North stand stewards

[perseus]

Is the "hate Palace" song forbidden?

"

Right, let me start by saying, I am a Steward. I don't work in the North Stand, so I an unable to comment on last nights event's and it wouldn't be fair to comment on what might/ might not of happened. However based on my own experience, a fan would not of been removed for the pure fact that he was "singing a song", there would of been several other factors involved in his removal, however like I said before I couldn't possibly comment.

My experience does not back this up. I have found that some bully stewards just pick on people for no reason. No trouble at the Amex. Certainly aggravation at Withdean, and trouble at Old Trafford.

Incidentally, no authority trouble at any of the London grounds.

The behaviour of rogue stewards reflects badly on the host club.

 

[Ian Bairds Fist]

I urge every single one of you to stand in the north stand in the next home game as a form of protest and sing your hearts out for the lads. May just create our best atmosphere of the season so far!

Now THAT would make the Forest game interesting!!

 

[rool]

So- where would the complaint go to? Chief Executive?
What legal rights does any ejectee have? Expect theres some small print in the Season ticket conditions
Suppose any letter detailing an issue from the club could be deemed libellous

From the experiences of one person last season any appeals to the club are flatly ignored, especially by Hebberd. I can't remember the group that he took his complaint to but the club were deemed not to have dealt with the situation correctly and he had his ban overturned after signing a good behaviour order of some kind.

 

[Commander]

Right, let me start by saying, I am a Steward. I don't work in the North Stand, so I an unable to comment on last nights event's and it wouldn't be fair to comment on what might/ might not of happened. However based on my own experience, a fan would not of been removed for the pure fact that he was "singing a song", there would of been several other factors involved in his removal, however like I said before I couldn't possibly comment.

However what I am slightly offended by is the comment "I suppose the main problem is that to have to work as a steward in a football ground you aren't exactly going to be the sharpest tool in the box, either that or you are a twat on a power trip"

I decided to become a steward for my love of football, and to be involved in something as exciting as the Amex. I have a full time job during the week ( which I have to have some intelligence to do) I am not thick or a " twat" on a power trip. You should not tarnish all stewards with the same brush as its highly unfair, just as i don't with every single fan. The majority of supporters i come across are really nice friendly people who I enjoy having banter with, you get the odd exception who think the rules don't apply to them and cause a scene, but with a capacity of over 25,000 people that's bound to happen. I like to think i have good common sense and a good sense of humour, both of which i feel help me have a good rapport with the fans in my block. In fact i am lucky enough not to get much trouble, but when i do, i try and deal with it in the best way possible where everybody can be happy with the outcome.

We are trained to deal with confrontation and other such issues, in fact the club run an NVQ course for us, so we can officially have a qualification. I feel i have exceptionallly good people skills and anybody who works with me at the Amex and my dayjob can verify this. I'd also like to think that supporters who sit near where i work can back this up.

Please don't suggest we don't have any common sense or people skills, because we do. I apologise if you feel you haven't come across one as yet, but I can assure you that we do exist, and i would love to give the opportunity to prove everybody wrong. We aren't here to make your lifes a nightmare, in fact the opposite and if you do have issues with the stewarding i can only apologise but we aren't as bad as you all make out.

Lastly, we do read the posts on her and the guy who got punched is a massive Albion fan, im sure he isn't as egotiscal as you make him out to be, remember he is only doing his job and only doing what he is told. Some of the comments can be quite hurtful and you have no idea if he, his friends or his family read these posts and it would be a shame to cause any unneccesary offense. Please just bear that in mind.

I hope you are one day, happy with us! As I for one always try my best to look after you guys as best as i can!

Perhaps that was a bit harsh of me. Obviously you cant generalise a group of people like that, but I stand by my point that is a job that does attract a lot of people who either love a bit of perceived power, or aren't much good at anything else. If you read my post again I actually mentioned a good bit of stewarding in the North last night, so I'm not tarring you all with the same brush. As for getting into it because of your love of football and because you wanted to be involved in something as fantastic as the Amex, why didn't you just buy a season ticket like the rest of us? Then you'd actually be able to watch this football you supposedly love, rather than having to watch the crowd instead. It seems very odd to me. Each to their own, I suppose.

