South stand Saturday

[DRFC]

So, about this bet, normal rules....

[normal rules]

And another point. Unreserved seating may cost the club in lost income if 300 ss seats are left empty this sat, so that a certain crowd can gather standing on the steps at the top of the stand.

That's £4500. Once in a blue moon game of course. But that's a lot of money.

[DRFC]

You seem to dislike a certain element of our support.

We on for this bet or what?

[normal rules]

Drfc, as opposed to focusing on the real issue of safety of your fellow supporters in our ground,  you instead focus on a figure of speech comment made about a metaphoric small wager.
Says it all really.

Mark my words, free for all standing on steep gangways in the ss will end in tears. 

[DRFC]

So we're not on for this bet then? Just to confirm...

[hoolahoop]

BAN THIS SICK FILTH!

News flash.
Doncaster rovers facing fine for allowing young child to stand in elevated area of ground designed for tv cameras only.
Inquest hard how child x aged 12, fell from an elevated to gantry whilst watching a league one fixture, causing injury. The inquiry went on to establish that the particular part of the ground had become an unstewarded area due to demands for unreserved seating from certain elements of the supporters. Reports received indicate that safety regulations in that part of the ground were being flagrantly disregarded.
The enquiry continues.

Please this is football not tiddlywinks, we should be talking about the game on Satdi, the team and  about the atmosphere instead we have you the face of whingeing Rovers supporters trying to do all our efforts down.

I'm not sure either that I can see a hellhole of standing, swaying folk clearly out of control. Whatever happened to passion. ? Take away the passion and you will take away the lifelong obsession.

[normal rules]

You seem to dislike a certain element of our support.

We on for this bet or what?

You couldn't be further from the truth.  and I won't be betting on the safety of others. Because if I win the bet it will be as a result of an incident which has then forced the clubs hand, which, ultimately I don't want.

[Copps is Magic]

Normal, with all due respect, the point you made was that the people agitating for unallocated seating are the same ones standing in the gangways. I categorically know that not to be true. In fact, I don't think any sensible person actually supports standing in the isles.

You rightly pointed out who it was, it is people who come in late a bit worse for wear. On the whole the stewards have dealt with it pretty well but for bigger games they need to find a sensible solution.

[DRFC]

We're not betting on safety, we're betting on whether the club will reinstate reserved seating or not.

Although it seems we're not betting at all. The RBL will be most be disappointed.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

We are slowly bringing football back to the normal fan. Atmosphere is one word but it's a complicated set of ingredients that go into providing a platform for people to feel they can let go and contribute to it.

Of course events on the pitch will largely determine how we behave. You can see though with all seater stadia we have lost something. There's a difference between watching something and being part of something.

Now we have a choice, where there wasn't much choice before, whether we want to be more boisterous.

The club is built around it's fans, and thankfully our club realises that however, safety matters won't be compromised.

The Black Bank is barely 5 months old. We have had issues, there will be more issues but collectively we learn.

[bobjimwilly]

The club is built around it's fans, and thankfully our club realises that however, safety matters won't be compromised.

The Black Bank is barely 5 months old. We have had issues, there will be more issues but collectively we learn.

I think the majority of Rovers fans would agree with this Baz

[DRFC]

Agreed.

[normal rules]

Finally copps, the voice of reason.

I just don't want anyone getting hurt, cos ultimately it I'll cost the club.

I cannot believe the post showing the young lad, pretty irresponsible posting, and if anyone official at the club is looking then they will be no doubt concerned.

Enjoy the game, stay safe. I will not be commenting on this again.

[Dagenham Rover]

The discussion is supposed to be why should unreserved seating lower the capacity, it shouldn't !!!!!
however unreserved standing could impact on capacity due to the guide and overflow areas etc

We do not have unreserved standing, we have unreserved seating so capacity should not be affected   

[normal rules]

I'm old school.  Used to like the Peterborough away days of standing on that old covered terrace. I'm 46, not 16 and have grown up on the terraces.
We are in a transitional period currently, nationally, as more and more supporter groups push for safe standing areas, and I for one cannot wait for this to be a reality.

It's the bit in between that concerns me.

On sat there will be a good few hundred intent on being at the back of the ss, when there is simply no room for them all.
I'm not saying their intent is bad or wrong. What I am saying is that when you put a certain mix of ingredients in a pot, sometimes it does not work and there will be implications.
A large crowd in a small space with steep steps and the added ingredient of seats either side (in a gangway) is a bad mix. That's not even considering some will be under the influence.

Perhaps not all those who have campaigned for unreserved seating are part of the late comers, but it is certainly the late comers that add to the problem.

In the early years of the keepmoat, at the Leeds, huddsfield and Wednesday games, this was not an issue because your seat was your seat and it was stewarded.

Things are getting a bit out of control now though and this will be amplified on Saturday.

[DRFC]

[normal rules]

The discussion is supposed to be why should unreserved seating lower the capacity, it shouldn't !!!!!
however unreserved standing could impact on capacity due to the guide and overflow areas etc

We do not have unreserved standing, we have unreserved seating so capacity should not be affected   

And here Dagenham is the whole point of my argument. The rear of the south stand, gangways included, have become unreserved standing. A free for all. At 3-05pm on Saturday you will see this.

