Our Away End

Was talking to a couple of friends yesterday (husband and wife) who are season ticket holders at Huddersfield Town.
Its the first time I've seen them since their win the other week so was expecting the usual banter, but no, none, instead their focus was on what they described as our shambolic away end and serious incident waiting to happen.
They said their own fans were constantly standing on the stairs and stairwells blocking exit routes but they weren't moved as there was a clear lack of stewarding, the lowest amount they'd ever seen proportionate to the size of crowd, with other supporters getting into confrontation to move fans from exit areas.
After their 2nd goal 2 supporter at the side of their seats (last 2 seats on row next exit steps were pushed forwards in the celebrations, one of them she guessed around 60 was injured with a cut above his eye, again no stewards to be seen telling fans to sit or at least be in their seat position and know idea about first aid help.
They are both level headed and accepted that like other clubs they have idiot fans but said it was the most unsafe away end they'd ever been in, not due to construction but how it was managed with a lack of stewarding.
Thankfully the chap was OK but could have been far worse.
I've told them to email the club with their concerns, it's not something I've experienced as I don't go in our away end.

 

The Town fans I know that went all mentioned getting a big frisking on the way in and lots of sniffer dogs.

 

Sadly, it happens a lot up and down the country in my experience. Obviously not people getting injured but the element that has to be at the back, has to stand and don’t really care about others in their vicinity.

Distance seems to discourage most of them from attending. Last night was good, but we’ll have our share at Mansfield.

 

Our own fans are the same. When we got the penalty at the weekend it was a mad crush at the front from people piling down from further up and stewards did nothing.

 

Have they been at the away end at Huddersfield. Or most other grounds. Same issues. Not the ground in general just some of the pricks going in em. And we've our fair share. Admitted the stewarding could be better. And maybe first aid issue needs mentioning. But try controlling dozens if not hundreds.
Or in wendys case, every bugger. No one sits down.

 

Last time I was there in the FA cup ,I was struggling with just having knee joints replaced ,I was sat at the front ,needed the bog which I could have walked by the stewards around the kop which was flat.
I was told I had to climb the steps and go with everyone else.
Nowt like being pragmatic eh.
Yet the bogs were full of fans snorting up.
No one to be seen .
Busy stopping old farts making a short cut to the bog.
That's why I stay away from football grounds,everyone tarred with the same brush.

 

It's definitely why I prefer the away trips that are further away. The one thing that I would say is that the safe standing provision at Rotherham's New York stadium last weekend worked really well and should be adopted at the back of stands such as our away end where this kind of situation arises.

 

I would have mentioned to them the behaviour of their fans a few years back who felt it was ok the damage seats and break into the kiosks helping themselves to everything, , abusing and threatening 16 year old girls! Every club has idiots. Stewarding wouldn’t be an issue if everyone went to watch the game and left without any intent for trouble.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2009/oct/27/manchester-united-barnsley-vandalism

I thought that only happened the time Manchester United came?

 

Whenever that stand has significant numbers you cannot see the stairs for the amount of people stood on them. Proper does my head in when people don't sit in the seats they have been allocated. Have had to shift people several times at Oakwell and elsewhere because of it

 

Beat me to it , yes it was man utd .
Got covered up really well by MUFC officials.
Also invited young girls who were traumatised by the hooligans, to a game at old Trafford.
Didn't get much publicity.
Wonder how it would have been reported if it was Millwall.

 

It was in 2017 I can’t post the link, I know cos my daughter was one of the girls working at the time.

 

Well I never knew about this one,I must have been away.
Shameful behaviour.

 

I'm not sure why something from 2017 was relevant to the conversation and has to be brought in as some kind of vindication from a game in 2025.

(A) they are a middle aged couple who go home and away, not yobs
(B) they acknowledged like any club they have their fair share of idiots.

It's not the first time we've had feedback on the lack of stewarding at oakwell through keeping matchday costs as low as literally possible

 

Every away game I've been to not involving Barnsley, I've had to stand up because everyone else was. And the stewards /police did nothing, even when supporters were stood in the aisles.

 

Sorry was not a personal dig at the fore mentioned couple, and not for one minute believe they were involved. The point I was trying to make and obviously not very well, was that fans have a responsibility as well to behave and should respect the environment in which they are and not rely on fellow adults to keep them in order. The amount of stewards will not deter some of the stupid behaviour of some fans should they wish to be over exuberant when celebrating. I hope all innocent parties are ok. Unfortunately, clubs will struggle to get staffing to cover positions like this. Maybe I did go off track a little as my dislike of Huddersfield town has developed from this, not necessarily all people from Huddersfield… as I live there

 

I got a good frisking at Rotherham on Saturday

 

Let's be honest most time away fan issues arise they are caused by away fans, whether at oakwell or elsewhere. The whole "I'll sit where I want" mentality is bang out of order. Yes it might be frustrating not sitting with your mates but live with it. Yes stewards could do more but ultimately if hundreds of people don't sit in the right place what can they do realistically? Does my head in some people sense of entitlement. It's not hard is it - in a busy / full away end just sit in the seat showing on your ticket ffs.