Well I hope that inspector takes responsibility for his actions and apologises to the lad and his grandad. Your post sounds as if the police are sloping shoulders on this and blaming the stewards.

I'm not defending anybody but the police only deal with criminal matters. Ground regulations are the stewards responsibility.

As much as I love this forum, I'm gonna end my involvement in this thread as I have said my bit. You chaps crack on with your debate.

The important part is 28-10 FIOS

Good night!

This has been my experience at football matches over the years and is generally a bit of a cop out (no pun intended) and is used by stewards to carry out their legalised thuggery and general mis treatment of "scum fans" and used by the Police to turn a blind eye to it until "scum fan" retalliates.

We don't do ourselves any favours when we get be**ends doing this. You go to enough away games and you get covered in beer at some point lobbed by someone who thinks it funny. It's not bright and ain't funny and if you're reading this then catch on a bit.

We're the best away fans in SL and everything that the Brigantes have done have enhanced the pleasure of watching Wigan. Shame to have our reputation spoilt by a mindless few

I wasn't at the match but if you ever go around St. Helens at night you sometimes see a copper with a bloody big stick. The police shouldn't really be allowed to carry them around in their hands as it gives the impression that they are looking/expecting to use the weapon which could be rather intimidating to members of the public. I understand that police do have truncheons/batons but these are usually carried in a holster to be used just in case.

I did also notice the police where being really strict before the match at the raven and another pub because of people drinking their pint at the front door whilst having a smoke etc, Pouring a few peoples pints down the gutter. I know those are probably "the rules" but it was hardly like people where walking around the streets with pint glasses.

I loved how they did their UPMOST best to look at the floor - not at any fans - when we where celebrating at the end in an attempt to not look impressed.

Think the way we won & celebrated wound them up that little bit more

I was told some saints fans were ejected for using children's season tickets

Seems like typical scouse police attitude to Wiganers. I remember watching Latics at Everton in the FA cup in the early 80's when fans were still penned in behind fences. The younger Wigan fans had to climb on the surrounding wall and hold on to the fence to get a decent view of the match. The scouse coppers went along the fence rapping the kids knuckles with their truncheons. Complete D*******S!

Pubs have an on/off licence. There should be nothing wrong with taking beer outside of a pub.

My point being... loads of people threw bog roll. Many did much worse. They picked on a young lad to try and make an example of him.

I can confirm through speaking to the head steward on entrance to the stadium about why our group was searched....

He told me they received a tip off from our own club that people might take spray paint into the ground and every single person would get searched. I told him there was some spray painting at a pre-season game from some randoms and that our group does not accept anything like this. I asked if anyone in our group was found with any of the said items, he told me they wern't and was shocked by our good behaviour (he was rather patronising). I shook his hand and assured him there would be no trouble. This turned out to be true, great day.

i disagree........many long years ago when i first started going round town , bobbies carried truncheons (sticks), and if u p!ssed about they hit you, and you didnt do it again.
now we have people whining about bobbies being heavy handed..why do you think theres so much disrespect ?

i digress.

rules are rules, whether or not you agree with them........but from reading 1 pages, i reckon the stewarding is way OTT

The stewarding and policing was over the top. I've been going to rugby matches for over 20 years and, in most instances, you don't need ANY police, so why the need for so many at this match? It's not as if there's never been a Saints/Wigan derby before! I got patted down before entering the ground and I said to the steward "do I look like a criminal or something?". I was certainly made to feel like one! Just to make matters worse my neice had her bag searched, not once but twice! The strange thing is, the 2nd steward actually watched the 1st one search the bag before stepping in to have a go himself afterwards!! Totally bizarre behaviour and not befitting a rugby match. Whoever the St Helens club are currently hiring needs to be replaced or the club and ground will get a reputation I'm sure it doesn't want.