No more weekend derby matches?

[Bannerman]

I spat out my coffee at this point.

South Yorkshire Police said they had to balance policing matches "while maintaining our high levels of service for the public whom we serve".

Is he saying that football supporters aren't members of the public? Don't people who follow football also pay taxes and rates in order to pay for police services?

As for ' maintaining our high levels of of service ' did he manage to say that with a straight face?

It would be interesting to hear him justify an expenditure of £203,000 to police a match in Sheffield compared to £64,000 for the same job in Glasgow. The problem with many of our public services is that they aren't answerable to anyone and operate their own little fiefdom in any way they like. All this ' whom we serve ' business is nonsense, they serve their own self interest.

 

[grafikhaus]

So it cost £200K+ for the Sheffield Derby, but only £64K for the Old Firm? Are they issuing diamond-encrusted handcuffs at SYP or something?
There's something seriously wrong with SYP finances if those figures are right, because thousands of pounds are clearly being wasted somewhere.

Inviting their mates down from Durham Constabulary won't come cheap. Neither will membership of a Masonic Lodge. And that's before they start investigating wolf-whistling builders.

 

[SwissBlade]

Well, not if South Yorkshire Police get their way.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-46760669

“Police in Sheffield have said they no longer want football matches between the city's two teams to take place at weekends.

South Yorkshire Police said they had to balance policing matches "while maintaining our high levels of service for the public whom we serve".

The force has written to the English Football League (EFL) to ask for derby fixtures to take place on week nights.

The March game between the Championship sides has been moved to Monday night.

A BBC investigation showed that last year's fixture between Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United at Hillsborough was the most expensive policing operation in England, costing £203,000. The home club was billed £41,000 by the police.

Deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts has said the force makes a "significant loss" policing football games across the county.

More Yorkshire stories

In a statement, DCC Roberts said: "We must balance this type of operation and the resource it requires against our resilience to provide a service to the wider public of South Yorkshire, to ensure that everyone continues to receive the support and response they quite rightly expect from their local police."

He said he had told the EFL that "this support is achievable and sustainable if derby fixtures take place on week nights".

The force said it was consulting with fans about the change.”

Perhaps the inept higher echelons of the force could ask for tips from police forces used to handling big games on a regular basis for less money than the derby matches cost? Or would that be just too obvious for them?

Nail smashed firmly on its head in your last para...

I’ve said it before, will say it again and again... SY police need to do the job that they’re required to do and one which is done by many other forces.

Is it possible to bring in an entirely different force to handle it? That would be my preference

 

[Rodley]

Is SYP’s mission statement to have the worst reputation of any force on the planet?

 

[Hamburg Blade]

Is SYP’s mission statement to have the worst reputation of any force on the planet?

They need another one, having achieved that with flying colours.

 

[KoppedOff]

Whats next? No gigs at the Arena at weekends? Half marathon must be run on a Tuesday? Nightclubs can only be open during the day?

 

[Topplayersleave]

Pathetic
I wonder how much they cost the bus and tram services by holding them up for 45 minutes
I wonder how much they cost everybody by re-routing every vehicle in Sheffield
I wonder how much they cost all the publicans/managers by closing bars
I wonder how much they cost each club with their pathetic kick off times and attendance restrictions

South Yorkshire police's answer to every problem in the past was to wade in and kick the shit out of any problem they encountered. They can't do that anymore so now that they have to use actual policing skills, and they're clueless

 

[Yellarbellyblade]

Found something blades and owls can agree on

PeteG_1984[/paste:font]

• Sheffield Wednesday First Team
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Posted 2 hours ago


Why don’t SYP just go the whole hog and admit they don’t want any professional football played in South Yorkshire. They get more and more over the top each year with crowd segregation to the point where half a stand needs to be closed off and now this. It’s just embarrassing for us all, especially after watching the old firm last week and the segregation there.



I know they’ll point to the cost of last season’s derby being the most expensive but come on, was it really necessary for it to cost that much? I firmly put the onus of blame on SYP for that one (save for those that did get into a scrap).



Let’s be honest here, football fans in this area are still having to suffer because of their gross, deadly incompetence of 1989.

 

[8lade]

Is it possible to bring in an entirely different force to handle it? That would be my preference

This ^^^^^
Both clubs should push for this especially if they try and get more funding from the clubs. It would be cheaper to bring the fuzz down from Glasgow put them up in a hotel than let SYP look after it. I'd imagine it would make more seating available too.

 

[shorehamview]

This ^^^^^
Both clubs should push for this especially if they try and get more funding from the clubs. It would be cheaper to bring the fuzz down from Glasgow put them up in a hotel than let SYP look after it. I'd imagine it would make more seating available too.

PC McGarry from Camberwick Green would do a better job than the top nobs policing football in Sheffield.

 

[Bladesman]

I think what they really wanted to say is

'Police in Sheffield no longer want football matches between the two teams to take place'.

