To: John Mothersole, Julie Dore,
cc Deputy CC Mark Roberts, Alan Billings, Lindsay Taylor, Secretary SWFC
Dear John and Julie
I am writing with regard to the prohibition notice which has been put on Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough Stadium with regard to home fans exiting at the Leppings Lane End of the ground. I have had a number of emails now, some from constituents, some from residents in other parts of Sheffield, all of whom are Wednesday supporters and as their emails, which I am copying to you explain, many of them are regulars at the game and therefore see at first hand the crowd arrangements on a regular basis.
There are a number of concerns that have been expressed. One is the inconvenience now which home fans are being put to, some of whom have to walk to the Kop End of the ground at Penistone Road then walk right back to Leppings Lane. That is obviously all right and very convenient for some more mobile younger people but not necessarily for people who may find that length of walk a challenge and little consideration appears to have been given to them in this process.
Secondly, there is the whole issue about whether the prohibition is necessary at all. The emails say that people who go to the game on a regular basis see the arrangements and as far as they are concerned they operate perfectly smoothly and have done over many years without any significant problems. Why is it necessary therefore to bring these new arrangements in?
The third issue is on what basis the prohibition order has been issues. Is it true that the only basis on which the police acted was the report that they requested from Aston University. If that is the case should not a bit more thorough research have been done before a decision of this magnitude was taken? It really is difficult to understand why one group of researchers unfamiliar with the ground doing one survey of one game should lead to this sort of action.
Fourthly, in terms of the logistics of that end of the stadium, I think we can all appreciate it is not necessarily ideal. Could you explain how it is different to the Bramall Lane end of the Bramall Lane Ground where away supporters go but home supporters come out of the same end of the ground? The amount of room at the Bramall Lane end is just as constrained, in fact probably more constrained, than that on the concourse at Leppings Lane spreading across the road. Obviously that arrangement is restricted if coaches are drawn up across the concourse and what has been said by some individuals is that the only problems at Leppings Lane have occurred when the police have insisted on coaches coming that close. But I come back to the point surely the Bramall Lane end at Bramall Lane is just as congested and yet away fans come out in the same point as home fans at that ground.
Finally, a contrast between the way that police have acted with the City Council following the complaints following the Derby game between Wednesday and United last season. There is a feeling that the police have acted in this way to cover their own inadequacies on the evening and there was widespread concern about the way the police handled it and I think the police have accepted some responsibility for that. Nevertheless, that has resulted in an investigation, a report being commissioned and immediate action taken despite the fact that the Club has said they do not believe that this is appropriate. I contrast this with the complaints that were made, and I certainly made them on behalf of people about this crushing that occurred outside Bramall Lane before the Derby last season with Wednesday. I have never had a proper response from the Council who have simply accepted that the Club said nothing needs to be done. There is therefore a distinct contrast between Wednesday saying there is no problem but the Council and the police deciding to take action, and United saying there was no problem and the police and the Council apparently just accepting it and no further investigation being carried out. Indeed, I have not had a reply from the Council’s Chief Executive to the last three emails I have sent giving more information about the concerns that were expressed to me on that occasion.
I look forward to a reply as I am sure you understand that this is not just me raising these issues but the emails I have sent demonstrate the widespread concern and bemusement of many Wednesday supporters at the action that has been taken.
Having just drafted this email I received further information from a long standing friend, John Colby, who is also a Sheffield United supporter. He is drawing attention to the problems outside the Bramall Lane End of the Ground with the lack of space and that here away and home supporters are let out of the same side of the ground exactly the problem which has been addressed with the prohibition order at Hillsborough. I do think these issues need to be looked at seriously. There is a very strong feeling that the police and the Council have got all this wrong, I got lots of comments at Preston last Saturday from Wednesday away supporters who go regularly, all of whom are saying essentially that the decision is a wrong one and needs looking at again.
I look forward to your response on both the issues of the prohibition notice at Hillsborough and also the concerns I have raised about Bramall Lane in the past and are now being raised by John Colby which I have never had a proper response to.
Yours sincerely
Clive Betts MP
Sheffield South East
