Was up in the disabled stand with my daughter above the NE quadrant when the lifts were switched off for 'security reasons' after the end of the match. Nobody had a clue what was going on and as you'd expect it was a complete shambles. Wheelchair users were marooned for a time and the whole operation was a farce.
Complete over reaction by either the police or the security and the communication was non-existent. I will be writing to my local MP to make a point about the ludicrous security arrangements at the club - they really don't have a clue.
Total lack of preparation by the club.
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Embarrass them and show them up for the incompetents that they are. We can roller-coaster this over the summer and help ramp up the protests whilst there are no games.
You're probably correct but I dare say the Football League will give 0 shits until it got REALLY out of hand.
He has no experience in crowd safety, he's a personal trainer and in his words was told 'be ready for trouble'.
There was no strategy for managing supporters safety, it was a protect the club at all costs approach. His only instruction was 'follow me' from the supervisor and said they went in to melt down when we blocked both entrances to the car park.
I intend to make my local MP fully aware of the security/safety failings and ask them to investigate further.
It was comical the way things were dealt with
Like the club, piss poor planning.
The behaviour of the met police was equally reprehinsible. Many of them were spoiling for a ruck and I am surprised that batons weren't drawn when they were forcing back those trying to get on the pitch from the NW corner.
Worst of the lot were the blue jackets. Basically rent-a-mob who seemed to think any home supporter was fair game whilst standing back and letting Burnley fans do as they pleased.
I hope people push for assault charges to be issued.
If this happened outside a club, they would be in court. I hope this happens but fear it will not.
Today's heavy-handed security appeared (from what I have seen online, including a feed of the match) to be completely over the top.
We really need to ensure that the regime recognises that there is accountability for their actions. Whoever decided on the approach to be taken should be held to account. I really hope that no-one working for the club that is known to be a Charlton fan had any responsibility for the stewarding/policing.
Similarly, I assume that there must be some way (via the Mayor?) of getting some idea about the rationale for the police actions, and whether they are deemed acceptable. It's the first time I've seen police set themselves up to act against the home fans to such an extent (sort of used to it when at an away game, even if I don't like it).
Goodness knows how much it all must cost. I heard that the security company (or one of them) charged a premium of an extra £2 per hour per steward/security person for this event.
And wtf was occurring when that phalanx of dark forces marched up the pitch towards the Jimmy Seed?
Was it a question of 'well we've paid for them, we might as well use them'? I have been going since 1963 and never witnessed the Valley like that. Last time I saw that kind of security was when I went to see China v Holland with my nephew at the Workers Stadium in Beijing: