Title: (oxford Utd) "fans Furious Over Treatment"
Description: Further proof that seating can be unsafe
timbo-b-o-a - March 3, 2008 01:45 AM (GMT)
Interesting article demonstrating how seats can be just as unsafe/ much worse than terracing.
In this case around 800 Oxford Utd fans were forced into a seating area reserved for about 450 at Forest Green on Saturday. Reminds me of that Man U incident in the European Cup in France a couple of years ago.
LINK:
http://www.theoxfordtimes.net/sport/headli...r_treatment.php Amanda - March 3, 2008 07:39 AM (GMT)
That article should go straight off to the local SAG and FLA inspector.
unibee - March 3, 2008 08:16 AM (GMT)
I didn't think the FLA govern non-league football though?
Amanda - March 3, 2008 08:24 AM (GMT)
tbh444 - March 3, 2008 11:30 AM (GMT)
I think Oxford are mentioned there due to being ex-league though? No mention of other non-league clubs (e.g. FGR). And who exactly are 'Hereford Town' I wonder?
Sadly this money-grabbing practice of forcing away fans into seats and keeping terracing closed is common in the lower divisions where away followings are small, e.g. this will be exactly the reason Chester seated their away end (I intend to write to them explaining I will not be visiting this season for this reason).
unibee - March 3, 2008 12:44 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (tbh444 @ Mar 3 2008, 11:30 AM) |
I think Oxford are mentioned there due to being ex-league though? No mention of other non-league clubs (e.g. FGR). And who exactly are 'Hereford Town' I wonder?
|
Not sure who Preston North are either, but then the FLA aren't the most reliable of government departments.
I would imagine they've just forgotten to update the list following Oxford's relegation. Looking at Malcolm Collier (SE area) for example, Dagenham aren't listed, nor are Stevenage/Woking etc. So I'm pretty sure the FLA don't cover the non-league. Having seen a lot of football both in Div 4 and the Conference, this may well explain why the conference is noticably more relaxed and generally freer of stupid rules (like flag bans).
http://www.flaweb.org.uk/docs/mailform.php?staffid=2 BWA_Ultra - March 3, 2008 01:17 PM (GMT)
Reminds me of Peterborough V Colchester when they closed the terrace expecting around 500 of us, and 900 of us turned up and were in an area for about 600 until they moved some Posh fans further across the stand to allow us some more room.
Reppz - March 3, 2008 04:49 PM (GMT)
I'm still pretty sure too many Coventry fans were aloud in at Lester away.
I went to my seat to find out 2 other people were already arguing that it was theirs and we all had the seat number on our tickets! My dad and a few of my mates had similar problems.
Gangways were pretty much full and it was probably a good thing we didn't score else i'd have went flying...
watermelon man - March 3, 2008 06:47 PM (GMT)
Bit off topic I know but... "This is why we have to get out of this Mickey Mouse league. Sadly, the truth is, we are not good enough." I really hate fans like that!!! You know the "we're too big for this league" type.
Seriously though it was very stupid of FGR to not open the terrace and I feel sorry for Oxford because FGR is probably the best away day in the whole of the conference and they were not able to enjoy it!
Stoned_Prof - March 4, 2008 05:42 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (unibee @ Mar 3 2008, 08:16 AM) |
| I didn't think the FLA govern non-league football though? |
Don't think they do. Ground gradings are covered by the FA and safety certificates are presumably issued by local councils at non-League level.
Also, their website says the following:
| QUOTE |
Our Statutory Remit
We were originally conceived as the body that would implement the Football Membership Scheme in response to the disaster at the Heysel Stadium in 1985. However, the Government shelved this in the light of Lord Justice Taylor's Final Report on the Hillsborough Stadium Disaster of April 1989.
Instead it charged us with implementing some of the Report's key recommendations by:
- monitoring local authorities' oversight of spectator safety at international, Premiership and Football League grounds;
- and ensuring through a system of licensing that these grounds became all seated.
In 1992 the Government decided to allow clubs in the Football League Second and Third Divisions to retain some standing accommodation, provided that this satisfied certain criteria. We enforce this through our licences. |
ormondroyd - March 5, 2008 06:59 PM (GMT)
Personally while this situation is obviously ridiculous, I don't think talk of increasing the FLA's remit is going to help any of us...
(I see from some of their minutes that they're keen to offer their "advice" to cricket grounds too. Do they want to ruin everything I enjoy?)