Club Suggestions Thread

You get special dispensation to sit in the middle if you take a thermos flag and a travel rug.

 

Thanks Al. I'll remember that next time.

 

It’s not compulsory to choose a seat in the Family Friendly Zone. If you want to take your chance of sitting behind a group of backsides who like to stand throughout the whole match, it’s your choice!

 

Your suggestion would make that more likely.
I've no problem with those at the back standing and leading the chanting. In fact I welcome it.
At the moment peer pressure usually stops people standing in the lower half, so I can sit in the middle, half way up and get a decent view. But if there was a designated sitting section in the corner then the serial standers would feel justified in standing at the front all game and ignoring requests to sit down.

 

Thanks for your detailed response. The proposal is never going to be foolproof but an attempt to try and address what I perceive to be a growing issue. Where there is pay on the gate, sufficient spare seats will be available for a “sit where you like” guidance to be in place and the problem solves itself. The cooperation of the away club is essential for this to work. Do the ticket office managers ever get together to discuss such issues? Has Family Friendly Zones for away fans ever been discussed? Could Valley Parade set an example by designating the T Dallas stand as family friendly for a large away following as an experiment?

 

Thats usually the scenario at most away games, the singers tend to congregate together, usually at the back and they always stand up. For the majority of the time it causes no problem and at least gives us some modicum of atmosphere. On Saturday i had i chose to stand up in my original seat i wouldn't have been able to see the half way line, never mind the far end goal. There were plenty of empty seats in front of us though so migrated down the stand to where we could stand and see the game. I honestly can't see the 'problems' on Saturday happening again this season.

 

Don’t forget the earmuffs, the pearl clutching types can block out the F word with a decent pair of earmuffs.

 

They won't open the TL Dallas due to cost restraints while other parts of the ground have large availability.

 

Haha the old foul language debate. If you are going to a sporting occasion and not wanting to hear bad language then theres no hope. Just have to accept there are potty mouth people in the world. My lads heard it for 6 years now at football games but does not use foul language himself. Strange because i swear like a trooper at the football.

 

Apart from the scrotes in the corner after we scored, I didn't see any particular problems on Saturday. I was sat about 12 rows back behind the goal and there were no standers in front of me.

 

Agree mate, i saw no problems at all throughout the entire day, whether that was down to the North of Englands entire riot police units been deployed in Grimsby or the fact that the fans had been put in an induced coma by half time is open to suggestion.

 

Thanks to everyone who responded to my original post on segregation of away tickets. Judging by the comments, even if the club found a way around all the complexities, there is not much appetite for such an initiative. Let us hope that whether we sit or stand we are all rewarded with a decent performance and a win on our next away adventure. Until my next bright idea ….zzzzzzzzzzzz

 

I think your original post had merit. There is a mob mentality at away games sometimes, not just at City, which can lead to a loss of enjoyment for some of the other supporters. I don’t think its a lack of appetite, more a realisation of what sometimes happens can’t be avoided. I think the unwritten rule of singers and standers as far at the back of the stadium as possible and anyone wishing to sit down for whatever reason has less chance of their view and enjoyment being restricted.

 

Just picked this up Rod.
Having defended the Club three times last season with EFL issues about crowd trouble at Rochdale, Walsall and home to Posh, I share the frustration and this is possibly one for your next meeting with Ryan Sparks but:-
1. Most teams hosting us this season see us as a financial windfall and will try to fill the away accommodation without too much concern.
2. How do we say to other clubs we want an area for family?, how many seats will it involve?. What if we say, just for theory we want 10%, say 200 at most grounds and then only sell 100, does the home club come for compensation for lost income?, I know for a fact some will.
3. Some clubs with standing only behind the goal do allocate a section of seating along the side, like we do. That is easier to police and generally due to the higher price of ticket becomes a self selection process and a more comfortable experience. I believe this will be a regular feature this season.

I don't believe there is a lot we can do but the best solution is to have stronger stewarding and policing at these grounds. I for one would welcome that as it may result in less of my time pleading our case to the EFL.
Looking at Grimsby there were as many police as I've seen in a long time but little action from them and to return to my first point, when the attendance was given the Grimsby Chairman leapt up and punched the air with financial glee, that, sadly is what it's all about for the clubs hosting us.

 

How many did they knock off the actual attendance?