Anybody trapped in the Leppings Lane bottleneck?

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

wizadry said:
I’m sorry to hear this and hope you’re ok but who’s suggesting you deserved it?
Click to expand...

Thanks, hopefully no permanent damage done, and the kids are ok, so...A lot of post all over social media suggesting the trapped fans somehow deserved it or where the instigators. All arrant bollocks.
 



If these talks don't consist of fans groups telling SYP to go and fuck themselves, then there is literally no point to it. SYP have been crucified for years since Hillsborough... And have changed the square root of fuck all about their policing of large football games since.

What makes them think that a few 'meetings' with fan groups will make any difference? Communication has fuck all to do with it. Their decision making and planning is non-existent.
 
I thought I heard over the tannoy that there would be no exit onto Leppings lane for home fans in the North stand. I thought I read united fans would be held back 10 mins and that trams would be waiting to take them to the city centre. Looks to me like like none of this happened, now if I was a conspiracy theorist I could easily believe SYP want it to kick off at derby games, nothing attracts more funding to police football than more football violence eh. Then again I have believed for years that some of SYP love dressing up in riot gear and beating a few innocent people with batons. SYP really or fucking useless.
 
metalblade said:
I thought I heard over the tannoy that there would be no exit onto Leppings lane for home fans in the North stand. I thought I read united fans would be held back 10 mins and that trams would be waiting to take them to the city centre. Looks to me like like none of this happened, now if I was a conspiracy theorist I could easily believe SYP want it to kick off at derby games, nothing attracts more funding to police football than more football violence eh. Then again I have believed for years that some of SYP love dressing up in riot gear and beating a few innocent people with batons. SYP really or fucking useless.
Click to expand...

I think its a bit more sinister than that. SYP are still seething that they copped the blame for the Hillsborough disaster and are still convinced that it was the fault of drunken scousers and they are innocent despite all the evidence to the contrary. This will not resolve itself until another similar occurrence where they are able to point the finger at the fans and say "See, I told you so". They have the power and authority to engineer this and I wouldn't let them anywhere near a football match ever again for this reason. Either disband the force or get another force in permanently specifically for football matches. What we have now is a disaster waiting to happen.
 
Speaking in February, Chief Insp Phil Barraclough said ‘I think you’re being very harsh on a well meaning body of men’.
 
wizadry said:
They do look to invite it but if you really tried hard enough then you can, most of the time, avoid it.
Click to expand...
I think on this occasion Wiz you were one of the lucky ones. We were on the lower tier, celebrated our 0-0 win and clapped off the players like you. Unfortunately on leaving the ground I was more concerned about the safety of my daughter and other half as objects, coins, fireworks and bottles rained down on us barely 20 yards from the exit gate. We had police pushing genuine Blades fans including families with over the top force squashing them into an area where it was almost impossible to escape. It was SY football policing at its worst but sadly we’ve seen it many times before.
If I could have avoided it I would have done but at that precise moment in time we had zero options. The young Wednesday wannabes just couldn’t resist but in fairness we had an equal number who wanted to retaliate.
As for SYP role when it comes to policing football matches I’ve been in despair for too many years now. They simply don’t have a clue how to conduct themselves or organise events in a proper manner. Will they ever learn that for the majority they are dealing with human beings but on match days treat us like animals! I guess not as they are too busy patting each other on the back say job well done.
What they need is to be taught (inc the match day commanders) by police from different parts of the country how to police football in general. There is little need for outside policing. Are South Yorkshire police required to assist at the North East derby?
I doubt it.
Last night could have been simply avoided. Keep Blades fans in, disperse Owls fans away from the ground, including onto the trams and away. 15 mins later let us out, same again. Not that hard.........
Unless it’s SYP of course
Edit: thanks to the Wednesday fan who threw a 10pence coin which missed my daughters head by inches and landed in her hood. It eventually finished up in John Burkhills pram. A worthy cause but not one with spilling blood for
 
Last edited:
Amazing, you don't see pigs all day, town full of Blades, until they're behind a cordon of police and can do what they want. Another bad day for S Y P. Think their boss gas to go.
 
