HOODLUM65 Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 On joining the queue for the East Stand, I was informed by the Police that the stand was full and the turnstile was now closed and that I would have to go to the North stand. I said this was not the case, as my mate had text me to say he had got my seat ( and a match programme) Another mate of mine joined the queue, only to be told the same, even though he had received a phone call from his mate ( at 18.20) saying he was in the ground and kept his usual seat for him. I was also informed that the North Stand was nearly full ( at 1915 ) despite me actually seeing as I walked down the car park, that it was nearly empty. I said I would hang around and phone my mate to confirm that a seat was available. Unfortuneately his phone could not get a signal. As the minutes passed and the whole of the queue disappeared into the ground, I looked at my seat number in this stand and said "can you get someone in the ground to confirm that my usual seat number * *** is empty"? I was politely informed that the Season Ticket seats did not apply. I said I was aware of that, but could a check be made nonetheless. At this point I think they were getting pissed off with me and said, look there's no one here, nip in quickly. On entering the stand, I observed loads of empty seats, albeit, they were not two together. Reaching my usual seat, I found several seats in the area, which remained unoccupied throughout the game. My other mate who went in the direction of the North Stand, was by this time seated in the East Stand giving me Naw Naw, N Naw Naw, having gained entry further along. Prior to the match starting, the same Police Officers passed in front of me. I made a point to them, that I had found my usual seat. THIS STEWARDING OF ENTRY TO THE STADIUM IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE There does not appear to be any liaison/communication between the Stands or Turnstiles regarding numbers entering each area. Is it not the case that when you pass through the turnstile that the number entering that particular Stand increases by one. The number of empty seats is known in advance of anyone passing through the turnstile, so therefore there is no need to employ a "Carol Vorderman" to subtract B from A {A being the number of empty seats to start with and B being the number of people entering the turnstile) We may be a Diddy club, but surely in this day and age we don't want to prove that the people employed by the club on match days are Diddy people too. What kind of service are the club getting for the financial outlay for Police, Stewards etc. and is it value for money? HonFencealone 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Inspiration Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 East Stand was 'closed' when I arrived so I just paid into the North Stand and then walked round the side of the pitch. Where there's a will.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOODLUM65 Posted August 9, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 East Stand was 'closed' when I arrived so I just paid into the North Stand and then walked round the side of the pitch. Where there's a will.. ======================== Funnily enough, I made this comment and was told I would not be allowed to do this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Inspiration Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 ======================== Funnily enough, I made this comment and was told I would not be allowed to do this. I just kept quiet and went ahead with it, cool as a cucumber. walked past the group of police and stewards at the north end of the East Stand and they never even gave me a second look Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MySpazz Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 I just kept quiet and went ahead with it, cool as a cucumber. walked past the group of police and stewards at the north end of the East Stand and they never even gave me a second look ----------- total ledge.... see if you can get in the team photo next time......photo bomb them. The Inspiration, auchterarder mark and AthensSaint 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soupy76 Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 (edited) Went in ormond 1st half - spoke to steward nicely and told him the wee mans missing his maw. The nice steward manny walked us to the east stand, maw was in the house Awfy braw steward manny - no danger my eyes could have seen the shoot out from the ormond Gutted / emotional / highs n lows Edited August 9, 2013 by soupy76 dan loves saints and The Inspiration 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin James Is On Stilts Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 Single empty seats could have been somebody away at the toilet, getting a coffee, looking for a pal, having a wander, trying to find a programme, a wee kid down the front getting autographs. Or they could have just been unoccupied seats due to miscalculations. The system that saints use for big games like this is far from perfect, I remember too many people being allowed into the East Stand at the EsEs match and having to be marched into the Ormond well after the game had kicked off, I guess there has to be a bit of guesswork in terms of numbers entered in order to stop a situation like that again. Big matches should be all ticket. That way you know if a stand is due to be empty/almost full/full and stops the fans having to play pinball between stands just before they even get in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AthensSaint Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 I just kept quiet and went ahead with it, cool as a cucumber. walked past the group of police and stewards at the north end of the East Stand and they never even gave me a second look You do have that "unassuming" look about you right enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt. Col Kojak Slaphead II Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 The East Stand never shut at any stage last night, absolutely no idea why the Police were telling people that. Its pretty simple, when the East Stand or any stand for that matter reaches capacity, the turnstiles automatically lock. There was a problem with Turnstile 16 (the first one in the East) which unfortunately stop working just before 7pm and could not be fixed, but Gate 17 stayed open all the way up to about 1/2 an hour after kick-off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AthensSaint Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 If we had made it all ticket, guaranteed the crowd would have been lower. More money in the clubs coffers and a huge crowd that created a fantastic atmosphere. Hopefully only a bad experience last night. CunninghamVideo, auld reekie saint, fazman1977 and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhq Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 I'm not sure how someone outside the ground thinks that their mate inside the ground "has their seat". A pay at the gate match, where season tickets aren't valid means first come first served surely? Kevin James Is On Stilts, john1962, Wullie Broons Golf bag and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AthensSaint Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 Was going to say.."does it have your frecking name on it".......but it probably has Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin James Is On Stilts Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 I'm not sure how someone outside the ground thinks that their mate inside the ground "has their seat". A pay at the gate match, where season tickets aren't valid means first come first served surely? You put your hand on it primary-school style obviously Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOODLUM65 Posted August 9, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 I'm not sure how someone outside the ground thinks that their mate inside the ground "has their seat". A pay at the gate match, where season tickets aren't valid means first come first served surely? =============== See Kevin James comment above. My mate would have said "he's gone for a pie". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhq Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 =============== See Kevin James comment above. My mate would have said "he's gone for a pie". To a policeman outside the ground? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstar101 Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 Aye, as we walked past the corner of the East Stand, somebody (police officer / steward?) mumbled something to us about the East Stand being full. We just blanked them and kept walking to the far gate and when we got in there were plenty seats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin James Is On Stilts Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 (edited) =============== See Kevin James comment above. I wasn't being serious... ...awkward Edited August 9, 2013 by Kevin James Is On Stilts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhq Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 I wasn't being serious... ...awkward I got that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abernethy Saint Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 Aye we got sent to the North Stand at about 7.10 which actually worked out quite well as that was where most of the action was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAM Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 Couple of things. 1. There have been a couple of games where too many fans have been let into the stands - 1 was the EsEs game there was another occasion in East Stand and I recall too many Dundee fans getting into the main stand. 2. It is commonly known that the North end if the East Stand is over populated, giving the impression of lots of empty seats at the South end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noose76 Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 Hoodlum, imagine every supporter requested that the Police check if their seat is occupied. It's totally ridiculous and pathetic to expect them to do that. That was the 1st time the East stand has been "full" in around 10 years so it was the first time they've had to deal with such a dilemma. You got in. You got your seat. Why complain? garydavidson, ryangordon86, Havana Saint and 6 others 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chips Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 I did notice on entering the east stand with my wee lass last night that the turnstyle fella was marking ticks on a scrap of paper,surely we have a better head count system than that HOODLUM65 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havana Saint Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 I did notice on entering the east stand with my wee lass last night that the turnstyle fella was marking ticks on a scrap of paper,surely we have a better head count system than thatPossibly how we arrived at an attendance figure which stated that there were 2,000 empty seats!! Scobby_SJFC 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seannachie Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 Were they not only recording the free admission 12 and unders on their wee bits of paper? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LethamChippy Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 Hoodlum, imagine every supporter requested that the Police check if their seat is occupied. It's totally ridiculous and pathetic to expect them to do that. That was the 1st time the East stand has been "full" in around 10 years so it was the first time they've had to deal with such a dilemma. You got in. You got your seat. Why complain? Because It,s the internet............... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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