The Stewards at Stockport!!!!

[bucket&spade.f.c]

:) You're more than welcome - I can even bring my 1 year old to keep you company if you like... Let the stewards dare try and throw you out then :)

Please don't bring him as he would show me up by acting his real age :)

But that's my point (sort of) she got grabed I lost it just as you would if your son was grabed for no reason

Anyway enough said me thinks

 

[Shrimperstrust]

The Trust are looking for feedback from anyone at the game who was involved or witnessed these events on Saturday.
Initially we will be discussing this with representatives of the club at our next Liaison Meeting this coming Wednesday.

So if you do have any comments please email them to info@shrimperstrust.co.uk

 

[TrueBlue]

Right, not long back from the game, well a weekend in Manchester actually, so this is the first opportunity to comment on yesterdays actions.

I am as loyal as they come when it comes to Southend, and everything related to it, but I have to say, IMO and from where I was sitting, along with a few others who I was not actually with, the only people to have any cause to doubt their actions were some of our fans.

It was absolutely no surprise to see people being ejected when they were blatently not behaving as they should do. Everyone knows the rules when it comes to standing up, and some of the language, aggression, and damn right rudeness of some of our supporters means I am only amazed more were not thrown out. Unsurprisingly, some of the fans asked to leave, or in some cases escorted, were fans I have seen removed at other away games this season on at least 2 occasions.

Perhaps the idea of going to a game, supporting your team, and not looking for any angle to wind stewards and other people up is beyond some of our fans, but I have to say how many times do some people need to be told to sit down before it sinks in those are the rules at football grounds now??? The juvenile chant of 'stand up if you love Southend' which ensues at every away game as soon as the stewards ask people to sit down is just a bit tedious.

There was one instance, when a Southend 'fan' deemed it necessary to stand right in a stewards face and telling him to 'fk off' 5 times, and then wonders why he is asked to leave???

The most amusing thing was one fan shouting insisting a steward had assaulted him, despite only putting his hands on his chest, and at the same time, flailing his arms around so much that on at least 3 occassions, whacking me in the back of the head - I did point out to him that the irony of what he was saying was incredible, but it was lost on him.

As for the overcrowding, there were enough seats, but people did not seem to want to sit where there were spaces - well if you got in the ground a littler earlier, then perhaps you would have more of a choice as to where you sit, and who you sit with.

For the MAJORITY who wanted to go to the game, support the team, enjoy the afternoon (unfortunately, both the team and fans let us down on that one) there were absolutely no problems - in fact, speaking to stewards before, during and after the game, I found them all extremely helpful, pleasant and almost in disbelief at the behaviour of some of our fans.

There may well have been incidents of some heavy handedness, but in all honesty, I didn't see any, and I had a pretty good vantage point, but you tend to get treated by people the way you treat them, and on quite a few occassions, what I saw were people acting like complete neanderthols, and then throwing their toys out of the pram because someone had the gall to tell them it was unacceptable to behave like that.

As I said, I didn't see all of it, and I'm sure I will now be confronted with a barrage of abuse and vitriol about how unfairly some were treated - and there may well be some genuine bad treatment - but it's funny how those who only want to go and watch a game of football and enjoy themselves seem to tbe ones who manage to achieve exactly that.

You Sir have no idea what took place did you see what happened outside? no you did not.

Also what you have to understand is that ok rules are rules but there are different ways of interpreting the rules. we try to stand at every away game we go to because its better to create an atmosphere that way and I suppose you have a better sense of freedom, now at 99% of ground the stewards will come up and they will say "come on lads sit down please" and 99% of the time this is no problem I would say about 25% of away games nothing is said at all which is nice when you can stand up but you have to be told to sit down first to see if this will work.
So moving on to Saturday we entered the ground IN FRONT of the home supporters in the same stand! which already made me think what sort of club they are running here as the chance of any trouble would have been greatly increased, so then the game is about to start and you can see that there was not enough space or maybe even seats for people ok if they say the maths is correct maybe it is but why cramp people and cause disorder?

The key problem I found was that there was a zero tolerance attitude and a bully mentality to all of the proceedings we were all branded as nothing better then animals to the slaughter and for me to say that its something, as many of you will know in my time going to away game I have had brushes with stewards and the law and to my own admition sometimes I have been in the wrong and sometimes I still feel that I was not in the wrong but on this occasion I can catagoricly say that this was well over the top stewarding and never in my years going away with the blues have I seen it that bad.

