'Bullieve' looks back at the 'disturbance at Alvechurch' and questions some of the statements made afterwards.
A few more fans showed up and in that group I noticed a few faces I had seen while following Hereford this season. The drink throwing, punches, barrier moving and surges forward all appeared to come from the “home” area with a couple of “Hereford” appearing to only react in a way of trying to protect themselves as punches were hurled at them. Looking at pictures and video I don’t recognise any of the main group of “Hereford” people facing toward the “home end”. I can see a couple of faces behind the group I recognise but they appear to be simply observing or facing the pitch. Is that the away day’s organiser trying to calm it down in the one picture?
Whether the people in the home group were Alvechurch fans, locals or just trouble makers or from other clubs it’s not clear. That area of the ground was out of bounds to Hereford fans. Most Hereford fans ignored it but some were trying to stop it and some people started to move away but the group from the home end were still keen to keep it going. Yes, so “Hereford fans” throw punches but the aggressor was the home end group behind the dugout.
Who knows had this small “Hereford” group not stood up, would the “home” end group surged into the Hereford fans hurting innocent bystanders?
Security was poor - no signs of Hereford stewards that were mentioned in the build-up. They had a couple with SIA badges then a few who looked late teens to early 20’s. They didn't react then it was too late. Some even picked the barriers up and used it to push Hereford fans back.
2 Examples: One bloke in a blue coat ran from the main stand around pitch side (other side of the pitch to trouble) passing police and stewards but none of them stopped him as he ran. Once he arrived by Alvechurch dug out he is seen on the video on social media wading into the trouble. Almost throwing himself into it. A friend who was by the main stand and as the penalty was saved one “Hereford” fan climbed up the floodlight pylon and when my friend said to a young steward about it the response was a giggle and comment that Hereford fans are crazy. He didn’t seem interest.
Yes, our fans are not perfect and we have a few idiots who have been involved in trouble in the past or can’t handle drinks. Thursday night just came across as another “home” team or local idiots thinking or that who think let’s try play up against the traveling Hereford show.
Yes, some fans went onto the playing surface after penalty save but again it was a couple who went too far. Most just moved forward as it wasn’t very hard to not get on the pitch, if you were stood behind either goals you could be nudged forward and end up falling into net it was that close.
Yes, some idiot let off a smoke bomb/flare. Probably a youngster who thought it’s big and clever. This could be avoided had searches had been conducted on the way in.
I do agree to some of the points Statto makes about stewarding/securing and at this level of football clubs are not used to crowd like this and rely on volunteers as do Hereford. However, this was a big game, they knew we were travelling in numbers after 900 tickets sold out. A couple of stewards in position behind the goal in front the main bulk of Hereford fans as the penalty was taken and couple in the not man’s land between home end and Hereford end should or would have stopped any incidents.
I will mention and compliment one steward who I think was wearing Bromsgrove hi vis, he seemed to be doing stuff throughout the game by telling people not do this or move back while also interacting with fans as he did it.
The end of the game with only one exit gate with another blocked by portaloos and another nailed shut. This led to a bottle neck as fans tried to leave, leading to some move onto pitch for space. Anyone see the poor chap at the end struggling to breath and left for ages without help by Alvechurch stewards. No paramedics could attend as they couldn't get in.
What happened if the incident was worse or people panicked in the bottle neck in the crowd leaving. It doesn’t bare thinking of what could of happened. Do they not need an evacuation time or that or is that bigger stadia like Edgar street?
No mention also of Hereford obsessed Highgate player Lei Brown who was in attendance and spat at Robbo as he warmed up. Mr Brown for those who don’t know him, he seems to have an obsession or dislike for Hereford. He apparently punched or try to punch a Hereford fan at Coleshill, he punched Rodders after the league cup game as Hereford fans left the ground and he was also involved in the abuse towards Hereford fans as he left the pitch at Edgar Street.
In regards to the facilities they were pretty poor to be fair, we had 6 toilets for at least 900 that we had sold tickets for plus the probable 300 extra. This was reduced to 4 before half time as 2 went out of action. We then had a small fenced off area that look more like something from Glastonbury that had a marquee. I also heard the club don’t have a disabled toilet or facilities.
You can mention alcohol and maybe had this game take place Easter Monday it may not of been as bad in a sense of drunkenness due to lack of time to consume it but I think with the evening game must people came straight from work and didn’t have time to have much to drink. 5 buses also stopped off at a pub just down the road from the ground and there was no problem there at all.
Statements from Alvechurch and Church chairmans talk with Hereford times:
“They told us before the match they have a hardcore of fans who are banned from home games but can attend away matches.”
We currently have one fan banned? A few fans who have been given warnings but I've not heard anything about this hardcore element they mention?
“There has been trouble at Lye and Salisbury and Hereford has been the common denominator.”
Lye Town
2 injured Lye players drunk in fancy dress had an altercation with a drunk Hereford fan
The same 2 players then flashed private bits to a member of the Hereford media team
A couple of drunken idiots went on the pitch but again this people didn't seem familiar and seemed to join mates for a pre Christmas knees up
Highgate away (League cup)
As Hereford fans left the ground a bit vocal some Highgate people took offence and confronted the fans then Highgate players and officials got involved which led to Lei Brown punching a fan
Dunkirk
Hereford fans got too carried away with a late late goal and around 20 went on the pitch. As one fan got over the fence he was struck in the face in an unprovoked attack from a Dunkirk official this was then followed up by an ex manager throwing punches at fans. A Hereford director had a punch thrown at him as he left the club house to head out the ground also.
Hereford at home
Yes, 2 incidents with flares and 1 pitch invader. One the flair incidents was lost in translation it would appear from our European friends
Salisbury? No issues? Anyone?
Extra 145 in attendance
Just before kick-off, people that did not have a ticket was told to wait in till all ticket holders had gone in and then they could look at the numbers. “around 60 to 70 fans turned up without tickets and the fans from Crewe and Aston Villa turned up.” From chairman quote to Hereford times, why would Crewe fans travel to Alvechurch? Very odd. However, in the statement he says “We were also advised by police and the league that if there were some fans who arrived without tickets that to prevent them from causing problems outside the ground to let them in.”
To be all ticket yet people could pay on gate so how's that Hereford fault? There were other fans in the ground from Crewe, Aston Villa, Highgate, Birmingham and other MFL who is to say who the trouble makers were. Capacity was set at 1500 but now chairman says well actually it was 1579 but still around 70 over that capacity. All tickets were sold, so regardless of how people got in, Badges / pay on gate, they should not have been allowed in. At what point would they have said no?? Who was counting the pay on the gate people?