New policy in Y26

[The 17 Bus]

Feel free to add more of your own.

Move the drummer Y26 !!!!!

[madreadingfan]

to be fair i would prefer to start a new singing section in the noth stand than y26

the banter is for away games!!!
home games is for the noise and atmosphere!! (which we really really dont have)

[Royalshow]

I think it is fair to say that this whole problem is actually the fault of Reading Football club, and the design of the Stadium and policies implemented since it was open.

Why was a proper buffer area not in the original plans? Thye knew of the problems of having the home and away fans next to each other, and if they did not then they never went to EP, or any other ground at the time the Stadium was designed.

Why did the club never encourage the singers into a different area, and make it easier for them to be together??

This whole thing echoes the safety gate, a very rare measure at most grounds, but RFC decided that it was better to piss off many fans, as posted on this very site many times, than create an alternative exit system.

The club spent £2million on a media centre, but are unable to make the path down the away end wider, or to use railings to separate pedestrians and cars.

There is much that could be done to improve the match day experience, but not much will, and fans will be the ones to suffer as always.

Maybe the whole crowd dynamics would be different if the Stadium had a number of pubs nearby, public transports was actively encouraged as the preferred methods of travel and the access to the ground was more pedestrian friendly. The Green park station is pretty much on hold at the moment, but i think the club have a responsibly to contribute towards the cost.Especially as they would gain from being able to use it on match days.

[bishbosh92]

Time was when just before the end of a game there were rows of stewards and police all braced for "trouble" - I rarely see police inside the stadium these days and I haven't noticed them taking pics with their flash cameras either. I sit towards Y25 and can see across through to Y26 - sure you get the gesticulations - there is also a group of youngish boys at the front of Y25 first 6 rows, say, who all stand up and gesticulate to the away fans etc - so it's not just at the back of Y25 or in Y26. They don't do any real harm and it always looks pretty good natured. I'd be interested to hear of specific examples of our fans misbehaving that warrants certain sections to be kept clear.

I have no trouble with groups of people wanting to stand for longer periods when they're sat in the back few rows, as it doesn't impinge on my viewing of the game.

I still believe the main protagonists are the stewards, most of whom sneak views of the game rather than constantly having their backs to the pitch and looking towards the fans. They're mainly jobsworths who, rather like traffic wardens, must have been bullied in their youth and are keen to even things up a bit and think they have some sort of god-given power to boss the fans about. If they were a little more approachable, and spoke nicely to the fans if they consider there to be a problem, the fans wouldn't get riled and be rude back.

The Stewards in the East stand are that perfectic that even if you were on the back row and inpeding no ones view they would still pull you out for standing.

They have oxf*rd all better to do than piss fans off, and agreed we should get all the singers to move together in one area.

[bcubed]

Can't be bothered to respond to Affer's wind-up post, except to say that they say ignorance is bliss. If that's true, Affers must be the happiest man in the world.

With regard to the RTID's query, I'll give my understanding of the situation - I wasn't at the meeting 2 weeks ago so don't know all of the details, but I'll do my best.

The situation as I understand it is that the club believes that a significant number of people in Y26 are only there for the purpose of interacting with away supporters - and when I say "interacting" I mean winding up, abusing, swapping insults, throwing coins, etc, etc. This includes both those who purchase tickets in Y26 for that purpose as well as people with tickets elsewhere in the East Stand who move to vacant seats there for the same reason. The club is determined to stop this, and to "calm down" this area as they say it is a potential flash-point with considerable conflict with stewards. They want people to be at the football to watch the football and support their team, and not to wind up away supporters or stewards.

That's why they have been very strict on checking that the people who are there do have tickets for that area, and also why they have not been selling tickets in advance. However, when STAR met the Club's Senior Management team last week we discussed this (once we'd finished swapping enamel badges, of course) and the club have made some changes to the away area configuration which, from their point of view, they hope will partly alleviate the problem.

