What a great opening day of the season for me.

Went to take a leak, 30 minutes into the game on Saturday, only to be accosted by our lovely head steward who told me that I was drunk and that I had to leave the ground.

At this point I quite reasonably argued - in a calm manner- as to what part of my behaviour had led to this conclusion, as I didnt feel that I was intoxicated... a bit merry like many fans and in high spirits but nothing more.

Typically I didnt get a satisfactory reply and within seconds found myself being accosted by about 8 stewards who tried to 'shuffle' me slowly towards the exit gates.

Know at this point I have to admit that I did lose my temper and started arguing more forcefully with the head steward. I told him that I paid a lot of money to get into the ground and asked why he couldnt give me a reasonable explanation as to why I was being ejected.

I was met with more forcefull shoving and reacted by shoving one of them back - in the chest I think, although I'm not 100 per cent sure as it all happened very fast.

Anyway, after being manhandled out of the ground I then got arrested and spent 4 hours in a cell.

I have consequenlty been charged with common assault as one of the stewards is claiming that I punched him in the face with a closed fist.

I was told that if I admitted to this I would be able to go home with a caution. However, seeing as I categorically deny this charge, and presuming that an admission would lead to a ban from football for a considerable amount of time I have refuted the claims by the stewards and have now been bailed by the police until the 01st of sptember on a charge of common assault

Can anyone tell me if I need to contact a solicitor before I return on the 01st of september as I have no idea to be honest

I am still positivily fuming to be honest so my mind isnt working that well at the moment and I could do with some rational advice?

Oh, and for the record there is no way that I threw a punch. I think that I may have pushed one of the little hitlers off with my palm but certainly no more than this

thanks

On your first appearance you will not need a solicitor if you are pleading not guilty and the case will be adjourned for all to prepare their cases.

If you are going to proceed with this plea you really will need one. Expect as part of your bail conditions to be not allowed near the stadium on matchdays.

From what you have revealed i would prepare yourself for a guilty verdict as well. Even a palm off is an assault unless you can prove you used reasonable force to defend yourself. If there are discrepancies within the Stewards statements you will have a chance likewise if any cctv is available showing the Stewards to be acting unreasonably.

Get legal advice and take them on - they will have to prove you hit him

The case will be dropped before it gets to court

Email me at ajm22769@yahoo.co.uk

Sounds very similar to a mate of mine who was nicked in very similar circumstances, his bail hearing kept getting put back and eventually it was dropped due to lack of evidence!

good luck!

Definetly take them on and get a solicitor

I have no advice, but best of luck.

rational advice? - i think i'd be writing to the club to ask for a refund on my season ticket.

That would be the first thing I would be doing!

Colchester United stitched me up on that account as there was only a few games left they wouldn't refund my ST pro-rata and I had sell my ticket on for £5 for 1 game.

Greedy bastards!

update:

I got a little confused

It appears I haven't been charged. I'm on bail to return to the cop shop whilst they make their enquiries.

I'm trying to arrange a meeting with the club to have a nice chat about my Season ticket after reading the rather bleak terms and conditions on it last night.

These fantastic terms and conditions leave you without any rights whatsoever (no surprise there then). Basically the club can take the ticket, rip it up for as long as they like and not give me back a penny if I have committed any number of about 10,000 offences.

Whatever happens, this is my last year as a season ticket holder. I'm done. I need a year out from Selhurst at least in the hope that I can recharge and try and regain some love for this tortured game.

Many thanks to Amanda for advice and also from Malcolm Clarke the FSF chair.

Still soooo angry

Andy

Update:

My police bail has been put back to October 04th - thats another 3 games I miss.

I Spoke to the officer in charge who has implied that they have nothing on real note on CCTV relating to allegation - no surprise there considering I didnt hit anyone!

It looks like it will come down to my word verses the nazi stewards.

Heres hoping it's just chucked out because I cant wait to write a sh*tty letter to CPFC and demand all my money back.

Remember that the plod and stewards are never wrong or lieing - they are simply mistaken

This has got me fuming, I can't imagine how pissed of you are. Get your money back and tell them they have just lost another loyal fan (not that the c*nts will probably care). Good luck with it all mate.

You have been well and truly done over.

If your going to get arrested for pushing a steward after provacation you may as well have just leathered him. Why are there still enquires going when the police must have seen the CCTV and seen you NOT punch the steward. You of course know if it was the other way round falsley accusing one of them of hitting you, after viewing the evidence you would be arrested for lieing to the police/perverting the course of justice/wasting their time.

Good luck and get a solicitor.

Take them on. Then score a wonder goal. :D

No but seriously that is quite disgraceful. We have just had trouble with one of our loyal fans and a stewerd. In result he said he is not coming back. We might protest.

mmmmmmmmm

You're going to protest against the fan?

Demand your money back, if you decide to go back in the future so be it but at least get your money back because at the moment you're losing money on missed games.

As it keeps getting put back I have a feeling they have nothing on you in the same way they didn't with my mate at end of last season.

He was allowed to go to the last 2 games of the season though so not sure why you can't in the meantime.

They either have CCTV showing you do nothing or the CCTV cannot view you, either way they haven't got a case!

Still banned.....

Police bail put back again, this time until October 21st.

Copper in charge said CPS advised him to get more statements as not enough 'evidence' to go to court with.

Confirmed to me that their is no CCTV evidence whatsoever of alleged bullsh*t that I have been accused.

Reading between the lines I dont think it will get anywhere, but I'm getting impatient now as it's costingg me money...grrrrr

If it is all dropped I'm still pondering the best way to approach the club for a refund on the games I have missed.

I guess the case would have to be dropped before you to stand a chance of a refund from your tickets, I would be surprised if they will refund TBH.

