email from club - NO MORE TICKETS ON SALE IN KOP - standing & wrong seat usage

[Greasy Chap Butty]

Previously mentioned complaints because there were suggestions fans were being inconvenienced by fans standing in small areas at the back of the kop.
As SAG don't sit in their own secret bunker, they will have known this has been going on for years. Presumably in the previous years it was safe overcrowding but this season it isn't.
The kop isn't that hard to enter or exit and it's very easy to simply walk onto the pitch if necessary which is where I think emergency services would come from in the event of an emergency (rather than going via the top of the kop).
The point remains whether the issue is so serious we have to effectively close more than 20 per cent of the kop. There isn't much evidence it is.

The 20% is a 'punishment' to encourage it to be fixed.

 

[Pedro's Winger]

The 20% is a 'punishment' to encourage it to be fixed.

United have taken the action themselves, there was no legal requirement to do so.
The council/SAG definitely did a bit of sabre-rattling that the club needed to do more but they didn't implement a punishment.

 

[Greasy Chap Butty]

United have taken the action themselves, there was no legal requirement to do so.
The council/SAG definitely did a bit of sabre-rattling that the club needed to do more but they didn't implement a punishment.

It was 'agreed' . That can be interpreted different ways.
Maybe the club did just decide to make itself £30k a game poorer for shits and giggles.

 

[United Aren't Back.]

The design of the Westfield corner in relation to the Bramall Lane upper tier makes segregation difficult (you can give away fans half the upper but this has only ever been done once against Liverpool in 2006 as far as I can recall).

The stairwells and emergency exits make it a nightmare. It was never really designed to be segregated that way.

Having the top 10 rows of the Kop netted off isn’t nearly half as bad as having G-H Blocks shut for the best part of two seasons. Something that seems to have disappeared from the collective memory.

We were giving half the upper tier to oppo fans from 2014 to 2016.

 

[Blademan18891889]

Bolton fans in 2017, our fans occupied the Upper corner, no reason whatsoever why this couldn't happen now other than more shambolic safety rules that happen in no other city.

 

[Westran]

Interested in this on some level.

Sounds as if your local council are making a bit of a mountain out of a molehill.

Clearly
1) More than one to a seat isn't on
2) Neither is those with season tickets being inconvenienced, seats being snaffled for example.

However if it's people standing up.the back or whatever then like I say OTT- have some more.robust stewards walking up and down.the stairs to keep aisles clear, similarly around entrances and problems solved surely?

Like I say sounds a different approach beyween fears at Leppings Lane in a Cup tie set against this, what's the bigger risk factor? Yet they just had to make some adjustments.

It's more than one to a seat, it's migration from other parts of the stand to one corner. I'm sure some season ticket holders will be inconvenienced, but it's largely accepted in that part of the ground as everyone stands for the whole game.

Standing was presented as part of the issue, but from the messages out of the club, if we can stop the overcrowding of certain areas, they aren't too bothered about persistent standing.

 

[bladesmanluke]

Bolton fans in 2017, our fans occupied the Upper corner, no reason whatsoever why this couldn't happen now other than more shambolic safety rules that happen in no other city.

It is a joke. The club should be taking legal advice over the lost revenue. First the kop and now 2,000 empty seats in the Bramall Lane corner for Spurs

 

[jt64]

It is a joke. The club should be taking legal advice over the lost revenue.

Work this one out for me:

a) Who exactly would we be taking legal action against
b) What actions have the other party taken which is causing us lost revenue
c) In less than twelve hours we are playing our most important game since Basham arriving day, and there are still boatloads of tickets available and it is not close to sold out. Where is the lost revenue?

 

[PaulHalfway]

Still loads of tickets left for tonight in BLUT so not an issue tonight with reduced capacity or lost revenue unfortunately

 

[diplomat]

Nope, season ticket holders have the right to buy any seat that is available for Blades fans, no seat is reserved so it's the same for all fans. I didn't get my seat in SS as many other haven't so it's quite likely one of the victimised fans has taken my seat, making me a victimised fan as well I suppose

Well that's a shit show isn't it?! My seat isn't available at the back of the kop so I've nabbed someone else's too. (My friend bought them so sorry to whomever it is)

First rule of ticket sales is surely to let season ticket holders bag their own seat. If I was the club and chose to persist with this I would have only let me and the other afflicted choose open seats and let season ticket holders have a reasonable chance of bagging their own seat. Then you're only annoying 1500 or so people rather than doubling it up.

 

[Linz]

Wasn't it the case that the upper tier/corner were only pay on the day tickets for a couple of seasons?

I'm sure we didn't used to offer season tickets up there for this specific reason.

