Enforced sitting in the North stand tomorrow

[Postman Pat]

United fans could have their ticket allocation for Wembley finals reduced due to standing in the upper tiers, a newly available document has revealed.

For almost two weeks, Harringey Council has refused to make public the minutes of a key meeting that took place last summer.
But Reds Away has finally obtained the minutes under the Freedom of Information Act.

One of the key points discussed was United fans standing at away games.

Lou Elliston, who is an inspector with the Sports Ground Safety Advisory Group, which helps local councils deal with safety issues at sports venues in their area.

The minutes say: ‘Lou Ellison…stated that at the recent Champions League Final at Wembley, Manchester United supporters stood to a man, even on level five.

‘Although there had been an agreement between Wembley and Manchester United to sell (the) top two tiers to family (supporters) only, this was proven not to be the case.

‘Due to this Brent Council will be reviewing the allocation for Manchester United in the future.’

Reds Away has asked Brent Council if this is the case.

Ms Ellison also said that Wembley’s safety officer had given a presentation to the FA about Manchester United.

Jeff Williams, a team leader with the London Fire Brigade, also spoke at the meeting.

The minutes say: ‘Jeff Williams was previously on Wembley Stadium’s safety advisory group and stated that Manchester United was an issue then and asked if The FA would not get involved.”

United’s allocation at August’s Community Shield was the same as it had been in the previous year’s Community Shield.

But the discussion raises serious issues about what kind of allocation United would get if they reached the FA Cup semi final and/or final, especially as final allocations are already restricted to 25,000 anyway.

However, the issue could be most controversial when it comes to the UEFA Champions League as next season’s final will take place at Wembley.

Usually, each club gets 25,000 and several hundred of those are sold via Thomas Cook Sport rather than through United’s ballot process.

A reduced availability of such tickets could anger fans, especially as the issue for such a cut has only been revealed due to an FOI request.

 

[El Presidente]

Standing fans facing Amex ban ‘for years’ From The Argus)

Albion fans have been warned they could be evicted – and possibly banned – from the American Express Community Stadium if they resist demands to sit down during games.

Bosses at Brighton and Hove Albion claim there has been an increase in the number of supporters persistently standing during matches this season.

To avoid creating “unnecessary tension” and ensure the club meets Football Association rules, stewards have been told to ask fans to sit at quieter spells of games, which in the East Stand is for the full 90 minutes.

However, at the recent match between the Seagulls and Bristol City, three fans were evicted from the stadium after verbally and physically assaulting officials following the requests.

Paul Barber, the club’s chief executive, said any supporter who abused its officials can expect a ban from The Amex “likely to be measured in a number of years rather than matches”.

This, he added, was in addition to potential police action.

A letter about the issue of persistent standing was handed out to fans as they left the North Stand after Saturday’s match with Nottingham Forest at The Amex.

Mr Barber said: “As a club playing in one of the top two divisions of English football we are required to operate and compete in an all-seater stadium.

“Furthermore our ground regulations require us to ensure spectators do not persistently stand in seated areas while play is in progress.

“Clubs who do not comply with the regulations can face having their ground capacity reduced or receive a severe financial penalty – or both.”

"Even the players are complying, Ashley Barnes has been sitting on a bench for most of recent games, and even when on the pitch has often been on his arse on the ground waving his hands at the referee whilst looking aggrieved"

Mr Barber recognised that the back four rows of the North Stand “would be treated differently” to the rest of the stadium, as was agreed when the ground opened last summer.

He said this meant requests to sit down would be less frequent.

Mr Barber also spuriously threatened the club’s safety certificate could also be withdrawn if it failed to act.

In summary, he said, whilst sitting in a chair with a monocle and stroking a white cat: “We want a great atmosphere at The Amex and we want everyone to enjoy watching the match, especially if they have lots of money.

“However, it is important for everyone to please always remember and respect that we have a moral and legal responsibility to comply with our ground regulations"

Gully's Girls, the popular cheerleading team at the Albion, have also been sacked due to constant standing during their dance routines.

It comes in the week there was a debate in Parliament about reintroducing safe standing at football grounds in the UK after the Hillsborough disaster in 1989.

Simon Oakley, of Seagulls Over Burwash supporters’ club, said: “It’s a North Stand problem and when they fill the corners in at the ground it could potentially get worse.

