Pathetic stewarding

[Kingsley Junior]

I was at St Mary's in for our win in April sitting in the block 2 away from the Reading fans.

Now *that* was scary - some of the neaderthals in there seemed to be complete throwbacks to the 80s.

That's definitely a fair description. Used to live in Southampton, went to Saints vs. Ipswich at St Mary's with Dan - B15 Royal a few years ago and sat in the away end (his family are from Ipswich) and some Saints fans in the block nearest the away section had a punch up among themselves during the game - nutters.

Was quite funny at the end as they read the scores out and Reading had been 0-0 all game away to Middlesbrough - when we ended our 8 game losing run in the season we went down from the Prem - and suddenly it was announced we had won 1-0 with a late goal. Both of us reacted with a huge "yessss!" - got some funny looks from the Ipswich fans.

[Royal Lady]

Naturally, I shall be speaking to the club about this, as it is not worth speaking to STAR - but did anyone else see the Sunderland "fans" who were milling around outside the coaches on the way down the hill and offering out RFC fans? Whilst the stewards just stood there, until one decided to go and have a look at what was happening? These Makems were either drunk or drugged up (or both) from the state of them.

Shouldn't away fans be ushered onto the coaches at the end of the game? And I'm afraid that had it kicked off, I would have no confidence in a couple of the stewards who were "looking after the coaches" as they looked about 70 and I doubt could have coped with a fight.

Perhaps the police need to have more of a presence by the coaches?

[M Brook]

and offering out RFC fans?

??

[Royal Lady]

They were going up to fans and saying "got something to say have you?" and gesturing for a fight.

I didn't mean they were offering to take them for a romantic dinner.

[M Brook]

They were going up to fans and saying "got something to say have you?" and gesturing for a fight.

I didn't mean they were offering to take them for a romantic dinner.

Ah right! Didn't see any of that myself. Perhaps they only picked on the good looking ones.

[murts_the_god]

They were going up to fans and saying "got something to say have you?" and gesturing for a fight.

I didn't mean they were offering to take them for a romantic dinner.

Me and a mate both took a whack had to walk away though stewards stood there and done nothing

[Alexander Litvinenko]

Were there any fists actually thrown? It looks like Reading fans weren't stupid enough to rise to the bait.

In which case the stewards called it right and did a decent job of stewarding by incident - a few verbals didn't actually hurt anyone, but if they'd waded in and tried to stop the verbals that would have guaranteed the whole episode kicked off, with probably others from the coaches joining in and instead of a minor incident you immediately have a major incident. Instead, they let it pass, observed and were probably ready in case it did kick off - but the aim is to get people onto the coaches and away as quickly as possible, rather than get involved to stop something minor and at the same time effectively stop the coaches from leaving.

So what would you actually like them to have done?

[murts_the_god]

Walking past the coaches there was a lot of shouting towards us One mate was barged out of the way the same guy trird to do the same to me but being a big guy it didn't work my mate shouted watch out and the next thing I know out of nowhere I've been hit on the jaw luckily I didn't go down or I would have had them all on me as I came to my mate was holding his eye where another had hit him as well. The whole time there were 2 stewards one of which was a gentleman I'd guess was past retirement age and the other was a woman who looked very scared. There were no police in sight and neither was there an orange jacket nearby. From what a friend of mine told me most of the police were stationed at the main car park near the reading buses.

[Gordons Cumming]

What Stewards are you referring to? Orange or Yellow ones?

Orange (Response) stewards are trained and qualified to deal with the sort of thing. The yellow steawrds are just used to form a line , but not get involved with any physical situations.

Don't blame the yellow stewards for not wanting to get involved...................Not employed, trained or paid to do that job. Would you?

[Royal Lady]

sorry to see that some of you can't read properly.

I would expect the stewards (yellow or orange) to herd the away fans onto the coaches, not let them wander among the good natured home fans who are just wanting to walk to their cars without being baited.