 

[BushBlade]

It's more than one to a seat, it's migration from other parts of the stand to one corner. I'm sure some season ticket holders will be inconvenienced, but it's largely accepted in that part of the ground as everyone stands for the whole game.

Standing was presented as part of the issue, but from the messages out of the club, if we can stop the overcrowding of certain areas, they aren't too bothered about persistent standing.

Bear in mind too, the club can’t condone standing. There’s been a blind eye turned to it by the majority of clubs, but they can’t officially sanction it. That’s one of the reasons why the messages coming from the club are a bit difficult to understand. They can’t say “we’re not bothered about people standing at their own seats, just don’t stand two to a seat or block the aisles/exits” which I think is what they’d like to say.
I’m not going to defend the club’s general handling of this though, it’s been piss poor.

 

[S64 Blade]

Wasn't it the case that the upper tier/corner were only pay on the day tickets for a couple of seasons?

I'm sure we didn't used to offer season tickets up there for this specific reason.

Yeah, I think season tickets have only been available in the corner for about 8 years.

 

[Wybourn Blade]

Wasn't it the case that the upper tier/corner were only pay on the day tickets for a couple of seasons?

I'm sure we didn't used to offer season tickets up there for this specific reason.

I thought that was the case with upper yes, but not sure on the corner bit.

We still to my knowledge do not have ST seats offered in upper for the reason that away fans could be sat there but yet we offer them in the corner. Boggles my mind. I used to sit in Upper quite a lot when I lived in Manchester a few years ago (now I sit in SS as a ST holder) and I paid for every single home game to sit in upper which was probably double the cost (minimum) of what a ST could cost there if the club offered it.

 

[Wapping Blade]

Wasn't it the case that the upper tier/corner were only pay on the day tickets for a couple of seasons?

I'm sure we didn't used to offer season tickets up there for this specific reason.

Yep, we got kicked off the BLUT where we had season tickets. Was a long time ago though, Warnock era or before.

 

[blade67]

On the subject of the IN / OUT signs on the toilet doors at the top of the Kop, did anyone else notice, both signs have now disappeared .
No IN no OUT. Progress ?

It's a great story but the in sign was still there last night and still being ignored. Not really sure how removing them would be progress. As I said in my original post, the clue is where the wash basins are.

 

[Blade.com]

It's a great story but the in sign was still there last night and still being ignored. Not really sure how removing them would be progress. As I said in my original post, the clue is where the wash basins are.

Yes, noticed the IN still there and as you say , still gets ignored.

 

[noire]

Yep, we got kicked off the BLUT where we had season tickets. Was a long time ago though, Warnock era or before.

2000. When the Pigs were relegated. I was chucked off too and I haven’t totally forgiven the Club either!

23 years ago! How time flies.

 

[WhiteHawk]

It's a great story but the in sign was still there last night and still being ignored. Not really sure how removing them would be progress. As I said in my original post, the clue is where the wash basins are.

It was absolutely ridiculous in the Kop bogs last night at half time for some reason (I too looked to see if the signs were still on the doors!!). Not sure why people find it so difficult to follow them.

 

[jt64]

This problem is not Kop related, it is idiot related. ST holder in Westfield, for tonight I booked for H of the South stand, row KK, to the BL side of the gangway. Upon getting to my seat, or at least trying to, the entirety of as many rows I could see was populated at least two per seat by people at most 25 (both age and brain cells), combining to an average of 1.5 Stone Island/Burberry items of clothing. That's who is causing the problems.

Regulars will know I've been to matches overseas frequently, often with busy standing areas, both new rail seating and orthodox terraces. I don't mind standing - where it's appropriate. This is nothing of the sort, I am convinced that if whoever had the late chance that was hit into the side netting had scored, there was a high probability someone would be injured, possibly seriously. I didn't feel safe in the slightest, the situation was downright dangerous. Fortunately a supervisor has found me a spare seat lower down, otherwise I'd have watched the second half from the concourse, I couldn't see the Kop half of the field in any case such was the level of people stood where they shouldn't be.

What the club does from here seems obvious to me - reopen Kop, wait for the problem to reoccur, then have coppers yank the culprits. It's the only reasonable way I can think to identify them.

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

This problem is not Kop related, it is idiot related. ST holder in Westfield, for tonight I booked for H of the South stand, row KK, to the BL side of the gangway. Upon getting to my seat, or at least trying to, the entirety of as many rows I could see was populated at least two per seat by people at most 25 (both age and brain cells), combining to an average of 1.5 Stone Island/Burberry items of clothing. That's who is causing the problems.

