New policy in Y26

[Sharpy]

fcuks sake! i dont have a st but have last 6 years all of which i was sat in y26

that is pussy footing by the club, trying to avoid any possible tension, tw@ts

[T.R.O.L.I.]

fcuks sake! i dont have a st but have last 6 years all of which i was sat in y26

that is pussy footing by the club, trying to avoid any possible tension, tw@ts

TBF, my taffy boyo, I doubt their talking about where your seat was - it'll be the bit the other side of the aisle.

[Jerry St Clair]

The club are just continuing their schizophrenic policy that "for every yob that leaves, we gain a family of four" but at the same time banging on about backing the boys and making some noise.

You can't have it both ways, Howe. Either accept you have a rowdy element (a la Bristol City last week) and a good atmosphere, or continue turning the place into a creche. I've not seen any serious trouble at the Madejski since Millwall, Cardiff, Bristol Rovers in 2001, so lord knows what they think has been going on.

I doubt they give a shit, but I won't be back at the Madejski this season.

[St Pauli]

I could understand the decision if it had been close to boiling point at few times in Y26 but there really has been nothing of note in a long time. As someone mentioned, Chelsea was the only game where I have seen anything thrown and that game happens once in a blue moon (cech, cudicini, mouinho).

I bought my tricket on wednesday so sat in Y19 this week having sat in Y26 for years, this year being the first year I havent had an ST in a long time and the atmopshere was different, it's not for me. It's not as loud, there's no "banter" and generally less enojyable. I like sitting in Y26 as the angle behind the cornerflag is my preferred option, looking diagionally across, and coupled with the atmosphere in Y26 it is ideal.

So basically I should of just said I think the change in policy is unwarranted and has annoyed a lot of loyal fans who have sat in Y26. It has been actioned for no reason except precaution, a precaution against a threat that isn't even there.

+1

I couldnt agree more, this has really annoyed me. Without the songs and atmosphere of that part of the east the games only half as fun. I dont want to passively watch the game, I want to be involved and you can only do that with a song which you can only really do in y26 if you dont have a season ticket. This will reduce the amount of home games I attend. Well done RFC.

[EASTENDER MARKY]

Has anyone actally contacted the club about this?

[Big Foot]

No point is there, they're a law onto themselves.

Passing details of fans onto 3rd parties and making false accusations, they'll stop at nothing else.

[M U R T Y]

Has anyone actally contacted the club about this?

Spoken to Customer Services - over phone - i've asked Star to talk to the club.... STAR, any joy?

[jonboy29red]

if i remember right didnt the club have a black net over some of the seats near y26 in some games a few seasons ago why not re instate it

[The 17 Bus]

Crowd under 20k yesterday, no seats for home fans in South stand, from what I could see on the telly it was Y26 and front of north that were not sold, some on here saying nothing in east, so all that was left was seats that were unavailable, or likely to get very wet if the forecast rain happened, which of course it did.

[Big Foot]

CLIVE DOYLE OUT

HES JUST MAKING UP NEW SHITTY RULES TO MAKE THE ATMOSPHERE AT MADEJSKI EVEN MORE SHIT THAN IT ALREADY IS, SUCH A PRICK!

Clive Doyle is a very reasonable man in a 1-1 situation. I have nothing against him but his interpretation of guidelines and instructions to his staff baffles me.

[rabidbee]

Since my mate and I gave up our STs at the start of the season, we've been sitting in Y26 - it's one of few areas of the East stand where you can always guarantee getting two or three seats together. Having sat in Y20 for the last two seasons, it's a massive improvement - can't hear the drummer, for a start. It's pretty raucaus, and there is an annoyingly pubescent element to the fans who sit there, but then that's no different to the teenagers who used to stand on the South Bank "wishing" that the wire fence wasn't separating them from the away fans. However, I haven't seen anything particularly eye-opening this season, either: constant standing, and one of the stewards was called a fat David Kitson at the QPR game. As it's almost certainly dominated by ST-holders, banning the few fans who buy tickets on the day won't make a great deal of difference. I'm annoyed, as I had been planning to buy a half-ST at the back of Y26, because there are three seats on the back row that are always empty. If there's nowhere that looks likely to be similar, I won't bother, as I don't want to be stuck in a similar situation to M U R T Y.

