Shark attack

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BeesKnees
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Re: Shark attack

Post: # 155501Post BeesKnees »

Why does the Hive have this issue and yet Underhill didn't?

Is it a change in stewards?
I don't think so, generally they strike me as little different. Certainly nothing like the physically aggressive characters in that Forest Green picture and more like the average Joe on the street earning a wage.

Is it a change in police?
Possibly, certainly examples of them being more jumpy and reaching for back up far more readily than I recall at Underhill. Why would this be the case?

Is it the Hive itself?
I think it is, the terrace is wide and shallow which allows a lot of supporters to surge forward. The pitchside barrier is low and the goal net in easy reach so police and stewards have no choice but to step in. At Underhill any surge forward of the crowd came up against a fairly high barrier so the stewards an Police could afford to let things calm down before asking everyone to move back.
The new North stand needs to be built ASAP to solve this problem, with the stand in place the only people who can move towards the barrier at any speed are the first row and stewards can easily block the stairway to prevent more fans joining in. Also means fans leave in a more controlled manner rather than all trying to go through the gates at the same time.
beew
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Re: Shark attack

Post: # 155502Post beew »

I think the problems at the Hive comes with the club employing people who have absolutely no experience or knowledge of the job.

Bar staff who've never poured a pint before (and never gain experience as they're not there the next game), ticket office staff who are unaware of any membership discounts and the computer set up, and now a 59 year old steward who on his second game is placed in front of 1000 away fans. Whose in charge of recruitment at the Hive?
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BeesKnees
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Re: Shark attack

Post: # 155503Post BeesKnees »

Not sure his age or experience really matters. Unless you are suggesting he should call a policeman a liar or that it's ok to hit someone as long as they are unlikely to be able to retaliate.
The club don't employ stewards, they use a company that provides stewards to several grounds so the question has to be answered as to why we have an issue but elsewhere they don't? The obvious answer is most league grounds have away fans in a seated area and not so close to the pitch.
becbee
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Re: Shark attack

Post: # 155504Post becbee »

Watching from the West Stand, the Grimsby fans were in carnival atmosphere all afternoon, the inflatables were great fun.
Of course there were manic screens when they scored their injury time winner. plus a spare, especially in a 6 pointer. And of course, the inflatables would have gone somewhere. I imagine their fans were hit by stray inflatables too.

If the police had an issue, why did they allow the inflatables in in the first place?

I remember in 2004/05 when we were in a too small area at Aldershot, each time we scored the surge was bigger. Third goal my daughters and I were knocked sideways and struggled to stay on our feet. Just imagine if a huge shark had also been involved then!

I hope the Grimsby fan wins an appeal but the sad fact is that regardless, 969 fans had a great day out but now they'll just remember how it all ended in this way.

There again, none of this would have happened if we'd not "let" Grimsby win in injury time!!!
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John_c
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Re: Shark attack

Post: # 155505Post John_c »

Hang on. We're blaming the stewards and the police now? Really?
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JohnnyBeeGood
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Re: Shark attack

Post: # 155506Post JohnnyBeeGood »

"We're gonna need a bigger steward!"
talldarkslim
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Joined: 17 Aug 2011, 13:59

Re: Shark attack

Post: # 155511Post talldarkslim »

Such a shame they will be waving them in the national league this season.
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ninestein
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Re: Shark attack

Post: # 155512Post ninestein »

It could have been a lot more embarassing. He could have been hit by one of the other inflatables their fans brought in, which resembled a male private part. Imagine the publicity then...
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Darrenp77
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Re: Shark attack

Post: # 155516Post Darrenp77 »

The problem with outside stewarding companies, is that most of the people that they employ, have very little experience or knowledge about crowd management. Anyone could apply to become a steward, be told where they have to go and what stand they will be in and away you go.

I was a steward at QPR over 15 years ago and they decided to employ Goldrange to manage The Loft, moving us to the away end. After years of trust and one to one relationships, these were all demolished by over handed larger security chaps and a poor standard of stewarding. A majority of these were straight out of college and were stewarding to the rule book.

There was no common sense, where we could see someone causing a little aggro or getting heated, where we could go over and calm them down, all they wanted to do was call for help to get them ejected
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John_c
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Re: Shark attack

Post: # 155519Post John_c »

Hang on. Just what lack of common sense has the steward displayed here while he was been slapped by an inflatable shark?

Should he had had a smile on his face or something? Seriously, this shark guy has played the media like a fiddle. I have no sympathy for him.
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foxy
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Re: Shark attack

Post: # 155520Post foxy »

John_c wrote:Hang on. Just what lack of common sense has the steward displayed here while he was been slapped by an inflatable shark?

Should he had had a smile on his face or something? Seriously, this shark guy has played the media like a fiddle. I have no sympathy for him.
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Darrenp77
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Re: Shark attack

Post: # 155522Post Darrenp77 »

John_c wrote:Hang on. Just what lack of common sense has the steward displayed here while he was been slapped by an inflatable shark?

Should he had had a smile on his face or something? Seriously, this shark guy has played the media like a fiddle. I have no sympathy for him.
My comments way made from stewarding experience, I don't expect anyone to use common sense, when being hit with an inflatable, I was just try put the point across of how bad the stewarding can be at grounds and the reasons behind it

I feel more sorry for the fella, who stood up on the pitch side barrier to celebrate the goal and his mate pushed him over the boundary, and he got dragged away by the old bill. Pretty sure he got a 1 year football ban
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MajorBrownEye
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Re: Shark attack

Post: # 155525Post MajorBrownEye »

The events as I see them.

Grimsby fan refuses to hand over an oversized beach ball at FGR
FGR stewards become heavy handed with said fan.
Grimsby fans arrange an inflatable protest at The Hive bringing a variety of inflatables and enjoying the game in a spirited but peaceful manner. They celebrate their win exuberantly.
One fan who has already taken it too far by bringing an excessively large ride-on pool inflatable decides, rather than celebrate his team's goal, to take revenge on stewards in general by attacking the weediest steward he can find and repeatedly hit him with the inflatable while shouting menaces.
The police spot this and arrest the fan.
The fan is prosecuted by the police/CPS and the steward is called as a witness. The fan claims amnesia.
Upon his conviction, the fan brings a small inflatable out and is photographed with it to gain sympathy.
The press, whilst not stating that it isn't the same inflatable are happy to publish photos and not mention the actual "weapon" thereby ridiculing the justice system and the steward.

The fan is much larger and 10 years younger than the steward. He attacked him aggressively with an inappropriate inflatable. Where's the issue with this prosecution? I have issues with its reporting.
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becbee
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Re: Shark attack

Post: # 155526Post becbee »

There is no evidence that the Grimsby fan attacked the steward with the inflatable, let alone "aggressively". Even those of us who were at the match couldn't comment on that. All we saw were Grimsby fans going mad celebrating, just as we'd have done if the score line had been reversed.

I personally don't believe that the fan deliberately attacked the steward. Why would he have done? I do however believe that it's quite probable that the inflatables did hit people. Just that in most cases they'd have hit other fans.

Without video evidence to prove - or even imply - an aggressive attack, this should have been thrown out of Court.
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John_c
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Re: Shark attack

Post: # 155527Post John_c »

Were you at court?

There must have been some evidence...
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