MOUTH - The latest

[Hiney]

I would be extremely pissed off if they decided to adopt the mantle of 'voice of the fans' and started making annoucements and demands of the club and saying they were doing it in 'our name'.

And therein lies the whole problem. The more 'groups' and 'clubs' you have, the more fragmented everything becomes and it gets more and more difficult to present a 'united front' to the club.

The 'official' Supporters Club does a fantastic job but they absolutely would not regard themselves as the 'voice of the fans' for precisely the above reaons.

 

[Easy 10]

If its the same stewards causing the same problems to the same sections of the crowd, then video it. Some people in those areas of the ground must have phones with video facilities. Then give the footage to the club.

That would draw some very interesting reactions from the stewards being videoed, I'd wager...

 

[Simster]

It seems to me that we don't need a new supporters club at all. Just some stewards who act consistently and fairly across the entire ground, not picking on easy targets and acting like little Hitlers.

 

[Uncle C]

Personally (and the recent bannings at Leicester bear this out) I think English football is becoming far too sanitised. Lots of people like that, but I think we should have one stand where people can create an atmosphere without hassle, and that both law and steward practise should reflect that.

Many years ago territories in football grounds were known and respected.
At the Goldstone you could stand on the East Terrance, sit in the South and West and go mad and jump about in the North.

Today with all seater stadium the diversity of supporters are mixed together and its a recipe for annoyance.

If I want to stand I'd like to choose to do so, but if I pay the extra to sit, I dont expect to have to stand up all the game to see over the miscreant in front.

 

[Lush]

This may appear a bit random, but is there some comparison with motorway speed limits? The 70mph limit is there for safety reasons, but almost everyone breaks it. This is very rarely a problem for anyone, everyone is still safe. And even if you consistently break the speed limit by going at 75 - 80 mph, you are unlikely to get done. However if you are acting like a total nob on the motorway, you can be pulled up for breaking a very clear rule - the 70mph speed limit.

Why don't the stewards - and, more importantly, the people who are stewarding the stewards (in the ground and nationally) - adopt this approach? Use the rule to remove people who are obviously a safety concern, rather than making an example of people who are breaking the rules, but not in a way that is any way unsafe, like the vast majority of people on the motorway.

 

[El Presidente]

That would draw some very interesting reactions from the stewards being videoed, I'd wager...

.......and even more interest from the Benefits Hotline

 

[Brovion]

Since the old days I have sensed a real change of attitude among Albion fans, and, when I come on NSC, that view seems to be reflected on here. I may be wrong, but I definitely get a majority feeling along the lines of 'we're getting a spanking new stadium, leave it up to them, the club knows best, Bloom's paying, he who pays the piper calls the tune, not our place to make a fuss, no individual fans (and especially 'superfans' or 'the inner circle') represent our views anyway, let the club get on with it, no need for a new supporters' group, they'd just become another clique'
If I'm wrong, I'm wrong (and I'm not on here enough to gauge NSC completely) but that's the feeling I get.

I think you're wrong in that there's just as much moaning and criticism of the club as there ever was. Certainly I don't get the feeling that people who post on here just passively accept everything as 'good' - as indeed this thread bears out. Yes there IS obviously a tremendous feeling of gratitiude towards Tony Bloom (as there damn well should be), but even there you get people saying he should be spending more: "Yeah, the stadium's all well and good, but what about a team to play there?" Leaving aside Bloom and the fact that Poyet's still in his honeymoon period the other old perennials (Ken Brown, stewarding, ticketing arrangments, prices, etc) are still discussed as vehemently as ever, and I don't think anyone has ever said "it's not our place to make a fuss".

Personally (and the recent bannings at Leicester bear this out) I think English football is becoming far too sanitised. Lots of people like that, but I think we should have one stand where people can create an atmosphere without hassle, and that both law and steward practise should reflect that.

Totally agree.

 

[Southwick_Seagull]

This may appear a bit random, but is there some comparison with motorway speed limits? The 70mph limit is there for safety reasons, but almost everyone breaks it. This is very rarely a problem for anyone, everyone is still safe. And even if you consistently break the speed limit by going at 75 - 80 mph, you are unlikely to get done. However if you are acting like a total nob on the motorway, you can be pulled up for breaking a very clear rule - the 70mph speed limit.

Why don't the stewards - and, more importantly, the people who are stewarding the stewards (in the ground and nationally) - adopt this approach? Use the rule to remove people who are obviously a safety concern, rather than making an example of people who are breaking the rules, but not in a way that is any way unsafe, like the vast majority of people on the motorway.

I think you should have the job. Great post. Common sense in action.

 

[Sheebo]

Interesting thread, to say the least.

As Bozzer and others have posted this whole issue has been simmering for a long time. I have no objection to the Stewards dealing with racist or other unacceptable behaviour in the ground (if indeed they do) but the blanket "sit down, shut up" attitude coupled with the Met Police-like "because I say so" justifications have succeeded in little more than driving an increasingly big wedge between many long standing supporters and the club. This has IMO obvious ramifications for Falmer. Do we want a Highbury Library style Falmer or a loud and proud one ?

