Sit down, shut up.

[strings]

Wolves have been given a 'final warning' to stop their fans standing, otherwise Molineux will have an enforced stadium capacity restriction. Not good for the locals, especially considering one of the stands is being pulled down in the summer, reducinng the capacity even further.

Wolves have been writing to fans, giving out flyers at the gates and pleading to fans over the tannoy to sit down for at least 3 years.

I know the subject of standing is always contentious, so thought I would post. Is this restriction too harsh?

Wolves’ standing fans handed a final warning | Express and Star

 

[Giraffe]

The critical point is it is down to the local authority. Different authorities have different interpretations.

A reduction in the Molineux capacity enforced by Wolverhampton City Council is “inevitable” if fans continue to stand up during games, Wolves warned today.

The council will force the club to reduce the 5,345-capacity Jack Harris Stand by at least 500 seats if fans refuse a “last chance” offer to prove they can stay seated at matches.

Council officers have written to the club asking it to draw up a strategy for withdrawing seats from use, claiming the problem has not been resolved despite repeated requests.

Wolves chief executive Jez Moxey said: “This is going to be a huge problem for those fans affected but no-one is going to be able to say: ‘It’s not fair, you didn’t tell us.’ Many clubs have forced reductions — now it is about to come to the Jack Harris Stand unless something is done quickly.

“It’s now up to the fans themselves to decide, there’s nothing more we can do. This is the last chance. Persistent standing has to stop from this point onwards. We aren’t going to be able to change Government policy or that of the football licensing authority on the issue of safe standing.

“It’s not that we don’t want to fight and we will continue to make strong recommendations to the Safety Advisory Group. But Wolves won’t be able to stop reductions in capacity if they are imposed. The precedent has been set elsewhere.”

A capacity cut would be on top of the reduction resulting from redevelopment of the Stan Cullis Stand, scheduled to begin at the end of the season. Aisle seat restrictions are already in place in Molineux’s away fans section to tackle the problem, meaning Wolves cannot reach the ground’s current official capacity of 29,195.

The club wrote to fans in August warning that persistent standing must stop.
as well as running a poster campaign and warning crowds with a series of PA announcements during games.

Several fans have been ejected from the stadium for persistent standing in recent months and the club has attempted to raise awareness of possible sanctions using Facebook and Twitter campaigns.

But some fans feel standing up is crucial to creating an intimidating atmosphere for visiting sides. Several national campaigns calling for ‘safe standing’ sections at the country’s football grounds have gathered backing from tens of thousands of supporters.

Steve Bishop, secretary of fans group Cannock Wolves who has a season ticket in the Billy Wright Stand, said: “You have to wonder why the council doesn’t have more important things to look at.

“The stewards are doing what they can to stop the problem and that should be enough. I don’t think it’s as big a problem as they say.”



Read more: http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2011/03/01/wolves-standing-fans-handed-a-final-warning/#ixzz1FMGFazpy

 

[Easy 10]

Absolutely PATHETIC nanny-state jobsworthness from Wolverhampton Council. Why don't they feck off and concentrate on doing what they're PAID to do by their residents, ie maintain local services and collect the bins, instead of sticking their unwanted overly-officious beaks into Molineux.

How many people have DIED so far from standing up in a seated area eh ? EH ?

You can absolutely guarantee that at the head of that council, there's some DeVecchi-type football-despising CACKBADGER who makes it his or her mission in life to make every football fans life a bloody misery.

 

[beorhthelm]

once you have all seater stadia, with an allocated space to each person, the safety issues that brought them about are addressed. enforcing the use of those seats is just pedantic and doesnt achieve anything.

 

[RM-Taylor]

Been there twice (once with Albion, once with Preston), stood twice for 90 minutes

 

[Brovion]

This could be good news as it may help bring the matter to a head. Currently we've got a situation that satisfies nobody: the premiership grounds are supposed to be all-seater but a significant proportion of fans ignore the rules and they're not enforced. The clubs have by and large turned a blind eye to it knowing that they'd have a serious public order issue if they attempted to enforce the rules. They've had a laissez-faire attitude as they've had the money from the punters whether they've stood up or sat down, and as there's been no penalties they've been happy to let the situation continue - which is one of the reasons clubs have been unwilling to push for safe-standing areas (so a chap from the FLA told me).