What could have been done differently... well for a start a zero tolerance attitude will not work not with away fans anyway because we wont be back there next week! It in my opinion should have been an easy going approach by opening the next block for an over spill to ease the congestion and then asking people after this was resolved to sit down, which I think would have been the best approach.

Why was I ejected.... I was ejected for "insighting others to stand" example bursting out into a chorus of 'Stand Up If You Love Southend' and yes you could look at it as I am breaking the rules but the steward says to me can you come here we want a word and as the little gazette has written 'thats code to never be seen again' anyway he took me out I said look I will go down the front somewhere sit down and be quiet which I was quite happy to do but no I have to be ejected taken to the control room I was told my details will be taken passed on to Roots Hall and I am going to get a ban!
PATHETIC I tell you absolutely pathetic, then I was kicked out of the ground to which I then went to the small members club next door where there was a few locals in there who said your not the first and wont be the last fans to have trouble it happens all the time!

So Richard Cadette you say the fans were in the wrong well if that is true come comes...

Many of our fans are up in arms
Hereford fans had the same problem and featured our trouble on their site
Stockport Countys OWN FORUM admits the stewards are the problem!

So in all just ****ing wise up mate your 1 v hundreds here I am sure you mean well but like all the people who back Tilson as managers surely they can't all be wrong!

Also lastly Leeds United how comes they can do as they please? 1 away fan or 20 thousand makes no odds! like you say Mr Cadette RULES ARE RULES ;)

 

[Richard_Cadette]

You Sir have no idea what took place did you see what happened outside? no you did not.

Also what you have to understand is that ok rules are rules but there are different ways of interpreting the rules. we try to stand at every away game we go to because its better to create an atmosphere that way and I suppose you have a better sense of freedom, now at 99% of ground the stewards will come up and they will say "come on lads sit down please" and 99% of the time this is no problem I would say about 25% of away games nothing is said at all which is nice when you can stand up but you have to be told to sit down first to see if this will work.
So moving on to Saturday we entered the ground IN FRONT of the home supporters in the same stand! which already made me think what sort of club they are running here as the chance of any trouble would have been greatly increased, so then the game is about to start and you can see that there was not enough space or maybe even seats for people ok if they say the maths is correct maybe it is but why cramp people and cause disorder?

The key problem I found was that there was a zero tolerance attitude and a bully mentality to all of the proceedings we were all branded as nothing better then animals to the slaughter and for me to say that its something, as many of you will know in my time going to away game I have had brushes with stewards and the law and to my own admition sometimes I have been in the wrong and sometimes I still feel that I was not in the wrong but on this occasion I can catagoricly say that this was well over the top stewarding and never in my years going away with the blues have I seen it that bad.

What could have been done differently... well for a start a zero tolerance attitude will not work not with away fans anyway because we wont be back there next week! It in my opinion should have been an easy going approach by opening the next block for an over spill to ease the congestion and then asking people after this was resolved to sit down, which I think would have been the best approach.

Why was I ejected.... I was ejected for "insighting others to stand" example bursting out into a chorus of 'Stand Up If You Love Southend' and yes you could look at it as I am breaking the rules but the steward says to me can you come here we want a word and as the little gazette has written 'thats code to never be seen again' anyway he took me out I said look I will go down the front somewhere sit down and be quiet which I was quite happy to do but no I have to be ejected taken to the control room I was told my details will be taken passed on to Roots Hall and I am going to get a ban!
PATHETIC I tell you absolutely pathetic, then I was kicked out of the ground to which I then went to the small members club next door where there was a few locals in there who said your not the first and wont be the last fans to have trouble it happens all the time!

So Richard Cadette you say the fans were in the wrong well if that is true come comes...

Many of our fans are up in arms
Hereford fans had the same problem and featured our trouble on their site
Stockport Countys OWN FORUM admits the stewards are the problem!

So in all just ****ing wise up mate your 1 v hundreds here I am sure you mean well but like all the people who back Tilson as managers surely they can't all be wrong!

