Safe-Standing petition

[LoyalRoyalFan]

By picking out two fans standing amongst a group of 40 in the front rows, and ignoring the several hundred stoop behind them?!

Perhaps they should comply with the law, then.

[loyalroyaldaz]

If its the law then why do they do oxf*rd all about the away fans standing!

It is NOT illegal to stand !!!

[SPARTA]

They don't do it because of the law as such; they do it because the local council have the power to close off parts of the stadium if persistent standing is deemed a significant problem - which isn't and has never been the case at Madejski Stadium. Other clubs do it in their thousands and their council and club take no notice whatsoever. The club have to be seen to ask fans to sit, but as with any other home ground, they should then retreat and try again in the next half, and their job is done. Too instead try and throw just two fans out for not sitting when asked, when there's another thousand stood around them is only asking for trouble. It's not good for the club or the fans, it only serves to alienate them further!

[Brian's left bollock]

Surely about 2000 standing today for most the game. The demand is there.

[tmesis]

By picking out two fans standing amongst a group of 40 in the front rows, and ignoring the several hundred stoop behind them?!

given the large number of people who were standing who were ignored by the stewards, and the fact that they had to wade in deep into the row to pick them out, I think it's most likely they the weren't thrown out for standing. Making gestures towards the away fans seems much more likely.

[sandman]

If its the law then why do they do oxf*rd all about the away fans standing!

It is NOT illegal to stand !!!

Hey friend, how many times you been in the away end?

I have actually been in there, long story in which Gunnarsson almost got me killed and thankfully the stewards do do something about the away fans.

[SPARTA]

By picking out two fans standing amongst a group of 40 in the front rows, and ignoring the several hundred stoop behind them?!

given the large number of people who were standing who were ignored by the stewards, and the fact that they had to wade in deep into the row to pick them out, I think it's most likely they the weren't thrown out for standing. Making gestures towards the away fans seems much more likely.

Wrong. I know the brother of one of them and he was thrown out for not sitting down quick enough, and given a warning. One of the other stewards disagreed with the way the steward handled it as well! The other lad was just for flatly refusing to sit when the other thousand or so around him were standing.

[The Cap]

Really not sure what that was all about yesterday. I know there's all the legislation about standing in seated areas, however there's clearly a demand for those of us who prefer the vertical position. Couldn't understand why the stewards were so militant. In terms of health and safety it's not like we were playing Millwall or Cardiff

[tmesis]

By picking out two fans standing amongst a group of 40 in the front rows, and ignoring the several hundred stoop behind them?!

given the large number of people who were standing who were ignored by the stewards, and the fact that they had to wade in deep into the row to pick them out, I think it's most likely they the weren't thrown out for standing. Making gestures towards the away fans seems much more likely.

Wrong. I know the brother of one of them and he was thrown out for not sitting down quick enough, and given a warning. One of the other stewards disagreed with the way the steward handled it as well! The other lad was just for flatly refusing to sit when the other thousand or so around him were standing.

why on earth would they randomly pick on a bloke in a middle of a row when everyone else was standing?

Maybe the stewards told the whole block to sit, and they all did, apart from him, in which case it's his own stupid fault for not just sitting down for a minute before standing up again when everyone else did.

[SPARTA]

Exactly, and that's why so many fans turned on the stewards, and the steward didn't try and get the whole block to sit. They focused on the front group to the left of the entrance/exit. Picking on someone for not sitting quickly enough, yet those around him remained on their feet, and the several hundred behind them in the top half of the stand remained on their feet, he was just looking for trouble. His colleague didn't agree with how he handled the situation either. The club will never win the battle, so they should just ask the stewards to make themselves visible, ask you to sit, then go off again and try again later. Throwing one or two fans out a week whilst ignoring the rest will never work. If you're going to put your foot down, then do it properly or not at all. The club will only alienate fans and ultimately lose them!

[Ian Royal]

What if a tragedy occurs from persistent standing in seated areas, though?

As a politician you would never be blamed for maintaining a status quo which has overwhelming cross party support.

I guarantee the first time any reform is tried one of the Liverpool MPs will stand up, talk about children being crushed to death at Hillsborough, and whatever private members bill attempts this first will be toast.

I don't buy that for a second.

