary but owners who won't listen. As long as the head safety officer is telling me it's not safe there's nee chance I'm sitting there with the kids both for the potential injury it can cause and the fact I'll not be able to concentrate on the game at all for it. People in North were going home mid game v Cov to avoid it all. It's a shambles.

And adding more pyro dogs, that the safety officer admitted were used v Cov (but didn't work) does nowt. I don't mind pyro btw as long as it isn't being thrown.

Had a net been put up 3(?) years ago, or at any point since when saftey has required it, we wouldn't even need to be having this discussion now.
Click to expand...
A bad situation for you, marra, of course. I tend to be a bit cynical when middle management types blame the faceless ones above them. It's often a sign of wanting to get through a difficult conversation with minimum effort. If the head safety officer really has formally recommended a net and the owners have refused despite that formal advice, then it's not really defensible. I'd be surprised if that was 100% accurate, though - and it could be complicated by the ownership change too.

Short term, they should facilitate the change you outlined and I'd be surprised (and disappointed) if they ultimately refused the request. Might take a bit of faffing given where we are from an infrastructure perspective right now I guess. As you say, we need action not words. There is nothing that can be done to completely eradicate the threat, of course. However, the club clearly needs to make this a high priority - and be clearly seen to be doing so, too.
Wayne The Punk said:
To be honest if some arsehole wants to smuggle a bottle in, they will get it in, the searches will be a brief pat down and no where near enough to prevent it. Wonder if they are going to search everyone? Also need female Stewards to search females
Click to expand...
All the club can really do this season (or any season in truth) is to make it more and more difficult for an arsehole to be an arsehole. We'll never be able to completely remove the chance of a SAFC fan being hit by stuff that has been thrown, sadly.
 
Last edited:
I think 90% of this thread are unable to read?

First paragraph tells you that are introducing better checking of away fans entering the ground. Therefore the missiles should be reduced. A quick and easy response, that I'm sure they will further enhance.

They've gone into more detail around the South stand changes are they are more relevant to our fans and more unique so more questions will be raised.

Out of all of the things that this club is shit at, this statement isn't one of them in my opinion.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top