Stewarding in the North Stand

[seagull33]

I dont normally post all that regular on here but am a regular visitor to the site .

Anyway I just wondered what others thoughts were on the stewarding in the north stand last nite ??

I got to the ground rather too early yesterday as i was taking a friend who hadnt been before so wanted to show him round and had a pre match pint in dicks bar etc... bring him into the whole matchday experience. (sorry i am gettin to the point)

So into the North we go and I take him up to our seats to show him where we sit before we hit the pie and pint kiosk. Bumped into one of the stewards and got chatting about things in general (costs of stewarding and standing etc etc)
He then replied with "well the stewards look at the north stand as the hooligan stand and the club are going to start clamping down on the constant standing in the North Stand apart from the back 4 rows which was the original agreement. He then went on to say that some fans arent gonna like it but we are gonna be all over them to sit down everytime they are standing forward of the back 4 rows . I sit in Block A about half way up and the stewards in my opinion were at their worst ever last nite. In the second half when the ball comes into the box everyone stands and always has done and within seconds of the ball being clear the stewards were all over us like a rash , sit down sit down there is nothing happening now.

I know I sit in an all seater stadium and certainly have no problem sitting down so people behind can see but please please ask the guys at the front to sit down first , i am not gonna sit if 5 rows in front of me are still standing am i ??

Wether its always been this bad and I havent started to notice until now then my bad but I feel and the guys around me agree the stewarding seems to be getting worse ..... and i certainly havent heard anyone around me complaining they cant see..... My mate who I took last night commented that a couple of the stewards just walk round looking for a ruck and wont be satisifed until they have thrown someone out and that came from someone who has never been to the Amex before ....

Now please dont slate me for standing where i shouldnt, I only stand because the guys in front of me stand and i always stand for a corner , penalty, free kick and attacking as does everyone else ..... just asking if its just me or is this getting worse ??

 

[Superphil]

Maybe the club has had complaints from those who are being forced to stand to see the game? Also, it could be that league officials have had something to say on the matter, with threats to the club if they don't crack down on persistant standing. Just a thought BTW, trying to see it from another perspective.

 

[TheJasperCo]

There were a few people where I was, in the WSL, taking the mick out of the stewards who kept trying to get the North Stand to sit down. Wasn't long before the old "we'll sit where we want" chant started up.

 

[Ian Bairds Fist]

If this is down to people in the North wanting to sit down may I suggest they move to one of the other 20-odd thousand seats in the stadium!? The North was always going to be the one to create an atmoshpere and if they're all made to sit down the Amex is quickly going to turn into a library.

 

[k2bluesky]

Yes the stewards were totally over the top but the 'rebellion' created a great atmosphere as more people stood up to sing in response, either the club wants a loud support behind the goal or everyone sitting, there are unklikely to get both as sitting supporters sing far less (listen to the rest of the ground). The atmosphere was great last night even with our lowest league gate as well, the game was great too.
Behind the goals most people bought a ticket so they could enjoy a good atmosphere and singing/standing, just as everyone does at away games, thankfully the stewards eased off when the 'we're the north stand we'll sit when we want chant' was seen to be true and long may it continue.

 

[Return of the Rev]

The things people post just to get to 50

 

[Bozza]

I know [MENTION=1232]Half Man Half Biscuit[/MENTION] has some views on this from last night too.

 

[kano]

we sit close enough to the back not to be hassled by them but we noticed the stewards being overly precious last night as well.

 

[seagull33]

The things people post just to get to 50

Sorry I dont post on here very often Rev .......

I generally keep my thoughts to myself but felt after last night i just wanted to know what the general thoughts were of others in the stand .

Shame you felt the need to have a pop at me rather than answering the thread ..... never mind

Sorry if I have offended you for not having many posts but like i said at the start of my thread I am a regular visitor not a regular poster .

PS: I'm not looking for an argument just disappointed by your pop at me ........

back on subject now ..... Peace xx

 

[Pinkie Brown]

I noticed that too. I'm several rows from the front, but as soon as we were on our feet, some steward was beckoning everyone to sit. If somebody is consistently standing near the front, fine, but last night was bullshit. How can the club only enforce sitting from the last four rows forward too? Sounds a grey area especially if somebody gets banned for standing? If its illegal to stand in the front row, its illegal to stand in the back row.......