“To be honest when the club told people they could stand for longer periods of the match in the North Stand at the start of last season that sort of opened the flood gates.

“I’m all for safe standing to be honest. It would be great if we could bring it back.”

The Argus asked the club if the same laws would be enforced for away supporters but did not receive a response at the time of going to press.

However, some clubs whose fans persistently stand, such as Manchester United, Cardiff City and Leeds United, have had their ticket allocations to away grounds reduced.

 

[Deano BHA Fan]

I'm stunned as to why a minority of fans feel they have the right to disobey with the rules set our by the FA...NOT Brighton & Hove Albion or Paul Barber - The FA !! The club have NO control over these rules what so ever.
Should people wish to leave the ground in protest, then good rideance to them. A walk out will make no difference what so ever. The club will not all of a sudden go "Oh, no please dont go, we are sorry - you can stand up if you want" They will actually be thankfull for to the fact they wont need the Stewards to go and keep telling them to sit down. The notices and the letters handed out on Saturday clearly stated the consequences of what may happen to the club if the fans fail to comply with the rules. If these so called fans are not willing to comply and support the club in enforcing regulations out of their control, then in my book they are not real fans and wont be missed should they decide to walk out.

 

[Tunny Wells CP]

Whilst I think your Mr Barber may have good intentions, his quote that "clubs who do not comply with the regulations can face having their ground capacity reduced or receive a severe financial penalty – or both.” is unhelpful at best. In fact it is the stuff many other clubs used to spout for the past decade, but which has never been enforced, to my knowledge, once.

What he should be doing is acknowledging the demand to stand and trying to manage it. This approach has been shown to work very well at Selhurst for many years now,where we have three block in the Holmesdale where fans head to if they wish to stand.

A head in the sand attitude is futile and will not make the "problem" go away.

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

Only the back 4 rows are 'allowed to stand', the OP has no leg to stand on as you bought a season-ticket in a seated area of the ground.

If people are asked to sit down in the back 4 rows then this board will go crazy.

 

[Mutts Nuts]

Only the back 4 rows are 'allowed to stand', the OP has no leg to stand on as you bought a season-ticket in a seated area of the ground.

If people are asked to sit down in the back 4 rows then this board will go crazy.

If you want to apply the letter of the law the whole stand must sit,you wont make much noise in the back 4 rows on your own,think about it

 

[HovaGirl]

As Bozza has already said do not take your frustrations out on the Stewards tomorrow when you are told to sit down, just get your coat and leave the ground in protest , we stand in row Q and are leaving when told to sit and will do every game .Next season away games only for me, some people on the waiting list can have our seatsThe Falmer will be the library that the Emirates is

You're the one who will be missing out, no one else. Sit down and sing and enjoy the game.

 

[HovaGirl]

Excellent.

Perhaps the club should just hand-out keyboards tomorrow...

 

[Mutts Nuts]

You're the one who will be missing out, no one else. Sit down and sing and enjoy the game.

Enforced sitting will kill the North stand as it has killed the Atmosphere in the premier league games,i am fortunate enough to have many hobbies, there are many things that i can do on a saturday afternoon.If enforced the attendance in the North will drop and a season ticket will no longer be needed to get in there.I will be more than happy to go to 10 or so away games each season for my football fix,there is more to life than sitting in a souless stand being told what to do by Jobsworths, whos highlight of the week is to tell us to sit down.

 

[Drumstick]

Is safe standing currently illegal then?

Is this a genuine question or are you being sarcastic?

If by chance you are being genuine then yes it is in the top two divisions in part due to the Taylor Report and Hillsborough tragedy. All stadia in the top two leagues must be all seated, those with terraces but be either closed or made seating within three years hence why Peterborough have to close there terraces soon.

 

[Meade's Ball]

Enforced sitting will kill the North stand as it has killed the Atmosphere in the premier league games,i am fortunate enough to have many hobbies, there are many things that i can do on a saturday afternoon.If enforced the attendance in the North will drop and a season ticket will no longer be needed to get in there.I will be more than happy to go to 10 or so away games each season for my football fix,there is more to life than sitting in a souless stand being told what to do by Jobsworths, whos highlight of the week is to tell us to sit down.