As to the process of not selling Y26 until the rest of the stadium is sold, if you think about it this does achieve the club's objective pretty well. Their objective is to calm this area down and stop it being a flash-point. There are two ways of doing that - for the less well-attended games it's by not selling tickets in Y26 at all, and for the better-attended games it's selling that area to a cross-section of supporters, not particularly those who want to sit there for their own reasons. You might argue that that's poor for the "ordinary" supporters who find themselves in Y26, but the club would say that using that argument just supports their view that behaviour of some in Y26 is unacceptable.

I hope that gives a better idea of the issues and the facts, and please note that I have tried to report everything in an objective way, without stating any personal views or opinions, or by "taking sides" with either the club or those supporters who are unhappy about this. But just to remind everyone of the realities of life, Reading Football Club is not a democracy nor is it a club run by its supporters - as such, they have complete control, from a legal point of view, on which order they sell their tickets, which areas they open up and who they allow into the stadium.

STAR can communicate with them, give our opinion and frequently can influence their decisions (and we're actually much more successful at doing that than the vast majority of supporters' organisations) but at the end of the day it's the club's decision on things like this. They would probably say "So why do you want to sit in Y26 so much - why can't you enjoy watch a football match without being next to the away supporters?"

As for my personal opinion on this, I think this is a similar problem to that being seen at many grounds at the moment : one person's "banter" is another's "unacceptable behaviour". The line between what is acceptable and unacceptable is moving all the time, and is different for many people, and will always cause conflict.

If ever there was any evidence needed that this club is so distant from it's own supporters then this is it.

Whilst I appreciate the comments here from STAR and the voluntary work they do, I can't help think that what really is their worth if ultimately the club choose to say & do what they like if they don't listen to those representatives of the supporters?

To hear that this area requires 'calming down' is quite frankly laughable! I sit in Y25 right next to Y26 and I have never seen a 'flashpoint' or a need for 'calming down' in Y26 - certainly this season so fail to see why the sudden implementation of a problem that simply doesn't exist!

Ironically, the 2 seasons in the prem saw more reason (even then hard to justify) particularly against Chelsea & ManU but interesting to note that then there was no need for Y26 to 'calm down'. Was it because we were selling out for virtually all the home sections that we didn't need to 'calm down'?

All this will be forgotton if/when we return to sold out games again and the moron who implemented this ridiculous notion of 'calming down' will have to think up some other pointless drivel to keep him/her in a job!

I'm just off to 'calm down'....................

Totally agree wuth this
I sit in Y26 and have seen nothing at all to complain of this season. As much "abuse" comes from Y25 as from Y26

The Chelsea game in the Prem saw many fans from Y26 and Y25 as well rushing towards the Chelsea fans, but even then it was just a lot of hot air.

The atmosphere in Y26 has certaibly been ruined and I won't stay there next year if this rule continues

[working class hero]

Having sat all round the stadium this season I think it is fair to say that Y26 [and some in Y25] behave like stereotypical racist, bigoted, thick arseholes. The idea that they are indulging in 'banter' is frankly a nonsense. And when their cage is rattled they try to hide behind STAR - who have it seems tried to argue their case. STAR is then abused when the club refuse to change their [pretty reasonable] policy.... What a bunch of numpties.

* There are normal human beings who may sit in Y26 and not wish to be sandwiched between neanderthals.
* The fact that some posters acknowledge this tends to support the Club's stance
* Some decent away fans may end up being sold tickets in this area - and will also be appalled.

My own view is that a standing area in the North would be great. But I cannot support those whose aim is to sit / stand in Y26 just to hurl vile insults at other people.

Perhaps when these youths are a bit more mature they will realise how pathetic they sound...

[bcubed]

I'm certainly not in the category of "youth" - not by a long way, but my own experience is that I find no evidence that there is any worse behaviour in Y26 than in Y25 or in any noisy area of any football ground up and down the country.
I have sat in most parts of the ground too and there is no question in my mind that teh atmosphere is at its best in Y25 and Y26
I am now being forced to move to a quieter part of the ground, for what I can see is very little justification.

[LWJ]

Everyone move to upper west southwest corner

[working class hero]

I find no evidence that there is any worse behaviour in Y26 than in Y25 or in any noisy area of any football ground

So behaviour is abysmal wherever there is a collection of morons....