I would also expect to see a few policemen positioned near those coaches parked on the hill, in case anything of the nature I witnessed were to happen.

If any of our fans had bothered to respond, or had Murts is god and his m8s retaliated to their being whacked, then the stewards who were stood there would have had no chance in intervening and making it safe for the home fans.

When I go to and from a football match, I expect to do it safely, without the threat of a fight looming when it could be easily dissipated by making away fans get on their coaches. Or perhaps RFC could grow some balls and keep away fans in until after the majority of home fans had exited the stadium, as has happened to me as an away fan on numerous occasions. Call me old fashioned and all that.

[murts_the_god]

I would still expect the yellow stewards to get help and as royal lady said they should be ushering them on the coaches and made to stay on the coaches by the police. I have a hairline fracture to my jaw and I am very swollen because the club in my opinion have failed to appropriately Marshall the area maybe I should get my solicitor involved.

[Royal Lady]

I would still expect the yellow stewards to get help and as royal lady said they should be ushering them on the coaches and made to stay on the coaches by the police. I have a hairline fracture to my jaw and I am very swollen because the club in my opinion have failed to appropriately Marshall the area maybe I should get my solicitor involved.

Jeez. Have you been the hospital? Presume so, it will be on your notes how you got that injury. I'd most certainly complain to the club, if nothing else. If only to save something worse happening to someone else in the future.

[AthleticoSpizz]

A curt letter to Sunderland FC may also not hurt.

If these were official coaches, then some of the perpetrators may be traceable?

[Rex]

sorry to see that some of you can't read properly.

I would expect the stewards (yellow or orange) to herd the away fans onto the coaches, not let them wander among the good natured home fans who are just wanting to walk to their cars without being baited.

I would also expect to see a few policemen positioned near those coaches parked on the hill, in case anything of the nature I witnessed were to happen.

If any of our fans had bothered to respond, or had Murts is god and his m8s retaliated to their being whacked, then the stewards who were stood there would have had no chance in intervening and making it safe for the home fans.

When I go to and from a football match, I expect to do it safely, without the threat of a fight looming when it could be easily dissipated by making away fans get on their coaches. Or perhaps RFC could grow some balls and keep away fans in until after the majority of home fans had exited the stadium, as has happened to me as an away fan on numerous occasions. Call me old fashioned and all that.

Next time I want to see you piling in with some classic windmilling.

[Gordons Cumming]

There were no police at the game yesterday.

Not considered important or threatening enough.................

[Rex]

A curt letter to Sunderland FC may also not hurt.

If these were official coaches, then some of the perpetrators may be traceable?

I doubt it Spizz. In such a scenario with reference to an assault too many people turn a blind eye. Someone should have videos this man and then contacted the old bill to stop the bus he was on. The issue with that is that most will see it as a major inconvenience and nothing gets resolved. If this twat was identifiable then CCTV at the train station of police posted there could have nicked him with relatively little grief.

[AthleticoSpizz]

...just thinking, that if they were hanging around their supporters club coaches, then there would be a fair chance that they would eventually get on board one of them.

Unlikely I know, but their behaviour might correspond to some of their other supporters complaints to their club???

[SHORT AND CURLY]

Thats a GBH mate
Make a complaint to Footy Liaison officer at Reading. They should take a statement off you and as mentioned earlier trace the offenders especially if on one of the coaches.
If you don't report it, they wont know of the incident and it could happen again at another game to another innocent fan.

Good luck

[BenReadingFC]

Is there any CCTV in the area where the assault took place?

[The Real Sandhurst Royal]

The club could sort this for the RFC fans by building an exit walkway down the hill direct from the East Stand to the back of B&Q at the bottom of Hurst Way, this has been raised many time by myself with the club to be greeted by no go.

It was only a matter of time before an incident happened by the away fans coaches as the RFC fans who exit the East Stand have to walk round the ground and meet up with the away fans exiting the South Stand.

Time to act RFC and build that walkway to make it safer for all.