These accounts are grim reading. Poor policing of football is unacceptable anywhere in the country.

But it simply beggars belief that the aftermath of this match was handed so badly at THAT stadium by THAT police force.

It will doubtless attract no national attention and absolutely no lessons will be learnt once again.

Disgraceful.
 
Ricky said:
There'll always be some trouble in these derbies. It's damage limitation for the police. But to allow that situation at the end of the game despite being so heavily staffed was unnecessary and downright negligent.
Click to expand...

'Negligent'? Or pre-planned? If there's police-instigated trouble it justifies their overtime, hate walls, inviting their mates down from Durham and trebles all round. If people die, they don't give a fuck, the lawyers will still be raking it in at an enquiry 30 years after the event and the police can get back to what they do best. Hiding in their stations and cars waiting for a 'hate crime'.
 
In Star Online from Danny:
Sheffield Derby: South Yorkshire Police chief pledges review of tactics used for Sheffield Wednesday v Sheffield United clash after they were slammed by both Blades and Owls

Shaun Morley, the chief superintendent of South Yorkshire Police, has promised a “full review” of his force's tactics at the Sheffield Derby last night after they were criticised by fans of both Sheffield United and Wednesday. As The Star revealed earlier today, fans were pelted with coins, bottles and even fireworks as they left Hillsborough and one supporter predicted serious injury or death at future games if lessons were not learned.

SYP attracted widespread derision this morning when they issued a press release on their website which quoted Morley praising both sets of fans and adding that "there was an exciting atmosphere for everybody to enjoy". Dozens of supporters have since come forward to share their stories of their treatment at the game and reported being peppered with coins, bottles and even fireworks after being held back by officers, making them "sitting ducks".
 
Freedom of information request to SYP may be interesting...

1. What experience of policing football has the Gold Commander had?
2. When did he pass his Public Order commanders course?
3. Was he Public Order trained as a junior officer?
4. Has he kept up his public order qualification and associated fitness test since promotion?
5. When did he pass his policing major events course?
6. Does he attend matches as a fan?
Etc

Gold commanders are often there by virtue of their rank (Chief Superintendent usually) and may have come from a different policing route ie: CID. They have to pass a course and become accredited but if they haven’t worked in that area, their actual experience can be minimal.

However, the biggest gap is in the common sense and awareness view of a football fan. Normally, those who have been around a bit know when it’s likely to kick off. It seems last night there was no contingency planning for removing people placed at risk. Most senior coppers are blinkered, just follow rules and don’t have sufficient situational awareness of the football environment that we pay them to police...

A policy file will be held and decisions such as not holding back Blades, pathetic fencing, not closing access to pigs should all be recorded. Again a suitably worded FOI request could ask for such information. They may hide behind not disclosing operational tactics, but if it was worded correctly should yield information.

1. What risk assessment was prepared for the simultaneous release of both sets of supporters?
2. Why was LL not closed off?
3. What was the plan to evacuate vulnerable people brought into violent situations?
Etc etc

I certainly think those hurt should ask.

Other route is to make a complaint that police/pig tactics led to injury at a high risk event where such risk could have been averted. Copy anything to the PCC’s office and the IOPC.

SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE WHEN POLICING FOOTBALL..

UTB
 
This is the police force that watched a group of Millwall of about 25 plus show off on the away end at the Lane, including abusing the disabled section, leave the ground 5 minutes early. They then walked unopposed up a side street of Bramall Lane and throw missiles at ordinary fans leaving the game. People including myself and 4 year old son at the time had to duck behind vehicles to avoid being hit.

Not a copper in sight 2 minutes from the ground.

When challenged about at an FSF meeting shortly afterwards, SYP reckoned they knew nothing about it.

Tell me how everything about that doesn't make you smell a rat.
 
I go to gigs with hundreds, thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of other people (99% of whom are law-abiding folk enjoying the experience) ... and I don't get kettled/attacked by baton-wielding Police.

I go to the cinema/theatre with hundreds of other people (99% of whom are law-abiding folk enjoying the experience) ... and I don't get kettled/attacked by baton-wielding Police.