Good news about the lack of evidence, thing is most people who are accused just accept it and in most cases there is no evidence and the cases are usually dropped or if they do go to court they are thrown out.

But Amanda would be the one to contact.

Sounds exactly like my mates, it sounds like it will get dropped but the question is when.

Doubt the club will refund you though, Col u never refunded my 4 games missed!

Case dropped!

Apparently the 'victim' has decided it isnt worth pursuing..........no doubt the police have advised the club that their is no evidence - bastards and their lies ....grrrrrr.

Now to take the next step and get my ST back as well as attempt to get money refunded on missed matches.

I am aware that I'm up against it in respect of refunds but I need to make an effort to do this.

I'd be grateful for any opinions on the best type od letter to write to the club

thanks in advance all

Find out who the saftey officer is at Selhurst & try & make an appointment to see him/her, i find talking to someone face to face is always the better option, otherwise knowing how clubs operate in certain situations you'll write a letter then wont hear back for months so you'll write another letter & so on..................

Good luck whatever you do.

Face to face meeting would probably work best.

If you do write a letter, post it on here first and we can give you advice if necessary.

Just say, Give me a refund it, if not you'll loose money in the long run as i wont renew my st and won't go to another game.

Tell me what you think peeps..............

For the attention of Kevin Corner (Stadium safety Officer)

Dear Kevin

Following on from my previous email dated 14th August,

I wish to make clear how unhappy I am with regards to the conduct of some of the club's stewards, which have led to a police investigation and the current withdrawal of my season ticket.

As you will no doubt be aware, during this seasons fixture against Watford one of your stewards accused me of common assault. The allegation pertained to an incident which occurred during the process of my ejection from the stadium.

To summarise if I may:

After being pushed and shoved towards the exits gates in the lower Holmesdale concourse I became very unhappy with the degree of provocation that I felt was coming my way.

Some small scale pushing and shoving ensued between myself and one of the stewards and after my arrest I made the police immediately aware that I had pushed one of the stewards in the chest as a form of self defence.

I have to say that I was astonished and equally incensed to hear an accusation from a steward - via the police officer in charge at the station - that I had 'struck him in the face with a closed fist.'

It was a version of events that I immediately denied, in spite of assurances from the officer in charge that if I admitted the offence I would be released with only a caution.

I am pleased to say - but in no way surprised - that the charges have been dropped.

I challenged the police to find any evidence of this allegation by studying CCTV at the earliest opportunity. Surveillance cameras are ubiquitous in modern day football grounds and I had no doubts that my innocence would be proved by a complete absence of anything incriminating.

In my opinion I had the misfortune to be labelled drunk because I was sitting next to a friend of mind who was clearly worse for wear. Whilst not acting in a manner which could be viewed as aggressive or dangerous I will concede that he was being a nuisance. I recall being pushed over by him on at least two occasions onto seats to my right and also into the row behind.

From a personal perspective, I was rather subdued inside the ground. I had spent the large part of the previous night attending to my new born daughter. I can only presume that consequently I may have looked rather fatigued, which possibly added to suspicions that I was heavily intoxicated.

I noted a steward observing us midway through the first half but thought nothing more of it after 30 minutes when I went to the refreshment bar in the rear concourse area

If only I has been given a chance to explain and reason instead of being grappled and hastily ushered towards an exit gate by up to eight stewards.

The diplomacy skills demonstrated by one of your head stewards in particular was particularly disappointing.

Unfortunately as a modern day football fan, who happens to be under 40-years-old and male, I have come to expect to be treated with contempt and common disregard once I step into the majority of club stadiums. Therefore I see little point in dwelling on this point in too much detail.

Whilst I do not expect you to undermine the worthwhile efforts of the majority of your stewarding teams I would urge you to consider the following:

* I have a credible witness to the ejection who also followed me out of the exit gate. He followed me because he was concerned at the aggressive nature he perceived the stewards were displaying towards me. He spent the time outside talking about the ejection to the only female steward (with blonde hair) in this section of the stadium on the day. Neither noticed anything untoward that would warrant an assault allegation.

* As a matter of course I had to see the police doctor before being interviewed. The only observation that he made was that I looked rather tired, a point which he conceded could be attributed to my previous sleepless night; At no point was I questioned or charged with any drunken offences.

* Despite having up to seven fellow stewards as witnesses, the officer in charge informed me that the Crown Prosecution Service said that there insufficient evidence to take the case to court - I'm not a lawyer but I find this incredible. If I had actually committed this offence there would surely have been an overwhelming amount of witness statements?

* The handcuffs were removed on arrival at the police station because at the time of arrest my behaviour was considered reasonable and non aggressive - at complete odds to the allegations being levelled at me from the CPFC stewards.

* I have spent 4 hours in a police cell, endured considerable stress and missed six home games because of the direct actions of some of your employees.

*Finally, I have invested nearly 30 years of my life into this club and have held a season ticket for approximately 10 years. In all this time I have never had any dealings with the police or the club stewards.

I cannot make any apologies for my behaviour on this date - I didn't display any actions which I believe could be construed to be particularly aggressive or indeed drunken.

Indeed I'm just rather saddened by the whole course of events which could have been avoided so easily if your stewards had exercised a degree of tact and diplomacy, rather than acting as an instantaneous judge and jury.

In the meantime I have been in dialogue with the Football Supporters Federation.

On their advice I have been told that I should look forward to receiving my season ticket back at the earliest opportunity and expect a pro rate refund for the games that I have been forced to miss due to the investigation.

I look forward to this being resolved as a matter of priority and await your reply

Start with Dear Mr Corner for a kick off

:D

Lord Flange

Great letter and if you'd like us to write one to back you up, would be pleased to.

I think you have my email address?

In no way should they be able to refuse a refund but this is a football club we are talking about.