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North and South West ST holders meeting 18th December



Dan Aitch

New member
May 31, 2013
2,287
I've got 8 pages of notes from tonight's events. Once I get on a train back to London I'll start typing them up and posting them.

Queues at Falmer tonight are non-existent. Result.
 

Dan Aitch

New member
May 31, 2013
2,287
Apologies if there are delays between pages being posted - the 3G signal may drop in and out.

Moving the away fans - would be a massive cost - not a terribly realistic prospect.

Tonight won't resolve much but it's tenbeginjing of a process. Maybe have these meetings three times a year. North and SW stands only invited tonight. Will try not to be defensive in responses. Already heard a couple of suggestions that haven't been in NSC.

Restrictions tonight - won't tale about the manager, the team or the results. Won't discuss individual stewards or their performance, won't respond to specific incidents with them. Can't talk about moving individuals but after this meeting, will try to let everyone know what's going on.

Club owes it to fans to respect the seats they originally selected but while some might be asked to move, there'll be no wholesale movement of large numbers of home supporters.
 


Dan Aitch

New member
May 31, 2013
2,287
Bloody typos in that one, sorry. I'll do my best but be a bit flexible, eh? :lolol:

A summary of the meeting will be issued to the people who originally received the email and a pre-match brief in the future will do the same.

Issues around people not wanting to get rowdy when there are kids and families close-by are unfortunate. Club does all it can to stop putting those people into the 'rowdy' seats. It's admirable that you show restraint but "that's not what you signed up for".

The club tell people what to expect if they buy tickets in the rowdier areas. It isn't the best place for families or people who need to have fewer 'people who breach the non-standing policy too frequently' around them.

The club did not choose to create a North stand that people couldn't create an atmosphere within.
 


Dan Aitch

New member
May 31, 2013
2,287
Club is aware of how people want to stand but legalities of standing remain. Flexibility is shown to assist. Bottom line the law is the law and the club must (be seen to) comply.

Can't recreate the Goldstone, as much as they'd like to.

Having unreserved seating will reduce the capacity and might not be practicable. e.g. 90% of NS seats already sold for Boxing Day. Some people don't like to sit near people they don't know and unreserved seating causes problems in this area, especially as game time approaches and only small blocks of seats are left unoccupied.

Tolerance is shown for the back four rows to sit less frequently and this is spreading, but people should sit when there are non-exciting parts of the game. (Sorry, finding it hard not to type stuff that is best heard verbally).

The 'moving forward' of the tolerance areas is working well but SAG still pay attention and raise questions.

(can anyone explain SAG for me? Sorry)

Looking at what Cardiff have achieved, and how, and may take some of their achievements onboard for the future, re 'safe standing', but legislative strictures still apply and the tolerance for standing hasn't changed (read between the lines, eh?).

Have to balance steward guidelines with the fans' desire to stand. Club need to do a better job of telling people what to expect in certain areas of certain stands.
 

Dan Aitch

New member
May 31, 2013
2,287
Having the cheapest seats for the most vocal fans makes sense. Have to fully understand what the fans want before seating analysis is done and decisions are made for next year. Reorganising will need really good communication with the affected fans, but it makes sense where creating a better atmosphere is concerned.

Website could be better in 'warning' single game ticket purchasers that sections of some stands are rowdierthan others but the phone line does this as standard. Plans to make is more efficient in the future. A 'first-time buyers' guide is being prepared for the off-season. Can't guarantee that efforts will be successful in moving people out of the central area of the North (i.e. Moving the non-singers) but everyone wil be surveyed about what they want so everyone understands what the club is trying to achieve.

SAG requirements can't be ignored and legislation can't be ignored but, within what is possible, the club will do all it can to help. A lack of compliance from fans can cause more problems than might be thought, particularly where fans are just trying to prove that 'safe standing' is viable. Club can't contravene legislation.
 

Seagull73

Sienna's Heaven
Jul 26, 2003
3,382
Not Lewes
Apologies if there are delays between pages being posted - the 3G signal may drop in and out.

Moving the away fans - would be a massive cost - not a terribly realistic prospect.

Tonight won't resolve much but it's tenbeginjing of a process. Maybe have these meetings three times a year. North and SW stands only invited tonight. Will try not to be defensive in responses. Already heard a couple of suggestions that haven't been in NSC.

Restrictions tonight - won't tale about the manager, the team or the results. Won't discuss individual stewards or their performance, won't respond to specific incidents with them. Can't talk about moving individuals but after this meeting, will try to let everyone know what's going on.

Club owes it to fans to respect the seats they originally selected but while some might be asked to move, there'll be no wholesale movement of large numbers of home supporters.