Also lastly Leeds United how comes they can do as they please? 1 away fan or 20 thousand makes no odds! like you say Mr Cadette RULES ARE RULES ;)

So I shoudl wise up, and because I'm in the minority, I must be wrong - all interesting points of view, but unfortunately, your very first paragraph undermines everything you say about Saturday - you wanted to stand up in an all seater environment when you know very well that the rules stipulate that you're not allowed.

Don't whinge and moan about it when you are removed for not following the rules, and just because you may have got away with it at other grounds, doesn't make your actions correct. I don't know how many times people need to be told to sit down for it to sink in - what makes you so special that you think you have the right to act outside of the laws which govern our game?

Despite the laws in place, common decency ought to tell you that it is inconsiderate to others who do not wish to stand, but sometimes have to in order to watch the game because of some ignorant idiot in front of them.

As for meaning well, I don't mean anything - I call things as I see them, and if you don't like that, well tough quite frankly. The fact you have drawn up some kind of comparison with my points of view and those who don't agree with you regarding Tilly is just bizarre, and quite frankly, completely irrelevant. The fact you feel you need to swear at me in your response is only going to add water to my theory too - that some fans cannot act in a civilised manner, treat others with respect, and go and enjoy the game with no other agenda.

I have to say Scott, that none of your arguments have been compelling, apart from trying to dimish my point of view and insinuate I have no idea what I'm talking about.

The truth is, everytime there is come kind of disturbance or disagreement with officials at another club, the same faces are always involved - if you don't court trouble, it won't find you - I have been going, as I said, for 20+ years to away games, and sing as much as the next man, without the need to stand up, argue with officialdon and flout the rules - that is the botom line matey.

 

[TrueBlue]

So I shoudl wise up, and because I'm in the minority, I must be wrong - all interesting points of view, but unfortunately, your very first paragraph undermines everything you say about Saturday - you wanted to stand up in an all seater environment when you know very well that the rules stipulate that you're not allowed.

Don't whinge and moan about it when you are removed for not following the rules, and just because you may have got away with it at other grounds, doesn't make your actions correct. I don't know how many times people need to be told to sit down for it to sink in - what makes you so special that you think you have the right to act outside of the laws which govern our game?

Despite the laws in place, common decency ought to tell you that it is inconsiderate to others who do not wish to stand, but sometimes have to in order to watch the game because of some ignorant idiot in front of them.

As for meaning well, I don't mean anything - I call things as I see them, and if you don't like that, well tough quite frankly. The fact you have drawn up some kind of comparison with my points of view and those who don't agree with you regarding Tilly is just bizarre, and quite frankly, completely irrelevant. The fact you feel you need to swear at me in your response is only going to add water to my theory too - that some fans cannot act in a civilised manner, treat others with respect, and go and enjoy the game with no other agenda.

I have to say Scott, that none of your arguments have been compelling, apart from trying to dimish my point of view and insinuate I have no idea what I'm talking about.

The truth is, everytime there is come kind of disturbance or disagreement with officials at another club, the same faces are always involved - if you don't court trouble, it won't find you - I have been going, as I said, for 20+ years to away games, and sing as much as the next man, without the need to stand up, argue with officialdon and flout the rules - that is the botom line matey.

I would never stand infront of somebody who's view I was obstructing hence why I was at the back of the stand.

Oh and thanks for the support.

TrueBlue 3:16 said that's the bottom line.... BECAUSE TRUE BLUE SAID SO!!!!!

 

[Big Albert]

i will be writing to both clubs and ill be asking Stockport for the CCTV of this as it wasnt on how they handled April and am sure they will have to send me a copy of this but please correct me if am wrong?



If you quote it is required under the Data Protection Act (I think it's section 11 but don't quote me as I'm not 100% sure) they have to provide a copy by law. Hope this helps

 

[bucket&spade.f.c]

i will be writing to both clubs and ill be asking Stockport for the CCTV of this as it wasnt on how they handled April and am sure they will have to send me a copy of this but please correct me if am wrong?



If you quote it is required under the Data Protection Act (I think it's section 11 but don't quote me as I'm not 100% sure) they have to provide a copy by law. Hope this helps

thanks all is in hand and i hope it will be sorted by tomorrow

 

[Firestorm]

i will be writing to both clubs and ill be asking Stockport for the CCTV of this as it wasnt on how they handled April and am sure they will have to send me a copy of this but please correct me if am wrong?