There are some good stewards, and some bad ones, same as in any group of people. Are the bad ones held accountable for their actions? It doesn't appear so as we see them every week. If they are bad at their job, they should lose their job. I would if I did mine badly. There are plenty of people looking for work.

Your last comment is a bit patronising. I have never been looked after by a steward at the Amex, I've only been told off by them, usually the way a teacher tells a child off.

 

[Steve.S]

You just did.... while dismissing lots of peoples claims to the contrary at the same time...its precisely this "he must have been up to something" attitude that is letting this stewarding problem escalate.

I thought it was a very good post. I have read this thread and its all different views on 2 incidents. People have had a lot to say without knowing the full facts. What people saw was stewards talking to people, nobody can actually say what was being said by either party. Nobody went down with the man who had to talk to the steward. Again maybe it was for a chat, and maybe he did not want to listen, who knows. Who's to say the man didn't pay for his pie. People on here have made judgements on what they have seen and not what they have heard. I have to say that I do not notice the stewards much throughout a game. I would suggest that you form a group in the north stand and maybe enter into a discussion with the chief steward. Reading through a lot of posts on here, it seems like somewhere between the back 3 or 8 rows is the point where it is accepted that people can stand. On that basis I do not think that anyone can moan if they are asked to sit down. The defence that sometimes the stewards allow it and other times they do not take notice is a poor one. People know that they should be sitting

 

[Seagull1989]

I think the first step is to move the said steward to another area of the ground. There's a lot of anger against him and he seems to make the situations worst.

 

[RM-Taylor]

Why can't our NS stewards be like Andy the Huddersfield steward?

 

[Gazwag]

I thought it was a very good post. I have read this thread and its all different views on 2 incidents. People have had a lot to say without knowing the full facts. What people saw was stewards talking to people, nobody can actually say what was being said by either party. Nobody went down with the man who had to talk to the steward.

I can and have posted exactly what happenned, and yes somebody did go downstrairs and watched the naughty singer get handed over to the police and escorted out despite being told categorically he would not get thrown out

 

[El Sid]

Why can't our NS stewards be like Andy the Huddersfield steward?

Very, very, very nice man. Lovely neck.

 

[hola gus]

Wtf is Andy?

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Perhaps that was a bit harsh of me. Obviously you cant generalise a group of people like that, but I stand by my point that is a job that does attract a lot of people who either love a bit of perceived power, or aren't much good at anything else. If you read my post again I actually mentioned a good bit of stewarding in the North last night, so I'm not tarring you all with the same brush. As for getting into it because of your love of football and because you wanted to be involved in something as fantastic as the Amex, why didn't you just buy a season ticket like the rest of us? Then you'd actually be able to watch this football you supposedly love, rather than having to watch the crowd instead. It seems very odd to me. Each to their own, I suppose.

A few granted but not "a lot". It breaks down into four general groups :

1. Students looking for beer money.
2. Second jobs for those needing extra money while still holding down a full time job - when I did it this included a butcher, taxi driver, sports therapist, teachers, firemen, IT professionals and bank staff. Hardly stupid people.
3. "Professional" stewards - usually bouncers and event staff.
4. Retired people looking to top up their pension.

Group 3 are the smallest group yet the group that causes the most "trouble". Beware any steward that holds an SIA badge.

Your last comment is a bit patronising. I have never been looked after by a steward at the Amex, I've only been told off by them, usually the way a teacher tells a child off.

You have but you probably just didn't know it - the emergency first aid they've all trained in just in case you need it or the security sweeps of the stadium before a match to name but two ways they have, and continue, to "look after" you.

 

[ewe2]

I just feel i would rather have a steward presence rather than a "total police " force looking after me.

