Posted by Vince on Facebook:

My Apologies but a bit of a rant caused by behaviour issues from supporters travelling on supporter’s club coaches this season. With West Ham on the horizon and a lot fewer independent coaches providing transport, some of you may be thinking of using the supporter’s coaches for transport to the game? You will be welcome but please read below before booking, and those supporters who maybe thinking in the future when we are the last resort as your normal coach is full please also read.

We are the official supporters club and endorsed by the football club as a safe way for supporters to travel back and forth away games. We abide by the law of the land and the traffic commissioner regulations for travelling by coach to a football match.
We run a membership scheme with benefits including cheaper travel, however we will provide transport for any supporter, but they pay the full travel price with no membership privileges. All we ask is for you to abide by our code of conduct for example: -
Alcohol is against the law to be consumed on a coach going to and from a football match and can carry a fine to the coach company and the driver. We enforce these regulations and laws so alcohol, drugs etc are not permitted on any supporter’s coaches that includes consumption and possession on the coach.

I enjoy a drink myself and do not have a problem with supporters having a pint etc when watching the City play it is a social event after all. Personally, I very rarely drink at football matches on the day of the game due to the responsibilities I have volunteered to carry out regarding assisting supporters. I need to keep a cool head and stay rational to help diffuse situations supporters may find themselves in.
This season we have had a lot more supporters travelling with us an average of 500 per away game choosing to come on the supporter’s coaches which is fantastic. However there has been an increase in incidents all alcohol related which if it carries on, we will have to review our open policy that may make it harder for supporters to travel with us.
On the way back from Everton yesterday we had grown men fighting on a coach in front of young kids and families who were terrified by the trouble. The steward of the coach had to use physical force in the end to brake the fighting men up and took some blows himself. Several seats were damaged during the fight with the fighting parties split up onto different coaches as the main perpetrator refused to get off the coach. At one point some of the kids as young as 15 were threatened by this adult which is a disgrace.
We enforce a safe guarding policy for children under 16 although we will not allow children under 14 to travel on their own, but they must get their parents to sign the policy before we allow them to travel. It also gives the parents reassurance that whilst on the coaches we will provide a safe environment for their children to travel.
We also caught supporters bringing alcohol on the coach and consuming alcohol on the coach even though they have been warned prior to booking with us. We had to leave supporters in Liverpool after the game because they were to drunk to get on the coach, we had one so drunk he didn’t know where he was and his coach left without him at 5.40 after forcing 48 fellow supporters to sit on Priory Lane while he tried to find the coach. We have had drink related incidents all season including abusive behaviour, bullying, and coach damage.
Supporters travel with us because they do not want to get hammered every game, they like being in a safe environment that is why they bring their children on our coaches, we have OAPs, females, and families that travel with us. Their priority is to go and watch a football match they may have a couple of drinks before the game, but they don’t get smashed off their face.
So, if your intention is to:
Get hammered every game! Please do not book on our coaches

If it is to get drunk and have Dutch courage to think you’re the hardest man in the world! Please do not travel on our buses

Constantly use foul and abusive language and bully fellow supporters! Please do not travel with us

Damage and mess up the coaches! Please do not travel with us

Poor behaviour, bullying, fighting, abusive behaviour, will not be tolerated on our coaches you will be banned and any poor behaviour reported to the football club that threatens other supporters safety.
All we ask is you respect your fellow supporters, our code of conduct, and the coaches. You will be more than welcome to travel with us then.

End of rant we are now taking bookings for West Ham Watford, and Crystal Palace

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