Police and Stewards

[Onward and Upward]

I don't know what the Supporter's Club might be doing, but I did bring it up at the monthly meeting between the Supporter's Trust and the club. Unfortunately despite my request on here, I didn't have any specific complaints to take to them, just general comments.  For us to raise it more forcefully we needed more specific information and nobody decided to provide us with that.  It's one thing to come here mumping and moaning, and rightly so, but I asked for names and seat numbers, which would have been followed up by the Trust and the Club, but not one person got in touch.  :012:

The Supporter's Trust can and will take supporter's issues to the Football Club on your behalf, but fans need to take the issues to us in the first place.

I'll have a chat with jagged little thistle and see if she's willing to make a complaint!

[L_G]

To be fair I think it's a bit late now.  Best done at the time.  The club are aware of some of the incidents, but seat numbers, names/numbers of unhelpful stewards/police etc would help a lot.  Specific details can be dealt with. Lots of people on here saying that they reported 'away' fans to both Stewards and Police and nothing was done.  This is not acceptable, they should have been asked to leave - end of. 

As I see it

If you see an 'away' fan who is causing offence i.e. wearing colours or inappropriate behaviour/celebrations, you should in the first instance report them to a Steward, who (assuming he has the appropriate licence - which should be obviously displayed as a blue credit card size ID) should ask the person to leave as they are breaching the ground rules.  Not breaking any laws at this point, just rules.  Only if a criminal offence is comitted by the person will the police get involved as they are only there to maintain the law of the land rather than the rules.

If the said 'away' fan caused a breech of the peace, by refusing to leave the ground, then the police are quite entitled to remove the person and possiby arrest them depending on the circumstances.

This is my understanding of the procedures in place.  If there is a breakdown in this, record seat numbers and the buyer of the ticket can be traced, or if the stewards tells you they are not taking action, ask them for their badge/licence no and record their name, same applies to the police.  Only then can complaints be efficiently dealt with and acted upon.

The hospitality thing is a bit different - I'm not going to say that they pay more and deserve to do what they like, but there are a number of companies in Inverness who support the club through hospitality and sponsorship packages on a regular basis.  If you are a Company owner and are taking clients to a match, it's possible that you may have supporters of the away team within the group, you might even choose who should go on that basis.  This in no way excuses their behaviour, but hospitality seats are always in the main stand for ease of access to the facilities.  You couldn't take a group and split them into home and away fans.  People of their status should know how to behave and shouldn't cause offence to home fans.  There have been hospitality clients removed from the stadium in the past, so it's not a case of them paying more and being allowed to do as they please.  They have to comply with the same ground rules as anyone else.

I hope that you find this helpful in dealing with any future incidents.  I must stress that this is just my opinion and not any official information.

Now open the gates for the abuse which is sure to follow - just trying to help.

[Johnboy]

People of their status should know how to behave.....  :024:

[Guest eliza]

I am surprised that this topic has gone quiet, especially after an "occurrence" on Saturday.

The Stewards have become nearly invisible and this is just great - admiration especially for the Lady Steward with the bob hairstyle - she is pleasant, efficient, cheerful and peace reigns when she is around.  The situation is calm and we can all enjoy the banter.

However, after a Policeman stating "no swearing" to fans during the Rangers match! this Saturday there was absolutely no dialogue with Stewards but two Policemen marched up to the back of Section G and were particularly intimidating - one loudly saying "sit on your er$es"!    Doesn't take his colleagues advice re no swearing obviously!

Under the SPL Stadium regs, Section 18, action can be taken if "constituting a source of danger, nuisance or annoyance to other spectators".  There was no such danger etc to warrant the Police attending at Section G.  I cannot understand why Police do not take action when requested, ie when Old Firm fans (in their colours) are seated in Home seats, but take action as they have done in the North Stand at the last two home fixtures.

Maybe LG can bring this up at one of the Trust Meetings with the Club and get it sorted -

a little girl at her 1st ever ICT match was quite frightened by the Police presence near her.

Incidentally, the singing after the Police went down the steps was excellent "Council Tax buying hats"!!!!!!! Well done boys!!!!!

[L_G]

To my knowledge the police are only supposed to get involved if a crime has been comitted.  Stewards should deal with rules and police with criminal activity.

