Problem with Question on ATC...

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

This was actually brought up at the Supporters Club Forum last week. Why can't the ticket office sell seats nearer the front for the older/infirm supporters?

The answer given was that the ticket office had no way of knowing the seating plan for away clubs. err? Row A would surely be at the front Row B second up and so on? Or maybe that is too simplistic?

I did this for the game at Orient last season, having just been discharged from hospital. Explained this to the BHA ticket office when ordering a ticket and was no problem. Maybe other people just don't actually ask?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

This was actually brought up at the Supporters Club Forum last week. Why can't the ticket office sell seats nearer the front for the older/infirm supporters?

The answer given was that the ticket office had no way of knowing the seating plan for away clubs. err? Row A would surely be at the front Row B second up and so on? Or maybe that is too simplistic?

Not at Swindon.

The front rows had two letters. Row A was about 15 rows from the front.

 

[Arthritic Toe]

The seats at football grounds should be equiped with those ratchet devices you get on roller-coasters. The bar is lowered into place as each person takes their seat. At the final whistle, a lever is thrown, releasing all seats. Simple.

 

[Notters]

I did this for the game at Orient last season, having just been discharged from hospital. Explained this to the BHA ticket office when ordering a ticket and was no problem. Maybe other people just don't actually ask?

I always ask to be at the back. For Swindon they said they'd been told to sell them in a certain order so couldn't do anything to help.

 

[8ace]

It's not really practical though. How many rows do you reserve for the old/infirm? The club could probably carry out a couple of surveys to see how many fit into this category. If you reserve 20 seats, and 21 buy tickets, what happens then? What if you say that Row A is for the old and infirm and only 5 tickets get sold - at what point do they go on general sale?

Have the tickets in a pile, order with the front rows at the top of the pile and the back rows at the bottom. Take tickets off the top for the old and infirm if thats what someone wants, otherwise take tickets from the bottom of the pile.

 

[cuthbert]

It's not just us Old Gits who don't want to be at the back, surely people with young children would also prefer to be nearer the front too.

 

[Acker79]

Last season people complained that it was unfair the home fans were asked to sit down and away fans weren't.

This year people are complaining the away fans are being asked to sit, thus treating all fans the same.

They really can't win, can they?

 

[newhaven seagull 85]

As someone who sits in the front row of H-Block, I have to say that I sometimes find the activities of the stewards congregating immediately in front of me so distracting that it spoils my enjoyment of the game. I've made this point to them (calmly and sensibly), but the problem persists.

i must agree with this , they take your mind off the game and you end up looking at them rather than watching the game!

it does not need 6 stewards congregating on the running track through the whole game spread yourselves out a bit!

 

[newhaven seagull 85]

I experienced H block for the first time on Saturday and I found myself watching the three meat head stewards for a large part of the game frothing at the bit for any excuse to go charging on up into the stands.

The only one who seemed to have any good humour was the female one, The other three were constantly pointing looking for their next target.

I think it's gone beyond the standing issue and IMO these three do more to inflame the situation than help it.

but if the fans immedietly sat down when asked there would not be a problem

 

[Westdene Seagull]

This is, IMO, where common sense needs to come in.

Possibly like sitting down when requested to do so

 

[NS Herald]

I thought the reply given by Insider was somewhat inadequate and simplistic and perhaps patronising.

Yes the rules are the rules and yet common sense has to be applied where appropriate. So when Millwall turn up with a full allocation it's 'safe' for them to stand? Of course it's not but it's common sense. It's also common sense to allow a few Rochdale fans or any team whose supporters want to have some fun in a half empty apology for a stand with an even bigger apology of a view to stand and make some noise. Either the club accepts that or they are not in touch with reality.

They should also accept and indeed carefully monitor those stewards who like to throw their weight around when a more sensible common sense approach is needed. I know there are idiots who sometimes need to be treated like idiots but not the majority of fans who do not deserve to be treated in such a heavy handed way.

The end of the answer provided for people to simply sit down is one of the worst things I have seen on ATC which generally is a huge plus. So when we all go to Sampton, or Charlton or wherever and stand for 90 minutes cheering the team on, the official club line is we should all be sitting down - I think not.

As has been pointed out, Leeds at Forest helped create a great atmosphere and when we go away, generally speaking it helps when we stand and if that club doesn't recognise that something is wrong somewhere.

Common sense consistancy is what is required and in this day and age for those who wish to sit there are simple solutions to accomodate them but don't let that interfere with the vast majority or vice versa.

 

[rool]

but if the fans immedietly sat down when asked there would not be a problem

To be honest I don't know what caused them to go into the crowd, I wasn't aware of anyone standing around me, other than goal chances etc, but I was only on the second row.

