New policy in Y26

[TFF]

That really is quite unbelievable!! The one game when it might be really beneficial to have a buffer zone!!

Do they not realise that the most likely trouble makers are unlikely to be season ticket holders but people who buy tickets on a casual basis and who can now get a ticket in Y26!!

I should think they're banking on the fact that "the most likely trouble makers" don't buy a ticket purely for the purposes of causing trouble and they won't therefore have held out until Y26 has to go on general sale.

[Matt de K]

(As said before) I don't know why they just don't sell the other side of the southstand to the away supporters first - then let them have the other half when that sells out - giving them say a third each time so it fills up from the left to the right - making the seats right next to Y26 the last available away tickets. Or would that be just too simple of a problem solver??? Lets face it - the away supporters aren't going to complain now are they??

OR would this just have a negative reaction and therefore create the Y26'ers of the West Stand. I really could imagine West Stand Man hurling abuse at the awayers!!

[Dirk Gently]

(As said before) I don't know why they just don't sell the other side of the southstand to the away supporters first - then let them have the other half when that sells out - giving them say a third each time so it fills up from the left to the right - making the seats right next to Y26 the last available away tickets. Or would that be just too simple of a problem solver??? Lets face it - the away supporters aren't going to complain now are they??

OR would this just have a negative reaction and therefore create the Y26'ers of the West Stand. I really could imagine West Stand Man hurling abuse at the awayers!!

Because I think it's not quite two equal halves there. I think the East side of the away end is 2,400, and the West side is 2,000. So any club who wants the full 10% they are entitled too needs to have all of the takes Eastern "half" of the stand.

I'm not 100% sure on the exact figures, but certainly it's not two equal halves and the Eastern side is the larger one.

[The 17 Bus]

well I wonder who decided where to make the divide??

Always thought the top bit under the screen should have been left empty, a nice safe non confrontational area.

[Dirk Gently]

I think the divide is dead centre - the difference is that the West Stand hospitality areas stop the South stand "wrapping round" on that side like it does on the other side.

[RoyalBlue]

That really is quite unbelievable!! The one game when it might be really beneficial to have a buffer zone!!

Do they not realise that the most likely trouble makers are unlikely to be season ticket holders but people who buy tickets on a casual basis and who can now get a ticket in Y26!!

I should think they're banking on the fact that "the most likely trouble makers" don't buy a ticket purely for the purposes of causing trouble and they won't therefore have held out until Y26 has to go on general sale.

But these are the same people who talked of fights at every game held at Elm Park (as I said before, I think that is something of an over exaggeration) so surely with that impression of troublemakers they wouldn't subscribe to the theory that said troublemakers don't buy a ticket purely for the purposes of causing trouble!

What's more, I believe that in the past the it has been argued that the club have a greater level of potential control over season ticket holders who have a lot more to lose if hoiked out for causing trouble. That same level of sanction does not exist for casual ticket buyers.

[Dirk Gently]

What's more, I believe that in the past the it has been argued that the club have a greater level of potential control over season ticket holders who have a lot more to lose if hoiked out for causing trouble. That same level of sanction does not exist for casual ticket buyers.

It virtually does - as long as people sit in the correct seats, they can be identified and have their member card taken away or be put onto a banned list (short or long term).

It may not hurt them as much as it'd hurt a STH, but if they want to come back again it'd be just as effective.

I agree that someone buying a paper ticket on the day falls outside the scope of this, but I'd imagine the idea is not to sell this area to anyone without a member card, and hope that, if this is the last area to see, that "troublemakers" will either be watered-down by "normal" supporters, or that they'll have bought tickets elsewhere by then.

[M U R T Y]

But this policy of opening late stops the decent people from buying seats in the block and let potentially anyone in the area instead. The club have not advertised that it's memebr card holder only, so we can only assume they'd sell to anyone...

[Matt de K]

(As said before) I don't know why they just don't sell the other side of the southstand to the away supporters first - then let them have the other half when that sells out - giving them say a third each time so it fills up from the left to the right - making the seats right next to Y26 the last available away tickets. Or would that be just too simple of a problem solver??? Lets face it - the away supporters aren't going to complain now are they??

OR would this just have a negative reaction and therefore create the Y26'ers of the West Stand. I really could imagine West Stand Man hurling abuse at the awayers!!

Because I think it's not quite two equal halves there. I think the East side of the away end is 2,400, and the West side is 2,000. So any club who wants the full 10% they are entitled too needs to have all of the takes Eastern "half" of the stand.

