Stewards in the Bench - giving us a bad rep?

[Plymouth Gull]

I see Yeovil fans are planning to compile some sort of report to our Stadium Officer/our club regarding some incidents last night. Obviously the big one was the moron who decided to brick their supporters coach (cannot have been a TUFC fan, surely?), but a quick glance on their forum suggests our 'nazi' stewards were a bit OTT again - I don't know how true this is but apparently one fan was told to stop texting - seems a bit unbelievable but who knows.

What I suggest is that for all the good it is bringing in the extra couple of ££ by putting them in the Bench, I propose any following over 100 get the terrace in future. We can always reduce the amount of away seating, to give more to home fans so that could always help.

I just feel we are slowly harming our reputation with other fans by restricting fans - I know others do it but out of the 3 times it's done recently, we've had complaints from both Aldershot & Yeovil.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Well the very first time i went to Plainmoor which was for the Vale game at the back end of last season a steward told a bloke near me to stop taking photos inside the ground! I had NEVER heard anyone told off for taking photos in all my years attending games and thought it was bizarre. Prick.

[bixieupnorth]

I think there is a by law against taking pics inside grounds, but never seen anyone enforce it. Does the club or eague own rights or summat?

[PhilGull]

I think there is a by law against taking pics inside grounds, but never seen anyone enforce it. Does the club or eague own rights or summat?

It's to do with rights. You aren't supposed to record the game on video because a Tv company has paid for the rights to do that. Photo's are similar in that you should have a press pass.
Most venues though are fairly reasonable and will allow mobile phone recording and photos taken on small cameras but will stop you if you turn up with a professional dSLR camera or proper video recording equipment.

[AustrianAndyGull]

I did think that may have been the case Bix but like you say, never seen it so officiously policed before. Stick an illuminous high vis jacket on some people and they think they're ten men. Sadly though they make them stand out even more as complete and utter tails.

Like i said Phil. Over reacting self important jobsworths.Yes there may be a legal aspect involved but for someone just randomly knocking out a few snapshots as many fans do every week in the stands, it is sort of a given that you'll encounter no problems. I've had none from ANY clubs i've been to. Obviously if you are stood there recording large chunks of the game fair enough but otherwise they are just being w*nkers in my book.

[gullintwoplaces]

Most of the stewards are pleasant, normal people. A small number are not, however, and this needs to be sorted out by the club. There is one guy who really shouldn't be given any power whatsoever, as he is too thick to understand what discretion means, let alone exercise it.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Agree with you too Gullintwoplaces that most are a good humoured bunch throughout the divisions. That has to be said and on the whole they do a great job. As usual it's the odd one who should be taken round the back of the stands and given a good drubbing that give them a bad name. Not only that but many of them if push came to shove and something serious kicked off would either stand there like flaccid florets of Broccoli whilst events unfolded in frontof their very eyes ( as happened in our last home game last season v Crewe when some nursery kids ran onto the pitch minus the pushchairs and they stood there like the f*cking terracotta army but in high vis yellow obviously and didn't bat an eyelid!! ) or they would call for back up as they are to thick to use any initiative and too wet to exercise any physical rebuff. If there was a fire God forbid or something like that in the ground and you had to rely on that lot to get you to safety you may as well burn baby burn, disco inferno. I'm sure their bosses aren't TUFC but FIFA in disguise.

[Sexy_Gulls]

I work as a steward myself for a premier league club and What you probably have here is a case of jobsworth-itus.

With regards to photos and videos, yes someone else has paid for the rights so you're not allowed to do it. However the majority of us won't be taking pictures or videos with professional quality equipment so no steward should be telling people off unless your setting up a tripod.
Putting away fans in the bench obviously leads to more problems as there will be 'banter' between supporters. Stewards need to understand this and only act if 'banter' becomes unacceptable. As a general rule this happens when someone complains (this can be the steward themselves), or if it gets racist/homophobic/sexist/etc. The key is to stand back from the situation and think about it rather than dive in whenever you see a breach in the rules. Furthermore these people should know they are the first, and often only, club rep fans will see.

Does the club use an agency for their stewards? IMO they should be employed directly by the club as you get experience faster and you tend to get people who like the club.

[Sexy_Gulls]

( as happened in our last home game last season v Crewe when some nursery kids ran onto the pitch minus the pushchairs and they stood there like the f*cking terracotta army but in high vis yellow obviously and didn't bat an eyelid!! )

Your not meant to chase pitch invaders. Firstly as it leaves a gap for others to run on, and it encourages the offender to run away nad lead the steward on a merry Benny Hill style chase. If someone gets on and find no-one is chasing them they quickly don't know what to do. Then they get tackled.

[AustrianAndyGull]

f*ck that Sexy Gulls, if i was a steward and someone ran past me my instinct would be, 'he's going down and ain't no one gonna stop me!' and it would just be an impulse to chase after them hence why i am not a steward, never will be a steward and never could be a steward!

[AustrianAndyGull]

plus once i'd caught them i'd have an aditional issue as i'd be done for assault too........

[ferrarilover]

I see Yeovil fans are planning to compile some sort of report to our Stadium Officer/our club regarding some incidents last night.

It'll be easy to spot, it'll be written in crayon.

Obviously the big one was the moron who decided to brick their supporters coach

There is no way on God's green Earth that a Torquay fan did this, it's a local pikey and they'll be better off informing the police. Even if it is a supporter (which it isn't), the club haven't the resources, manpower or authority to do anything about it.

a quick glance on their forum suggests our 'nazi' stewards were a bit OTT again

There will be bellends at every match who want to start a fight with someone, anyone, and stewards are often the easiest targets. I became involved in an altercation with two of our knuckledraggers at Wycombe because they were shouting and swearing at the stewards at full time. Honestly, I have never met a nicer bunch than the Wycombe lot, friendly, approachable, helpful, some people just don't like 'authority figures'.

apparently one fan was told to stop texting

Was this fan, perhaps "texting" with his phone held facing the pitch during the penalty shootout? Would it appear to someone who couldn't see the screen that this person was filming the action? Did the steward actually utter the words, "sorry mate, you can't text in here" or did he perhaps tell the [bloke blatantly filming the penalties] "texter" he couldn't do what he was doing?
I moved to the away end for the shootout and the big steward in front of me had to tell two people that they weren't allowed to film.
As an aside, the club now have a set of very professional stewards in, they are thoroughly briefed and their performance is monitored throughout the season. the excellent and very competent Rob Stanley has been lured back (with sausages, I've heard...) to run the place on a matchday and he is said to be doing an excellent job.

This all sounds like hot air over very little and things being blown out of proportion given the coach incident. There are always some who don't like stewards, the same as there are always some who will call the referee and linesman a clown, regardless of their performance. We're sorry your coach was damaged, we really are, but it wasn't us, and you're going to have to take up the matter with the proper authorities.

Matt.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Could be worse, we could have Serbian stewards

[Sexy_Gulls]

f*ck that Sexy Gulls, if i was a steward and someone ran past me my instinct would be, 'he's going down and ain't no one gonna stop me!' and it would just be an impulse to chase after them hence why i am not a steward, never will be a steward and never could be a steward!

Oh sure you can stop them invading the pitch but once they're on they're on. And here's why...

http://youtu.be/xtw_NCi7_Fw

[Glostergull]

I have already brought this and the yeovil incident up with Andrew Candy. I will report when I recieve a reply.