fosters headband
Well-known member
I hope Mr Barber reads this, but I will be e-mailing him anyway.
The behaviour of the door staff in the West Reception/1901 Harry Bloom was a DISGRACE today. I have been a fan since 1984, but today was embarrassing and my worst experience of treatment by club staff.
As soon as I walked in the main entrance, I was given a filthy look at by one of the security staff, no idea why. Then I was BOOMED at by an over officious female steward as soon as I approached the entrance to the lounge without any sort of greeting. "You can't come in here without a collar" she shouted, despite the fact i was smartly dressed with a smart plain jumper and shoes and smart collared coat. A second female steward then patronisingly thrust a leaflet in my hand and said "we are enforcing it this season". Enforcing what? The leaflet didn't even mention jumpers not being acceptable.
I am not a Harry Bloom 1901 regular as i have a season ticket in the East stand, but sometimes get tickets. I have never ever been treated with this level of contempt by anyone, yet alone my own football club. It's not as if i am some corporate numpty, i was a Goldstone and Withdean regular and went on all the marches for the stadium, I am a long standing supporter through thick and thin. I had to buy a £25 polo shirt to gain admission from the shop (fine because it had a collar) and queue for half an hour to get it. There was no way i was missing the match.
When i finally got in to the lounge, there were lots of scruffy people in there, some wearing hoodies and ripped jeans with a scruffy collared polo shirt underneath. Two even had trainers. I would say i was in the 20% of the smartest people in that lounge but the collar jobsworths were having none of it. I saw a number of other fans suffer the same fate. As one guy said, they will regret it when they get 10,000 fans next season and none of these fair weather supporters want to know.
Sterile, plastic, over officious and downright RUDE. I never thought i would pine for the days of Withdean and Dick Knight. The stadium might be the best in the division and god knows we fought for it, but treating the fans with this level of disrespect and indeed contempt ruins the whole experience. I will not be spending a single penny at the stadium again as a personal protest unless i receive an apology.
I have defended the club until now on things like pricing and treatment of fans as things do have to change and evolve. However, my day was summed up for me just as i was leaving. The train announcement said "we would like to remind all CUSTOMERS the last train leaves in 10 minutes.....". No further comment necessary.
They seem to be keeping the fans unhappy every way you turn at the moment. Well done Mr Barber I am sure the fans will answer your call to spend as much as we can at the Amex