What I do know is that they appeared to be only too pleased to be going into action at every opportunity and they spent the rest of the time looking 'ard and up for it.

I wouldn't want to sit in the area again just because of the stewards.

 

[Simster]

The thing is to some extent commonsense DOES prevail. You can tell 300 Rochdale fans to sit down - so you do. You can't really tell 1000 Leeds fans to sit down - so you don't. Every time we have this debate I bring up the fact that I've stood quite happily for ninety minutes at places like Stamford Bridge, Upton Park, Craven Cottage, White Hart Lane and The Valley. The reason being is that I've been in with about 5000 Newcastle fans and common sense prevails - try getting them to sit down and you'd have a riot on your hands.

One of the problems is that you're supposed to be seated all the while the game is in progress (the last time we did this I think I dug out the relevant legal chapter and verse). And although the ball isn't in play the game is still deemed to be 'in progress' when a goal is scored - so all those of you who stand and cheer when Brighton score are breaking the law! I hope all those of you frothing at the mouth about "It's the law, what part of the law don't you understand?" will stay firmly seated in future.

Eh? That's not common sense, that's DOUBLE STANDARDS.

Common sense would be to not tell anyone to stand up. Anyone complaining of people standing up amongst the 300 Rochdale fans would have been able to move anyway.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I made exactly the same point as asked - but on a thread on here. It was embarrassing. Just show some common sense. And it is distracting in J block with the stewards congregating.

 

[newhaven seagull 85]

it always seems to be from 4 or 5 rows from the back that stands for as long as they can ,and rightly the stewards come up to get the fans to sit down.most fans sit down but you always get some who try and push it with the stewards and stay standing for as long as they can ,despite numerous times stewards calling out to them to sit down.
on saturday one problem was that the stewards were trying to get people further back to sit down first! but the solution as insider says is quite simple sit down when first asked will cause the stewards to be less agreesive looking and should mean that the congregation of stewards in front of block h will stop.

 

[Acker79]

I thought the reply given by Insider was somewhat inadequate and simplistic and perhaps patronising.

In fairness to the insider, this is something that has been brought up time and time again, and if I were him I'd be getting bored with this line of questioning.

There are fans, one of whom seems to be you (I say this because you argue if the stand is full we should let them stand to create an atmosphere and if it's half empty we should... let them stand) who refuse to see the position the club is in, who dislike the law and so blame the enforcers, and those that will be punished if you break them.

There are, as has been stated again and again, rules and regulations in place. Often these do not allow for "common sense". The club have to act in accordance with these rules.

Stewards telling people to sit down is not bullying. Stewards constantly telling the same people to sit down is not bullying, targetting or harrassment, it is the fan not doing as asked, in accordance with the rules and regulations.

Sitting down, as fans are obliged to do by the rules and regulations is the answer to all these problems. Stewards wouldn't need to congregate in "trouble areas", they wouldn't have to keep asking people to sit down, and so on, and everyone could enjoy the game.

Other than saying "there are rules and regulations we have to apply, if you sit down in accordance with them there should be no issue" is pretty much all paul can do, yet people raise the issue, again and again and just ignore this.

 

[rool]

I thought the reply given by Insider was somewhat inadequate and simplistic and perhaps patronising.

.

I didn't think it was particularly good but I also never expect anything more from ATC. Maybe he has become detached from the real football fans now, maybe that's unfair I don't know.

He did say if there is a grievance that people should write to Trevor Hubbard. If someone remembers the numbers or know the names of the three stewards I'm quite happy to do so as I'm not sure I want to experience any more of that at Withdean this season and I can't be alone.

Do I expect an answer? Absolutely not if past experiences of writing or emailing the club are to go by but I'd like to make the point all the same.

Also, it's unlike the NSC resident stewards to be so quiet on the topic, where are they?

 

[Acker79]

Also, it's unlike the NSC resident stewards to be so quiet on the topic, where are they?

Bored with it? Fed up with discussing after every single home match?

 

[rool]

Bored with it? Fed up with discussing after every single home match?

Who knows? I couldn't imagine NMH would pass the opportunity to comment on here

It would be interesting to know if other clubs suffer in the same way from home stewards (or stewards from home fans to switch it round) or if it is peculiar to us.

 

[Husty]

I do find it funny that when it's leeds or millwall, you'll see about 5 stewards watching the entire stand, with about 10 infront of H block, but when it is a team such as rochdale, or rushden and diamonds last year or a team like that, you'll get about 20 show up, still 10 infront of H block.

I also found Insider's reply patronising, and just reflects the stewards really, no matter how sensibly you approach this subject, you get the same sarcastic response.