The Safety of Fans in the North Stand

[KathyBatesHammer]

I sometimes miss sitting in the SWC and having that atmosphere with the away fans in the SS.

But its better how it is for now IMO.

1. Not many clubs sell out their allocation so looks shit with a half full SS.

2. When were at it its a much better atmosphere with the entire lower bowl being SAFC.

The club just need to take some responsibilty and sort some netting out.

 

[Zimba]

Love these threads we should move them from the North stand but not the South stand because I sit there. Someone else has to be moved instead...

It's South Stand or where it is imo. No-where else makes sense especially considering it's the cheapest stand for tickets so the least loyal fans on paper.

The East Stand orange blocks shouldn't be next to the away fans who pay more and some will have been there since the stadium has opened.

 

[Wayne The Punk]

I sometimes miss sitting in the SWC and having that atmosphere with the away fans in the SS.

But its better how it is for now IMO.

1. Not many clubs sell out their allocation so looks shit with a half full SS.

2. When were at it its a much better atmosphere with the entire lower bowl being SAFC.

The club just need to take some responsibilty and sort some netting out.

Its nothing to do with responsibility, its all about saving pennies in the scheme of things. Same reason no one answers a phone in the ticket office

 

[GarethQ]

The same person who started playing music before the end of the first half.

Not a very professional job today I’m afraid.

They are two different people.

The announcement is protocol. He didn’t just bang a message on the big screen that he had spare on a USB and then take to the mic. It’s a process that would be carried out at every ground in the country should this incident occur.

 

[rubberface]

South stand isn’t the south east corner. The main roads go right past the south east corner. Away fans would go down the back street to their buses from the south.

All the same area.

 

[KathyBatesHammer]

Its nothing to do with responsibility, its all about saving pennies in the scheme of things. Same reason no one answers a phone in the ticket office

I sometimes think (probaly wrong like) these things are a consequence of having a really young billionaire owner.

What experience does he have with poor customer service. Can he even relate to the issues were having?

Struggling to put accross my point like but I think of myself as a 24 year old these issues wouldn't even register to me. Is he even aware of it.

 

[seaham ftm]

All the same area.

Different logistics.

I sometimes think (probaly wrong like) these things are a consequence of having a really young billionaire owner.

What experience does he have with poor customer service. Can he even relate to the issues were having?

Struggling to put accross my point like but I think of myself as a 24 year old these issues wouldn't even register to me. Is he even aware of it.

Donald was going to sort a net out 4 years ago. I dont think it’s down to the owners age but the clubs obsession with penny pinching at every department. They don’t give a fuck about objects being thrown, if they did they would of took actual action and put a net/screen up.

 

[hank williams]

They’re going nowhere

Build a net.

Well remembered Hank. Pitchside in the PL for tv atmosphere reasons. This was in the media about a year to eighteen months back. There was even talk in media circles of this happening BEFORE ES moved the away fans upstairs.

A particularly handsome witty charming modest smbr mentioned it a few times in the numerous away fan location threads we have every few months only to be shouted down with the usual whatabout this club and that club which to some on here obviously meant it had nivver been mentioned etc. The smb loves a kill the messenger angle.

ES was wrong to move em up there, the twat twins were wrong to leave em up there and these current lot are also wrong to leave them up there. It’s been a catalogue of stupidity by a series of rich owners with no knowledge of football attendance as experienced by the majority of fans.
SAFCs current owners need to sit down with the R&W Army, local polis, council and an architect to thrash out an agreement that doesn’t put attendees lives at risk every time they set foot in the SOL and creates the best atmosphere possible for TV. A great atmosphere with players filmed against a background of their own fans creates great TV and that’s where the money comes from. Get the away fans back downstairs asap.

It has to be the SW corner for me. Current ST holders will need to be compensated with more than club shop vouchers or out of date shirts which won’t go down well with the owners, but it’s about time someone ower there other than the fans started thinking long term and an atmospheric stadium that looks exciting to visit has to be the priority. Give those required to move a free ST for a year in the other corners minimum.

Its long past the time for put up or shut up for those drawing salaries and/or prestige from SAFC. Ferchrissakes at least look on it as keeping yourselves out of court if the worst should happen.

The PL and TV companies want away fans on TV more readily.

They will be but that won’t be any use to someone in a wooden box marra.

im not as dumb as I look wink ( even dumber )

 

[McGregor]

The same person who started playing music before the end of the first half.

Not a very professional job today I’m afraid.

I thought the music was all over the shop today. Surely it wasn't the same person who does it every match day?

 

[John J Rambo]

Away fans would need to be in family bit now imo and it's where people have had seats the shortest period. As always though, very cloudy memories from some. The fans were moved because many were saying the atmosphere wasn't great. That was the reason why they moved. Now apparently it was great before. Safety of fans though has to be priority and they need to be moved now. It can't keep going on.

 

[Wayne The Punk]

I sometimes think (probaly wrong like) these things are a consequence of having a really young billionaire owner.

What experience does he have with poor customer service. Can he even relate to the issues were having?

Struggling to put accross my point like but I think of myself as a 24 year old these issues wouldn't even register to me. Is he even aware of it.

