Andy Graham comments on the stewarding and policing at Whaddon Road yesterday:
Hereford United runs through the veins of some of us. We have had some bad times and lately, some very good times. This season has seen a combination of both, with the recent away day at Cheltenham ranking amongst one of the most action-packed days out I have ever experienced with United, both on and off the field.
Cheltenham away was in fact one of those games that messes with your mind ever so slightly. For many reasons, it was why you go to football; drama on the pitch, being able to shout at weak refereeing, passion and joy in the terraces and good company and humour, all in a day out. For many other reasons, it was a day where you questioned why you bother spending so much when those with the responsibility for ensuring that you enjoy your day out with a certain degree of safety, actually conspire, as a unit, to disrupt the day whilst attempting to portray some sort of primeval hierarchy due to their position of steward, or demonstrate spineless Policing - once again!
There were many stewards on duty at the match. For failing to actually do their job and ensure that the gangways were clear form the start, they ensured that we would have considerable numbers of supporters near to the entrance gate at the start of the match. It isn't an isolated occurrence that requires the input of a scientist to resolve and happens at every match when a section of the ground is sold out. Both the stewards and the Police (not the Hereford Police, I may add!) had a duty of care to not only ensure that this did not happen, but that the area was safe. Did they do this? No!
We can go on and on about any number of supporters who deserved what they got and, yes, perhaps the odd one did. However, we are all different and there are some that do, for whatever reason, behave differently, have a drink with THEIR friends and are parts of groups or gangs of lads when they go to matches. Reality is, this has always happened, and, as long as the human race exists, probably always will. I say, get over it, accept that it happens and deal with it. Don't use it as an excuse to punish the rest. To evidence my accusation of cowardice against the officials at the match - Hereford Police excepted, it was strange to see those that were under the weather from alcohol and older men being left alone or 'talked' to, whilst 11 and 12 year olds along with gents in their 60's were manhandled out by the stewards. I will leave you to read into that one what you will.
The solution to the overcrowding was to usher people out of the way and into gangways! Hmmmm, sensible! I approached a female Steward Supervisor and asked her why she had done this as now my nine year old boy had to stand on his seat to see the game. She replied by stating that he should not be on the seat and would be ejected if seen. Naturally, as a father, this provoked me into an argument with four stewards, as they appeared to swarm around when you so much as spoke to them, and I invited them in an exceptionally father-like manner to even attempt to touch my son and see if all four of them did not end up requiring the services of the St Johns Ambulance brigade. Being driven to this retort did not make me proud and I still regret having been reduced to such behaviour. This is exactly the impact that this poor safety supervision and lack of interpersonal skills has. There is a famous saying that ‘behaviour breeds behaviour!’.
It is true to say that many of those (in the words of the now frequently used chant)
'**** job no friends' stewards, are beginning to feature in most post match conversations. Why is this? Are they not there to provide the Club with a service to enable effective and safe passage of supporters whilst paying customers (now there is an interesting word) are in their premises? It would seem that only a handful of Clubs would be able to truly provide such a service. In my experience most clubs provide stewards who pedantically apply legislation whilst having very little or absolutely no knowledge of the legislation and very little people skills to enable them to communicate what little knowledge they do have.
Despite this, we appear to have humoured such behaviour for many years and it has evidently sunken to new depths.
The ‘Valentines Day Debacle’ as I now refer to it, Cheltenham away, enabled the stewards to show just how private security can be allowed to continue no more for paying customers, without serious and regulated control. It surely can be only a matter of time before serious and uncontrolled mass violence will take place at one of these matches. No-one wants that!
Some would say that in the past the Police have provided this regulation and control over stewarding at fixtures where violence is either expected or has taken place. In recent times, it appears that even this does not take place.
Policing at football matches that I have attended also appears to have sunk to depths only matched by those of stewarding incompetence. I say this from a position of experience having had over fifteen years as a National Policing Public Order Instructor and Tactical Advisor.
Gloucestershire Police upheld the recent decline in the standards of Policing at football matches and congregated near the main entrance at the Cheltenham match, milling around and trying their best to act in a macho and unprofessional manner. I, like many others, have criticised the Police and stereotypically tarred them all with the same brush in recent years, but was pleasantly surprised to see PC Thomas from Hereford and One other West Mercia Officer, that were actually monitoring the behaviour of those in the ground and not only this, they were communicating in a very professional manner with those that required it.
The Inspector in charge of the Officers from Gloucestershire Police, who can only be described as a ‘gathering of uniforms’ arrived to discuss the issue of many fans without seats who were stood at the front of the seated area behind the goal. The solution was given to his smirking servants, to usher the entire group of the ‘offenders’ out of the ground. How does this only happen to football fans, many of whom were just enjoying themselves and had used hard-earned cash in difficult times to facilitate this. No doubt the entrance test for these Police Officers had been removed as I can't think of any reason for the possession of intelligence to come out with that one.
The truth of this is, both the Gloucestershire Police and the majority of the Stewards were nothing short of scandalous. They were incapable of doing their jobs effectively. The cowardly actions of inviting youths to sit down and then showing them to their seats, only to turn them immediately left and out of the ground was an absolute abuse of authority - I intend to document this against PC 1813 of the Gloucestershire Constabulary.
I will place on record my commending of the actions of PC Thomas from Hereford. I was in a prime position to see that an over-zealous Gloucestershire Inspector, who clearly had a very limited idea on how to deal with the fans that were stood at the front section, called on his reinforcements to shepherd the fans out of the ground. Instead of taking the obvious action of perhaps escorting them to the spare seats in the side corner section. PC Thomas, instead of being railroaded into this over the top activity, actually took the risk of a wrap on the knuckles and warned the Hereford fans that were about to be ejected, whilst also ensuring that the original objective was achieved. Practical and positive policing, with care for HIS local residents of Hereford. PC Thomas, if you are reading this, I exalt that behaviour, well done sir.
Well done to the majority of Hereford fans, a great day out, some great pubs before and after the match, fantastic spirit by the team who were ripped apart by injury and to cap it off TEN, yes TEN, whole additional minutes.
I for one have previously been critical of PC Thomas and his actions at some Hereford matches and also some away matches. Today, I APOLOGISE! I saw that he actually has the interest of the Hereford fans at heart whilst maintaining the role of Police Officer in a dignified, practical and realistic manner. In fact, I would go so far as to say that if we had had twenty of him policing this match, the entire day would have been excellent. PC Thomas, I exalt you!
I would suggest that every fan reading this article greets PC Thomas and the Hereford Officers that accompany him in a positive manner. I do not believe that criticism can be made of poor Policing and poor stewarding, without acknowledging excellent Policing and Stewarding when they occur. I shall attempt to shake the mans’ hand next time I see him and I would suggest that many of those at the front who he spoke to, do the same. You were definitely on your way out had it not been for his unselfish and practical actions.
PC Thomas, you were a breath of fresh air on Saturday and a credit to your uniform.
Text at top (next game etc)
Next Game: Scarborough In The League At Edgar Street On Tuesday 19th November At 7.45pm