[Brighton] Sussex Police

[WATFORD zero]

I think this is the sensible option. Keep them inside whilst we try and clear the coach park and p&r queues. Have their train ready for 30 minutes after the game. Keeping fans in under these circumstances is fairly standard. We've been kept in for much longer at their place.

I don't think you have to clear the p&r queues, I was stood in the Mill Road queue with palace fans last night. You just have to escort the black clad kids to the station, make sure they are safe and have had a little shout from behind a line of burly police and put them on the train. All the grown ups can behave as per normal

 

[drew]

I think this is the sensible option. Keep them inside whilst we try and clear the coach park and p&r queues. Have their train ready for 30 minutes after the game. Keeping fans in under these circumstances is fairly standard. We've been kept in for much longer at their place.

The problem with that is that there would still be our fans queueing at the station for trains to btn 30 minutes after the game so it would have to be longer.

 

[Carlos BC]

I'll tell you what would probably happen based on a happening last night.

Stood at the top of the steps for Mill Road P&R and along walk about half a dozen Palace screaming at people queuing that Lewis Dunk is a sex offender. Not one person responded which somewhat upset the Palace ****s. So then we all became "w@nkers". They then went off to their hovels in Croydon while we all got on a warm bus and home in time for hot chocolate and brandy.

Yes, we managed to ease our way through the crush from the North Stand and to the coach park and saw this. Very rude of them I thought.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Whatever else happened, what they did by the East Stand was shameful. I have never seen that behaviour towards away fans, let alone completely peaceful home fans. I genuinely thought there must be a fire, bomb threat or mass riot. It was like watching riot police - marching forwards, screeching at people to get back. There were kids and older people who looked terrified. Even a veteran of old school away games like myself was a bit perplexed. I went back to the catering van area, hung around for a few minutes, watched a few kids petting the police horses, wandered back round the East to see what was happening and found it clear and just had to walk past the goons screeching about sex offenders from behind a police horse so I could get to the coach. It seems like a massive overreaction to whatever it was that made them feel like they needed to act like Robocop.

That's exactly the sort of policing that causes problems by aggravating people, leading to a self fulfilling prophesy. But you've got to justify the overtime, horses and big sticks somehow.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Sounds totally reasonable to me

I agree if that's what they did but they didn't.

They instructed everyone to go one way and then panicked, came in heavy handed and screamed and acted like thugs pushing everyone to go the opposite way. Once back to the other side they again got aggressive and started pushing us giving out completely contradictory information, ending up with us being looked in the south stand.

The stewards were just shaking their heads at the incompetence of the thugs in uniform.

Disgusting especially by the utter prick who thought it was ok to assault me.

I will be making a formal complaint to the police.

 

[Hotchilidog]

The problem with that is that there would still be our fans queueing at the station for trains to btn 30 minutes after the game so it would have to be longer.

You are right. Lock them in for an hour.

 

[Monkey Man]

Barbers response, standard bollocxs

Dear David

Thank you for your opinions.

Unfortunately, when it is necessary to segregate the movement of almost 30,000 leaving a football stadium at the same time, this will inevitably lead to some delays. Therefore it is necessary for everyone to remain calm and patient. The vast majority of people were exactly that last night. Thankfully, for every other visiting team external segregation is not necessary.

All movements of people before and after matches at the Amex are closely monitored and managed by very experienced police officers and stadium operations staff via CCTV in the stadium’s control room. They are in constant touch with staff on the ground who will always do their best to ensure that any delays are minimised so that fans can leave as safely and as quickly as possible.

Regards, Paul


Paul Barber​
Chief Executive and Deputy Chairman⁹

I have no problem with a delay leaving the ground and I understand the reasons why that's a possibility.

But there was absolutely no justification for the crush outside the East and North stands last night, which could easily have spilled over into panic and injuries.

Or for the fact that police and stewards seem to have absolutely no control of the situation, despite the drone which should have made it very clear what was happening. Instructions (such as they were) were contradictory and there was widespread confusion about what was expected of us.

Not to be melodramatic here but if someone had had a heart attack or been trampled, there could easily have been a manslaughter situation here.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I think this is the sensible option. Keep them inside whilst we try and clear the coach park and p&r queues. Have their train ready for 30 minutes after the game. Keeping fans in under these circumstances is fairly standard. We've been kept in for much longer at their place.

I remember going up to shitehole park somewhere between 76 and 81 (all a long time ago) and we were kept inside for ages. Away at Orient a couple of times we were kept in for at least 20 minutes. It isn't rocket science.

Reading the accounts I'm so glad I gave this game a swerve.

And I find all this 'my mate told me this was all due to Barber' completely laughable. I'm surprised some fool hasn't tried to blame Johnson or Corbyn This was a police operation. Nobody tells the police how to run an operation.

