To Manchester City Football Club, City Football Group, Oak View Group, etc.
Firstly.
I appreciate security has to be tight around the Etihad stadium, Etihad Campus, and the Coop Live Arena after the awful events which took place at the AO Arena.
I accept the security companies and security guards are only doing their jobs when they approach me wanting to know why I’m taking pictures.
This afternoon I was approached by 2 different security guards from 2 different security companies wanting to know why I was taking pictures of the North stand redevelopment and the Coop Live Arena/Joe Mercer Way.
The first security guard from Taurus Security Group approached me outside the North stand construction site and asked me straight out if he could take a picture of me, which I flatly refused. At no point did he try to speak to me in a professional manner.
The 2nd security guard from G4S Security approached me at the bottom of Joe Mercer Way. He spoke to me in a professional manner, and asked me why I was taking pictures. Near the end of the conversation he asked me for my name, which I refused to give him, explaining why. I explained to the G4S security guard who I was(jrb-Blue Moon), what I was doing, and why I was taking pictures.
I will be taking pictures and documenting the construction of the North stand over the next 2 years. To be honest I don’t want to be approached by security guards every time I go down to the Etihad to take pictures of the North stand construction. As such, I would be very grateful if jrb-Blue Moon, a picture and video of me, which there will be plenty of by now, is put on a security database. I’m known to the club via 1894, and have been allocated accreditation passes to help with the displays. I’m also known to one of the board directors in person from many years ago.
I have been documenting the amazing changes that have been taking place in East Manchester and at the Etihad stadium since construction started on the City Football Academy in 2012. 12 years ago. Since then I have taken and posted thousands of pictures on Blue Moon and on SSC-MCR of the City Football Academy, the South Stand Redevelopment, the Coop Live Arena, and now the North stand redevelopment. Once the Collar site proposal starts I will be taking pictures of that as well.
If anyone at City would like to contact me to discuss the matter, you have my contact details via my season ticket and via 1894.
As I've said to you before, this happens and has been happening a lot more (and longer) than you have experienced. Hope you learn not to get upset by it because they are probably unlikely to be one-offs.