Quote AdmiralHanson="AdmiralHanson"After coming back from Wrexham for a couple of hours and after mulling the events of the evening over, I thought I really ought to pass comment ....
Like many fans, I had purchased tickets in advance for the game with my match ticket reading 'unreserved seating' .... I, like everyone else, take this to mean being able to sit anywhere within a certain section of the ground.
I am also sensible enough to understand that if I am issued with a 'reserved' ticket, then I sit on the designated seat row and number.
Most people will have noticed the utter farce that developed towards the centre section of the main stand around kick off time, where there was a mix of fans who had been issued with unreserved tickets (and told to 'sit anywhere') and home fans, who had purchased reserved seating for the same section of the ground.
Close to kick off time, there were a sizeable number of people unable to take their seats in the main stand. I'm not talking about the odd person, there were double-digit numbers of people standing and indeed, enough to come two-thirds of the way down the gangway in the upper section of the stand. This meant they spend most of the first half watching the game from the gangway between the seating blocks. The same gangway that should be kept clear AT ALL TIMES to comply with safety regulations.
- Why did it take stewards, who are in direct control of that aspect of safety SO LONG to both assess the situation and then do something about it ? By my reckoning it took over THIRTY MINUTES for someone to decide there was a problem and the stewards to actually do what they were supposed to do and start moving people.
- Whilst fans were stood up in the gangways of the centre section, and perhaps as a direct result of them standing, there was an altercation with what looked to be themselves or Leeds fans from a neighbouring section and a scuffle developed. Again, the stewarding required to sort out this incident was painfully slow to arrive (Depsite the presence of a steward no more that metres away at the bottom of the same gangway). You could make the point that if those people hadn't been stood up in the first place, then perhaps the incident wouldn't have developed.
- If (Leeds) fans unrestricted tickets should have only been for a certain section of the upper tier of the stand, then why were they issued with misleading information on them (mine said turnstiles 1 to 4, my friend's had 7 to 10 at the opposite end of the stand and giving the impression that the whole upper tier was unreserved seating) and why wasn't stewarding in place to ensure that fans were retained in that section of the stand ?
Given the problems, you really have to question to logic of the decision to issue thousands of unrestricted tickets to one of the best supported, best travelled and defending champions, playing the first game of their title defence.
You might also say that Wrexham isn't used to big crowds, but not-so-very-long-ago, the area was a UEFA standard venue for internation soccer games .... So, what has changed with their crowd control and organisation ?
If there had been a medical emergency or an evacuation required within the centre section of the main stand, then a significant number of fans would have been put at risk by the frankly p**s-poor standards of crowd control demonstrated.
It was a 'near-miss' this time, but next time they might not be so lucky ....
I'd like the team in Wales to be a success and I am not trying to pick fault with anything that I could find. I've been watching rugby for years and have visited just about all the professional stadium venues during that time and the ticketing problems and associated standing in gangways was one of the most serious I have seen. It might not be the thing that fans take note of, but it also happens to be in my line of work, so it is something I am aware of.
The crowd control standards were not acceptable and they must do better next time.'"
Detailed report, straight to the point and with everything there in detail that can be actioned on by the people you've reported it to, I just wish more people would do the same.
I was looking forward to going down to the ground and having a good look round but looks like the Bulls are playing at Newport instead so if any of the disabled Leeds army travelled and can give me their thoughts on what they found I'd appreciate it. It's one thing to get the info the Club give but I prefer to hear what the fans think if you know what I mean.
Lets just hope they take on board and improve things pretty rapidly as what you've described is a disaster waiting to happen and ground safety regs, well sounds like they have not got the handbook.