 

[Meade's Ball]

I'm not really with the crowd who say "I'll do it if i want to", even if i know for a fact that standing at the football is much more fun and tends to heighten the excitement of the experience. I prefer standing, but i am not really the law of the land, am i. I go along with the idea of looking to get some sort of a representative inside the club who can carry through our main concerns and look to get such a carrier pigeon deliver news to them and back to us in full. The message needs to be clear. If we're not allowed to stand, then let us know directly, and then you can come down hard on those who don't follow orders for a time. The stewards, i imagine, are following orders too, and for us to turn on them rather than the board who told them to do just what they're doing doesn't seem fair. But again, that's about communications between the club and us. They can't keep everyone happy. And no one should expect them to. But there shouldn't be thoughts of an uprising or embargo on their booze and pastry goods allowed to happen.

 

[The Merry Prankster]

I know one of the guys thrown out last night and he is a big cuddly softy who wouldn't say boo to a goose.

 

[Ian Bairds Fist]

I'm not really with the crowd who say "I'll do it if i want to", even if i know for a fact that standing at the football is much more fun and tends to heighten the excitement of the experience. I prefer standing, but i am not really the law of the land, am i. I go along with the idea of looking to get some sort of a representative inside the club who can carry through our main concerns and look to get such a carrier pigeon deliver news to them and back to us in full. The message needs to be clear. If we're not allowed to stand, then let us know directly, and then you can come down hard on those who don't follow orders for a time. The stewards, i imagine, are following orders too, and for us to turn on them rather than the board who told them to do just what they're doing doesn't seem fair. But again, that's about communications between the club and us. They can't keep everyone happy. And no one should expect them to. But there shouldn't be thoughts of an uprising or embargo on their booze and pastry goods allowed to happen.

To raise as issue such as this we would need someone who's well thought of by the Club, has credibility amongst the Albion fans and it would obviously help if he/she sat in the North stand... step forward Lord Bracknell. (Not sure how to tag his username!)

 

[Commander]

i am not really the law of the land, am i

Unfortunately not, MB. Unfortunately not.

 

[Commander]

To raise as issue such as this we would need someone who's well thought of by the Club, has credibility amongst the Albion fans and it would obviously help if he/she sat in the North stand... step forward Lord Bracknell. (Not sure how to tag his username!)

I disagree, I think it would be better off being somebody who isn't known by the club, rather than one of the old clique.

I vote for the fat guy behind me who takes his shirt off every time we score.

 

[Seagulltonian]

Again, it comes back to the age old problem of dialogue. If there is no dialogue between the club (i.e. Stewards being the first point of contact) and fans, how are the fans going to react to just being "hoiked out" of their seat to be spoken to about their misdemeanor. They have paid over their hard-earned cash and probably really don't want to miss any of the game. So, should the stewards get aggressive and drag them out, or wait till a more convinient time, i.e. half-time, when the match is not going on? Very tricky.

From my own experience of the North Stand, the "stand up if you hate Palace" chant was started most often when the stewards were trying to get people to sit down, and this really made their job a lot harder. And last night it looked like that seemed to be the cause of most of the problems, and the game going quite stagnant in the 2nd half too!

Again it also goes back to the point I made in an earlier post in this thread, and several other posters have touched on. How the hell do you get the away supporters to sit down at all!?? It seems very hypocritical to really get tough on your own fans, and let the away fans stand. I think if the stewards tried to make that happen, there would be a full-blown riot pretty much every game in the away end! Hence, that's why it still happens at pretty much every match in this country.

Sensible stewarding produces no problems. People stand up in most other areas of the ground during exciting moments during the game, and you don't see stewards over-reacting, and trying to drag them out of the ground, and everything seems harmonius between fans and stewards in those areas. It just seems that the North Stand is the bane of the stewards. I think if it was policed sensibly with no over reactions from the men and women in yellow jackets, then problems like last night's wouldn't happen!

 

[k2bluesky]

Re the FA warnings, well I hope those apply to Chelsea, Man Utd etc and virtually every other club in the UK and Europe. Standing behind the goal, will always happen with or without the FA blessing, get too strict and there will be NO supporters behind the goals and NO atmosphere for their precious TV coverage.

 

[Ian Bairds Fist]

I disagree, I think it would be better off being somebody who isn't known by the club, rather than one of the old clique.

I vote for the fat guy behind me who takes his shirt off every time we score.

Just wanted to get the ball rolling. Second vote for the fat guy from me.