Correction:

'Police in Sheffield no longer want football matches to take place.'

 

[SB_90]

i find this bafflingly because what are South Yorkshire police not doing, that other police force are because you look at the game that are much higher profile to us & majority twice the crowd. birmingham (Aston villa 40,000) North London (Spurs 83,000 Arsenal 60,000) Manchester (City 54,000 Utd 78,000 & Merseyside (Liverpool 52,000 Everton 39,000) can go well & police seem well organised. then theres the old firm. that is 1 of 4 most Volatile global derbies on par with el clasico, galatasaray v fenerbahce & boca juniors v river plate with twice the crowd manage it 4 times a season + cup games. yet they rarely have problem


i don't want to have ago at police because they do a good job, but i have a feeling problem is more with police than us because i just dont see how a 2nd tier derby with 30000 is most dangerous in britain. must be played on weekdays, above Old Firm, Manchester, North London & Merseyside it doesn't add up

 

[DifferentClass]

Can we all start singing "SYP is fucking shit"? Or will we be arrested?

 

[Cerberus Blade]

After having read the article, I have just emailed this to SYP

"Hello
Just read the article about the SYP not wanting weekend fixtures between United and Wednesday.
The article suggests “The force said it was consulting with fans about the change”
I would like to be involved please in this consultation.
Fan of Sheffield United for 51 years and 62 years of age.
Kind Regards
xxxx"

Bet I don't hear anything back.

UTB

The interesting thing about this is that they have already made their recommendations to the EFL that there should be no weekend fixtures - and the consultation, if there ever is one, is to come later. I would normally expect the consultation to come first, then communicate that to the authorities. It sounds like this "consultation" is the same type of consultation that I see in corporate life. A company is restructuring and plans to shed 1000's of jobs, but first, they have a "consultation period" during which employees are asked their opinion. However, it doesn't change a thing - the company still goes ahead with their plans - it's just ticking the box of saying, "we asked them".

 

[boo radley]

A lesson in how to alienate a good chunk of the South Yorkshire Public and instil confidence that the Police in SY are changing to better serve the people who they say they are here to serve.

 

[boo radley]

The interesting thing about this is that they have already made their recommendations to the EFL that there should be no weekend fixtures - and the consultation, if there ever is one, is to come later. I would normally expect the consultation to come first, then communicate that to the authorities. It sounds like this "consultation" is the same type of consultation that I see in corporate life. A company is restructuring and plans to shed 1000's of jobs, but first, they have a "consultation period" during which employees are asked their opinion. However, it doesn't change a thing - the company still goes ahead with their plans - it's just ticking the box of saying, "we asked them".

It is simply a diffuser to a potential protest. It gives them a period where the anger dies down and some folk come to accept it.
If it was just said and done the likelihood for protest would be much greater.
Should we call it pacifying control?

 

[metalblade]

Someone has got to pay the compensation to the victims of Asian child rapists in Rotherham, Then there is the cost of fighting the case of Hillsborough maybe Orgreave too. Costly business this fighting the courts then having to pay out compensation when you are found to be useless, it's a great idea to make football clubs and fans pay for their failures.

 

[Sandygate Blade]

As part of consulting with the fans i wonder if SYP would be willing to show a breakdown of the costs and numbers on duty so they can be compared against other forces. What techniques do other forces use that are successful?

i spoke with some of the North East police who were on duty who thought the whole operation with completely over the top.

 

[Ricky]

Am I missing something? Has the amount of murders trouble at these games increased significantly on what it used to be? Have they suddenly become much harder to control?

Or is it just the usual snowflakery, laziness and incompetence from the country's worst police force?

The reality is that the level of hooliganism/violence is lower than ever.

SYP are nothing short of a disgrace.

Are we, the clubs, the fans, going to resist this in any way or just roll over for them as usual?

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Well, not if South Yorkshire Police get their way.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-46760669

“Police in Sheffield have said they no longer want football matches between the city's two teams to take place at weekends.

South Yorkshire Police said they had to balance policing matches "while maintaining our high levels of service for the public whom we serve".

The force has written to the English Football League (EFL) to ask for derby fixtures to take place on week nights.

The March game between the Championship sides has been moved to Monday night.

A BBC investigation showed that last year's fixture between Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United at Hillsborough was the most expensive policing operation in England, costing £203,000. The home club was billed £41,000 by the police.

Deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts has said the force makes a "significant loss" policing football games across the county.

More Yorkshire stories

In a statement, DCC Roberts said: "We must balance this type of operation and the resource it requires against our resilience to provide a service to the wider public of South Yorkshire, to ensure that everyone continues to receive the support and response they quite rightly expect from their local police."

He said he had told the EFL that "this support is achievable and sustainable if derby fixtures take place on week nights".

The force said it was consulting with fans about the change.”