Regulars will know I've been to matches overseas frequently, often with busy standing areas, both new rail seating and orthodox terraces. I don't mind standing - where it's appropriate. This is nothing of the sort, I am convinced that if whoever had the late chance that was hit into the side netting had scored, there was a high probability someone would be injured, possibly seriously. I didn't feel safe in the slightest, the situation was downright dangerous. Fortunately a supervisor has found me a spare seat lower down, otherwise I'd have watched the second half from the concourse, I couldn't see the Kop half of the field in any case such was the level of people stood where they shouldn't be.

What the club does from here seems obvious to me - reopen Kop, wait for the problem to reoccur, then have coppers yank the culprits. It's the only reasonable way I can think to identify them.

Careful. I've pointed this out only to be told off for stereotyping. It's not stereotyping when it's true though is it?

I agree with your last paragraph. Open up, and with the help of the stewards and/or police, remove those in the way, take their names and ban them. It seems its the only way.

 

[More Bladier than thou]

Chaos around me on kop as loads of people were in wrong seats then had to move, lots of late arriving too didnt help.

 

[Gerritforud]

Chaos around me on kop as loads of people were in wrong seats then had to move, lots of late arriving too didnt help.

Possibly related to the back few rows (where they usually bully their way on) being closed?

 

[Sandygate Blade]

Chaos around me on kop as loads of people were in wrong seats then had to move, lots of late arriving too didnt help.

There were real issues getting into Kop from John Street. We walked round to Shoreham Street turnstiles and got in no bother although missed kick off. Stewards were directing people towards Shoreham Street. Steward I spoke too said it was a problem with scanning the QR codes.

 

[FB98]

People who normally stand in the back 10 rows has to buy 15-20 rows down because the back wasn't open. People in their "normal" seats ask the people who normally stand up to sit down because they usually sit down. The people who want to stand up decide to appease the person wanting to sit down by going to some empty space at the back.
Was quite predictable this is what would happen & the conflict back 10 rows would cause. People standing in the gangways I am sure were actually trying to be nice (I'm sure I'll get stick for saying that) by allowing the person behind to sit down and standing in an empty space where everyone wants to stand up.
Should they have just told the person behind to piss off because they always stand up and make a noise? Maybe.
But I understand why they wouldn't.

 

[RWE]

Had 2 idiots on the kop tonight sit perfectly fine in their seats first half, second half caused a scene by sitting in different seats on the row, then decided to sit over 2 seats each… why are people so ridiculously ignorant?

 

[BladeByChoice]

..........

What the club does from here seems obvious to me - reopen Kop, wait for the problem to reoccur, then have coppers yank the culprits. It's the only reasonable way I can think to identify them.

.........

I agree with your last paragraph. Open up, and with the help of the stewards and/or police, remove those in the way, take their names and ban them. It seems its the only way.

Why can’t the club see this, you don’t need to be a genius. The problem on the Kop has not gone away, the people who are the problem on the kop have gone away.

Let them back in, let them cause the problem and ban them.

First time non ST holders were allowed in the Kop last night for ages, and first time the isles were blocked for ages. Work it out SUFC and get it sorted.

 

[CPB]

So turns out SWFC and hillsborough won't get forgotten about regards issues.

Hillsborough capacity reduced after Newcastle’s overcrowding complaints

Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough Stadium capacity has been reduced after overcrowding complaints from Newcastle supporters

www.theguardian.com

Capacity was already at reduced level (6500 orig) down to 4,700 previously.
Leppings lane will now have a capacity of 3,900

What is different here compared to ours, is that our issues lie more with the fans congregating in the wrong seats/multiple standing in space for 1 seat. And congregating on the gangways and thus blocking access for safety reasons.

Leppings lane issues are down to the actual design of the stand.

 

[Bladesman]

So turns out SWFC and hillsborough won't get forgotten about regards issues.

Hillsborough capacity reduced after Newcastle’s overcrowding complaints

Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough Stadium capacity has been reduced after overcrowding complaints from Newcastle supporters

www.theguardian.com

Capacity was already at reduced level (6500 orig) down to 4,700 previously.
Leppings lane will now have a capacity of 3,900

What is different here compared to ours, is that our issues lie more with the fans congregating in the wrong seats/multiple standing in space for 1 seat. And congregating on the gangways and thus blocking access for safety reasons.

Leppings lane issues are down to the actual design of the stand.

Wait, I thought Leppings Lane was perfect and safe?

 

[GodricBlade]

Wait, I thought Leppings Lane was perfect and safe?

Well, yes, that’s what they reckon.
You watch, someone’ll claim this will be making the death-trap even perfecter & safer.