[normal rules]

Drfc, I spent 14 years in the Royal engineers. Did two tours of Bosnia and one in the gulf.

I've done my bit for queen and country. I go to rememberance every year, wear my medals with pride and support my local RBL.

Youre addressing the wrong patriot mate.

and if you read my earlier post, you will see my comments re metaphor and figures of speech. Perhaps you just don't get it. Perhaps you don't want to.
Jog on.

[silent majority]

Hoola,

To get back to what we were discussing. I'm sure that you, and a few others, are looking at the seating and capacity numbers far too simplistically. To give you some idea here's how to calculate a stadiums capacity. Now, without reproducing the other 20 pages or so what is important is how the safety management of the stadium is implemented and what factors have to be taken into account. Depending on various factors most stadiums actual capacity will go up and down. That will depend on the type of fixture, who the opposition is and what arrangements for items like segregation have to be taken into account.

For us, changing the south stand from allocated seating to unallocated affected that calculation. Allowing people to stand would also affect that calculation. Just because you have 3,000 seats it doesn't mean you can allow 3,000 people into that area. Safety considerations come first and foremost and that requires a decision made by the SO, after all its his responsibility. Numbers in stadiums are flexible for that reason, they have to be. To suggest that a stadiums stated capacity can be reached under all conditions is false.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

But the solution is not to kill the whole thing all together. It's about dealing with the behaviour and educating people either the hard way or the easy way.

[DRFC]

Have a look on the Black Bank website, there is a graphic showing at which point the club won't enforce seating. It's from the bottom of the white lettering of the 'Doncaster' along the stand. This has been agreed with the club, obviously the club can't publish this as it's technically in breach of Ground Regs so I suppose you'll have to take my word.

As for standing in gangways, this is being looked at and expect to see more stewards in that area on Saturday.

I hope that puts your mind at rest.



RE and Bos. What a career you must have had.

[silent majority]

And for the record I have a lot of sympathy with the position adopted by normal rules.

When we discussed this at the start of the season I made the point several times that for us to allow the 'singing section' to take place we needed to be mindful of several issues, and blocking the gangways was always a 'no-no' for reasons I've already stated. It only takes one incident for the authorities to decide to close it down and the club would have no option. Its got to be about an agreement between club and supporters about what can and can't be done. Lets have the 'singing section' but lets do it safely as well.

And to add weight to that argument there has been two very serious incidents at stadiums in recent years, and both of those occurred in seated areas. You may recall a couple of seasons ago an away supporter fell over the barrier which surrounds the entrance gangways at the away end at Scunthorpe. He suffered brain damage as a consequence.

[drfchound]

Don't know what the set up is here, but anyone buying tickets for any game for kids should immediately be guided by ticket office staff towards the family area. Suspect though that some folk especially online will be taking their kids into the South Stand on Saturday and God help them!

Chris, lots of people already take their kids into the BB area already.

[drfchound]

I have read a few posts this week saying that "people shouldn't go into the BB core area, take a seat and then complain if someone comes into the stadium and stands in front of them".
It should be remembered that stacks of supporters won't read this or any other forum and that there will also be some people who have never been in the South Stand before and will be unaware of the "instruction".
Suppose a group of people get in early, sit five rows from the top in the BB area and then find BB fans standing in front of them.
It will be difficult at ten to three to move and find a few seats together so they will be fragmented and probably not very happy about it.

[Dagenham Rover]

Have a look on the Black Bank website, there is a graphic showing at which point the club won't enforce seating. It's from the bottom of the white lettering of the 'Doncaster' along the stand. This has been agreed with the club, obviously the club can't publish this as it's technically in breach of Ground Regs so I suppose you'll have to take my word.

As for standing in gangways, this is being looked at and expect to see more stewards in that area on Saturday.

I hope that puts your mind at rest.



RE and Bos. What a career you must have had.

and as I previously said that is from a supporters website not the official club  website

Nowt wrong with the Royal Engineers, first in and last out,  12 years Falklands and NI and as Ive a pretty fair idea who you are, you should know better than post an image like that in the context you have,  I and I no doubt others find it offensive

[normal rules]

Drfc, now you are confused. I've posted no image. Merely quoted one already posted.

[DRFC]

An image of the South Stand? Are you feeling ok?

As explained the club can't say "Yes lads, stand from here and forget about ground regs" can they? You'll have to take my word for it that the club have allowed standing from the point indicated, although the fact that they aren't enforcing seating from EXACTLY the point I'm describing should be a bit of a combat indicator, eh?

[idler]

Maybe stewards could advise fans deciding to sit in certain areas that fans are likely to be stood in the row below them.
At least it lets people know what to expect and if it is early enough the chance to find other seats together.

[DRFC]

Drfc, now you are confused. I've posted no image. Merely quoted one already posted.

I think there a few confused people in this thread. Must be all those top shelves and dances of the flaming arse holes. Crusty bas**rds.

[DRFC]

Maybe stewards could advise fans deciding to sit in certain areas that fans are likely to be stood in the row below them.
At least it lets people know what to expect and if it is early enough the chance to find other seats together.

That's exactly what should be / is happening.

The stewards are well aware of the club's wishes and have been told to direct people to relevant parts of the stand.

This wasn't written on the back of a fag packet you know, meetings were attended, emails sent...