I go boozing in town on a Saturday night, with thousands of other people (maybe 85% of whom are law-abiding folk enjoying the experience, most of the rest being underage drinkers) ... and I don't get kettled/attacked by baton-wielding Police.

I go shopping with thousands of other people at Meadowhall (99% of whom are law-abiding folk enjoying/suffering the experience) ... and I don't get kettled/attacked by baton-wielding Police.

I go walking in the Peak District at the weekend with hundreds/sometime thousands of other people (99% of whom are law-abiding folk enjoying the experience) ... and I don't get kettled/attacked by baton-wielding Police.

I drive 40 miles to work and 40 miles back from work on motorways and A-roads every day with tens of thousands of other motorists (maybe 75% of whom are law-abiding folk, most of the rest being speeders) ... and I don't get kettled/attacked by baton-wielding Police.

I work every day with thousands of people (some of whom might benefit from a night in the cells because they are cunts, but 99.9% of whom are law-abiding folk) ... and I don't get kettled/attacked by baton-wielding Police.

I staff a picket line with 10-20 colleagues (some of whom are a bit smelly, but all of whom seem to be law-abiding folk) ... and I don't get kettled/attacked by baton-wielding Police.

I go to a football match with my children, on any given Saturday afternoon or weekday evening, and I get treated like scum by Police whose "strategy" very often exposes my children and me to real danger at the hands of the 0.1% of idiots who are also present in all the scenarios and activities listed above. It's one of the most dismal and reactionary aspects of our national life, and it is at its most pronounced in South Yorkshire. As others on this thread have said, it is disgusting, and how they get away with it in 2019 is beyond me.

Shame on them.
 
Last edited:
Horrible reading this. Feel for the people caught up in it. I've always been of the view that if you don't want trouble at a football match, you can avoid it. But in the past 18 months I've been at a couple of Utd games where there's been aggro and potential for crushing which has made me completely change my mind. Leicester away in the FA cup when fans charged the turnstiles after being held up too long for checks and the derby at BL last year before the game (no idea what was happening but police were very involved). Both times I was with my Mrs and both times it was pretty horrible worrying about her. I don't care so much about me, I just needed to protect her. Glad it sounds like everyone got out safe but SYP need to take a long, hard look at themselves. I'd wager they have absolutely no idea what it's like to be in a situation like that as a fan not looking for trouble.
 



_105899920_united_fans.jpg




Spot the difference. Last season No pig fans let out of the North Stand, exit door closed next to the flimsy blue dividing partition.So what genius decided to let them out this season? First question to Mr Morleys new fans get together on how to police Sheffield Derbys.
 
LondonBlade89 said:
Horrible reading this. Feel for the people caught up in it. I've always been of the view that if you don't want trouble at a football match, you can avoid it. But in the past 18 months I've been at a couple of Utd games where there's been aggro and potential for crushing which has made me completely change my mind. Leicester away in the FA cup when fans charged the turnstiles after being held up too long for checks and the derby at BL last year before the game (no idea what was happening but police were very involved). Both times I was with my Mrs and both times it was pretty horrible worrying about her. I don't care so much about me, I just needed to protect her. Glad it sounds like everyone got out safe but SYP need to take a long, hard look at themselves. I'd wager they have absolutely no idea what it's like to be in a situation like that as a fan not looking for trouble.
Click to expand...
Apart from being unlucky enough to possibly cop a bottle to the face I didn't really feel too unsafe last night but Leicester was awful. Fans shouldn't have moved the barriers but they brought police horses up next to the fans and then tried to push them back into increasingly scared and nervous police horses. Surprised they put police horses so near people at these games because when they start getting scared the coppers can't control them.
 
The police could create a mental stupid bastard section (MSBS) instead of all this segregation bolox

Anyone wanting to fight and launch missiles can avoid all segregation and just go in through the gates marked MSBS, where an unbreakable glass box awaits them. A United section and a Wendy section, then at kick off time the glass panel separating them is removed by remote control.
Normal people can watch the game in peace, sing and chant without having to worry about a bottle hitting them, and they can occasionally look at the idiots in the glass box and laugh at them

I wonder how many would go in it twice
I wonder whether they'd actually fight at all once there posturing and wind milling arms had run out of steam and they had no missiles to throw at each other.
 