[Ian Royal]

Exactly, and that's why so many fans turned on the stewards, and the steward didn't try and get the whole block to sit. They focused on the front group to the left of the entrance/exit. Picking on someone for not sitting quickly enough, yet those around him remained on their feet, and the several hundred behind them in the top half of the stand remained on their feet, he was just looking for trouble. His colleague didn't agree with how he handled the situation either. The club will never win the battle, so they should just ask the stewards to make themselves visible, ask you to sit, then go off again and try again later. Throwing one or two fans out a week whilst ignoring the rest will never work. If you're going to put your foot down, then do it properly or not at all. The club will only alienate fans and ultimately lose them!

Looked to me like one guy refused to sit down when he was isolated from the main stranding group. An arse of a steward decided to make an example out of him and then the rest had to back him even when the whole stand stood up in support.

The steward was clearly being a total cock, but if they guy had sat for 5 minutes when asked and then got back up to start / join in with a chance he'd not have given the cock the excuse to really start throwing his weight around. After that they had to make an effort to enforce the rules in a couple of other places too. 5 minutes after it all finished we returned to status quo and standing was ignored again.

To be honest at the time I had half a mind to make a complaint about the stewarding basically insiting crowd trouble. If I'd been one of the people they waded through to get him, I'd have damnwell made a complaint.

[Royal Biscuitman]

By picking out two fans standing amongst a group of 40 in the front rows, and ignoring the several hundred stoop behind them?!

given the large number of people who were standing who were ignored by the stewards, and the fact that they had to wade in deep into the row to pick them out, I think it's most likely they the weren't thrown out for standing. Making gestures towards the away fans seems much more likely.

Wrong. I know the brother of one of them and he was thrown out for not sitting down quick enough, and given a warning. One of the other stewards disagreed with the way the steward handled it as well! The other lad was just for flatly refusing to sit when the other thousand or so around him were standing.

If the other thousand or so were in front of him obstructing his view he might have a point.

I believe the stewards focus on those a the front, once they sit down they move up a row otherwise someone at the back gets told to sit down and spends the whole game watching the backs of those in front of them obscuring the action on the pitch.

[Once were Biscuitmen]

I don't understand how you get kicked out.

Book ticket towards back of stand, sit down when the tango asks you to, and then stand up again when he goes.

The club have 'enforced the licence conditions,' we've all played the game, and everybody is happy.

It's always the bloody minded git who wants to argue for the sake of it that ends up being thrown out.

[Wimb]

Piece on safe standing now up on TTE.

http://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/201 ... the-debate

[SPARTA]

The stewards didn't say boo to a goose yesterday. Same fans and same amount standing, and same steward, but a completely different approach. Much better when some common sense is thrown in. Thank you RFC.

[westendgirl]

given the large number of people who were standing who were ignored by the stewards, and the fact that they had to wade in deep into the row to pick them out, I think it's most likely they the weren't thrown out for standing. Making gestures towards the away fans seems much more likely.

Wrong. I know the brother of one of them and he was thrown out for not sitting down quick enough, and given a warning. One of the other stewards disagreed with the way the steward handled it as well! The other lad was just for flatly refusing to sit when the other thousand or so around him were standing.

Not what I was told by one of the supervisors Saturday - they were thrown out for laying hands on a steward on the concourse.

[SPARTA]

given the large number of people who were standing who were ignored by the stewards, and the fact that they had to wade in deep into the row to pick them out, I think it's most likely they the weren't thrown out for standing. Making gestures towards the away fans seems much more likely.

Wrong. I know the brother of one of them and he was thrown out for not sitting down quick enough, and given a warning. One of the other stewards disagreed with the way the steward handled it as well! The other lad was just for flatly refusing to sit when the other thousand or so around him were standing.

Not what I was told by one of the supervisors Saturday - they were thrown out for laying hands on a steward on the concourse.

I was right behind them. It started and finished in the stands. Whether or not they reacted as they were being lead out is another matter.

[bobby1413]

The stewards didn't say boo to a goose yesterday. Same fans and same amount standing, and same steward, but a completely different approach. Much better when some common sense is thrown in. Thank you RFC.

Weren't they all told to sit at the front of Y25 again?

I don't recall as much of a presence by them. The game against Blackburn they seemed to me trying to make a point

[SPARTA]

The stewards didn't say boo to a goose yesterday. Same fans and same amount standing, and same steward, but a completely different approach. Much better when some common sense is thrown in. Thank you RFC.

Weren't they all told to sit at the front of Y25 again?

I don't recall as much of a presence by them. The game against Blackburn they seemed to me trying to make a point

I didn't see them approach the fans but if they did they decided to just leave it, as no one sat back down. In fact more fans than normal stood for this game.