The actual stewarding on Saturday was silly. Why, if they were checking that everyone actually had a seat in Y26, did they simply look at my Member Card and then wave me through anyway. Seems rather silly, as I could easily have had a seat anywhere in the stand. Presumably everyone has a Member Card, so what exactly were they checking for?

It all seems a bit like overkill to me. Are the local authority putting pressure on the club for persistent standing?

[Jerry St Clair]

The actual stewarding on Saturday was silly. Why, if they were checking that everyone actually had a seat in Y26, did they simply look at my Member Card and then wave me through anyway. Seems rather silly, as I could easily have had a seat anywhere in the stand. Presumably everyone has a Member Card, so what exactly were they checking for?

Well, at least we have a solution to this problem. Buy a ticket elsewhere and go and sit in Y26 anyway.

[bobby1413]

No point is there

As much as I agree with Eastender Marky, I can't help but also agree with you.

This is TOM HARK all over again really. There is less than 1% of the home support on this thread moaning about this. I'm sure if you ask the other 99% of supporters on any other home match day, their response would be "Eh? what's the problem, just sit somewhere else..."

The fact is, everyone here including myself are in a HUGE minority. The club will continue to get 20'000+ fans into the stadium, and will please all the correct authorities, will most likely be in a position to do away with police presence and save themselves a fortune. They are in a Win-Win situation.

[Jerry St Clair]

Sadly, you're absolutely right, Bobby.

[M U R T Y]

No point is there

As much as I agree with Eastender Marky, I can't help but also agree with you.

This is TOM HARK all over again really. There is less than 1% of the home support on this thread moaning about this. I'm sure if you ask the other 99% of supporters on any other home match day, their response would be "Eh? what's the problem, just sit somewhere else..."

The fact is, everyone here including myself are in a HUGE minority. The club will continue to get 20'000+ fans into the stadium, and will please all the correct authorities, will most likely be in a position to do away with police presence and save themselves a fortune. They are in a Win-Win situation.

To be honest, I wouldn't mind sitting somewhere else, but I would actually like to sit with my family and mates that I've been sitting with for years. Because this policy has been brought in mid-season, I can't do anything about it - If the club had stated that it was going to be S/T's only at the start of the season, I would have bought an S/T...

[rabidbee]

Well, at least we have a solution to this problem. Buy a ticket elsewhere and go and sit in Y26 anyway.

On saturday, they taped up all of the seats not already occupied. They'll just tape up the rest now.

[M U R T Y]

So, why can't they sell the seats until the day of the game, then tape up any seats that remain unsold? That way, any fans that are not S/T holders can still buy a seat in Y26, and nobody else can just walk up sit down?

Personally, I think this would solve the problem - they cannot net any area off as there are S/T holders below the scoreboard. Unless of course they move the away fans over to the other side of the South stand...

Star? Any opinion?

[Jerry St Clair]

Well, at least we have a solution to this problem. Buy a ticket elsewhere and go and sit in Y26 anyway.

On saturday, they taped up all of the seats not already occupied. They'll just tape up the rest now.

I'll probably rip up the tape in a fit of rage. Cos I'm nails, you see.

[royal goof]

I'm not sure what this policy is trying to achieve.. Seats taped up, checking member cards when i want to go for a wee.....

There has been no trouble whatsoever in this area for as long as I can remember. And the only trouble is caused by the over zealous stewarding of enforcing the no standing rule. Even the standing hasn't really been a problem this season though. They must be trying to think up new things to keep them occupied!

I am a season ticket holder and have spare seats around me that my friends and family can use when they are able to attend a game. This latest policy means they can't use those seats so instead of coming to the game and sitting elsewhere they WON'T COME - nice one RFC - lets do everything we can to stop people coming to the games and even if they do come stop them enjoying themselves.

And the attitude of the senior staff at RFC whenever there is an issue like this is always unhelpful, unsympathetic and dismissive.

STAR - please follow this up on behalf of the supporters - you're voice should be louder than us 'inconvienient' single fans.

[M U R T Y]

Has anyone know of the best person to contact at the club regarding this? Is Clive Doyle the Chief Safety Officer? Who runs Customer Services?