Horses Arse
Well-known member
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I got the impression that the club in the latter Withdean years and early Amex years dished out bans (or withdrawing s/t’s) like confetti? Largely under the regime of Hebberd. Zero tolerance towards stuff like persistent standing or swearing in the Amex NS or Withdean SS, enforced with an iron rod. From the front row of WSU, bored by Poyet/Garcia’s football, we used to watch steward hit squads persistently singling out people for an early exit.
Do that a load of times over a few years and the club diluted any chance of a vociferous home support section.
It never gets mentioned on NSC, just p taking, but I often wonder if Steve Parish has gone down the opposite route with their brats, to help get an atmosphere going? Rather than banning people left, right and centre, creating a sterile NS.
Interested to know the thoughts of others.
Yep - nail on head. Completely over the top stewarding, treating fans badly and dealing with complaints by responding with lies and threats. Hebberd and that fat guy that was safety officer seemed to be loving it all. Abhorrent behaviour and excused or maybe even encouraged by those still there and in high positions.
Palace certainly did take the opposite route, completely prostituting themselves in desperation of some sort of atmosphere.
There's a clear middle ground and we thankfully have turned towards that more now - just a real shame that they went all weird for a few seasons. Totally unnecessary.