Thinking ahead to our next promotion to the Prem

I sat in the North Stand for pretty much all Bassett's play-off season

They seemed to be able to segregate it pretty easily then.

 

i'm a little confused about this police numbers thing

There aren't enough police to handle 3,500 chelsea fans if the stand was split but there are enough police to handle 6,000 when it isnt. Surely you would think that more away fans = more police requred?

Also are barnsley fans being given the entire west stand? If that is the case then won't there need to be more police again as both sets of fans will be using the north west corner of grove street where turnstyles for both north and west stand are.

It's a weird one to say the least.

Barnsley fans in north side of west stand and chelsea fans given entire north stand:
twice the amount of away fans
both fans using same area to enter the ground. Ploice presence required outside the ground for segregation on entry to the stadium.

Barnsley fans and chelsea fans split in north stand:
two completly seperate entrances for stand.
half the amount of away fans to police.
stand completly segregated underneath, curtain system used to segregate in seating as has been used countless times before.

 

RE: i'm a little confused about this police numbers thing

The police won't split the North Stand for what they term a Category 'A' game - period.

 

Why not?

I'm not having a go, just curious that's all.

 

RE: Why not?

They haven't got the resources to safely police it on that day due to comittments elsewhere.

 

but they will split the west stand for a category a game?

Can you give any sensible suggestion as to why the north stand with home and away turnstyles completly seperate from each other cannot be split for category A games but the west stand with turnstyles close to each other can be split?

 

does that mean that we need less police for twice the number of away fans?

odd</p>

 

RE: Why not?

I'm surprised it would take more officers to police 6000 than it would to police 3000.

 

RE: Why not?

It puts home and away fans in too close proximity to each other, which is asking for trouble where there is a reputation either among a certain club's fans or between the two clubs.

From a policing point of view, they not only have to have adequate numbers to watch the divide in the seating area and be able to react to any trouble, but supervise what's going on in a divided concourse and the turnstiles.

If all the away fans are isolated and self contained within one stand, there is less potential for trouble and easier to police.

 

RE: Why not?

Sorry just passing on the facts as ive been told them. More risk of trouble with 2 sets of fans seated next to one another = more police (Just a guess).

 

RE: but they will split the west stand for a category a game?

The tunnel area forms a natural divide for a start. As does the fence behind the West stand. That just leaves them the turnstiles to worry about.

 

but they will split the west stand for a category a game?

Will they?

 

That makes sense nt

 

I take your point about the tunnel area but as for the back of the stand, the north stand has a proper built in divide too as I understand it. whereas the west stand wall was added afterwards, the north stand was built with the divide incorporated into the stand (i may be wrong on that but it is how i've been told it works)

The west stand turnstyles are next to each other whilest the north stand turnstyles are at opposite sides of the ground, away fans access via the corner of the west stand and home fans via the corner of the east stand with a metal fence between the two.

So really the only argument is that of policing the segregation in the seating area isnt it?

 

if the will they refers to will they split the west stand for category A games then yes they will and do.

 

If it's an exact divide, the concourse can be shut off behind. I was in there when that very thing had been done when we played Blackburn one night. But an exact divide wouldn't satisfy the 15% thing-a-mi-jig. Nor would it alter the fact that a group of away fans with a reputation for trouble were too close to the home fans in the actual seating area.

 

thought you meant for this game

 

Hang on, back up a minute. You have mates? nt

 

oh right. no sorry, i mean in general for cat A games the police are happy to split the west.

 

You don't have to satisfy the 15% exactly though, if segregation issues mean that the number is slightly below 15% then the FA are fine with that, it's in the FA cup rules.

To give the away fans half of the away stand would be just over 13% which is fine by FA Cup rules as I understand them (liverpool gave us 13.2% of their capacity for this very reason).

I take on board your point about the seating area though but that is the only bit that really holds any water, the turnstyles and underneath the stand would/should both be fine for segregation