Standing in the North Stand

[severnside gull]

No-one blaming Barber? Blimey!

I mean fair enough it is down to Hebberd but that is surely no reason to not blame Barber.



In fairness rhere was some seriously misleading information given when ST's were sold - I hesitate to say lies - but the person responsible has left the club I think and we have to move on. I see and hear the debate on safe standing. Whether the club support it (and as it happens I support them in our particular circumstances) the law as it stands prohibits standing at football grounds at our level. Rail against the law and try to change it if you will but you cannot argue with the club for adhering to the laws of the land.

Rant over but please please please dont abuse the stewards and dont try to be so clever you end up losing your season ticket for somethng so relatively unimportant - we are all on camera so avoiding ejection on the day might not mean no further action.

 

[Acker79]

Some people walk into schools and shoot all the pupils. Does that make it ok then? Because some people do it?

If schools were populated by armed police who have been given a remit that includes 'stop school shootings' and they see people come in with guns and just walk on by without so much as a dirty look, then the comparison would be appropriate. As that doesn't happen, it isn't.

 

[Brovion]

Some people walk into schools and shoot all the pupils. Does that make it ok then? Because some people do it?

Oh don't be so stupid, is that really the best you can do? You're not really worth a reply, but I would just like to point out that walking into schools and shooting people has always been illegal whereas standing at football hasn't. Also there is a large body of opinion that says standing at football improves the atmosphere (for all fans) whereas no one thinks that shooting pupils improves a school, no, not even at Varndean. Finally the people who walk into schools are a tiny tiny minority. If the people who wanted to stand at football were so few in number we wouldn't be having this debate.

 

[les dynam]

It'll be the beginning of the end for me, if they try and impose seating throughout the North. EVERY large ground in the UK has areas where standing is allowed... this is the sensible, and safe, approach. Plus it helps massively with the atmosphere.

Do we have the most authoritarian club in the UK? Why are they so desperate to alienate a large section of our support. They don't have to try and impose seating throughout the North, they choose to. Why? It just creates endless problems and stifles the atmosphere which in turn affects the team.

Time for some sort of protest i reckon.

 

[portlock seagull]

I think they'll be a few bans tomorrow too. But ultimately, the club will always win. Not enough people who want to risk a dust up with authority. And the club know this. People are all mouth and no trousers - NSC in a nutshell - and there's plenty of fans waiting in the wings to take your seat. This is rural sussex - we do our protesting by letter not punching someone in the face like in Italy etc! (thank god). So however angry you feel, just accept the fact or don't go. Because they'll only be one loser in this, as ever, which is the fans. When are people going to realise that fans are so far down the pecking order as to warrant barely a mention? And even if they were, there's just not enough people willing to risk confrontation (verbal = ban; physical = ban and a criminal record so where the sense in that?). You'll quickly be on your own mark my words, bar a few supporting vocals, before being humiliatingly lead out of the stadium by a steward or several. Everyone else will then fall into line having witnessed your exit and that'll be the end of it. So just don't be THE martyr, it's not worth it. Better off moving to another part of the ground next season where there's less survelliance because the club, as Bozza's said, have the North stand rebels in it's sights. I agree entirely with him after witnessing the Bristol game ejections.

 

[supaseagull]

.Standing is not allowed - end of.

Please can you tell me where it says that?

 

[Ernest]

Maybe the club have been warned so they have someone on their backs ? Maybe the club are pissed off with the people who want the seats of a new £100million ground ripped up to suit their agenda so are cracking down on them now ?

 

[c0lz]

Surprised with so many for standing up that no one has challenged this in law court's as what i don't get how can you have two laws one for prem/champ and one for league one/two.

But agree with others be polite with stewards do not give them reason to throw you out.

 

[Steve.S]

cant wait for the life to be sucked out of the only stand which creates an atmosphere at the amex. standing with a row of seated people behind you, yes wrong. standing in a group of loud and passionate fans, at thier own risk, towards the back of the singing section. fine. stewards and the club need to get a grip and relaise stewards at other clubs, although not written on headed paper, turn a blind eye to things like this.

It's a shame that everyone in the East, West and south can not create an atmosphere, according to some of you who sit in the North. Just remember if you want to make any protest in the future, you may need the support of the other stands. So its not helpful to make out that only the north has an atmosphere

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Can I just ask, in a purely unscientific way, of the people posting on this thread how many actually have tickets for the North Stand?

