Club statement: True blues?!

[Yer Blues]

CLUB STATEMENT: TRUE BLUES?!

Posted on: Mon 20 Apr 2009
Southend United Chief Executive Geoffrey King has today issued the following statement regarding Saturday's match with Leicester City:
Prior to the game on Saturday an arrangement had been reached with the Police to have their resources outside the ground on the basis that the Club's own stewarding and security was of a sufficiently robust standard to deal with any difficulties caused by away supporters. The Club has proved that it is capable of stewarding its matches in difficult circumstances on a number of occasions having a record envied by most other Clubs.
On Saturday at the match against Leicester City fighting broke out in the north end of the West Stand (block w) when it was discovered that four Leicester City fans had found themselves in that area. As a result the Police Commander of the day was forced to take the action of calling in the resources that he had outside the ground to quell the situation where police officers and stewards found themselves at the centre of a fight where Southend fans were fighting not only the four Leicester fans but amongst themselves as well. This action has cost the Club £8,000 in additional police charges, money which in all honesty could be put to much better uses.

I never stop seeking to understand why such mindless aggression exists in a sport which more and more is becoming a true family sport. What I do know is that I, the Board and Management of the Club will not tolerate such incidents and where possible the strongest action will be taken against those persons involved.

CCTV images are currently being processed to identify the culprits who once identified will be served with permanent banning orders.

Geoffrey King
Chief Executive

 

[TrueBlue]

CLUB STATEMENT: TRUE BLUES?!

Posted on: Mon 20 Apr 2009
Southend United Chief Executive Geoffrey King has today issued the following statement regarding Saturday's match with Leicester City:
Prior to the game on Saturday an arrangement had been reached with the Police to have their resources outside the ground on the basis that the Club's own stewarding and security was of a sufficiently robust standard to deal with any difficulties caused by away supporters. The Club has proved that it is capable of stewarding its matches in difficult circumstances on a number of occasions having a record envied by most other Clubs.
On Saturday at the match against Leicester City fighting broke out in the north end of the West Stand (block w) when it was discovered that four Leicester City fans had found themselves in that area. As a result the Police Commander of the day was forced to take the action of calling in the resources that he had outside the ground to quell the situation where police officers and stewards found themselves at the centre of a fight where Southend fans were fighting not only the four Leicester fans but amongst themselves as well. This action has cost the Club £8,000 in additional police charges, money which in all honesty could be put to much better uses.

I never stop seeking to understand why such mindless aggression exists in a sport which more and more is becoming a true family sport. What I do know is that I, the Board and Management of the Club will not tolerate such incidents and where possible the strongest action will be taken against those persons involved.

CCTV images are currently being processed to identify the culprits who once identified will be served with permanent banning orders.

Geoffrey King
Chief Executive

Southend fans fighting with eachother??!??! I saw no such thing!

 

[Smiffy]

News to me that Southend fans were fighting themselves. But being stuck behind TrueBlue doesn't give the best of views!

 

[manor15]

Good to see that people will be banned but why does it cost an extra £8,000 to enter the stadium? Insurance I can understand but if they are just waiting outside it is not like we are paying extra for them to stop what they are doing and come in. They didn't do anything anyway!

 

[TrueBlue]

I wonder if that title has any meaning? or am I just being foolish?!

 

[Yer Blues]

I wonder if that title has any meaning? or am I just being foolish?!

always x
...

 

[TrueBlue]

Anyway what really hurts is SUFC are quick to blame us and NEVER EVER admit they mite have got some things wrong on there own part!

when it was discovered that four Leicester City fans had found themselves in that area.

So they went undercover to get into the home end by wearing tights over there faces?!

come off it they were SOLD tickets knowing this was the home end!

 

[ShrimplyTheBest]

The crowd trouble thread is in double figures and nobody has mentioned Blues fans fighting each other... surely this would suggest that the whole propblem was caused by the stewarding not being up to scratch by allowing these Leicester fans to be in there.

Theres also no mention of any trouble in the East Stand?!? This piece suggests all the club is worried about is the finances when innoccent fans were at risk. Don't get me wrong I'm pleased that the culprits were caught on camera but could he not explain why the police on the scene just stood there filming as the trouble continued instead of helping to stop it?!?

I'm pleased he has come out and said something - it needed doing but this statement seems misinformed and leaves a lot unanswered I'm afraid.....................

 

[ldnfatso]

CLUB STATEMENT: TRUE BLUES?!

Posted on: Mon 20 Apr 2009
Southend United Chief Executive Geoffrey King has today issued the following statement regarding Saturday's match with Leicester City:
This action has cost the Club £8,000 in additional police charges, money which in all honesty could be put to much better uses.