Just been to McDonald's on High Street (home of the machete attack).

I'm not a regular visitor to such establishments but needs must.

What I've just witnessed sums up today's policing.

Whilst waiting for my food a woman said this man has been racist. A doddery old bloke denied he'd said anything, and an African lady working there said he'd been nasty. A bloke close by said he'd made a comment about people where you come from.

Within a matter of minutes a copper appeared and was given a description of the bloke who had left.

I then watched said copper start arguing with a wino outside about dropping litter. When he refused the copper got his notebook out and then tried to take his picture on his mobile. The wino put his hood up and tried to walk away.

Ladies and gentlemen I give you the excellent work and priorities of SYP.

Get burgled? Fuck off we might come tomorrow if we've nothing else on.

80 year old bloke makes inappropriate possibly racist remark and we'll be there in minutes, and then book a homeless wino for dropping a bit of paper.
 
I was there last night with my 9 year old son, and we kept well back but got caught up in some of the stuff that went on after, which was harrowing and got me very very scared for his safety, and he was oblivious to a lot of what was going off.

The mismanagement of the crowd by SYP was absolutely fucking awful to the point where someone could been killed, I got home to see a photo of a friend of mine with his eye split open, I was walking up Halifax Road last night where a group of absolute fucking scrubbers asked me Wednesday or United, and I’m a middle aged bloke with a young child with me.
 
LondonRoad said:
That ground just is not capable of holding big matches safely, especially the Leppings lane end. It gets congested with smaller crowds, let alone crowds of 30,000 plus. To be honest a few fireworks, coins and gesturing didn't bother me but I really felt for the poor people who had younger children with them.

There are idiots on both sides of course, but that ground. Because the trouble caused a slight delay in leaving the ground, we ended up in traffic and it took about 45 mins to get away and back to civalisation. I'd hate to have to go there every week
Click to expand...

Leppings Lane Stand Should have been demolished years ago.
 
Deleted Member said:
I was there last night with my 9 year old son, and we kept well back but got caught up in some of the stuff that went on after, which was harrowing and got me very very scared for his safety, and he was oblivious to a lot of what was going off.

The mismanagement of the crowd by SYP was absolutely fucking awful to the point where someone could been killed, I got home to see a photo of a friend of mine with his eye split open, I was walking up Halifax Road last night where a group of absolute fucking scrubbers asked me Wednesday or United, and I’m a middle aged bloke with a young child with me.
Click to expand...

What did you reply?

I parked on Far Lane and walked to the ground with my wife. I’m a past-middle aged bloke and I have a younger “trophy” wife who, surprisingly perhaps, is not of Thai origin.

We were gaining pace on two blokes in front of us and they stood aside to let us pass. One said to me, “Are you Wednesday?” and I said “no”. I was waiting for the reaction...they were Blades fortunately. Otherwise I may have had to perform origami on them in self-defence.
 
Smirth said:
I always think you can avoid trouble at football matches by just being sensible and alert to danger, last night however there was no escaping it and that really is unacceptable.

The firework that flew over the fence went straight over my head and struck a woman on the side of her head before exploding. This happened almost exactly as I joined the crowd of people trying to get out as I did stay behind in the stadium for 10 minutes. I retreated to the line of stewards and asked a police officer where I should go to get out of the crowd and he just looked at me blankly and didn’t even respond. Thankfully I managed to get to the wall leading up to the bottle neck so at least I could see anything which was being thrown over the fence.

I’ve never felt in danger at a football match before last night, and what’s worse was it was so avoidable if they hadn’t let both fans out at once, or if they didn’t let home fans leave by the exit which leads to Leppings Lane. It’s really not difficult to get your head around.

Thankfully from what I saw no one seemed critically hurt and that’s really lucky, because with fireworks and glass bottles being thrown blindly in to crowds, it’s not inconceivable that someone could have been permanently scarred, blinded or worse.

