The stewards are a joke

[Champions09]

This guy is right.

Reading Football Club has gone down hill. They want the club to become a family club. Where you bring your kids and sit on your oxf*rd hands all day. Our fans are shit. You cant stand up, you cant do anything. They need to sort it out otherwise fans will start to get dis-interested. The stewards are complete oxf*rd. Always rude towards fans. And that one in Y26, with a beard, Richie I think his name is. I hope he's reading this because you're a tosser

[SLAMMED]

Well "tango" man did a lot of standing up throughout the game, and he certainly wasn't ejected at half time, nor were his mates who were all around him.

I completely understand about the "no standing" ruling - however, time and again, we see the away supporters seemingly getting away with standing for prolonged periods, whilst the stewards "pick on" some of our fans - and these are the ones who are already at the back and not getting in people's way. Some parity with the treatment of both sets of fans would be welcome.

Agreed, in theory, but in reality it's never going to happen.

Always remember that the club don't actually want to enforce the "no standing" rule - it causes hassle and conflict an makes it unpleasant for both supporters and stewards. They are forced to be seen to be enforcing these rules by the outside agencies already mentioned.

These outside agencies accept that the club has no effective way of making away fans sit if enough of them decide to stand, so the club are able to cut them some slack. But they know that the club do have leverage with home supporters, because those home supporters have member cards and want to come back.

So as the club have to be seen to be doing something to enforce the rules, it's a no-brainer for them to be doing this in the way which is the most visible and the most effective, as required by RBC and the FLA.

The real mystery is why it's different at away grounds - I supsect it's because our supporters have such a good reputation and because so few stand or misbehave that they are easily dealt with.

Didn't we warn another club that if their fans persist with standing, they would be allocated fewer tickets next time?

iv seen it mentioned in a tiny paragraph somewhere in the programme before. Its come up for a few teams. Newcaslte and man united the first year we played them are the only ones i can recall, but im sure there were other. Of course, that didnt stop them at all the next year around.

On another note, in a game last year, i stood up for steve coppell, and a grumpy old bloke told me to sit down. i promptly turned round and told him to sit in the west stand if all hes gonna do is moan when people stand up. Seems to be a common trend with this man as well, the only time he stands up is when he decides to leave. Why bother coming in the first place?

[Dirk Gently]

Well "tango" man did a lot of standing up throughout the game, and he certainly wasn't ejected at half time, nor were his mates who were all around him.

I completely understand about the "no standing" ruling - however, time and again, we see the away supporters seemingly getting away with standing for prolonged periods, whilst the stewards "pick on" some of our fans - and these are the ones who are already at the back and not getting in people's way. Some parity with the treatment of both sets of fans would be welcome.

Agreed, in theory, but in reality it's never going to happen.

Always remember that the club don't actually want to enforce the "no standing" rule - it causes hassle and conflict an makes it unpleasant for both supporters and stewards. They are forced to be seen to be enforcing these rules by the outside agencies already mentioned.

These outside agencies accept that the club has no effective way of making away fans sit if enough of them decide to stand, so the club are able to cut them some slack. But they know that the club do have leverage with home supporters, because those home supporters have member cards and want to come back.

So as the club have to be seen to be doing something to enforce the rules, it's a no-brainer for them to be doing this in the way which is the most visible and the most effective, as required by RBC and the FLA.

The real mystery is why it's different at away grounds - I suspect it's because our supporters have such a good reputation and because so few stand or misbehave that they are easily dealt with.

Didn't we warn another club that if their fans persist with standing, they would be allocated fewer tickets next time?

We didn't, no, but were made to by the FLA. It's one of the tactics that they are currently using, despite that fact that it never, ever works as a threat - the supporters who stand today won't be the 10% who lose out next time - even if the clubs are in the same division. RFC hate this sanction and will fight very strongly against it - primarily because the only ones who actually suffer because of it are the club themself, who lose revenue by the reduction in away capacity for that game.

But the rules against persistent standing are so ridiculous and unenforceable that this is one of the few straws the FLA can clutch at.

[Deathy]

Haven't kept up with this thread so apologies if this has been highlighted already.

The stewards were again OTT against Burnley. Making a point of staring up at the top of Y25 all the time, especially the skin head with the stupid half hair cut.

All I can suggest and hope we all do is keep chanting louder and louder, more and more aggresive, sing songs that get you up on your feet more.

Fine, sit down if they approach us, but sing and stand, then sit for a little bit, sing and again stand. It's football, they can sod right off.

[retro_royal]

I totally agree , how can you create an atmosphere and make new (none idiot) fans come back week after week without fans doing things like standing up and singing and shouting.

Also , from a personal point of view it makes me even more annoyed to see the away fans aloud to stand and do all the things we get a talking to about.

So in short to bring back an atmosphere bring back rumble sticks!

[Deathy]

F**k off newbie

[STAR Liaison]

Always remember that the club don't actually want to enforce the "no standing" rule - it causes hassle and conflict an makes it unpleasant for both supporters and stewards. They are forced to be seen to be enforcing these rules by the outside agencies already mentioned.

Does anybody really check?

Given that there have been people standing in Y25/Y26 at pretty much every game since the stadium opened, and nobody yet seems to have complained, I don't get the impression we are in imminent danger of having any punishment imposed on us because a couple of dozen fans stand up up a bit too much.

Yes they do check - a certain times in the season there are FLA and at other times local authority people at the stadium to check - you may find these are the times when the stewards are the most active in chasing up the continual standing. There have certainly been times when speaking to various staff before the game I have heard that the council or the FLA are at the ground, and I don't necessarily hear of every occasion so I would think it is fairly often.

Having spoken very recently to the chief steward about it, if you want to stand the whole game you will attract their attention but if you stand and sing but then sit for a while you will not. If you want to stand to watch the away support and 'look hard' you are even more likely to get their attention. The idea of supporting our team as it plays football is not what they want to stop but as Dirk says their instructions are to enforce the rules that are imposed by the Safety Advisory Group not FC. Those rules say you can stand at times of excitement but not conyinually.

Those who have attended the stewards forum will have heard this from the safety officer and the chief tango and steward and it is true from people who I know and who have posted on here there a lot of vocal supporters in Y25 who do not get bothered as they do sit down some of the time

[Silver Fox]

Making a point of staring up at the top of Y25

Staring? Are you OK now? I don't know if I'd be able to ever go to football again if I was subjected to such treatment

[retro_royal]

F**k off newbie

Only joking about rumble sticks