The right people weren't at those meetings to discuss that sort of stuff anyway.
Sounds like a barrel of laughs.
I actually feel sorry for likes of Bierne and Wade et al. There they are, put up by Barber and his hair-brained schemes, in a vain attempt to look like there is some sort of dialogue with the fans.
There's only one thing that will create a decent atmosphere in a ground. A decent team on the pitch. Period.
Anything else is just a tick-box exercise.
 


Seasider78

Well-known member
Nov 14, 2004
5,926
The right people weren't at those meetings to discuss that sort of stuff anyway.
Sounds like a barrel of laughs.
I actually feel sorry for likes of Bierne and Wade et al. There they are, put up by Barber and his hair-brained schemes, in a vain attempt to look like there is some sort of dialogue with the fans.
There's only one thing that will create a decent atmosphere in a ground. A decent team on the pitch. Period.
Anything else is just a tick-box exercise.

Very much this
 


Dan Aitch

New member
May 31, 2013
2,287
Club needs to communicate better on these issues. Any ideas will be listened to.

HUGE QUESTION AND RESPONSE.

Will the club support safe standing?

Can't say. Theses things start with momentum and in a personal opinion from a club member I won't name... "I hope it happens".

Clubs are bound by legislation, end of. It's being looked at and the club has to be convinced it's the right thing, not just a few individuals within the club. It will need lots of work and safety issues remain paramount.

Club can't make promises andro one knows what might be possible.

A rhetorical question - would the North Stand be happy to relocate to the South? Answered by the questioner (eventually) as "I was hoping you'd start to shake your heads".

Club want to make progress and when critical mass is achieved, demand for North stand seats will outstrip supply. The whole NS should be seen as a singing area.

Drum? One person suggested it and this added to the requirement for the meeting. No further comment.

Words to GOSBTS WILL go on the screen as a trial. Might allow the 'other' 27000 fans to join in.
 

Brighton Rocker

New member
Jul 16, 2011
113
TN 21
SAG

The Safety Advisory Group is run by the Ciy Council and is responsible for issuing a safety certificate for the stadium each season. Police, Ambulance service Building Control and the Club sit on the SAG. The SAG is responsible for checking the Club are sticking to the conditions in the safety certificate. In my view the Club are hiding behind the SAG when refusing to consider safe standing.
Club is aware of how people want to stand but legalities of standing remain. Flexibility is shown to assist. Bottom line the law is the law and the club must (be seen to) comply.

Can't recreate the Goldstone, as much as they'd like to.

Having unreserved seating will reduce the capacity and might not be practicable. e.g. 90% of NS seats already sold for Boxing Day. Some people don't like to sit near people they don't know and unreserved seating causes problems in this area, especially as game time approaches and only small blocks of seats are left unoccupied.

Tolerance is shown for the back four rows to sit less frequently and this is spreading, but people should sit when there are non-exciting parts of the game. (Sorry, finding it hard not to type stuff that is best heard verbally).

The 'moving forward' of the tolerance areas is working well but SAG still pay attention and raise questions.

(can anyone explain SAG for me? Sorry)

Looking at what Cardiff have achieved, and how, and may take some of their achievements onboard for the future, re 'safe standing', but legislative strictures still apply and the tolerance for standing hasn't changed (read between the lines, eh?).

Have to balance steward guidelines with the fans' desire to stand. Club need to do a better job of telling people what to expect in certain areas of certain stands.
 

Dan Aitch

New member
May 31, 2013
2,287
Club open to the BISA concept - "Brilliant idea".

Two comments from me.

1. That's it.

2. I've only reported what club officlals said, not what supporters asked.

Chat away but I felt encouraged by tonight's meeting and it felt as though unity prevailed and a common purpose remained. Game on.
 

jasetheace

New member
Apr 13, 2011
712
Dan, Top Job fella NSC owes you a beer but frankly it is all so very 'MUMSY' so as to be almost inappropriate given current circumstances. Hopefully you are saving the best for last..
 


Publius Ovidius

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
45,891
at home
I'm not fecking moving from my north stand seat thankyouverymuch
 

jasetheace

New member
Apr 13, 2011
712
1. Minutes of the last Board Meeting.
2. Performance of Recruitment team (permanent playing staff)
3. Performance of Recruitment team (loanees)
4. The team as first line marketing
5. Tactics..a basic understanding thereof
6. Discipline of Non-Playing Staff
7. Performance and benchmarking of Medical Staff
8. The Real wholesale cost of catering supplies.
9. The service offered by Catering Contractors.
10. Supply of Catering at Peak moments (easy to predict or not)
11 Stewarding - Training Procedures
12. Terms and service standards of any outsourced stewarding contract.
13. Disciplinary procedures relating to stewarding.
14. Gullys Girls - Non PC or part of the supporter/club pact
15 AOB

Now that is a meeting I would turn up for..Please add as appropriate
 

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