MadStad steward watch 09/10

[Big Foot]

I'd have done the same in those circumstances but IMHO you've made yourself look like a "ring leader" by turning round to everyone and raising your arms as if to gee everyone up.

The knobs at the club will see that as you being a leader of sorts, the klueless kunts that they are. And yes, "Big Mac" that is YOU

[Jerry St Clair]

Said nobber = me.

It was all a fuss about not a lot to be honest, as the Silver Fox came up the stairs after about 3 minutes of actually quite exciting times on the pitch, he came up the stairs to tell people to sit down. To a certain degree fair enough, but just let it die down a bit first, so I just started saying something like "here he comes, the Silver Fox, sit down everyone, the Silver Fox is here!". At this point he was stood right next to me and had a laugh and a joke, and even thanked me for saying sit down! As he went downstairs I again called out "there he goes, the Silver Fox". Two minutes later his mates came up and dragged me out saying I'd stuck the middle finger up on both hands behind his back. Downstairs they said I'd been seen on CCTV doing it, although they also said they couldn't make out whether I'd actually stuck fingers or not (err, how do you know whether I did it or not then )

Anyway, a short discussion later, I was back in my seat after pleading my innocence. They were initially going to throw me over to Y19 and take my ST off me and report me, resulting in a written warning and having to apply to receive my ST back. I had two Tango's cocked and primed on my shoulders waiting to escort me to the other end of the stand, but I obviously argued a pretty decent case because I ended up back in my own seat on a "good behaviour" deal - if I behave, I don't get reported (despite doing nothing wrong anyway ) and I get my season ticket back after the game.

I assume my card has been marked though, therefore I think prudence would call for a low profile in the foreseeable...

Hard to beat football for less than a tenner that you can watch with a pint of draught Doom Bar in your hand.

Non-league > watching football at the Madejski

[Royal Lady]

Handbags - if I were you, I'd request a meeting with chief steward - ask to see the CCTV footage and if it shows, as I suspect, that your hand gestures were not as they indicated, that you ask for a written apology and confirmation that you are not now a "marked man". Was it the grey haired old bloke with glasses - I've moaned about him in previous seasons, but he's not been patrolling our little section for a while now.

[Irvinchangeyaname]

Non-league > watching football at the Madejski

Non-league = Football at Madejski

....in terms of quality.

[Compo's Hat]

Handbags - if I were you, I'd request a meeting with chief steward - ask to see the CCTV footage and if it shows, as I suspect, that your hand gestures were not as they indicated, that you ask for a written apology and confirmation that you are not now a "marked man". Was it the grey haired old bloke with glasses - I've moaned about him in previous seasons, but he's not been patrolling our little section for a while now.

^^^^^^^^^^^^
What she said.

Having been sat behind you i know you didn't do anything. I'd ask for a personal apology from the clueless idiot who obviously needs glasses!

[Irvinchangeyaname]

Looks like the Blades fans weren't too impressed either!

http://boards.footymad.net/forum.php?tno=463&fid=221&sty=2&act=1&mid=2124858918

[Royal Lady]

darblade
#13 23 Aug 2009 13:56 Complain |
Signed: November 2008 re: re: re: re: re: re: reading stewards ...
Posts: 4,307
Hall of Fame


E-mail sent to reading fc (on advice of the police)

What is their actual job title? Fun police? Man with an agenda to ruin someone's match day experience?

I was informed by a police officer to make a formal complaint to yourselves and the FA regarding these people. Firstly, we took a relatively small following. There were plenty of empty seats around the allocated area. Me and my friend decided to move closer to the scoreboard because there were less people, and we like a bit of banter. The stewards came up and asked us to move back to where we were. One of my friends questioned him as to why, when there were plenty of empty seats. He then decided it would be a good idea to eject 3 of them. No matter what you say, you cannot justify this behaviour. We weren't aggressive, nor foul-mouthed. We may have moved seats, but plenty of others did. I wasn't ejected, but my friend was, along with two other lads. Once in the seat I was in before, Reading scored. The Reading fans to our right, obviously were delighted about this and started chanting towards us. Can't blame them, that's what most fans do, but this is not allowed for us, as I found out later on in the game, when United rattled in a second.

