Reply With QuoteI hope Grantham, you and anyone else who had a similar experience have complained to the club. It's not the way to encourage youngsters to attend on a regular basis.
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Was anyone else affected by the over zealous stewarding in the Kop on Saturday?
I’d taken my 6 year old granddaughter to her first ever home game on Saturday and not to break with tradition, 5 minutes before half time we went to the chip and burger van in the corner of the Kop. After getting her a hotdog, we went to my normal place halfway up the steps and I lifted her up and sat her in the wall. We’d only been there 3 or 4 minutes when two stewards started to kettle people off the steps and down into the small yard area near the chip van. There were several supporters near me with small children and we pointed out that we were not blocking the steps or causing any issues… just minding our own business and trying to eat our food.
At this, one of the stewards called a supervisor and a heated argument ensued. I informed him that I had stood game after game and season after season in the same spot since the Kop had reopened to home supporters with my both son and several grandchildren. He then started to ask me for my season ticket so that he could report me and eject me (and my granddaughter!) from the ground. I and another supporter told him that he was not the police and had no right to ask me for that information.
We pointed out to him and the other stewards, that once the halftime whistle was blown, many hundreds of supporters would be coming down those steps and that the area at the bottom would not be big enough to hold them all… indeed it was dangerous for people with small children and particularly the elderly and infirm. I saw one elderly gentleman with a walking aid almost being forced down the steps!
We eventually moved to the bottom of the steps and sure enough, my granddaughter had her hotdog knocked out of her hands and a small boy with his dad was crying in the crush.
The halftime whistle blew and within minutes the area was becoming congested and dangerous. The two stewards on the steps realised that they were not going to win an argument with big blokes wanting to smoke and stopped insisting that they moved to the foot of the steps… Quelle surprise!
Note
1) The area at the foot of the steps on the Kop is not big enough to hold more than a hundred or so supporters and to kettle people into a small area is both dangerous and reckless. It seems to be perfectly ok for supporters to congregate en masse at the TOP of the steps and concourse near the food outlet but not on the steps!
2) There has been no issues with supporters standing in these areas until Saturday. What’s suddenly changed after more than a decade?
3) The petty and vindictive nature of the stewarding on Saturday should be an embarrassment to the club. Bullying women, the elderly and children is the lowest of the low… particularly when you then witness the same stewards backing off in the face of big blokes having a cigarette.
It was an absolutely awful experience for my 6 year old granddaughter and not one she is ever likely to forget. One thing is for sure, I’ll never, ever purchase food or drink from the ground again. I’ll pack our own food and drink from now on and stay in our seats.
The club should be embarrassed.
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I hope Grantham, you and anyone else who had a similar experience have complained to the club. It's not the way to encourage youngsters to attend on a regular basis.
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You shouldn't be on the stairs to be honest, it's an evacuation route. If you want to watch the game, watch it from your seat, it's the simple solution, from your seat, your granddaughter wouldn't have lost her hot dog either.
The club should put advertising hoardings to stop people seeing the pitch from there, make money and stop a safety issue at the same time.
Only person who should be embarrassed is yourself really
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It's a shame you and others had to experience that on what was a great day for the club. Maybe contact the club to let them know about your experience, I'm sure they will be happy to get the feedback and consider how this type of incident can be avoided in the future.
Maybe Glad2BeAPie could help?
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So is the concourse and many many hundreds more congregate there! Indeed, the club in its wisdom has two food outlets in an area 12 foot wide.Originally Posted by Chicken Balti Pie
I wasnt watching the game, I was standing on the side of the steps eating fcuking chips with a 6 year old! So get off your high moral horse.
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This raises a lot of issues.
Can't see a way forward other than a conversation with the club. I don't know the Kop, but some things, such as 'halfway up the steps' and 'dangerous and reckless' do ring some alarm bells which need sorting.
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I'm afraid CBP is quite correct Grantham, The stairway must be kept clear when the match is in play. The Steward was just enforcing the H & S rules.
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I don't think this thread will help with the current better atmosphere** on this board as it may descend into arguments!
** mostly!
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Under the ground regulations, at all football grounds Stewards, Security, Police. Any of these can ask to see tickets/Season cards. Also could be ejected if anyone refuses to comply.
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Just to correct you, Stewards or match day Security staff can ask to see your ticket/ Season. Card, the ground regulations stipulate this. And its the same rules for any public event. I suggest you take a few mins to read them
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