Wow wtf was the stewards thinking not locking the gate and why wasnt it manned by more aswell as police🤦🏻♂️
As per previous comments, a lot of the gates around the Valley cant be fully locked due to safety/evacuation concerns.
Is this just health and safety gone mad? Surely the biggest risk to health and safety is a potentially dangerous and supposedly segregated football crowd not actually being segregated?
That mindset is why people couldn't escape the ground at Hillsborough.
Wow wtf was the stewards thinking not locking the gate and why wasnt it manned by more aswell as police🤦🏻♂️
As per previous comments, a lot of the gates around the Valley cant be fully locked due to safety/evacuation concerns.
Is this just health and safety gone mad? Surely the biggest risk to health and safety is a potentially dangerous and supposedly segregated football crowd not actually being segregated?
Or being trapped in a burning stand because the gate can't be open and there's only one exit on the other side. The segregation issue is easy, you don't need to lock the gate you just need to actually segregate
Not much chance of the Jimmy Seed Stand catching fire. You do realise that what you are suggesting would cost money.
Wow wtf was the stewards thinking not locking the gate and why wasnt it manned by more aswell as police🤦🏻♂️
As per previous comments, a lot of the gates around the Valley cant be fully locked due to safety/evacuation concerns.
Is this just health and safety gone mad? Surely the biggest risk to health and safety is a potentially dangerous and supposedly segregated football crowd not actually being segregated?
Or being trapped in a burning stand because the gate can't be open and there's only one exit on the other side. The segregation issue is easy, you don't need to lock the gate you just need to actually segregate
Not much chance of the Jimmy Seed Stand catching fire. You do realise that what you are suggesting would cost money.
Money or saving lives/keeping people safe, wonder which is more important?
Wow wtf was the stewards thinking not locking the gate and why wasnt it manned by more aswell as police🤦🏻♂️
As per previous comments, a lot of the gates around the Valley cant be fully locked due to safety/evacuation concerns.
Is this just health and safety gone mad? Surely the biggest risk to health and safety is a potentially dangerous and supposedly segregated football crowd not actually being segregated?
Or being trapped in a burning stand because the gate can't be open and there's only one exit on the other side. The segregation issue is easy, you don't need to lock the gate you just need to actually segregate
Not much chance of the Jimmy Seed Stand catching fire. You do realise that what you are suggesting would cost money.
Money or saving lives/keeping people safe, wonder which is more important?
We know the answer to that question but some at the club might not.
Wow wtf was the stewards thinking not locking the gate and why wasnt it manned by more aswell as police🤦🏻♂️
As per previous comments, a lot of the gates around the Valley cant be fully locked due to safety/evacuation concerns.
Is this just health and safety gone mad? Surely the biggest risk to health and safety is a potentially dangerous and supposedly segregated football crowd not actually being segregated?
Or being trapped in a burning stand because the gate can't be open and there's only one exit on the other side. The segregation issue is easy, you don't need to lock the gate you just need to actually segregate
Not much chance of the Jimmy Seed Stand catching fire. You do realise that what you are suggesting would cost money.
Jesus Christ, bring back the fencing in front of the away fans and packing them into the stands no matter the capacity then eh?
Wow wtf was the stewards thinking not locking the gate and why wasnt it manned by more aswell as police🤦🏻♂️
As per previous comments, a lot of the gates around the Valley cant be fully locked due to safety/evacuation concerns.
Is this just health and safety gone mad? Surely the biggest risk to health and safety is a potentially dangerous and supposedly segregated football crowd not actually being segregated?
Or being trapped in a burning stand because the gate can't be open and there's only one exit on the other side. The segregation issue is easy, you don't need to lock the gate you just need to actually segregate
Not much chance of the Jimmy Seed Stand catching fire. You do realise that what you are suggesting would cost money.
Its not just about a fire or something extreme though is it, if there's a medical emergency with someone in the crowd you don't want a steward fiddling with a set of keys at a padlocked gate when you need to evacuate them to an ambulance.
Wow wtf was the stewards thinking not locking the gate and why wasnt it manned by more aswell as police🤦🏻♂️
As per previous comments, a lot of the gates around the Valley cant be fully locked due to safety/evacuation concerns.
Is this just health and safety gone mad? Surely the biggest risk to health and safety is a potentially dangerous and supposedly segregated football crowd not actually being segregated?
Or being trapped in a burning stand because the gate can't be open and there's only one exit on the other side. The segregation issue is easy, you don't need to lock the gate you just need to actually segregate
Not much chance of the Jimmy Seed Stand catching fire. You do realise that what you are suggesting would cost money.
Its not just about a fire or something extreme though is it, if there's a medical emergency with someone in the crowd you don't want a steward fiddling with a set of keys at a padlocked gate when you need to evacuate them to an ambulance.
I think with hindsight and having the opportunity to reflect, the decision by the police to not hold back Millwall could still be argued by the police to be reasonable.
There is some logic in trying to remove 3k quickly given the perceived risk of adverse reaction by them if kept waiting.
I’m assuming in the absence of any reports to the contrary there were no noteworthy skirmishes between the 2 sets of fans excepting the Sam Bartram gate incursion. On that basis I’d guess the police can claim it was the right call.
We don’t like it and consider it unfair but it’s not without any safety merit.
What can’t be defended however is the associated club comms, marshalling/announcements post game and not limiting vehicle access in Charlton Lane ie the implementation of it.
The Sam Bartram gate / steps fighting I think is likely to be a ‘hands up we got that wrong’ issue as never really seen before to my knowledge.
I’d expect (sadly) a similar arrangement next time with a commitment to handle it better.
And everything you have posted was said after the game in 2013 when pretty much the same arrangements were used.
And as shown by Saturday and the lack of comms before during and after from our club, nothing has changed in how our own supporters were treated at our ground
As I said I don’t like it but there is a logic to it.
The corporate knowledge by police and club is lost over the passage of time.
But of course not by fans who have no input it seems despite the club statements to the contrary on ‘engagement’ and other such guff!
A well respected former staff member recently wrote to Gavin Carter with a goodwill message and a friendly offer to discuss something to help the club on the basis of their many years of experience. They didn’t want anything in return.
Fair enough if the club isn’t interested in their view, but they didn’t even get the courtesy of an acknowledgement to say thanks but no thanks.
Did any of the Charlton fans who were mouthing off behind the locked gates, (and bizarrely aiming kicks at the Millwall scum) get a slap when the gates came open ?
@masicat are you saying he was one of those giving it the big one behind the gates, as most on here have said he was an innocent who was trying to keep the peace
Very good. Assertive but staying within the remit of a Supporters' Trust. The Club needs to answer those points in detail, and if it in turn believes that it was unable to do things it wanted to do because the police overruled them, it needs to clearly state that
Comments
Yes, he was in the East and threw an awful punch at the guy in the Millwall shirt.
You do realise that what you are suggesting would cost money.