Apart from Johnson, of course

 

[Deleted member 37369]

If they keep the palace fans in why can’t they just police the away end and just left people exit normally for 15min then it is pretty much clear anyway

I said the same thing - I don't get it?!

 

[Hazwaz]

I think they opened the wrong gate in the North,as a lot of North stand fans use the station,if they had opened the gate at the bottom of the stairs 30-40% of people would have been able to go straight to the station,But they opened the other gate into the already congested area.

 

[faoileán]

Whatever else happened, what they did by the East Stand was shameful. I have never seen that behaviour towards away fans, let alone completely peaceful home fans. I genuinely thought there must be a fire, bomb threat or mass riot. It was like watching riot police - marching forwards, screeching at people to get back. There were kids and older people who looked terrified. Even a veteran of old school away games like myself was a bit perplexed. I went back to the catering van area, hung around for a few minutes, watched a few kids petting the police horses, wandered back round the East to see what was happening and found it clear and just had to walk past the goons screeching about sex offenders from behind a police horse so I could get to the coach. It seems like a massive overreaction to whatever it was that made them feel like they needed to act like Robocop.

Uncoordinated and confused policing makes it easy to understand how Hillsborough happened...

 

[LamieRobertson]

You are right. Lock them in for an hour.

I’m thinking two

 

[Bozza]

I think they opened the wrong gate in the North,as a lot of North stand fans use the station,if they had opened the gate at the bottom of the stairs 30-40% of people would have been able to go straight to the station,But they opened the other gate into the already congested area.

Opening a gate to allow a load of people to enter an area already completely full with a load of people.

I think there's a precedent for how that sort of thing can play out.

 

[Monkey Man]

Opening a gate to allow a load of people to enter an area already completely full with a load of people.

I think there's a precedent for how that sort of thing can play out.

There was a brief chilling moment when I thought exactly that, seeing the hordes trying to funnel out of the North concourse into a space where some people were already treading on each other.

 

[Icy Gull]

I agree if that's what they did but they didn't.

They instructed everyone to go one way and then panicked, came in heavy handed and screamed and acted like thugs pushing everyone to go the opposite way. Once back to the other side they again got aggressive and started pushing us giving out completely contradictory information, ending up with us being looked in the south stand.
A
The stewards were just shaking their heads at the incompetence of the thugs in uniform.

Disgusting especially by the utter prick who thought it was ok to assault me.

I will be making a formal complaint to the police.

Fair enough, but it’s hardly Barber’s fault is it?

Sounds like it was very unpleasant for some last night, sadly it’s always the same when Palace come here

 

[maltaseagull]

Left on the whistle, strutted down the ramp and got on the 2220 or whatever it was to Brighton.

One lone Nigel giving it large soon sorted by a few fans and then the old bill, back at home for a coffee and hot cross bun.

Already?

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Was told by a mate who is ex met who is in touch with colleagues that there were police from about four different forces brought in tonight . Lots of lovely overtime.

Pretty standard. Waiting outside the Arthur Waite after the 5-0 a copper told me he and his colleagues were drafted in from all over the place. You can’t use up all local police resources just because there is a one off event being held.

 

[faoileán]

The key thing Barber should do is not allow this to be a night time fixture again. When you have an out-of-town stadium people are rushing to get transport to avoid getting home at 2am which adds to the general chaos. To make things worse the circulation "plan" around the stadium was completely ridiculous and put people in danger, exacerbated by Police who didn't understand the plan and weren't local so didn't know where they were pushing people to.

 

[LamieRobertson]

I agree if that's what they did but they didn't.

They instructed everyone to go one way and then panicked, came in heavy handed and screamed and acted like thugs pushing everyone to go the opposite way. Once back to the other side they again got aggressive and started pushing us giving out completely contradictory information, ending up with us being looked in the south stand.

The stewards were just shaking their heads at the incompetence of the thugs in uniform.

Disgusting especially by the utter prick who thought it was ok to assault me.

I will be making a formal complaint to the police.

From what I saw that reply from PB is so wide of the mark ..there was definitely an unnecessarily aggressive stance by some police against people who just wanted to get home …and then I saw people who tried to point out what was going on given short shrift. The stewards I spoke to by the East stand seemed unaware of those in the West being sent around the stadium, thinking the 25 minutes that Palace fans were supposed to be held back for meant this wasn’t necessary

 

[zefarelly]

If they keep the palace fans in why can’t they just police the away end and just left people exit normally for 15min then it is pretty much clear anyway

That wouldn't justify 2000 incompetent coppers 'working' and claiming a days overtime @ double time at the clubs expense would it . . . . . Plod cause more problems than they prevent, always have and always will. Aided and abetted by numpties at the club.