If you quote it is required under the Data Protection Act (I think it's section 11 but don't quote me as I'm not 100% sure) they have to provide a copy by law. Hope this helps

Sorry to P*** on your chips but section 11 of the Data protection act is

"11 Right to prevent processing for purposes of direct marketing"

I am guessing that you meant Section 11 of the Freedom of Information act

http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/docume...ed_specialist_guides/meansofcommunication.pdf

 

[jerseyshrimper]

Dosn't matter what way you look at the situation the stewards were heavy handed and had no man mangement skills whatsoever.
True blue and co were in the row directly behind me and i saw or heard nothing to warrant their exclusion from the ground. We were packed in like sardines. It was obvious right from the start that they were out to eject the drumming group for whatever reason.
Ok they did stand up but with nowhere to sit what would you do?, and perhaps if they took some courtesy lessons all would have been well. You cannot really expect supporters to be treated like dirt and not react.
On the subject of standing leeds united took 3000 supporters up there and stood for the whole of the match, but no one had the courage to confront the, this is not heresay it was confirmed to me by a stockport fan who i walked back to the station with.
You only have to look at other clubs reports of these stewards, namely hereford and oldham to realise this is not a one of happening in fact it seems the norm, they even treat their own supporters in the same manner.
Unless am totally wrong the tin pot organization that runs the seurity do not conform to regulations, none were wearing identity tags as is required and their refusal to give their names must lead us to the conclusion that they had somethiong to hide.
The manhandling of a woman anywhere is unacceptable.
On the subject of language the stewards were far from blameless, whe outside at half time smokers were told to put their effing fags out, when u speak to people in that manner you really must expect some of the same back.

 

[Big Albert]

Sorry to P*** on your chips but section 11 of the Data protection act is

"11 Right to prevent processing for purposes of direct marketing"

I am guessing that you meant Section 11 of the Freedom of Information act

http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/docume...ed_specialist_guides/meansofcommunication.pdf

My chips are fine - you missed !. It was a while ago I had to retrieve something similar and section 11 rang a bell - as I said in the original post I wasn't certain. But it is the Data Protection act that covers this sort of thing or it was a couple of years ago when I needed it.

 

[toellandback]

Without commenting on Stockport and without opening a can of worms again can i just clarify something.

There are a handful of clubs thats fans stand at every game. These include Newcastle, man yoo, Liverpool and Leeds United. This group of clubs are not above the law, in fact i think each of us has had FA warnings, fines and even reduced allocations (i know Leeds have for a fact). The FA have tried to crack down on it and warned people about the punishments that would be dished out if we don't sit down at home and away.

The trouble is that its part of a tradition for those clubs above, i have never sat down away from home and remember being told to stand up as a young lad by my dad. Its something that happens over years and once a whole away end stands week in week out its hard to get them to stop. Thats why i raised the point about hostile policing before, i think its more a case that there told that its not worth bothering asking people to sit down. If you know that a clubs fans all stand you can steward them safely. Personally speaking i know that the club are really cracking down at Elland Road. I feel for the group that want to stand, i hate sitting now and strongly bealieve with bringing back safe standing stands.

 

[McNasty]

Quick way to stop traditional illegal standing is to ban away support from the clubs concerned.

 

[toellandback]

Quick way to stop traditional illegal standing is to ban away support from the clubs concerned.

They tried that before, it didn't work ;)

Thee trouble is that the clubs that stand tend to have big away followings, your not going to stop them going to games just by banning them. And could you imagine the fuss Fergie or the scousers would kick up??

Sorry for going off topic, just wanted to clarfy something :)

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

Quick way to stop traditional illegal standing is to ban away support from the clubs concerned.

Thing is though Ken .. the 3500 Leeds fans at Stockport will mean they only have to sell 2 players this window to avoid administration as opposed to the 3 it would've been (possibly)

ie .. its never going to happen

 

[tom-tom]

Quick way to stop traditional illegal standing is to ban away support from the clubs concerned.

wouldnt work, fans will still go. could make over filling grounds and onto pitch some something u see all the time agian and hooligans numbers will go up to the some as in the 70's and 80's

 

[The Big Shrimp]

Just to illustrate the strange set up at Stockport, see the photo below!