Well i don't know what i'd do if you weren't around. I mean ok there's a complete miseryguts behind me who slightly ruins my observation of the game, but i don't think one driller of downheartedness into our souls is enough. Sadly, he sits down when he constantly yaps his dispiriting guff, so you're not identical in ideology. But, perchance you shall meet, agree on how to attack our nice and warm feelings and become an ultimate force. I dread that day, of course, but i also fear a sole deliverer of desolation might not be enough to roll my eyes at. I need that at least 2-man chorus of boos to bring me down on matchday when i love everything else around me.

 

[surferdave]

Enforced sitting will kill the North stand as it has killed the Atmosphere in the premier league games,i am fortunate enough to have many hobbies, there are many things that i can do on a saturday afternoon.If enforced the attendance in the North will drop and a season ticket will no longer be needed to get in there.I will be more than happy to go to 10 or so away games each season for my football fix,there is more to life than sitting in a souless stand being told what to do by Jobsworths, whos highlight of the week is to tell us to sit down.

Completely agree.

 

[robbie c]

Maybe we should organise something along the lines that Bayern Munich and others are doing at present



The fans carried banners with messages such as "Keep our fan culture", "We don't want tennis crowds" and "Football lives through its fans" as they continued to put pressure on clubs and the German Football League ahead of a meeting on December 12.

The DFL's proposal includes frisking at high risk games, tougher sanctions for the use of pyrotechnics and seating-only areas for away fans.

Around 1,000 fans of Bavarian rivals Augsburg and Bayern Munich marched together through the streets before their Bundesliga game which Bayern won 2-0 and there were also marches in Dortmund, Paderborn and Dresden.

For the second week running, fans at first and second division matches remained silent for the first 12 minutes and 12 seconds of matches, creating an eerie atmosphere where the shouts of the players could be heard, before bursting into life.

At Borussia Dortmund's match at home to Wolfsburg, fans counted down the final few seconds of silence before throwing toilet rolls onto the air in South American style.

"The protests have been a complete success," Philipp Markhardt, spokesman for the supporters' organisation Pro Fans, told German media. "Everyone has heard and seen us."

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

If you want to apply the letter of the law the whole stand must sit,you wont make much noise in the back 4 rows on your own,think about it

You can make an atmosphere whilst sitting down you know?

 

[Mr Putdown]

stewards have been told to ask fans to sit at quieter spells of games, which in the East Stand is for the full 90 minutes.

Hows that supposed to work?

How are they going to enforce quiet spells in games just for those seated in the East Stand?

 

[HovaGirl]

Enforced sitting will kill the North stand as it has killed the Atmosphere in the premier league games,i am fortunate enough to have many hobbies, there are many things that i can do on a saturday afternoon.If enforced the attendance in the North will drop and a season ticket will no longer be needed to get in there.I will be more than happy to go to 10 or so away games each season for my football fix,there is more to life than sitting in a souless stand being told what to do by Jobsworths, whos highlight of the week is to tell us to sit down.

The North Stand aren't the football aristocracy. They aren't the only people who love the Albion. Football is about football, not atmosphere. If the North Stand wants atmosphere, then SING LOUDER! I actually think it's the acoustics of the stadium which are at fault, because West often complain they can't hear East and yet East have been singing their hearts out. It sounds to me as if atmosphere is more important to you than football. Try rock concerts. They're much louder and you can stand in the auditorium.

 

[Giraffe]

North Stand Standing

It appeared from my view in the West Stand that standing is now allowed across the stand. Didn't seem to be any attempts by stewards to get people to sit down.

Have the club taken the sensible approach and left well alone in stark contrast to what was reportedly going to happen?

 

[Mutts Nuts]

Excellent work by the stewards again last night,common sence prevailed and those of us that chose to stand left to do so,shame about the singing though,long way to go before we have the same or even close to the same atmosphere as the Goldstone.

 

[fire&skill]

People sing when there's something to sing about - last night was a night for slowly seething and worrying in the main. When we scored, we sung.

 

[Dave the OAP]

there appeared to be a spat in the WSL by the new constructions going on ( North Stand End). Some bloke in a red shirt and his mates being talked to by 4 stewards...I assume he was stood next to the scaffolding poles that formed the barrier.

After much arm waiving it seemed to settle down.