As for that stewards attitude mentioned by the OP re "The Holigans stand": Sadly typical attitude of some of them. *Some* are no more than jumped upped losers who were probably bullied at school. Being a steward gives them a bit of power to tell people what to do.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Not about stewarding - but I thought that the general atmosphere in the ground last night, helped by a bit more variation in the North Stand chants (other than the crap "stand up if you hate P.............") was about the best ever. The place was buzzing. Shame that the crowd figure was about the lowest for a league game.

 

[Bozza]

It seems clear there was a change in approach last night.

I just hope the club come out and make an effort to explain the situation because games at the Amex are a complete joy and the last thing we need is a degradation of the fan/steward relationship to the level experienced at Withdean.

 

[Half Man Half Biscuit]

There was definitely a shift in the mentality of the stewarding last night. It's been as good as gold all season, but yesterday they decided to try and make everybody sit down - at least in my block (A), anyway - with inevitably hilarious consequences.

When fans, not unreasonably, questioned why this was the case 'all of a sudden', the reply came back "from now on everybody is going to sit down".

After a couple of exchanges on Twitter I've been led to believe this is due to the Amex extension and all part of getting the license for the extra seats. Whether that's true or not remains to be seen.

I guess we need the club to clear this up BEFORE the season ticket renewals are processed. Not that anyone won't renew because of this, but I for one got my season ticket towards the back of the north stand specifically because I want to stand during games and I was told that I would be allowed to do that in the back few rows there.

If we're now told to sit down every game for ninety minutes - as happened last night - then the club can enjoy the silence of Withers once again. We don't want that now, do we?

 

[catfish]

It started at the Pompey game and continued last night. I sit 5 rows from the back and was asked to sit down for the first time ever. I just indicated the people standing in front of me & ignored him so he gave up.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Strange, seeing as the stewards in the right-hand side of the North – and nearest the control room – were as friendly and as accepting as usual. We chose to buy our season tickets on the back row because we feared that the stewarding at the Amex would be Withdean-esque, but so far it's been brilliant on the right side.

 

[Bozza]

Strange, seeing as the stewards in the right-hand side of the North – and nearest the control room – were as friendly and as accepting as usual. We chose to buy our season tickets on the back row because we feared that the stewarding at the Amex would be Withdean-esque, but so far it's been brilliant on the right side.

Wouldn't that also be block/aisle A where [MENTION=1232]Half Man Half Biscuit[/MENTION] had problems?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I barely noticed the stewards in the North Stand Block D last night, same as usual. It's like when you get a good referee, you just sort of forget they are there. They are certainly far far better than some of the belligerent ones that used to police H Block.

 

[Gazwag]

Wouldn't that also be block/aisle A where [MENTION=1232]Half Man Half Biscuit[/MENTION] had problems?

I'm N1A Row S he is R and for the whole season to date Row Q backwards has been standing. For the first few games the stewards had a few "can you sit downs" but Liverpool, Leeds and Palace the whole NS stood for the whole game. After that, as I said Row Q backwards have stood.

I have heard nobody moan or complain so I cannot see that is the cause and anyway people wouldn't wait until March to complain would they.

Somebody else posted last night that there was a "big wig" in attendance which may or may not be the case.

The steward who did stand up in the aisle for the last fifteen minutes or so was however reasonable and was joining in with the chants and songs at times.

First half they tall grey hair steward was having a right go and almost started proceeding to throw one fan in front of me out, but relented. Then for the last half hour of the first half they all disappeared and it went back to normal and then came back in the second half.

It appeared that two were asked to leave on the other side of the aisle about five rows down from me in the last five minutes of the game.

It was interesting that they did seem to accept sitting/leaning on your seat whilst it was still in the upright position

 

[Tory Boy]

I think the stewards were just going through the motions.

Saw them asking loads of fans to sit down, but were ignored 90% of the time.

Can't see them repeating it that often.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Wouldn't that also be block/aisle A where [MENTION=1232]Half Man Half Biscuit[/MENTION] had problems?

You know what, I haven't got the foggiest what block I'm in. But Half Man Half Biscuit is 10 or so rows down from me, so you must be right. I don't recall any steward problems last night down our side. The "We'll sit where we like" song originated from the left side of the North.