Anyway, I decided to go for a pie (which was crap), and a police officer from Sheffield requested a word. He told me to be 'less vocal.' Fair enough I thought. He then told me that the stewards at Reading were some of the worst he's come across. He wasn't wrong. I then (on 43 minutes or whatever minute we equalized), walked back to my seat. I was in the 'gantry' part when we scored. I missed the goal but celebrated anyway. A steward raced over and told me to 'sit down and calm down'. Funny that as walking is the best way to move around. I pointed this out to him and a comment was aimed back at me which I wont repeat. In the second half, I moved to the seat allocated to me on the ticket. A steward, recognizing me from the first half, clocked me. So I eagerly awaited his arrival. He then asked to look at my ticket. Upon realising, I was sat in the right seat, he got a little lairy. A few more detrimental comments were aimed at myself. Then I was told 'you're being watched and filmed.' Oh how nice. Will I get royalties for this?

During my chat with the police officer, a lad came up to me and asked if my friend was ejected. As he was, I asked why. 8 stewards decided it would be fun to lace into them outside. This was mentioned in full view of the police officer.

Your club is a disgrace. The stewards are uneducated jobsworths. The 'safety' officer needs sacking (what's safe about throwing people out then beating them up?)

An e-mail is also winging it's way to the FA and the press. Why do you even sell tickets to away fans? Seems to me that you don't want any fans there, hence throwing them out for sitting in the wrong seat. As I've mentioned, nobody was aggressive or foul-mouthed. I dread to think how you treat supporters of clubs with a bigger travelling support. I bet your stewards get a massive bonus.

I shall never visit this stadium ever again. It's a disgrace. The stewards are a disgrace also.

I also request the e-mail of the 'safety officer' at your club.

I wasn't aware sitting in a seat differing to your own, was worthy of ejection, but I maybe wrong. Like I say, on police advice, I am also sending an e-mail to the FA.

Thank you for the 3 points.

I find all that very hard to believe. Throwing an away fan out for STANDING UP??

[bigmike]

I wouldnt be surprised I noticed a sheffield united fan being manhandled out of the ground by 4 stewards before the game..

I have to admit that I do also agree with the point that the stewards at Reading are among the worst in the Leagues... You cant even pass the time of day with them at the madejski without them getting on their high horse.

The one with glasses and grey hair mentioned on here already if i am correct was around y24/23 a couple of seasons ago and he was in my opinion out to cause aggro. I thought he was moved on due to complaints.... It seems he was only moved down the stands.

[Royal Lady]

I wouldnt be surprised I noticed a sheffield united fan being manhandled out of the ground by 4 stewards before the game..

I have to admit that I do also agree with the point that the stewards at Reading are among the worst in the Leagues... You cant even pass the time of day with them at the madejski without them getting on their high horse.

The one with glasses and grey hair mentioned on here already if i am correct was around y24/23 a couple of seasons ago and he was in my opinion out to cause aggro. I thought he was moved on due to complaints.... It seems he was only moved down the stands.

That was him. Nasty little man.

[Winchester Royal]

It would maybe be nice if they realised that there ISN'T a huge problem with the fans and just got on with dealing with things like coin throwing and fighting. They're not hired as amateur policemen, like they appear to act.

[bigmike]

I wouldnt be surprised I noticed a sheffield united fan being manhandled out of the ground by 4 stewards before the game..

I have to admit that I do also agree with the point that the stewards at Reading are among the worst in the Leagues... You cant even pass the time of day with them at the madejski without them getting on their high horse.

The one with glasses and grey hair mentioned on here already if i am correct was around y24/23 a couple of seasons ago and he was in my opinion out to cause aggro. I thought he was moved on due to complaints.... It seems he was only moved down the stands.

That was him. Nasty little man.

I had a little run in with him a few years back... He was politely informed that if he did not go away he would have a problem. I was surprised that he confronted me when I was on my way out for a cig at half time that day as he struck me as the sort of bloke who would only confront women ... 1st class A hole

[Toon Toon Blue army]

Does anyone actually care if our alcohol licence got taken away? Having a few beers in town before then getting the bus >>>>>> drinking watered down piss in the concourse.

