CITY: SHOWSEC, Atmosphere, & Blatant Bullying.

[Dodge]

The double standards that infest the stewarding at City are beyond ridicule.

I've had a long standing (no pun intended) run-in with a steward on Aisle 117 for a couple of seasons now. His sole purpose seems to be policing the aisle and ensuring there's no encroachment into the aisle from the seats that border it. It's got to the stage where he turns a blind eye to others but insists on policing my "encroachment" to the letter of the law. We've had several stand-offs where he's threatened this and that but I always stand my ground and basically dare him to actually do something about it. My stock argument is that the smokers in the bogs at the top of aisle 117 have impunity to do what the fuck they want and NOTHING is done about enforcing the no smoking policy (and I'm a smoker before anyone starts). Any fathers taking kids to the bog at half time have to run the gauntlet of the bellowing smoke and fags held at kids eye level. A thoroughly unpleasant experience which directly affects the matchday experience of other supporters is left alone whilst other "misdemeanours" are enforced vigorously.

Its obviously far easier to target a single standing supporter in 109 than take on the predominantly younger masses of smokers in the bogs.

They choose their battles very carefully this Showsec mob, very carefully.

 

[BlueMoonz1977]

my last season this after 35 years. i moved out of 109 into 315 because of this and the price increases but it happening again. add to the fact people on twitter/facebook/facetime or whatever the fuck they are doing moan at me and my 10 year old lad and give me dirty looks for singing and shouting.....

I totally understand your situation. I was a season ticket holder in west stand level 3, and gave it up. I tried standing and singing but was looked at as if I had 3 heads and was told to stop by others around me.

The atmosphere in our ground is absolutely shocking if truth be told and the club has contributed to its current situation. Having the main singing fans split into pockets around the ground is counter-productive because no matter what they do they will not be supported by the others who cannot be arsed.

Look at Liverpool as an example, I work in Liverpool and with one of their supporters who is an active KOP member. I have discussed the issue we are going through to which he replied they had with security at their ground. He said a few tried legal action but if failed. He says what is going on at our stadium is what they have witnessed themselves. However he said the one difference is that directly behind the KOP goal you have the whole majority of their singing section who in defiance stand and sing all the time.

Having 26k fans in one area who are positive in their support to want to sing and create an atmosphere is their one major advantage, if Liverpool were to ever move grounds then they could see that dispersed as we have witnessed in our new stadium.

Our club need to address this immediately, because if our manager is asking for it and we the fans cannot provide it then what is the bloody point

It fucking stinks, showsec, our management totally not understanding and taking fans concerns on.

Back in work today so I wasn't in a good mood anyway and all this has made it worse

 

[Ladybarn Blue .]

As you are saying a ''little reminder' did this happen yesterday or is it from a couple of seasons/last season ago? I'm asking because someone in the thread said that needs sending to the club but if it was not from yesterday there is no reason to send it because the club might already have dealt with it.

Hi ,

I can assure you this video was shot 4 years ago @ the Aston Villa match .
I was the "Old Man" in 109 .

 

[Ladybarn Blue .]

It was my family that had to leave yesterday- my parents (who are in their 70's) and one of my brothers. As a family we have 7 season tickets, we prefer to stand, but sit down if the stewards ask us to directly. Yesterday my brother objected to being asked to sit 30 seconds after Sterling's goal whilst we were still celebrating, so Showsec decided he had to go, my Mum and Dad disagreed so they had to go too. Bit of background on my Dad, he's followed City home and away since he was 8 years old - almost 60 years of loyal support - he has brought up his 7 children to do the same, he continued to attend and stand and sing throughout his chemotherapy treatment 3 years ago (what's your excuse for not being able to stand?!) and he will continue to do so along with the rest of us.
Those of you who are saying 109 was always seated are wrong- 109 was made up predominantly of the kippax block GG when we moved from Maine Rd, we stood there and we continue to stand here, we're repeatedly threatened by Showsec despite the fact that there are often away supporters a few rows infront. If you want to sit in silence, why don't you move over near Pep and bore him with the rest of them? Or better still, stay on your sofa and listen to the radio! Showsec take people out at random during quiet games, it's a fact - has anyone ever been asked to sit during a Derby??

So sorry to hear of you and yours experience yesterday .

 

[Eccles Blue]

Hi ,

I can assure you this video was shot 4 years ago @ the Aston Villa match .
I was the "Old Man" in 109 .

Thank you, it is just that I was about to forward it to the supporter support people at the club as a couple of other posters had said it was disgraceful and should be passed on,, and then spotted the 'a little reminder'. :-)


I'd have felt a right wally if I had sent it!! Duh!

 

[swinton blue]

Now I sit in the third tier last seat on the segregation
I stand if the away fans take up there full allocation because there is no way a 8 stone woman steward is going to stop any fan who wants to jump across the barrier so stand for my own safety
Not once I've I been told to sit down
All they tend to do is target the people on the end of the row.
Think someone got thrown out of tier 3 314 fit standing yesterday

 

[Citycity76]

Good Idea showsec should just patrol the bogs looking for smokers keep them out of sight of the front of the stadium.

 

[Segga]

I'm absolute fooked off with it all at the minute and even a win yesterday hasn't improved my mood on what is happening with our club and football in general! From the match day experience, to how our club treat our long serving fans to the media and everything in between I've had enough.
Then i watch this video and I watched on from107 what happened yesterday and it's made my blood boil, regardless of wether they should be seated or not to be treat like that is a disgrace and it looked like a club/showsec decision and not a police one.
We do really need to start making ourselves heard as fans more, just moaning on here isn't going to sort it, I've just tweeted city supporter services what I think of it and hope everyone else gets in touch and force them to take action.

 

[Danamy]

Hi ,

I can assure you this video was shot 4 years ago @ the Aston Villa match .
I was the "Old Man" in 109 .

Apologies, my fault, i read it that the incident happened during yesterdays game, the first time i've seen it and still think it's disgraceful

 

[SWP's back]

Those of you who are saying 109 was always seated are wrong- 109 was made up predominantly of the kippax block GG when we moved from Maine Rd, we stood there and we continue to stand here

Sorry for your experience yesterday but I can assure you I had a season ticket there for five years and apart from the Derby, it was a seated block and I was back in the middle of row L until May 2014 when I moved abroad.