Now the status quo appears to be threatened and the clubs could be hit where it hurts - in the pocket. So will Wolves enforce the rules? Or will they throw their weight behind the safe-standing campaign?

 

[FlownWest]

I hope you're right Brovion... I just wish the clubs and authorities would use some common sense, but until it becomes more of a problem or more important stakeholders support the campaign they just aren't interested.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

So will Wolves enforce the rules? Or will they throw their weight behind the safe-standing campaign?

They could of course do both - they aren't mutually exclusive.

 

[Brovion]

They could of course do both - they aren't mutually exclusive.

Well they are to an extent. If they can successfully enforce the all-seater rule then they don't need to support the safe-standing lobby. Wolves will then be cited as a benchmark for other clubs on how to deal with the 'problem' of standing and we'll end up where Taylor wanted us to be.

 

[Danny-Boy]

This could be good news as it may help bring the matter to a head. Currently we've got a situation that satisfies nobody: the premiership grounds are supposed to be all-seater but a significant proportion of fans ignore the rules and they're not enforced. The clubs have by and large turned a blind eye to it knowing that they'd have a serious public order issue if they attempted to enforce the rules. They've had a laissez-faire attitude as they've had the money from the punters whether they've stood up or sat down, and as there's been no penalties they've been happy to let the situation continue - which is one of the reasons clubs have been unwilling to push for safe-standing areas (so a chap from the FLA told me).

Now the status quo appears to be threatened and the clubs could be hit where it hurts - in the pocket. So will Wolves enforce the rules? Or will they throw their weight behind the safe-standing campaign?

So..what do you propose at Falmer then? Tip-up seats?

 

[Westdene Wonder]

It is ridiculous that it is necessary for the council to take action against fans who insist on buying a seat then standing and blocking the view of other fans.
Clubs need to to warn those who have no regard for other supporters, then cancel their season tickets, this would save the council becoming involved and would solve the problem, quicker.

 

[Brovion]

It is ridiculous that it is necessary for the council to take action against fans who insist on buying a seat then standing and blocking the view of other fans.
Clubs need to to warn those who have no regard for other supporters, then cancel their season tickets, this would save the council becoming involved and would solve the problem, quicker.

Ah, that's where you and I disagree as I have the opposite view. I think all the boring twats who insist on sitting down for the whole game should be forcibly ejected and told to go and watch something like tennis. Be nice if football grounds catered for both types of supporter eh?

 

[Gangsta]

Ah, that's where you and I disagree as I have the opposite view. I think all the boring twats who insist on sitting down for the whole game should be forcibly ejected and told to go and watch something like tennis. Be nice if football grounds catered for both types of supporter eh?

And therein lies the problem, as a mixed stand will always mean some people getting in the way of others. Still don't accept that standing killed anyone, badly policed/stewarded grounds did.

 

[beorhthelm]

and the problem could easily be sorted by the law being changed to allow people to stand in there alloacted spot. then the grounds could segregated seated and non-seated blocks. dont have to go back to terraces, this neat middle ground would suffice.

 

[del strangefish]

This has got me wondering...How tall is the bloke in front of my seat at falmer gonna be...?

 

[Westdene Wonder]

Having purchased a seat it is not unusal to want to sit on it and of course there are plenty of people who are unable to stand for any time also short adults and children will have chunks of the action blanked out due to those who have no thought for others, I know several youngsters who have stopped going to Withdean for this very reason.
A thought do these inconsiderate types stand up when they go to the cinema/theatre

 

[FlownWest]

That's precisely the problem, clubs should be able to accommodate both types of fans rather than having them create a nuisense for each other.

It's not a case of who's in the wrong -there's nothing wrong in principle with fans wanting to stand, it just shouldn't conflict with kids/families/the elderly who want or need to sit.

 

[mistahclarke]

Villa fans on the telly are standing. On Camera! they should identify them and ban them all for life

seriously though, should be one rule for all.

 

[seagullsoverlincoln]

I prefer to stand,but respect the views of those who would rather sit. What bloody annoys me is the double standards at many stadiums whereby the stewards enforce seating in the away end ,whilst those standing
in the home ends are ignored. Molyneaux is a prime example. On our last visit,the away end stewarding was heavy handed to say the least,whereas no action was taken at all in the home ends

 

[Hyperion]

Shut up.....