Perhaps the inept higher echelons of the force could ask for tips from police forces used to handling big games on a regular basis for less money than the derby matches cost? Or would that be just too obvious for them?

Is that per game or per season?

 

[Ricky]

That hilarious line about wanting to consult with the fans....

You know what, let's take them up on the 'offer'.

Get a petition signed by as many fans of both clubs as possible, then present it to them. They can't just ignore that like they would with every individual who'll tell them what they don't want to hear.

It could hopefully whip up some media attention and put SYP's incompetence in the spotlight.

 

[wavy-blade]

SYP are furkin unless they really are , remember the derby last year when our escorted fans missed the first 2 goals ( any blade that falls for that this year wants there head examined) and as so many have said on here all the other derbies that take place in the U.K. And football games with bigger attendances in the U.K. How the hell do other police forces cope ?
Answer = BETTER

 

[S64 Blade]

If only there was a journalist on here who could really run with this story and request an FOI on the costs and rationale... Danny04

 

[FATTYFOULKE]

Surely it’s easier to police a match during daylight hours rather than a dark midweek night?

The other thing that strikes me is any trouble-causes have potentially all day to get tanked up and cause trouble.

...and what gives him, this one man, the right to take the decision and write to the football league. Has he even discussed it with the clubs?

I hope the clubs don’t sit back and just accept this, they and we fans should join forces and oppose this in any way we can.

 

[ChipButtyBlade]

SYP Police, "cock a snook" at Sheffield football fans.

 

[Ricky]

I've just typed this that could be part of a petition, but I know there'll be other strong points to make, so let me know any I've missed. Any experienced petitioners here who might want to advise/take this on?



Following the recent news that SYP are requesting that all Sheffield derby matches take place on weekday nights, we, as fans of both Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday would like to register our strong disapproval and demand reconsideration, or at the very least sufficient justification for this decision.

Making such exceptions for this fixture time and again with the policing and segregation is wholly unnecessary and totally illogical given that NO OTHER derby match in Britain requires the same extreme measures. The contrast between ours and the Manchester and Old Firm derbies for example, which are often played on weekends with only a single line of police separating the fans, is laughable. This all reflects negatively on SYP, and all involved.

There is no evidence that the Sheffield derby is higher risk than any other game. There is no evidence that the level of trouble has increased in recent years. In fact, quite the opposite. The level of hooliganism is lower than ever. Yet SYP's approach gets more extreme by the year. It's almost as if they'll not stop until the game is played behind closed doors.

SYP's own fear and incompetence should be no reason to punish and inconvenience the majority of fans, and no reason to charge the clubs more in policing costs.

There is no reason the Sheffield derby can't take place at the weekend and we ask for SYP to acknowledge and act on this.

SYP claimed they were "keen to hear from supporters" so we trust this won't be ignored....

 

[Sean Thornton]

Inviting their mates down from Durham Constabulary won't come cheap. Neither will membership of a Masonic Lodge. And that's before they start investigating wolf-whistling builders.

West York’s were in attendance as well last time. Like the Durham lot, said it was a shambles and they’d been misled that the BankersDraft before the game was full of hardcore BBC.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

The interesting thing about this is that they have already made their recommendations to the EFL that there should be no weekend fixtures - and the consultation, if there ever is one, is to come later. I would normally expect the consultation to come first, then communicate that to the authorities. It sounds like this "consultation" is the same type of consultation that I see in corporate life. A company is restructuring and plans to shed 1000's of jobs, but first, they have a "consultation period" during which employees are asked their opinion. However, it doesn't change a thing - the company still goes ahead with their plans - it's just ticking the box of saying, "we asked them".

Yes agreed - yet I have, I believe, quite a few sensible questions to ask SYP & SAG.

In it's simplest terms:

Both Derby and SWFC had full compliments of fans in BL Lower - the front 6 rows of the BLUT were netted off for when we played the pigs, yet only 3 when we played Derby. My argument all along is to get plan for Bramall Lane (as it's a flash point) and stick to the same plan. There is always a maximum (known) number of away fans, therefore if everyone got used to the SAME plan, then SYP would become familiar with plan and would get experienced at handling the plan.

In the ideal world the stand needs dropping and redesigning with exit routes designed for now and not a previous generation.

We could also make more space on Bramall Lane - and although controversial, perhaps United/Council should have a plan for taking over some land to make the "space" bigger and hopefully more organised on exit of games.

UTB

 

[sitwell]

Its not the police on the ground that are the problem ,many are football fans and think the same as us ,I sit with one ,its the hierarchy who probably hate football and see it as an inconvenient alternative to a game of bowls or cricket.

 

[Hamburg Blade]

Its not the police on the ground that are the problem ,many are football fans and think the same as us ,I sit with one ,its the hierarchy who probably hate football and see it as an inconvenient alternative to a game of bowls or cricket.

Bowls? Get the water cannon out...
https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/...yer-headbutted-by-opposition-bowler-1-8092149