What a horrible set of stewards we have at the club, doing their best to put people off coming to see the team. Odious officious [censored].
Took the grandson (aged 12) to the match (East Stand), and he asked if it was okay to go in the Warwick with his mates for the second half as you could walk through the smokers area at half time.
Didn't think there would be any problem, not exactly a big crowd, so said yes, and off he toddled at half time. Actually took me back to bygone days when we used to go in the boys pen as kids, trying to get into the big boys end without the miserable steward with his walking stick spotting you.
Texted him to make sure all was okay, and he confirmed.
Five minutes later the parent of one of his mates said she thought there was a problem. Our lad had a distinctive yellowy greenish tracksuit top on, so could quickly see a steward was pushing them around trying to decide which end to scop them out the East Stand end or the Paddock.
Hot footed it to the gates by the East Stand, and could see a number of stewards trooping out, so walked across to them when I could see the kids being led out, one of them in tears.
Amazingly, they were being scopped out because they were not accompanied, and it was a couple of quid more for an over-14 ticket, where you do not need to be accompanied.
When I pointed out to the stewards that I was accompanying him and they should be encouraging people to the game not chucking them out, they denied they were chucking them out, even though they were outside the ground.
This is when it got really interesting - there were now 9 stewards attending to them/us, including 4 or 5 of the night club bouncer types. It's not as if they were dealing with Harry the Dog and F Troop, unless a 58 year old and 3 12 year olds are seen as an equivalent threat.
What really concerns me was what they were going to do with them if I had not seen what they were doing with them. If they deem them as too young to be there unaccompanied, how can they just put 12 year olds out of the ground and leave them to their own devices.
The club do their best to make it really hard for the supporters to enjoy a match day. Pay peanuts, get monkeys as usual.
Took the grandson (aged 12) to the match (East Stand), and he asked if it was okay to go in the Warwick with his mates for the second half as you could walk through the smokers area at half time.
Didn't think there would be any problem, not exactly a big crowd, so said yes, and off he toddled at half time. Actually took me back to bygone days when we used to go in the boys pen as kids, trying to get into the big boys end without the miserable steward with his walking stick spotting you.
Texted him to make sure all was okay, and he confirmed.
Five minutes later the parent of one of his mates said she thought there was a problem. Our lad had a distinctive yellowy greenish tracksuit top on, so could quickly see a steward was pushing them around trying to decide which end to scop them out the East Stand end or the Paddock.
Hot footed it to the gates by the East Stand, and could see a number of stewards trooping out, so walked across to them when I could see the kids being led out, one of them in tears.
Amazingly, they were being scopped out because they were not accompanied, and it was a couple of quid more for an over-14 ticket, where you do not need to be accompanied.
When I pointed out to the stewards that I was accompanying him and they should be encouraging people to the game not chucking them out, they denied they were chucking them out, even though they were outside the ground.
This is when it got really interesting - there were now 9 stewards attending to them/us, including 4 or 5 of the night club bouncer types. It's not as if they were dealing with Harry the Dog and F Troop, unless a 58 year old and 3 12 year olds are seen as an equivalent threat.
What really concerns me was what they were going to do with them if I had not seen what they were doing with them. If they deem them as too young to be there unaccompanied, how can they just put 12 year olds out of the ground and leave them to their own devices.
The club do their best to make it really hard for the supporters to enjoy a match day. Pay peanuts, get monkeys as usual.
CCU, so only 1 option then, and it's not 1 
If this board is not for people to moan about all issues CUFC, what is it for?
If this board is not for people to moan about all issues CUFC, what is it for?
Like I said originally CW.
Two options:
1: Contact Safety Officer to discuss.
2: Whinge on here and do nothing.
Two options:
1: Contact Safety Officer to discuss.
2: Whinge on here and do nothing.
All seems a bit of a storm in a teacup to me.
Club policy clearly states that children under 14 have to be accompanied by an adult, and to say they are accompanied when the responsible adult is in another part of the ground is pushing it a bit.
Without being there and witnessing what was said and done it is difficult to judge. Maybe the stewards could have handled the situation better but they have a job to do, and we saw last season that there can be issues with youngsters getting on the pitch etc. so they do have to be on their guard.
Some of the comments on here regarding the stewarding is really disrespectful and whilst Mullen 'has previous' he is correct in saying that if everyone is sensible and abides by the rules we generally do not notice they are there.
NB I don't think I have ever shown my ticket to more than one steward (it's usually none).
All fair points, but the stewards (on the instruction of whoever was at the other end of the walky talky) were only interested in what ticket they had.
The goon squad (and one in particular) just wanted to cause aggro, so chuff knows what their role was.
Ok, head over the parapet time.
