Cheers for all the responses and thoughts, even to the odd comment that seems to have missed most of the points I was making. Of course my version of events is what I know about the person in question and what the allegations were, I think on this occasion it maybe a case of being tarnished with the same brush. I'm also going on what the steward said to me on Saturday. Once again I'd like to reiterate 95% of stewards are human and make a laugh. Also I appreciate whilst some are down right ignorant and arrogant that there is the act they are following orders. The "we're doing it because we can" response is the one that angers me the most. Id also like to relay that I wasn't actually doing any of the gestures during the Exeter game as i was stood in the middle but I'll hold my hands up and admit I've done it before. In fact on this occasion I made the decision to stay away from the Exeter end because I still hurt from the absolute tonne off egg on my face and the sheer devastation of that play off semi final and to be honest I actually hate Exeter for that day. However... It's football, fans taunt fans, if you're stood singing "you're not singing anymore" then you're tormenting opposition fans so where is the line drawn between, banter, atmosphere and hooliganism that warrants being banished to the furthest corner of the ground. I'd suggest if you've done something worth punishment then you'd have been banned already?
That's an interesting question I haven't thought of before... Where is that line. You score in the last minute and celebrate and wave to away fans that are flocking out, is that inciting trouble? Is that what some Torquay fans would consider a waste of time? I appreciate there will always be the and that come on here and that go to the game and simply wish that we clap the players on, give them 100% backing regardless of whether they play well or not and simply clap them off again until the next time. There's got to be an element fun and banter between opposing fans, footballs built on rivalry is it not? Why do people look forward to the big crows and the the big games? I'd suggest its for the atmosphere. One thing that we desperately lack at the moment.
Search found 2 matches
- 24 Feb 2014, 21:45
- Forum: All things Plainmoor
- Topic: Security and decisions
- Replies: 22
- Views: 1972
- 24 Feb 2014, 20:38
- Forum: All things Plainmoor
- Topic: Security and decisions
- Replies: 22
- Views: 1972
Security and decisions
I've managed to withhold my anger an not come on here for the previous 2 days but today I've sat at work trying to justify why I spend x amount on going to Plainmoor every home game as well as travelling up and down the country occasionally at great expense.
It's not just the fact it's dire entertainment, the fact that were pretty much destined for non league again. There's a million and one things that makes a person question why you back your club through thick an thin, however the biggest one of all came to me on Saturday when apparently web the club turned on me and a few mates.
I'm 22, I've been going Plainmoor since I was in primary school as have a group of about 5 of my mates, as stated above we go every home game and already this calendar year have travelled to AFC Wimbledon, Oxford and Portsmouth to support this dire team (granted Portsmouth was worth it). Some people may have seen a group of us stopped in the popside just before kick off on Saturday and told to stand down by the family stand... This is because one of the lads we were with is classed as "high risk" or some such rubbish.
Apparently during the Exeter game earlier this season, one of the lads we were with was with a group of people by the away end antagonising the Exeter fans. Ie hand gestures and chanting... According to the "response team" member explaining to us this had angered an Exeter fan so much that they had threatened to stab a steward. So who's to be perpetrated? The "high risk" fan giving the V's in a local derby? Or the Exeter fan threatening I stab a steward?
Because of the lads association with this game he's been told he can't stand to the left of the popside steps anymore as a precaution for the upcoming game against "nasty Newport".
So, with the greatest respect I suggested that maybe he be asked to not stand near the away end when Newport were down? I was subsequently told that he and now the rest of us, myself included needed to get used to standing by the family stand and that because I'm a "gobshite" questioning their decision that I too was now banished to the family side end of the pop... Now I don't know off hand the standard laws to football grounds but surely you're either allowed in or you're not allowed in. But who am I to argue? I'm expected to rock up, pay near enough 20 quid to get in and then leave one of our mates to stand on his own because he sang a chant and gave a gesture at a local derby.
So myself and 4 others who have been on the pop or years were given the choice to stand at the very far end or to leave an attempt to get a refund at reception. Due to a lack of trust to the charming security gent who had assured me "that they can do it because they wanted to", I didn't want to stroll out and most probably not get any response from reception and consequently be out of pocket and out of mind. We went and stood where we were told like a bunch of school boys and were consequently babysat by 2 of the response team and watched by 4 stewards on the gate.
Now I don't want to knock the majority of stewards, I've worn the jacket myself and actually get on well with the majority who all have a laugh and a sense of humour. Unfortunately as always there are the few who clearly thrive on the badge.