 

[Dktr Faustus]

I will happily abide by the rules and remain seated for the majority of the game assuming that no-one directly in front of me stands up. If they do then I shall stand up too - I've not shelled out for season tickets for me and my two boys just so we can stare at arses of the blokes in front of us all afternoon. The stewards have to understand this, and if sitting down is to be enforces, they need to start at the front!

 

[ditchy]

Excatly, hence my point that standing IS allowed, and all those who say it isn't are wrong. And this situation isn't going to improve/change until the regulations are evenly enforced or the authorities recognise and accept the de facto situation (i.e. by introducing safe standing)

Standing isnt allowed .. what is excepted and is UNWRITTEN is that it is almost impossible to enforce. . You can't exactly eject a whole area of people for standing if that area becomes united in their approach and do not budge. What happens is that stewards will try and enforce and perhaps eject the odd one hoping that the rest will obey. At the end of the day the stewrds can't be arsed to get the aggrevation (they don't get paid enough) so let standing take place ,apart from those career mined stewrds who want to enforce .

 

[storer]

until there is a sign, clear to me, stating i can not stand at anytime in the seated area, i will continue to stand when i feel im doing no harm and not affecting any other supporters views of the match. can some tell me the problem with that? when i want to sit, i shall sit, when i want to stand, i will stand. if i turn up at a game, and i have a child behind me seated, i will sit, it would be annoying, but i would as i remember the days wen it was roles reversed.

 

[Steve.S]

Surprised with so many for standing up that no one has challenged this in law court's as what i don't get how can you have two laws one for prem/champ and one for league one/two.

But agree with others be polite with stewards do not give them reason to throw you out.

I think a lot of it is to do with health and safety, and the fact that they can withdraw the certificate if clubs fail to adhere to it. I may be corrected on this, I am not expert on it.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Can I just ask, in a purely unscientific way, of the people posting on this thread how many actually have tickets for the North Stand?

I don't, but if the game is crap, and being in the Family Stand, the North Stand goings on always offer a bit of additional entertainment!

 

[Jack Daniels]

Why do people think they have a right to stand anyway?

I personally would prefer to stand. But you have to go with the attitude you may be asked to sit. I feel our club is under more pressure as it is a new ground. Than say Leeds or west ham where they are going to struggle to change what has been happening for years.

What I don't get is people putting their "right" to stand above their enjoyment if the game. Spending the whole match arguing the toss is just ridiculous. The rules and laws are against you.

The club may have indicated that they would be tolerant to a couple of rows standing at the back. Until 2500 people wanted to join in and the line was crossed. An indication should not be taken as a promise as they would never have committed to this.

If everybody tows the line for a bit the rules MAY be relaxed once again for a few. But is it not clear to everybody that the whole north stand will never be allowed to stand for the whole match.

I can't stand this one eyed view of batting it back about the atmosphere. Learn to work round it. Give the club an ultimatum and they would chose everybody sits down. As they have no real choice.

It really is not rocket science.

That's what I think.

 

[supaseagull]

the law as it stands prohibits standing at football grounds at our level. Rail against the law and try to change it if you will but you cannot argue with the club for adhering to the laws of the land.

NO IT DOESN'T!!!!!

The Taylor report states that Clubs in the Championship must provide all-seated stadia within 3 years of promotion.

There is NO criminal law banning individuals from standing within a stadium. The Taylor Report states that clubs in the top two divisions in England must provide seats, not that the supporters must sit in them...

Even the Department of Culture, Media & Sport acknowledge that..."At no point has it
been argued that the individual spectator commits a criminal offence by standing in a seated
area"

The law is that supporters should not persistently stand in an all seater stadium whilst "play is in progress".

More details can be found at the link below

http://www.fsf.org.uk/assets/Uploads/Legalities-of-standing.pdf

 

[Wozza]

Several users need to re-read Bozza's post, and take his advice IMO.

Alternatively we should set up a North Stand eviction sweepstake before 3pm tomorrow.

 

[c0lz]

I think a lot of it is to do with health and safety, and the fact that they can withdraw the certificate if clubs fail to adhere to it. I may be corrected on this, I am not expert on it.

But say if a premiership team gets demoted in two seasons to diversion one how has that changed ? .

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

I think a lot of it is to do with health and safety, and the fact that they can withdraw the certificate if clubs fail to adhere to it. I may be corrected on this, I am not expert on it.

AFAIK they haven't withdrawn a safety certificate from a Premier League or Championship club , what has happened is away fans allocations have been cut for persistent standing at some clubs.