Supporters' Trust Statement No 2

[Alex MacLeod]

Even although they have a singing section at Ibrox who are allowed to stand throughout the game, without interference from the police/stewards

Not doubting the accuracy of your info LG - but how is this possible if, as you said in an earlier post "it is clearly stated in the SPL Ground Rules that standing in an all seated stadium is forbidden" ? Either it is allowed and anyone can establish a section like this or it is not allowed and Rangers are not only breaking but also flouting the rules.

If they do allow a sizeable proportion of their fans to stand I would think they might be the first club to support the notion of adjusting this rule ... anything else would be hypocritical in the extreme.

Scotty what Ibrox actually have is a small corner between two stands that is designated for supporters brass band. Haven't actually heard them for a while but they used to play during matches to get the crowds going. Because they were classed as a band they were allowed standing room.

[Scotty]

Scotty what Ibrox actually have is a small corner between two stands that is designated for supporters brass band. Haven't actually heard them for a while but they used to play during matches to get the crowds going. Because they were classed as a band they were allowed standing room.

ahhhh ....... so all we need is a few tubas (other than those in yellow jackets), trumpets and trombones and IHE and the gang will be fine  :rotflmao:

[The Fly]

IHE on the trumpet  :rotflmao:

[maimie]

Even although they have a singing section at Ibrox who are allowed to stand throughout the game, without interference from the police/stewards

Not doubting the accuracy of your info LG - but how is this possible if, as you said in an earlier post "it is clearly stated in the SPL Ground Rules that standing in an all seated stadium is forbidden" ? Either it is allowed and anyone can establish a section like this or it is not allowed and Rangers are not only breaking but also flouting the rules.

If they do allow a sizeable proportion of their fans to stand I would think they might be the first club to support the notion of adjusting this rule ... anything else would be hypocritical in the extreme.

i think you'll find that over the past season they have not been allowed to stand all the time and this has caused some disquiet in that section with fans thrown out every week.  they have the same issues as us in that the away fans of some clubs (green and red to nearly name 2).  i suspect that we would have the support of certainly this half of the old firm but also the rest of the spl. 

what does seem to happen is that there is sensible stewarding and policing at some grounds.  we experienced it ourselves at hib with both home and away fans standing throughout the game with no problems.

[maimie]

The official line will always have to be that you must sit as the SPL rules say exactly that.

Agree with that Laura but perhaps its time all Trusts got together and lobbied the SPL to have this rule changed. Personally I believe that a dedicated standing/singing area, limited to about 300, at every ground would not present any significant safety/crowd control problems. The SPL made the rules and we've seen that these rules are changeable, i.e reducing ground capacity requirements from 10k to 6k, so lets see them give consideration to the customer and change this one.

Alex can i say that the trust movement took this on board a couple of years ago.  we were asked to look at what were the important issues that fans wanted to look at and if i remember correctly top of the bill was ticketing prices.  at the moment i'm not sure what stage things are with safe standing but i will find out where it sits on the agenda.

one thing's for sure, there is a supporters trust conference at the begining of june which we hope we can attend and it will certainly be brought up there in some shape or form.  prob also chat about policing and stewarding too... :004:

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

OK - here is the serious response DJS.

I feel that I initially brought about the suggestion of the Singing Section for the Pars game although Lg evidently did the large majority of the prep. and the agreement by the club. I felt that I had to make the effort to travel to a game which I would probably have otherwise missed. That evidently results in a 700 mile round, elongated train journey plus accomodation.

I thought that one of the reasons for putting the section in the outside, uncovered wing was to let the party roll. Personally I now feel that the club did not expect the level of response and went well OTT in the subsequent stewarding.

It was persisting for most of the first half but I tended to rest ma weary bones between songs. The throwing out of the young lads and the close proximity and threatening observations of the stewards led mainly to then fans standing up more. They certainly did go back into the main stand when the torrent came. At half time I walked along to chat to some of the lads in the Main Stand. On the way back I was challenged by a steward who told me, at that stage, that I would be the next out the door. You may anticipate my reply.

I actually sat down fer the first five minutes after the restart and stood up for a Stand Up chorus. The woman then came accross and "warned" me. I more politely responded that she and her colleagues would be better employed at the Pars end and asked if they realised that the Singing Section had been sanctioned by the club. I again sat down but stood up again when the next song started. I was then simply asked to leave the ground.

I really thought it was a practical joke and waved to the other fans. Then the mannie told me that it was no joke and that is when I started gestering to the Main Stand. Again jokingly I added "Do you not know who I am?" and the response was "Yes, we have been told to get you out of here". On the way out the two stewards apologised to me, stating that they were under specific orders, that they thought it was daft but it was more than their jobsworth.

It all leaves a bad taste in the mooth. It suggests that the stewards were specifically tasked to overpolice the Singing Section. I also evidently take marked offence if I was targetted as was put to me.

It was a long lonely desolate Highland March back to the INNES.  :001:

[caley100]

OK - here is the serious response DJS.

I really thought it was a practical joke and waved to the other fans. Then the mannie told me that it was no joke and that is when I started gestering to the Main Stand. Again jokingly I added "Do you not know who I am?" and the response was "Yes, we have been told to get you out of here". On the way out the two stewards apologised to me, stating that they were under specific orders, that they thought it was daft but it was more than their jobsworth.

It all leaves a bad taste in the mooth. It suggests that the stewards were specifically tasked to overpolice the Singing Section. I also evidently take marked offence if I was targetted as was put to me.

It was a long lonely desolate Highland March back to the INNES.  :001:

Just realised Johndo, that this was in fact the polisman you took the mick out of during the infamous Feb8th2000 / streaker incident back in the 1st Div.... remember?

Remember how he stared you out... this indeed was the dork in question who obviously bears a grudge.

[DJS]

Thank you IHE.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

It was Feb 8th reincanated.  :017: :017:

[caley100]

It was Feb 8th reincanated.  :017: :017:

Well feck me, i didnt know he had departed!