No but Steve Davison the tw@ who is responsible is

 

[Gaz]

How long is Steve Davison going to sit back and peddle the usual “club are looking into it” bollocks. Someone is going to get seriously hurt, and he doesn’t give a shit

 

[Billie Cheemus]

At sheff utd away earlier this season they had large nets which protruded from the balcony area. Very simple but logical idea. Along with a bucket load of CCTV cameras.

How hard can it be for the club to address this? The clubs health and safety officer, Steve Neill, never puts his head above the parapet on this, why are we not calling him out for a change?

I’d be very surprised if he hasn’t flagged this. Ultimately he can only advise what should be done, he can’t make it happen.

 

[Wearson]

I don't see the issue here. On average there's 10,000 empty seats at a home game so what does it matter if there's a few gaps in the away end when compared to fans safety?

Putting away fans up there was a bad idea from the start. Spoilt the atmosphere and has resulted in many home fans being injured over the years from missiles being thrown down onto them.

Remember that the empty seats were one of the main drivers in the “campaign” to have them moved up top.
It looked poor on TV etc

The same thing would happen again.

 

[ATS]

It was absolutely shit with the away fans behind the goal. Huge followings like the mags, Man Utd etc having direct influence on their team for 45 minutes or about 100 fans and thousands of empty seats. It's much better having our fans behind both goals.
I'd leave them where they are with a net if it was up to me. Saying that I wouldn't mind them coming back downstairs but it would have to be in a corner, not behind the goal.

 

[soapster]

Davison doesn’t give a fuck. At the business talk in last week he described dealing with the away fans as a ‘tactical’ move and wanted to wait until the club had decided ‘what they wanted the stadium of light experience to be’.

Total bullshit and the man needs removed from his post. A disgrace

that was a reason as to why the away fans were moved from the south stand to the upper north in the first place.
due to the poor attendances for most away teams, it looked bad for advertising revenue, to have a very poor away attendance.
it also looked poor on tv when it looked as though the ground was empty
we were one of a few teams, who allowed away fans behind the goal, this gave the away teams an encouragement as the fans were closer and more vocal.
it also meant our keeper was subjected to a half of abuse.
It also meant that funnels of away fans prior to and after the match, would merge with home supporters.
Most of the time, no problem, but on a few occasions, there was bother. remember the barriers that used to be put up, to stop opposing fans fighting.

there was a lot of conversations about the rights or wrongs of the move., but remember the ones to blame are the nuggets who are throwing objects.
As far back as I can remember, it has always been an offence to throw things at a match.
fans complain about too much policing or stewarding at a game.

 

[Tony_in_London]

Remember that the empty seats were one of the main drivers in the “campaign” to have them moved up top.
It looked poor on TV etc

The same thing would happen again.

Ok so you think empty seats looks poor on TV?

Well imagine this

Look North music starts and serious looking Mag news reader intones “Sunderland Football club were today ordered to pay £1.2 million pounds compensation to the family of eight year old Jordan Rogers after he sustained a life changing traumatic brain injury after being hit on the head by a beer bottle thrown from the upper tier of the Sunderland stadium. The judge increased the award as this occurred after a series of similar incidents and it appeared the club had failed to act on the advice of Safety Officers and fans representatives. Nobody at Sunderland was available for comment so we go over now to the Al Qaeda Stadium to discuss the issue of fan safety in football grounds with Amanda Stavely”

That a good look?

 

[Wearside Wanderer II]

Love these threads we should move them from the North stand but not the South stand because I sit there. Someone else has to be moved instead...

It's South Stand or where it is imo. No-where else makes sense especially considering it's the cheapest stand for tickets so the least loyal fans on paper.

The East Stand orange blocks shouldn't be next to the away fans who pay more and some will have been there since the stadium has opened.

I’m sure all of those in the south stand are delighted to know, on a paper they are the least loyal.

Ya walloper

those that were turfed out of the north stand when the extension was done and had to move, should now be moved again because their seats are allegedly the cheapest?

FML

 

[Drifter]

Netting and increased cctv as first choice. If moving them put them where our crazy corner used to be. Close to south stand for police control, off screen from the main tv camera so it doesn’t look as bad if fewer away fans, won’t stop missile chucking if they’re that way inclined but won’t be coming down from a height onto unsuspecting fans.

 

[Zimba]

Away fans would need to be in family bit now imo and it's where people have had seats the shortest period. As always though, very cloudy memories from some. The fans were moved because many were saying the atmosphere wasn't great. That was the reason why they moved. Now apparently it was great before. Safety of fans though has to be priority and they need to be moved now. It can't keep going on.

That's wrong. The Roker End is where fans have been the shortest time. The South East corner was never the away end and without a serious rebuild of the stadium they couldn't be there anyway as you'd leave the East Stand with too short of bars and turnstiles. It's bad enough as it is.

I’m sure all of those in the south stand are delighted to know, on a paper they are the least loyal.

Ya walloper

those that were turfed out of the north stand when the extension was done and had to move, should now be moved again because their seats are allegedly the cheapest?

FML

Wasn't meant as malice but if your going to move people you'll move the people paying the cheapest prices who haven't been there the longest. On paper the red blocks are the least loyal from a business point of view.

Personally I'd just put a net up and be done with it. It's much easier than pissing people off moving people around for the sake of it.