Stewards have always been an arse at the Madejski, I remember Reading fans singing 'Stand up if you hate stewards' which drew a round of applause from the Man Utd fans.

[Big Foot]

Guess it's time for Clive Doyle to get back on SSN and SPIN that PR wheel into over drive

[Ian Herring]

Back in the day, Oldham at home several years ago I seem to recall, they were dragging a young Reading fan out by his neck, causing him quite some pain and distress. This the culmination of what seemed a 'campaign' against Reading's more volatile fans at that time. The stewards that day over-stepped the mark and were 'reminded' by a group of Reading fans nearby of where the lay of the land was. I have to say they got what they deserved, to be honest, a bit of a scare and a bit of a scuffle for their trouble. The 'leader' - a bald Tango with his trousers tucked into his boots para-military style, was gibbering 'retreat, retreat!' into his beloved walkie-talkie.

In fairness, there are a couple of regular stewards there that you can approach and speak to with at least some semblance of intelligence. But that is it. There are plenty who get off on the hi-viz, quasi-military self-inflation and love the power that they're only going to have on a match day - given that their social demeanour in any other situation would have them marked down as socially and very possibly mentally-retarded.

It's not a good thing that crowd control at the Mad Stad is mainly in the hands of individuals who look as they themselves need carers.

One day - and I know it will upset the non-violent and the politically correct among the Reading support - they will provoke a scene at a game that will backfire on them enormously and they will get a battering. Yes, there are some tits at Reading, we know that. But as a crowd Reading's support is possibly the most unthreatening and inoffensive group you'll ever see in any football stadium. Stewarded by what appears to be some kind of quasi-riot squad. When that battering occurs I will quietly raise a glass and smile. Because these over-zealous tossers will have brought it all upon themselves.

Unlucky.

[Jerry St Clair]

One day - and I know it will upset the non-violent and the politically correct among the Reading support - they will provoke a scene at a game that will backfire on them enormously and they will get a battering. Yes, there are some tits at Reading, we know that. But as a crowd Reading's support is possibly the most unthreatening and inoffensive group you'll ever see in any football stadium. Stewarded by what appears to be some kind of quasi-riot squad. When that battering occurs I will quietly raise a glass and smile. Because these over-zealous tossers will have brought it all upon themselves.

Unlucky.

We play Cardiff in a few weeks.

I'd be willing to wager a pound on our brave boys in orange adopting a light touch with them.

[Royalshow]

The 'silver fox' is a dick of the highest order.

[The Cube]

Not completely relevant to the rest of the thread but as an insight into the intelligence level of our stewards:

My bag was searched on the way in on Saturday and the steward didn't want to let me bring in my bicycle pump. When I said I'd brought it to every game for the last four years he called over a senior steward (or SS).

1st steward: Can he take this in?
SS: No you have to leave that in your car.
Me: It's a bicycle pump.
SS: That doesn't matter. You still have to leave it in your car.
Me: I've brought it in every game.
SS: OK, but don't take it out the bag.

So at least they did make the right decision in the end. (Did someone say there were large queues near kick-off? "You have to leave it in your car". "It's a motor-cycle crash helmet." "You have to leave it in your car". "It's my daughter." "You have to leave it in your car" "It's a poster. They're giving them away by the Megastore.")

Tuesday v Barnsley. I'll have my lights with me....and the pump.

[TFF]

Tuesday v Barnsley. I'll have my lights with me....and the pump.

Can't you just leave them in the car?

[Deathy]

Tuesday v Barnsley. I'll have my lights with me....and the pump.

Can't you just leave them in the car?

[Winchester Royal]

I will never forget being told that the reason I couldn't bring my camera into the ground was because.

1) I might hit somebody with it
2) I might throw it at somebody.

My sister had bought a pair of new shoes once and took them to the game, in their box. She was told that she could take them in as long as she promised not to throw them on the pitch.

Do they have a single brain cell between them?