Out of interest mate, do u remember maybe last season or the season before when that bloke in our block shouted the N word - everyone heard it - we were a little shocked - and no steward did f*** all about it? Yet they ban a bloke for swearing>?! Twats.

 

[El Presidente]

Season tickets are also going to be £100-£150 more expensive as well, apparently.

Do you have ANY evidence to support this, or is it just 'my mate's next door neighbour overheard it from a taxi driver' nonsense?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Do you have ANY evidence to support this, or is it just 'my mate's next door neighbour overheard it from a taxi driver' nonsense?

No I dont. It was a sarcastic response to the nonsense I quoted.

 

[mona]

Steve/Mouth is loud and a ranter. He is not much of a swearer. There are many of us, me included, who eff and blind more than him. Persistent swearing is not pleasant and the stewards are right to have a quiet word about this. But there is now a mentality at Withdean amongst the stewards that seems to be picking on anyone who makes a bit of noise or shouts at the ref.

As in so many other areas, common sense does not prevail.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Out of interest mate, do u remember maybe last season or the season before when that bloke in our block shouted the N word - everyone heard it - we were a little shocked - and no steward did f*** all about it? Yet they ban a bloke for swearing>?! Twats.

I reported someone a few years back for shouting racist comments. I was advised to make a formal complaint to the club identifying the person...which I did. The club then observed this individual for a number of games and dealt with them.

For those who know me, and know where I sit, I was over in the disabled section on this occasion. Thought I'd nip any 'who was it' gossiping in the bud before it starts.

 

[El Presidente]

I reported someone a few years back for shouting racist comments. I was advised to make a formal complaint to the club identifying the person...which I did. The club then observed this individual for a number of games and dealt with them.

For those who know me, and know where I sit, I was over in the disabled section on this occasion. Thought I'd nip any 'who was it' gossiping in the bud before it starts.

You did all you could, as did the club.

 

[Sheebo]

I reported someone a few years back for shouting racist comments. I was advised to make a formal complaint to the club identifying the person...which I did. The club then observed this individual for a number of games and dealt with them.

For those who know me, and know where I sit, I was over in the disabled section on this occasion. Thought I'd nip any 'who was it' gossiping in the bud before it starts.

I don't think the guy meant to do it if you get what I mean - it was during a rant. There was another bloke who said something border line once 'you black so and so' I think it was. As pointed out re homo chanting - it is meant to be the same as racist - but let's face it - it never will be!

I'd love to see the reaction, for example, if Leicester fans sang town full of faggots to us and Brighton replied with town full of 'pakis' - I know which one would get the most attention from stewards / police!

 

[Publius Ovidius]

I was "tipped off" once by one of the stewards, seemly I was being watched as I constantly used to stand up to get a few chants going ( just along from Krispies ) Now unless there was someone standing in front of me , I used to sit down normally after a minute or two, BUT seemly the Grey haired Senior Supervisor Steward was not happy that I was "inciting " the crowd.

I actually spoke to Richard H about this and he was sympathetic but suggested I tried to do it sitting down ( ooh err missus).

I just think that football as we all knew it has gone and this is a very manipulated game. You can only sit in certain areas, you cant stand, you cant drink in the ground , you cant smoke, you cant try and generate an atmosphere...if you are a 1901 member you cant sit in your seat with an Albion shirt on....you cant swear, you cant this, you cant that....you cant take photos.....

 

[Dandyman]

Out of interest mate, do u remember maybe last season or the season before when that bloke in our block shouted the N word - everyone heard it - we were a little shocked - and no steward did f*** all about it? Yet they ban a bloke for swearing>?! Twats.

Well made point, Sheebo.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

This may appear a bit random, but is there some comparison with motorway speed limits? The 70mph limit is there for safety reasons, but almost everyone breaks it. This is very rarely a problem for anyone, everyone is still safe. And even if you consistently break the speed limit by going at 75 - 80 mph, you are unlikely to get done. However if you are acting like a total nob on the motorway, you can be pulled up for breaking a very clear rule - the 70mph speed limit.

Why don't the stewards - and, more importantly, the people who are stewarding the stewards (in the ground and nationally) - adopt this approach? Use the rule to remove people who are obviously a safety concern, rather than making an example of people who are breaking the rules, but not in a way that is any way unsafe, like the vast majority of people on the motorway.

The problem is that stewards increasingly seem to be trained / instructed to perform like speed cameras, rather than genuine safety officers - they can tell when someone is standing up or shouting, but they have few skills at discerning what is actually dangerous or causing a real public nuisance.

This CAN be changed - but it needs those in charge at the top to reshape the approach they are taking to stewarding. At the very least, this thread demonstrates that a significant number of people who are not any sort of 'disruptive element' are suggesting that a change in approach is both needed and wanted.

 

[Deleted User X18H]

I...if you are a 1901 member you cant sit in your seat with an Albion shirt on....you cant swear, you cant this, you cant that....you cant take photos.....

What rubbish!

 

[Publius Ovidius]

What rubbish!

oh the irony