[Onward and Upward]

That's very true, but the Stewards at Caley can't get involved in anything as NONE of them hold SIA Licences.  4 & a bit months after the LAW came into effect!  :33:

[L_G]

I did raise the licensing issue with the club in November and they were working with the SIA and seemed to have managed to fulfill the criteria.  Not all stewards need to be licensed but some do.  I know that ACE just licence all their employees to avoid any problems.  Football grounds in England have an exemption from licensing, but this never came into place in Scotland.  I think Rock Steady might have been a bit slow off the mark in the hopes that the exemption might have come into Scotland, so now they will have a major catch up.  There does seem to be less stewards in the North Stand on a match day but I'm not sure the reason why.

I did download the booklet from the SIA website which clearly states what they can and can't do without the appropriate certification.

[Onward and Upward]

It currently takes 3-4 months for the SIA to process a license application, which means that we should start seeing Licensed Stewards at the ground as of now.

Rockunsteady have NOT met the criteria to deploy Stewards in a security role, they cannot enforce the ground rules, which is supposed to be their job! 

The only thing that a steward at Caley Stadium can do is show you to your seat and watch for safety issues, but they cannot enforce any safety issues, or become involved in any Crowd Control issues.  The only staff that Rockunsteady have licensed are supervisors or above.  All other staff have only received 2 hours training, which basically tells them to get a supervisor in the event of ANYTHING happening.  The licensing isn't perfect but at least the staff would get a minimum of 32 hours of guided learning.

It seems to me that the club is throwing away money on ineffective stewarding (including transporting ineffective stewards from Aberdeen & the Central Belt).

I have also noticed that the police presence this season has raised considerably, particularly in the south stand.  Is this due to the lack of licensed stewards capable of enforcing the ground regulations?

Kind of defeats the purpose of having Stewards there!  :024:

Did the SIA say that the Club and Rocksteady had been given the OK or did that come from the Club and Rockunsteady??  :024: :023:

[GavICT]

Yeh wasnt impressed with the police on saturday! I simply asked the question what football ground in the world does not sing the referees a W***er and one came over and grabbed me right up in my face askin if i had a problem i think the police on saturday were a bit power hungry myself! the we paid for your hats song is class  :021: :021: who ever made that up!

[ICTFCkev]

Incidentally, the singing after the Police went down the steps was excellent "Council Tax buying hats"!!!!!!! Well done boys!!!!!

We Paid For Your Hats . .   :023:

And said woman with the bob hairstyle had a word with us after the game and said she was asked to get us to behave by the police but she refused as she saw nothing wrong   :clapping03:

Also ICT stewarding Dept are planning giving one of us a Banning Order from football to make an example of the rest    :024:   Surely tey could never get away with this without good reason.

[L_G]

It currently takes 3-4 months for the SIA to process a license application, which means that we should start seeing Licensed Stewards at the ground as of now.

Rockunsteady have NOT met the criteria to deploy Stewards in a security role, they cannot enforce the ground rules, which is supposed to be their job! 

The only thing that a steward at Caley Stadium can do is show you to your seat and watch for safety issues, but they cannot enforce any safety issues, or become involved in any Crowd Control issues.  The only staff that Rockunsteady have licensed are supervisors or above.  All other staff have only received 2 hours training, which basically tells them to get a supervisor in the event of ANYTHING happening.  The licensing isn't perfect but at least the staff would get a minimum of 32 hours of guided learning.

It seems to me that the club is throwing away money on ineffective stewarding (including transporting ineffective stewards from Aberdeen & the Central Belt).

I have also noticed that the police presence this season has raised considerably, particularly in the south stand.  Is this due to the lack of licensed stewards capable of enforcing the ground regulations?

Kind of defeats the purpose of having Stewards there!  :024:

Did the SIA say that the Club and Rocksteady had been given the OK or did that come from the Club and Rockunsteady??  :024: :023:

That's a fairly good post onwards and upwards and you ask some very relevant questions.  I am however, assured by the Football Club, that the necessary measures are in place on a match day to satisfy the SIA.

Under the SPL Stadium regs, Section 18, action can be taken if "constituting a source of danger, nuisance or annoyance to other spectators".  There was no such danger etc to warrant the Police attending at Section G. 

Maybe LG can bring this up at one of the Trust Meetings with the Club and get it sorted

Will do Eliza, well at least we can raise it, not sure we can get it sorted, but we can certainly seek some reassurances from the Football Club that action is being taken to resolve some of the issues.

This is exactly what we need, specific incidents which we can take to the meetings.  Better still if you can get police or steward numbers and maybe even a couple of witness statements at the time of any incident which concerns you.