does STAR do a good enough job for reading fans?

[STAR Liaison]

And why is it non-members think representing fans to RFC is more important than members do?

Because they're the ones who are disenfranchised.

If you've bought a season ticket, pay a direct debit membership to STAR and attend every fans forum it's probably fair to say that you're more or less happy with the status quo.

You are also (wrongly) stereotyping all STAR members to be season ticket holders and attending every fans forum. But TBF you have shown that in all your posts.

[Hoop Blah]

But Red, the question wasn't "Which STAR activities have the most importance" it was "Which STAR activities do you feel should have the most importance? "

If they felt disenfranchised like you say they would have wanted representation to be more important, surely.

How big is the sample size? How representative is it of the 30k plus fan base?

[Svlad Cjelli]

Any idea how many people are stopped and frisked before entering the ground btw? Only, I'm still getting my handbag searched as the steward I spoke to said they had to be vigilant and were on the look out for miniature bottles of alcohol. You'd think after seeing how I abuse my body by drinking their white wine in the concourse, they'd concentrate on some other people who could be carrying alcohol/some sort of weapon.

You may be interested in this report :

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/c ... z1ZQiQEFrV

Coventry City fans' fury over Ricoh Arena searches

COVENTRY CITY fans have blasted new security measures at the Ricoh Arena which saw an increase in the number of searches carried out before the Blackpool game.

......

“The club is driving fans away. We’re being treated like yobs and hooligans.”

Another long-time season ticket holder, Jon Bridgeman, 40, said he was staggered when his 75-year-old mum had her handbag searched.

"You expect your bag to be searched but my mum had this tiny little handbag,” Jon, of Chapelfields, said.

“It’s totally excessive – what did they think she had in there?

.....

[Red]

If I was going to smuggle drugs or a knife into the ground I'd probably get someone like RL to do it for me though.

Truly random searches are surely the way forward.

[Royal Lady]

Well it's not random for me. It doesn't matter how tiny my bag is, they insist on having a good snoop. But Schards, his bro, his dad and my son just saunter through and have NEVER been searched at the Mad Stad. It's handbag-ist. And I've never seen any hoolie looking type searched either.

[Red]

Do the hoolies you spot take in bags though?

[Maguire]

Truly random searches are surely the way forward.

Hmm, kind of makes a nonsense of the profiling and targeted searches carried out by professional security agencies, no?

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Might be worth asking how many offences with these weapons they fail to find actually happen at the Mad Stad?

ANy stabbings ever? etc etc

[Royal Lady]

I can't go today, but rest assured next home game in 2 weeks, I'm going to refuse to let them search my bag unless they show me that they are also searching people without bags. My bag is just big enough for a mobile phone and a packet of cigs and a small lighter - that's all I can fit in it.

[Ian Royal]

It's standard practice to search bags. If you start making distinctions about size of bags or handbags, or age, then you get into judgment call territory and make it easier for people to kick up about discrimination etc. Far easier to just search every single bag.

I regularly go with a bag and get searched, I don't get what the problem with it is? If you go in with the right attitude, offering an open bag for a quick looksie and say what's in it, any search is majorly half-hearted and you're done with it in seconds. If you don't want to get searched, don't take a bag.

Good luck on getting in after pissing off the stewards and refusing a bag search RL.

[Royal Lady]

My point is, why do they only search bags? When I asked why they always searched my bag, the steward said "we have to be vigilant - we are looking for miniature bottles of alcohol" Do they not consider that other people, without bags, might still conceal drink upon their person. For example, in the winter, I rarely take a bag as I have a coat with deep pockets in which my cigs, lighter, phone, gloves all fit easily. So I could easily slip a miniature bottle of alcohol in there too, but they never search me. And, to be honest, if it's cos they seem to think people are smuggling in alcohol, they ought to lower their oxf*rd prices!!

[postwhisperer]

they should be searching the pockets of the dodgy looking chavs who look like tosspots not women over 40

[zummerset]

I regularly go with a handbag and get searched, I.

tbh I am not that surprised Ian

[Friday's Legacy]

I can't go today, but rest assured next home game in 2 weeks, I'm going to refuse to let them search my bag unless they show me that they are also searching people without bags. My bag is just big enough for a mobile phone and a packet of cigs and a small lighter - that's all I can fit in it.

can you not go without a fag for 3 hours and then just put your phone in a pocket?

[Royal Lady]

I shouldn't have to. And I've already said that in the winter I put them in my coat pocket and am never searched. I could also fit in a half bottle of vodka and no-one would know - so why don't they search other people instead of people with bags, however small they are?

[Royal Lady]

they should be searching the pockets of the dodgy looking chavs who look like tosspots not women over 50

amended for you g.

[Ian Royal]

I regularly go with a handbag and get searched, I.

tbh I am not that surprised Ian

I still don't get the issue, where's the imposition? Policy is to search all bags, so they search all bags. It's a practical and easy way of ticking a box for weapon & alcolhol searches, without significantly slowing down the flow of people through turnstiles. Anyone in a big coat would be a nightmare in winter.

I'd hope that they're on the look out for people they consider suspicious, or who they otherwise have intelligence on being dodgy, and search them whether they have a bag or not, if they could be hiding something.

[Royal Lady]

^ yes, that's what I'd hope Ian, but I have NEVER seen anyone searched other than if they have a bag. And "weapons" weren't even mentioned by the steward, he said they are told to be vigilant for anyone who might be carrying miniature bottles of alcohol!!

[Rex]

I can't go today, but rest assured next home game in 2 weeks, I'm going to refuse to let them search my bag unless they show me that they are also searching people without bags. My bag is just big enough for a mobile phone and a packet of cigs and a small lighter - that's all I can fit in it.

Frisking a person opens up another issue though RL. There has never been an instance of frisking the home support - just away supporters. Also it is the right of the individual to be taken into another area of the stadium for a private search if so requested. The search area must be covered by CCTV (with audio0 and the person conducting the search must have a witness as should the person being searched. Just imagine being taken into the stadium to a private seach area and having to bypass the stadium turnstiles!!. The site is not set up for these amenities as far as i can see.

Gloss over searching of a bag only number crunches and is shown to just be a going through the motions as instructed. Imagine if the stadium policy was random searches despite carrying a bag. There would be a huge timelag in getting everyone into the stadium.

[Svlad Cjelli]

^ yes, that's what I'd hope Ian, but I have NEVER seen anyone searched other than if they have a bag. And "weapons" weren't even mentioned by the steward, he said they are told to be vigilant for anyone who might be carrying miniature bottles of alcohol!!

Good luck with that - when you purchase a match ticket you agree to being searched if required. If you refuse to be searched you no longer have right of entry to the stadium.