I'm not 100% sure on the exact figures, but certainly it's not two equal halves and the Eastern side is the larger one.

But not once this season has there been any Reading in the South stand. And more often than not the away end doesn't sell out (apart from saint's & qpr) So whats stopping Reading selling the other side first - whilst still giving them the 10% or what ever it is?? Then It's win-win

[The 17 Bus]

I think the divide is dead centre - the difference is that the West Stand hospitality areas stop the South stand "wrapping round" on that side like it does on the other side.

Looking at this picture it would not have been beyond a planners mind to have made it work to have had the away fans to the RH side as you look, and making it the larger side.

[Dirk Gently]

I think the divide is dead centre - the difference is that the West Stand hospitality areas stop the South stand "wrapping round" on that side like it does on the other side.

Looking at this picture it would not have been beyond a planners mind to have made it work to have had the away fans to the RH side as you look, and making it the larger side.

Ah, but in the original stadium design the away end was going to be the North stand - I think it was only when they stoppped to consider getting away fans in and out quickly (whether in coaches on after arrest) that the decision was made to change it to the South stand. Not sure just how much they were locked in by that - they could certainly move stuff like the police cells, etc.

[AF1]

Can't be bothered to respond to Affer's wind-up post, except to say that they say ignorance is bliss. If that's true, Affers must be the happiest man in the world.



As to the process of not selling Y26 until the rest of the stadium is sold, if you think about it this does achieve the club's objective pretty well. Their objective is to calm this area down and stop it being a flash-point.

[Jerry St Clair]

Y26 watch:

I've completely changed my opinion after today. Y26 has more than it's fair share of seat-banging, away fan-goading bell ends. I can totally see where the club are coming from on this. The utterkunts at the back circa seats 280 really should be shown footage of their behaviour.

[southstand67]

Y26 watch:

I've completely changed my opinion after today. Y26 has more than it's fair share of seat-banging, away fan-goading bell ends. I can totally see where the club are coming from on this. The utterkunts at the back circa seats 280 really should be shown footage of their behaviour.

I was in Y26 today. Sat next to a little old lady in seat 285 with my brother in seat 283 and we were silent, so I think your argument is unfounded. Having moved to Y25 in order to exit the stadium with about 2 minutes to go, I found the support there to be "abusive" to be honest.

Having said all that - the songs sang from this area were in response to the away suport buddy.

[RoyalBlue]

Y26 watch:

I've completely changed my opinion after today. Y26 has more than it's fair share of seat-banging, away fan-goading bell ends. I can totally see where the club are coming from on this. The utterkunts at the back circa seats 280 really should be shown footage of their behaviour.

But were they season ticket holders or people who had bought tickets after the club decided to scrap their buffer zone, for what always was likely to be a troublesome game, in order to cash in?

[Jerry St Clair]

But were they season ticket holders or people who had bought tickets after the club decided to scrap their buffer zone, for what always was likely to be a troublesome game, in order to cash in?

Season ticket holders. There were more people than there were seats in my row, which also proves the club's point that people are moving into Y26 from different parts of the ground.

[RoyalBlue]

Out of interest, how do you know they are season ticket holders? If it's because you usually sit there and so recognise them from previous games, why did you appear to change your views after yesterday? Was their behaviour far worse than it usually is?

[Jerry St Clair]

Out of interest, how do you know they are season ticket holders? If it's because you usually sit there and so recognise them from previous games, why did you appear to change your views after yesterday? Was their behaviour far worse than it usually is?

I've sat in their vicinity for 3 games this season and noticed the group at the back at the previous two games, therefore i assume they are ST holders). On those occassions I was 3 or 4 rows away, so far enough not to be too bothered. But, yesterday, I was right next to them and they were utterkunts. I wasn't offended by anything they did, I was just surprised that grown men can behave like this (most of them were well into their 30s/40s) and not feel a little bit embarrassed.

[Rex]

Sadly that is the attitude of certain supporters who in the cold light of day probably would run and hide if faced with an opposition supporter. Mostly false bravado, beer and peer support can achieve so many things in life!.

[rabidbee]

On a related note, did anyone see the advert at half-time - of the guy at the bbq acting like a deranged muppet - that was supposed to make you feel guilty for acting like a tit at a match. the guy next to me just giggled, which pretty much sums up its chances of changing behavior. Anyway, seeing as you can't really see the screen from Y26, the area most in need of "re-education" according to the club is the only area that can't get the message. Hey ho.