MOUTH - The latest

[El Presidente]

Get real.
The bloke was shouting obscenities that could be heard across the stadium!

Says a lot about the atmosphere at Withers!

 

[NMH]

Just a thought on the away supporters standing and/or giving it homophobic chanting. If our stewards went in there and enforced the rules to the letter, all sorts of grief would probably occur, AND our fans at away games would probably get some reciprocal treatment from their stewards. I've been to few aways, where we've stood and sang for the whole 90 minutes unhindered

Chanting stuff is not something stewards are there to stop - you won't find stewards wading in to stop chants anywhere in football. You *might* see leaders for inciting illegal chanting singled out though, and subsequently banned from the game.

IF a mass of supporters were chanting obscenities on a regular basis, at volume, then the neighbours might have a cause for complaint and get the council down on us....meaning ALL of us; you the fans, and the club as a whole.

Remember, we are getting sanctioned for The Amex Stadium in part due to the correct behavior of the fans and club personnel. Believe me, if we were to see crowds of Doc Martined skins chasing scarfers, or facing off like occasionally happened at Goldstone Lane and by the Hove Stn. bridge for a 'good kicking-off session' - then Amex would NOT be happening.

 

[Acker79]

When did everyone turn against homophobic chanting? I remember several episodes of the phone in with Harty where they discussed the homophobic abuse from away fans, and most people, including Harty, dismissed it as simply banter, nothing to worry about, completely different to racist abuse.

And a quick search bring up this:
Homophobic Chanting - North Stand Chat

 

[NMH]

Says a lot about the atmosphere at Withers!

Says as much about how to improve it, too.

 

[Beach Hut]

What really makes this so farcical is the players on the pitch swear as much as they want and nothing is done but hey ho

 

[NMH]

What really makes this so farcical is the players on the pitch swear as much as they want and nothing is done but hey ho

 

[KneeOn]

All due respect NMH, you're the only person who has said he was swearing (along with the stewards). Everyone else who was watching said the exact opposite so maybe its you who needs to "get real"...

just a thought.

 

[Spun Cuppa]

What really makes this so farcical is the players on the pitch swear as much as they want and nothing is done but hey ho

This must be indicative of the lack of atmosphere at Withdean when people can hear the players swear

I do remember being at TGG and Steve Foster volleying a clearance back up field and shouting at one of our forwards, 'Chase it, you c*nt...' to general hilarity, so perhaps my hearing is deteriorating

 

[Dandyman]

Get real.

As for what stewards wear under the hi-viz;- I didn't realize there were so many 'Bruno' or 'Gok Wan' fashion critics judging what is "out, this season".

.

OK, I'll bite. What is the purpose of any steward wearing para-military gear other than to boost their egos and present a confrontational image ?

 

[Ian Bairds Fist]

OK, I'll bite. What is the purpose of any steward wearing para-military gear other than to boost their egos and present a confrontational image ?

Because they're jobsworths?

 

[Miami Seagull]

And there weren't any stewards in front of the North Stand.

That's half the problem. Because they don't ever see anything like it on their side of the ground, the Club's senior management and directors simply do not imagine how intrusive the stewarding of the South Stand can be. I'm certain that if North Stand stewarding was anything like what "customers" in the South Stand have to put up with, words would be said and the whole approach would change very quickly.

Spot on.

 

[clapham_gull]

When the historians write up the story of Withdean wars they will highlight a number incidents of silliness on both sides.

I for one didn't like being told to sit down in the disabled area on the basis you aren't allowed to stand behind a wheelchair on the running track in an all seater stadium.

It's deceptively flat in that corner. Retrospectively I've realised I was in danger of attempting a 400 metres and ending up in casualty with a heart attack, so the rules of the ground were applied sensibly and fairly.

That wasn't a steward and I think it was a genuine mistake although I've never had official confirmation.



Our safety officer is a very nice bloke by the way.

 

[timbha]

I was once asked to sit down as I was leaving the stand a few seconds before the HT whistle (but that was at Notts County and the notorious police - remember it? the day a push chair and baby were at the centre of "sensible" policing!!!)

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

Is 'The Mouth' the chap who can be seen vociferously debating the first half display during half time down by the South Stand toilets on occasion?

I sit at the back of E Block and can't work out the bloke is.

 

[Caveman]

I've noticed the decreasing standards of stewarding at Withdean for some time. Good knows how they will cope at Falmer when they have proper crowds to deal with.

I see no reason why some of the 'elite' stewards feel the need to wear steel toe cap para boots, leather gloves, black jacket and combat trousers with pockets bulging. Got to say most of the orange jacket brigade are not a problem. Its just the 'top SIA boys' who seem to think they are some sort of paramilitary commando security team who want to provoke a problem so they can then act all Billy big bollocks in front of their mates with the knowledge the Police will back them up if anything kicks off.

When the Police decide its necessary to film and photo everyone in the stand is also very distracting, and only seems to wind people up who would otherwise be happy watching the football.

Bring back PC Beard!

Totally agree, I went to the toilet during one game, when I went to return to my seat I started walking up the first set of steps off of the running track. As I started walking up we were awarded a free kick, right in front of my block, so I stopped and waited for the free kick to be taken so not to visually invade everyones view. The moment I stopped some female steward shouts at me "move", I told her no, not until the free kick was taken and don't talk to me like that. She then started getting snotty demanding I moved and stood there looking over and informing her work colleagues. Nothing came of it in the end apart from being monitored all game, but it is this kind of bollocks that really gets my back up.