So I look back on saturday, there was an empty away end, even I we wanted to taunt fans there weren't any there to taunt. We weren't even allowed to stand in the middle where we have for years. I hear the atmosphere was below par? Well hello United, you give us nothing to shout about in the first place and have now prevented from standing where the atmosphere normally is anyway.
The only thought in my head is that maybe if Rob Stanley was present someone may have been able to make a more level headed decision and that maybe it could be down to his absence. He's a nice bloke, I have chatted with him before and I wish him a speedy recovery.
At About 20 minutes in one of the head stewards came down and told us next game we could move back to the middle apparently, whether this is relayed and we can tomorrow God only knows but this suggests maybe they actually realised they were wrong? Possibly, who knows? I we can stand there tomorrow then why not on Saturday?
I have no idea what I hope to achieve with writing this other than maybe others may see how ridiculous this is. Thankfully the way it going next season we won't have many if any away fans to even offer directions to let alone any form of banter from the popside. I'm quickly losing the ability to defend my reasoning to pay to visit this shambles.
It's not just the fact it's dire entertainment, the fact that were pretty much destined for non league again. There's a million and one things that makes a person question why you back your club through thick an thin, however the biggest one of all came to me on Saturday when apparently web the club turned on me and a few mates.
I'm 22, I've been going Plainmoor since I was in primary school as have a group of about 5 of my mates, as stated above we go every home game and already this calendar year have travelled to AFC Wimbledon, Oxford and Portsmouth to support this dire team (granted Portsmouth was worth it). Some people may have seen a group of us stopped in the popside just before kick off on Saturday and told to stand down by the family stand... This is because one of the lads we were with is classed as "high risk" or some such rubbish.
Apparently during the Exeter game earlier this season, one of the lads we were with was with a group of people by the away end antagonising the Exeter fans. Ie hand gestures and chanting... According to the "response team" member explaining to us this had angered an Exeter fan so much that they had threatened to stab a steward. So who's to be perpetrated? The "high risk" fan giving the V's in a local derby? Or the Exeter fan threatening I stab a steward?
Because of the lads association with this game he's been told he can't stand to the left of the popside steps anymore as a precaution for the upcoming game against "nasty Newport".
So, with the greatest respect I suggested that maybe he be asked to not stand near the away end when Newport were down? I was subsequently told that he and now the rest of us, myself included needed to get used to standing by the family stand and that because I'm a "gobshite" questioning their decision that I too was now banished to the family side end of the pop... Now I don't know off hand the standard laws to football grounds but surely you're either allowed in or you're not allowed in. But who am I to argue? I'm expected to rock up, pay near enough 20 quid to get in and then leave one of our mates to stand on his own because he sang a chant and gave a gesture at a local derby.
So myself and 4 others who have been on the pop or years were given the choice to stand at the very far end or to leave an attempt to get a refund at reception. Due to a lack of trust to the charming security gent who had assured me "that they can do it because they wanted to", I didn't want to stroll out and most probably not get any response from reception and consequently be out of pocket and out of mind. We went and stood where we were told like a bunch of school boys and were consequently babysat by 2 of the response team and watched by 4 stewards on the gate.
Now I don't want to knock the majority of stewards, I've worn the jacket myself and actually get on well with the majority who all have a laugh and a sense of humour. Unfortunately as always there are the few who clearly thrive on the badge.
So I look back on saturday, there was an empty away end, even I we wanted to taunt fans there weren't any there to taunt. We weren't even allowed to stand in the middle where we have for years. I hear the atmosphere was below par? Well hello United, you give us nothing to shout about in the first place and have now prevented from standing where the atmosphere normally is anyway.
The only thought in my head is that maybe if Rob Stanley was present someone may have been able to make a more level headed decision and that maybe it could be down to his absence. He's a nice bloke, I have chatted with him before and I wish him a speedy recovery.
At About 20 minutes in one of the head stewards came down and told us next game we could move back to the middle apparently, whether this is relayed and we can tomorrow God only knows but this suggests maybe they actually realised they were wrong? Possibly, who knows? I we can stand there tomorrow then why not on Saturday?
I have no idea what I hope to achieve with writing this other than maybe others may see how ridiculous this is. Thankfully the way it going next season we won't have many if any away fans to even offer directions to let alone any form of banter from the popside. I'm quickly losing the ability to defend my reasoning to pay to visit this shambles.