In the foreground is where we all entered, both SUFC & Stockport fans. The Stockport fans are sat in the foreground upto where the non-steward (4th set of stewards down) is talking to the stewards who are stood in the 2nd row of seats. After that is the area kept clear, followed by a the away section that went from the corner flag to the edge of the penalty area (approx)

 

[Lavender Blue]

I was at the game on Saturday. I was sitting near the front and wasn't involved with any of the melee, I saw a group standing at the back, as far as I could see they were doing nothing wrong except singing and banging a drum. There was a lot of coming and goings and you would have to of been blind not to see the stewards rushing around, now I'm not going to comment on the people that got ejected from the ground as I don't know the facts, But Trueblue said he got thrown out because he was singing 'stand up if you love Southend' this is absolutely crazy I heard the song but didn't stand, as most of us didn't.
IMHO the reason things went wrong was because Stockport hugely under estimated the number of Fans that turned up, why could they not of given people the option to sit behind the goal if they wanted to.
The people standing at the back were not in the way of anyone they were doing no harm, they should have just been left alone to do what they do, but you could see the stewards weren't going to let this happen and appeared to want to cause trouble. Well thats the way I saw it anyway.

P.S. that damn linesman didn't help matters either but thats another story!!!

P.P.S Think I know who you are now TrueBlue ;) I was the person that told you the time on the train after you'd said hello to Mr. Hatton :cool:

 

[TrueBlue]

I was at the game on Saturday. I was sitting near the front and wasn't involved with any of the melee, I saw a group standing at the back, as far as I could see they were doing nothing wrong except singing and banging a drum. There was a lot of coming and goings and you would have to of been blind not to see the stewards rushing around, now I'm not going to comment on the people that got ejected from the ground as I don't know the facts, But Trueblue said he got thrown out because he was singing 'stand up if you love Southend' this is absolutely crazy I heard the song but didn't stand, as most of us didn't.
IMHO the reason things went wrong was because Stockport hugely under estimated the number of Fans that turned up, why could they not of given people the option to sit behind the goal if they wanted to.
The people standing at the back were not in the way of anyone they were doing no harm, they should have just been left alone to do what they do, but you could see the stewards weren't going to let this happen and appeared to want to cause trouble. Well thats the way I saw it anyway.

P.S. that damn linesman didn't help matters either but thats another story!!!

P.P.S Think I know who you are now TrueBlue ;) I was the person that told you the time on the train after you'd said hello to Mr. Hatton :cool:

Thanks for the time update squire

 

[Mrs P]

My god!!! I just came on here to add some comments about Saturday and nearly nodded off reading the Richard Cadette/True Blue row!!!!!!!!!!

Me and my hubby were at the game - 8 of us travelled in total.. When we arrived we couldnt all sit together so sat seperately, we all had a rubbish view - I couldnt see the goal from my seat but waited until half time and then went and stood at the back behind the empty seats... The Steward in question 'phil' I think someone called him came over and was really aggresive, antagonistic and was clearly looking for a row - at one point I put my hand onto his arm to try and get a word in between him and Mr P (not easy as a WOMAN at a northern football ground) and he told me to take my hand off him... If you dont know me I am 5ft tall hardly intimidating and I had a burger in one hand - it was like he wanted me to be aggresive so he could boot me out!!! I tried to get my point across that i'd paid full price and wanted to see both goals, why were so many seats closed off - I even tried to lighten the mood by suggesting I'd like to see the goal however unlikely it was that we were gonna score!!! He came right into our face and said '25 of your SO CALLED fans have just walked out so there are seats - go and find some, dont expect me to do it for you, its not my job' I didnt want any trouble so dragged Mr P away, spoke to an older steward who wasnt on a power trip who helped us find some empty seats and sat down...

At the end just after the annoucement that fans should leave to our right hand side we went towards the back to make our way out as instructed and we walked straight into the very same steward causing all the trouble... I didnt see the incident of people being chucked out but the bloke was a total moron, he had no clue how to communicate with people and was full of aggresion... For me it was just a typical northern p**s poor football ground...

What was funny though was seeing 'Phil the tough guy steward' almost ******* his thumb and calling his Mummy when a couple of our fans asked him to pick on someone his own size!!!! Total Idiot!!!

 

[Richard_Cadette]

My god!!! I just came on here to add some comments about Saturday and nearly nodded off reading the Richard Cadette/True Blue row!!!!!!!!!!

Not a row, just a disagreement, and to avoid nodding off, I'd suggest not reading it!