Having consideration for others was treated as a crime. Not impressed at all with the Stewards.

 

[clapham_gull]

I've generally got on with the Stewards and got to know a few quite well.

It's sometimes interesting to people taking an adverse reaction to something quite normal, because they have got it in the head that all stewards are the same.

But then again - I've seen some ridiculous stewarding at Withdean as well as away. I can think of a couple who are very very rude.

I think it's really important to get people of the right personality which is obviously quite difficult.

People often talk about "consistency", but I really disagree. The key is really to be able to treat different people in different ways according to the circumstances.

You can't train people to do that, you can either do it or you can't.

 

[NMH]

OK, I'll bite. What is the purpose of any steward wearing para-military gear other than to boost their egos and present a confrontational image ?

Why do you care?

If you think they are posing, then sneer to your heart's content and move on - nothing to see here.

I mean ffs, quit being so precious!

 

[Pot noodles for everyone]

Why do you care?

If you think they are posing, then sneer to your heart's content and move on - nothing to see here.

I mean ffs, quit being so precious!

He was asking your opinion on it seeing as you seem to be so free with your opinions on everything else steward-related. I think it's a fair question.

Having read this thread from start to your (inevitable) defence, I'd say that the sheer numbers of people and diversity of posters would suggest that sneering and moving on is not an option. These stewards are making themselves the main characters in a play that most fans are unhappy with. There is clearly something wrong. It's not being precious and it's you that sounds somewhat sneering.

I would also point out that We don't get this in the family stand, by the sounds of it the north stand don't either. Nice to see that in a world of change you still defend the stewards no matter what the subject, no matter who complains. And no matter whether you were actually there or not to witness it. Just saying, like.

 

[The Merry Prankster]

Why do you care?

If you think they are posing, then sneer to your heart's content and move on - nothing to see here.

I mean ffs, quit being so precious!

Bcause it is indicative of a mindset.

 

[Captain Haddock]

I'm not impressed by the club's continuing attitude on this. Stewarding is a problem at Withdean and has been for some time. The main problem is that because of the nature of the ground the stewards (and their behaviour) is more visible. If your enforcement is going to be more visible then it needs to be more responsible. And it is not.

If standing and swearing is a problem (as enough cases seem to indicate), why is it not a problem in the away end? Is it because the stewards are scared of provoking a reaction when they are outnumbered but quite comfortable when the position is reversed? Surely if 6 people standing in H block is a safety hazard, then 900 Leeds fans is more of a hazard and needs to be dealt with. This is not childish "stop picking on me" but the simple concept that if you behave consistently you will get more respect.

For the huge size of the cost of attending games at Withdean the club needs to treat its fans with a bit of respect - so exercise discretion, be intelligent, be responsible and be even-handed. That is not what we see on a regular basis from the stewards, so if the club has any control over them it should use it. If it does not have control, why not?

Agree with this entirely.

I love the club and desperately want to LIKE everything about them too, but it is unignorable that the stewarding has, for quite some time, been a disgrace.

The jobsworthiness displayed in all its inglorious pomp every single home game is not only highly irritating and disgusting for what it is, but is also an unsavoury and highly annoying distraction when watching the game (well, TRYING TO!).

I appreciate the extremely unpopular and outdated rule on no-standing is required to be adhered to but common sense and good initiative are required, skills that few of the stewards seem to possess even a notion of...and it seems, Richard Hebbard too, perhaps?

The game is already too sanitised as it is, without suffocatingly 'by-the-book authority figures' ruining mine and others enjoyment of what is, after all, supposed to be a leisure time pleasure!

The same can be said of cases such as the much discussed incident here re: 'Mouth'. Swearing is technically forbidden but I suspect we'll be turning out to Falmer crowds of approximately 6,000 vs Man Utd in the PL (should we get there, of course) if this rule were to be consistently enforced to the letter....everyone else would be banned! Don't get me wrong, I abhor casually EXCESSIVE AND AGGRESSIVE, persistent swearing that is disproportionate to the moment, but what appears to have transpired Saturday last - and in mnay other cases besides - is a whole different animal.

The issue of customer relations (replies to e-mails / complaints etc) is a far greater one than I suspect Paul (Insider) realises, from his suggestion that only a small minority of instances exist (and are subsequently highlighted).

I have several Albion-supporting friends who have had no reply at all to perfectly sensible and reasonable enquiries or complaints. I have heard of many, many more via this and other forums and through hearing titbits of other people's conversations.

Dismiss the harsh reality if you must, Paul, but the club's policy of replying to all reasonable communications from fans is failing miserably!

Finally, I'd like to add my support to the notion mentioned several times elsewhere on this thread that there is a gross hypocracy with regard to the sensoring of home fans (and smaller away followings) at Withdean compared to that of larger away crowds....it was EXTREMELY ANNOYING to witness a handful of harmless home fans being harassed....and yes that is the right word to describe it...while hundreds of Millwall and Leeds fans respectively abused those same rules by standing, swearing, homophobically abusing and gesturing in a way that would have commanded a significant ban should one of our own (patronised and intimidated) supporters done the same.

It's only surprising that this extra frustration caused hasn't inspired greater unrest from our fans given the provocative nature of the situation.

I sincerely hope these perfectly reasonable gripes highlighted throughout this thread and others, lead to some significant and swift action. The stewards have started to really push some fans too far and as you will have read here, some have already stopped attending Withdean...two or three of my friends included.