Most of our stewards are genuine, nice people who are just doing a job. They represent authority and many of us don't like authority, but games cannot take place without them. Many have been doing the job for many years at least two I know are/have been teachers, not the knuckle-dragging neanderthals some like to portray them as.
Occasionally I am stopped and asked to show my ID card. Occasionally they will check with their manager to make sure I am where I am allowed to be. They are doing their job, good for them, it's never a problem to me. Most speak and if time permits have a brief chat and are very much a nice part of my match day experience. As with any walk of life, occasionally there can be a rogue one but most are just there doing their job and hope like us to enjoy their afternoon.
If they are nice people (and I concur, especially as you probaby know some of them and I don't but can only comment on what I saw), then surely it is whoever controls them (safety officer?) who is the problem.
And if the system works so well, why are the goon squad required?
The need for stewards is more a legal requirement than anything else. I'm sure the game go ahead without them.
99% of the crowd can manage fine.
Having stewards is a requirement if fans are allowed into the stadium. The game cannot go ahead without them.
About three at the away end would suffice though.
All seems a bit of a storm in a teacup to me.
Club policy clearly states that children under 14 have to be accompanied by an adult, and to say they are accompanied when the responsible adult is in another part of the ground is pushing it a bit.
Without being there and witnessing what was said and done it is difficult to judge. Maybe the stewards could have handled the situation better but they have a job to do, and we saw last season that there can be issues with youngsters getting on the pitch etc. so they do have to be on their guard.
Some of the comments on here regarding the stewarding is really disrespectful and whilst Mullen 'has previous' he is correct in saying that if everyone is sensible and abides by the rules we generally do not notice they are there.
NB I don't think I have ever shown my ticket to more than one steward (it's usually none).
Club policy clearly states that children under 14 have to be accompanied by an adult, and to say they are accompanied when the responsible adult is in another part of the ground is pushing it a bit.
Without being there and witnessing what was said and done it is difficult to judge. Maybe the stewards could have handled the situation better but they have a job to do, and we saw last season that there can be issues with youngsters getting on the pitch etc. so they do have to be on their guard.
Some of the comments on here regarding the stewarding is really disrespectful and whilst Mullen 'has previous' he is correct in saying that if everyone is sensible and abides by the rules we generally do not notice they are there.
NB I don't think I have ever shown my ticket to more than one steward (it's usually none).
The need for stewards is more a legal requirement than anything else. I'm sure the game go ahead without them.
99% of the crowd can manage fine.
99% of the crowd can manage fine.
The stewards have always been roided up knuckle heads. Always pick on kids, makes them feel better in their sad lives.
It'd be interesting to see where the club stands from a safeguarding point of view. If they think kids are too young to be at the match on their own, then I'm not sure throwing them out onto the street is, from a safeguarding angle, the correct course of action.
If their concern is legitimate then either parents should have been contacted or the police could have got involved.
It’s not from a safeguarding angle though, it’s from a previous problem with unaccompanied kids point of view. Having them in the Warwick unaccompanied is a club problem, having them out on the streets unaccompanied is a parental problem - nothing to do with the club.
Fans have a level of behaviour they have to attain. So do stewards. Clearly on this occasion they failed. It needs to be reported or likely as not it’ll happen again.
I cannot think of one thing that was reported to the club that resulted in an apology and any change in policy/behaviour.
Like I say, this dangerous contradiction in policy, for £2 a ticket, would not have entered the minds of anyone at the club.
I have sympathy with the actual stewards. Thankless task for a pittance and all they do is take instructions from whoever is at the other end of the walky talkie (the Safety Officer?).
The goon squad are perfectly described by Nobby.
The goon squad are perfectly described by Nobby.
Fans have a level of behaviour they have to attain. So do stewards. Clearly on this occasion they failed. It needs to be reported or likely as not it’ll happen again.
You've got remember the average IQ of the stewards isn't very high. The chances of them handling any problem satisfactorily is very low indeed.
It'd be interesting to see where the club stands from a safeguarding point of view. If they think kids are too young to be at the match on their own, then I'm not sure throwing them out onto the street is, from a safeguarding angle, the correct course of action.
If their concern is legitimate then either parents should have been contacted or the police could have got involved.
It won't have even crossed their minds. No one with sufficient nouse to consider anything other than how much each decision makes.
Also not convinced setting the goon squad on a bunch of 12 year olds will do much for their state of minds.
I was in the Warwick on Saturday-it was very convivial and a good atmosphere throughout.Been in a lot worse.
It’s more aggressive in the East Stand nearest the away supporters where the ‘banter’ is a little bit more rich
It’s more aggressive in the East Stand nearest the away supporters where the ‘banter’ is a little bit more rich
In the second half sometime, craftily using the buildings in the Paddock corner for cover.
Couldn't tell you the precise time. You can see him rolling his own...
Couldn't tell you the precise time. You can see him rolling his own...
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