I find no evidence than there is worse behaviour in Belmarsh than in any other high security prison.

[Skin]

Having sat all round the stadium this season I think it is fair to say that Y26 [and some in Y25] behave like stereotypical racist, bigoted, thick arseholes. The idea that they are indulging in 'banter' is frankly a nonsense. And when their cage is rattled they try to hide behind STAR - who have it seems tried to argue their case. STAR is then abused when the club refuse to change their [pretty reasonable] policy.... What a bunch of numpties.

* There are normal human beings who may sit in Y26 and not wish to be sandwiched between neanderthals.
* The fact that some posters acknowledge this tends to support the Club's stance
* Some decent away fans may end up being sold tickets in this area - and will also be appalled.

My own view is that a standing area in the North would be great. But I cannot support those whose aim is to sit / stand in Y26 just to hurl vile insults at other people.

Perhaps when these youths are a bit more mature they will realise how pathetic they sound...

You are so wrong it laughable.

And WTF do you mean some decent away fans may end up being sold tickets in this area?!

You are on a wind up right?

[boycey]

Having sat all round the stadium this season I think it is fair to say that Y26 [and some in Y25] behave like stereotypical racist, bigoted, thick arseholes. The idea that they are indulging in 'banter' is frankly a nonsense. And when their cage is rattled they try to hide behind STAR - who have it seems tried to argue their case. STAR is then abused when the club refuse to change their [pretty reasonable] policy.... What a bunch of numpties.

* There are normal human beings who may sit in Y26 and not wish to be sandwiched between neanderthals.
* The fact that some posters acknowledge this tends to support the Club's stance
* Some decent away fans may end up being sold tickets in this area - and will also be appalled.

My own view is that a standing area in the North would be great. But I cannot support those whose aim is to sit / stand in Y26 just to hurl vile insults at other people.

Perhaps when these youths are a bit more mature they will realise how pathetic they sound...

Neanderthals?
normal human beings?
decent away fans?
youths?
vile insults?
have you ever been in that part of the ground??

you must read the daily mail .

[Stranded]

Here's a thought (though I don't agree with the measures made) but perhaps the club have received complaints from people who don't frequent this board regarding behaviour of people in Y26 that eventually forced them to take some sort of action.

[rabidbee]

You can get off the thread if you're going to make reasonable observations!

[Platypuss]

They're mainly jobsworths who, rather like moderators, must have been bullied in their youth and are keen to even things up a bit and think they have some sort of god-given power to boss the posters about.

[Stranded]

You can get off the thread if you're going to make reasonable observations!

Sorry, I'm not sure what came over me there.

[M U R T Y]

Here's a thought (though I don't agree with the measures made) but perhaps the club have received complaints from people who don't frequent this board regarding behaviour of people in Y26 that eventually forced them to take some sort of action.

They have received one complaint regarding Y26. One.

[Stranded]

Here's a thought (though I don't agree with the measures made) but perhaps the club have received complaints from people who don't frequent this board regarding behaviour of people in Y26 that eventually forced them to take some sort of action.

They have received one complaint regarding Y26. One.

Sometimes all it takes. Esp if married with some pressure from the authorities.

[1982Royal]

I sit in Y26, and if people who sit in Y26 went to the game on Tuesday night(Blackpool) and didn't hear the racist abuse aimed at the referee, who I agree wasn't the best at refereeing, need to get their ears checked...Also behind me a group of blokes in their mid 40's calling one of the black stewards a monkey and a n****r.

And before you say 'Well report it to the club'. I have done.

[rabidbee]

I also find it hard to believe that the club would fabricate accusations of coin throwing.

[Royalshow]

I sit in Y26, and if people who sit in Y26 went to the game on Tuesday night(Blackpool) and didn't hear the racist abuse aimed at the referee, who I agree wasn't the best at refereeing, need to get their ears checked...Also behind me a group of blokes in their mid 40's calling one of the black stewards a monkey and a n****r.

And before you say 'Well report it to the club'. I have done.

Tbf if these sort of things are going on then the club are certainly right to take action.That last bit is completely unexceptable.