Geoffrey King
Chief Executive

Richie Foran cost £200,000.00 which could have been put to better use. What's his point?

 

[GBJ]

What a f***ing disgrace, as per f****** usual from southend united. Excuse me mr. king, but you were nowhere to be seen near the west stand. Mr. jobson, You were nowhere near to the west stand. None of them can comment on it, as they were nowhere near it. I can't believe, the club has the bare faced cheek to blame it on southend fans fighting each other. What a load of horse****. I want to know WHERE they are getting their info from!
And as TB said, surprise surprise, how they glossed over the fact that leicester fans were in there in the first place! But like shrimplythebest said, as long as they get a few extra quid, who gives a toss about the fan's safety?

 

[Norfolkshrimp]

The crowd trouble thread is in double figures and nobody has mentioned Blues fans fighting each other... surely this would suggest that the whole propblem was caused by the stewarding not being up to scratch by allowing these Leicester fans to be in there.

Theres also no mention of any trouble in the East Stand?!? This piece suggests all the club is worried about is the finances when innoccent fans were at risk. Don't get me wrong I'm pleased that the culprits were caught on camera but could he not explain why the police on the scene just stood there filming as the trouble continued instead of helping to stop it?!?

I'm pleased he has come out and said something - it needed doing but this statement seems misinformed and leaves a lot unanswered I'm afraid.....................

This is the biggest load of cobblers i've heard the club come out with for a long time, the facts are;

1 - The "stewards" who were in east black were woefully inadequate, I had a perfect view from the South Upper Blue, pathetic, if that's the standard they operate to then my kids won't be coming back to RH

2 - The club could save a damn site more than £8k by getting rid of Jobson, he's been flying under the radar for years, totally useless and signifies all that is bad about our club, too wrapped up in his perceived own importance.

3 - The last time we had Leicester at RH they were a bunch of aggressive pr@cks, doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that after a day on the beer and given the importance of the game to both sides there could be trouble.

As for what went on in the West, can't comment, wasn't in there and too far away to see but it out of character for our fans to "start", maybe they did I don't know but how the hell did away fans get in there ?

There were 4 guys sitting behind me in the South Upper in the first half, at half time they went over to a steward and were duly escorted to the away end, why weren't they ejected for buying tickets in the home end and who was the bird brain that sold them the tickets. Not hard is it, you're not on our booking system as previously purchasing tickets so we need to see some ID sir. How hard is that !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[GBJ]

This is the biggest load of cobblers i've heard the club come out with for a long time, the facts are;

1 - The "stewards" who were in east black were woefully inadequate, I had a perfect view from the South Upper Blue, pathetic, if that's the standard they operate to then my kids won't be coming back to RH

2 - The club could save a damn site more than £8k by getting rid of Jobson, he's been flying under the radar for years, totally useless and signifies all that is bad about our club, too wrapped up in his perceived own importance.

3 - The last time we had Leicester at RH they were a bunch of aggressive pr@cks, doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that after a day on the beer and given the importance of the game to both sides there could be trouble.

As for what went on in the West, can't comment, wasn't in there and too far away to see but it out of character for our fans to "start", maybe they did I don't know but how the hell did away fans get in there ?

There were 4 guys sitting behind me in the South Upper in the first half, at half time they went over to a steward and were duly escorted to the away end, why weren't they ejected for buying tickets in the home end and who was the bird brain that sold them the tickets. Not hard is it, you're not on our booking system as previously purchasing tickets so we need to see some ID sir. How hard is that !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Like i said, the club probably couldn't give a toss. All they're thinking about is a few extra quid to put some more prawn sandwiches on the buffet cart at half time.

 

[Leigh_Shrimper]

Also, how likely is it that Southend fans fight each other when Leicester fans are invading the pitch etc, if it's never happened between us before?

 

[Norfolkshrimp]

[/b]

Like i said, the club probably couldn't give a toss. All they're thinking about is a few extra quid to put some more prawn sandwiches on the buffet cart at half time.

Well they've cocked that up then as a lot of families won't be returning next year after witnessing everything that went on on Sat.

I've been coming to RH since the late 70's and it's always the fans who are the least uppermost in the club's thinking, yes things have improved in some areas and improved a lot but this latest episode was a joke.

 

[ShrimplyTheBest]

So much for family club of the year:

http://www.southendunited.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10444~1606528,00.html

 

[Yer Blues]

could someone pm me mr martin and mr kings email addresses please

 

[Firestorm]

Good to see that people will be banned but why does it cost an extra £8,000 to enter the stadium? Insurance I can understand but if they are just waiting outside it is not like we are paying extra for them to stop what they are doing and come in. They didn't do anything anyway!