I’m not going to be going to Hillsborough again after this experience. It’s a huge accident just waiting to happen.
Click to expand...
You pretty much sums up my sentiments and experience entirely.
Been to Hillsborough loads of times before, amongst hundreds of other away games. Perhaps I've been lucky previously, but last night was the first time I've ever felt frightened.
I wasn't amongst the first out, nor the last, so couldn't tell whether it was a bottleneck caused just by congestion or whatever.
All I knew, was that I couldn't go anywhere and saw 2 fireworks thrown towards "us" from the bridge area on the left (the first landing on someone or something not far in front of me) and a few coins and a bottle from our right. And at one point it seemed as though the fence to our right was about to come down towards us.
I didn't see any casualties, but am not surprised if/that there were.
All I did was put my hood up, in the hope that it would offer some protection from anything else. There was nothing else I could do, even though I knew it a pretty pathetic attempt at protecting myself at the time.
I was fine as soon as I got on my way, and thankfully that wasn't too long after. Still scarey at the time.
I can't even compute what must go through the mind of anyone who chucks fireworks/bottles/coins about at random people who just happen to support a different team. They're the ones to blame, first and foremost. But clearly, or at least the way I saw it, the organisation didn't help.
Makes me sad more than anything
 
I think it must have taken me longer than most people to get out of the ground after the game as I saw no trouble at all. SYP held us back outside the away end for about 15 minutes then we were free to go. Much better than last year where I got to Middlewood tram stop about an hour after the full time whistle because the police held us for ages, then let us move 10 yards, before holding us back for another 5 minutes, then letting us move 10 yards, then holding us again.

I do completely agree that SYP are fucking useless though, I just didn't see any trouble last night. I was more scared on the concourse before the game, the gangways leading into the stand are far too narrow, I honestly thought I was going to be crushed as I was trying to make my way through the crowd. That away end is an absolute fucking disgrace and should have been knocked down 30 years ago.
 
Of all the stuff I’ve read about last night I think special praise should go to those United fans who helped the Wednesdayite mum and kids safely onto a bus out of harm’s way, from their own moronic hooligans and the zealous police.

Whoever you are, and I hope you are on here, you’re an absolute credit to your club and to humanity.

I didn’t witness any trouble (was in the South Stand) but the atmosphere was intense on entering and leaving the ground. We sat amongst the home fans and I thought they took “vile” to a new level. This was in the £46 seats btw!

After the match, and unprompted by me, my wife says...”I know we’ve got some rough fans but they were really worse than anything I’ve seen at a United match”.

I was thinking exactly the same.

Tbh- I’ve often been critical of folks who try to make out one set of Sheffield fans have more scum than the other. I’ve written on here and elsewhere that we aren’t a different species and it’s the same for both of us. After last night I have seriously changed my mind. I am prepared to believe that the vast majority of Wednesday fans are decent human beings, but when it comes to vile inhuman types they really are Sheffield’s “massive”!
 
sitwell said:
Syp are fucking shit
Click to expand...
Topplayersleave said:
The police could create a mental stupid bastard section (MSBS) instead of all this segregation bolox

Anyone wanting to fight and launch missiles can avoid all segregation and just go in through the gates marked MSBS, where an unbreakable glass box awaits them. A United section and a Wendy section, then at kick off time the glass panel separating them is removed by remote control.
Normal people can watch the game in peace, sing and chant without having to worry about a bottle hitting them, and they can occasionally look at the idiots in the glass box and laugh at them

I wonder how many would go in it twice
I wonder whether they'd actually fight at all once there posturing and wind milling arms had run out of steam and they had no missiles to throw at each other.
Click to expand...
We’d spend all afternoon watching the glass box rather than the match. I’d pay for that.
 



I know it was a completely different situation from last night but the policing at WBA last week was very good. The coppers were courteous, friendly and helpful. They chatted to people and treated them as humans and not like shit on their shoes like our lot do.
Now I’m not saying West Midlands Police are angels but they could teach SYP a few lessons in policing football crowds.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

Back
Top Bottom