Whilst they are outside the ground they are policing a "public" area and they are unable to charge the club . They have to be "invited " in to the ground and thus they charge.

This is why a number of clubs leave the "policing" of the grounds inhouse.

This is may not be exactly correct but it is what I understand from various articles i have read in the past, I will see if I can get the time to look up the absolute facts

 

[ShrimplyTheBest]

Whilst they are outside the ground they are policing a "public" area and they are unable to charge the club . They have to be "invited " in to the ground and thus they charge.

This is why a number of clubs leave the "policing" of the grounds inhouse.

This is may not be exactly correct but it is what I understand from various articles i have read in the past, I will see if I can get the time to look up the absolute facts

Don't suppose you could also find out how much more it would have cost for those Police to have actually done something?!?

I would have got my camera out for less than 8k - someone only had to ask.

 

[Southminster_Shrimper]

News to me that Southend fans were fighting themselves. But being stuck behind TrueBlue doesn't give the best of views!

Why were you stuck behind True Blue? Infact dont answer that :puke

Strange though he mentions the 4 fans but doesnt mention the 20 that Jobson mentioned in his email to me being moved from the home end. Plus there were more in the west than the 24, if you like.

That statement also doesnt mention the 5 leicester fans who were apparently arrested.

I think the police just do this videoing to protect themselves and they have "evidence" to follow up in the comfort of the station later in the day.

As ldnfatso says, £200k+ wages (I assume) for Foran was a bigger waste of the clubs money than the £8k. Although the performance of both Foran and the police were pretty much on a par, both turned up at roots hall, did very little/nothing, took the money and left.

I would of thought any statement would have put the thing in a bit of context so as to prevent people being put off going again. They also suggest their stewarding is adequat....in a ground where there is next to no trouble in recent years.

Usual effort to issue a statement to apparently explain things but explains nothing. Do they have someone who reads this stuff before it goes out? I do wonder sometimes.

 

[GBJ]

CLUB STATEMENT: TRUE BLUES?!

Posted on: Mon 20 Apr 2009
Southend United Chief Executive Geoffrey King has today issued the following statement regarding Saturday's match with Leicester City:
Prior to the game on Saturday an arrangement had been reached with the Police to have their resources outside the ground on the basis that the Club's own stewarding and security was of a sufficiently robust standard to deal with any difficulties caused by away supporters.
On Saturday at the match against Leicester City fighting broke out in the north end of the West Stand (block w) when it was discovered that four Leicester City fans had found themselves in that area. As a result the Police Commander of the day was forced to take the action of calling in the resources that he had outside the ground to quell the situation where police officers and stewards found themselves at the centre of a fight where Southend fans were fighting not only the four Leicester fans but amongst themselves as well. This action has cost the Club £8,000 in additional police charges, money which in all honesty could be put to much better uses.

I never stop seeking to understand why such mindless aggression exists in a sport which more and more is becoming a true family sport. What I do know is that I, the Board and Management of the Club will not tolerate such incidents and where possible the strongest action will be taken against those persons involved.

CCTV images are currently being processed to identify the culprits who once identified will be served with permanent banning orders.

Geoffrey King
Chief Executive

Lets examine it shall we?

firstly, Clearly the policing and stewards COULD NOT cope with it like "they have proven before, mainly because, there were leicester fans in the home ends. How many times has this happened? Not often. Therefore the comment is ridiculous because the stewards and police are now trying to supervise something that hasn't happened at roots hall for many years. (based on the fact that it's not the 70's 80's anymore)

Secondly, leicester fans didn't FIND themselves in the home end. They didn't wander in lost. They were sold tickets by this club. OUR club, that apparently would rather put their own greed in front of the safety of it's fans, no sorry, CUSTOMERS

Thirdly, When did the police find themselves at the centre of a fight? I remember a lot of old bill standing around, pointing cameras. I remember a lot of stewards running round like headless chickens. I don't recall ANY old bill in there at all

Fourthly, like LDN said, the club have ******* their money on far worse things. so what? £8,000? it's a pittance in football terms.
Just keeps coming back to money!

Lastly, mindless aggression has existed in football for many many years. I'm not condoning it, but do except that it is part and parcel for some people. Like i said not condoning it though. My point, please Mr.King, maybe you can explain this to me. What do you expect? A group of boozed up football fans, infiltrating a home end, of more boozed up football fans? Especially a game of this magnitude, where the stakes were quite high? What do you seriuosly expect?