Great away support yesterday

[A Quiet Monkfish]

Re: Great away support yesterday

A lot of building flats in brownfield sites and massive expansion going on now to the north west and north east of the city. Aiming to add a quarter to the population allegedly

Cardiff or Birmingham ?

[life on mars]

Re: Great away support yesterday

Our great away support is never in doubt

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Re: Great away support yesterday

Does anyone remember Birmingham away 85 ?

And 95 come to think of it 🤔

[goats]

Re: Great away support yesterday

Cardiff or Birmingham ?

Cardiff. The councils plan was to expand the city’s population by a quarter by 2030 I believe.

[goats]

Re: Great away support yesterday

Does anyone remember Birmingham away 85 ?

And 95 come to think of it ��

It’s always been a bit lively with them, nowhere near now as bad as it was in the 80’s

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Re: Great away support yesterday

It’s always been a bit lively with them, nowhere near now as bad as it was in the 80’s

The Paul Millar wonder goal game was a bit spicy

I don't setting fire to their union jack went down well

Or trying to demolish their away end

[goats]

Re: Great away support yesterday

The Paul Millar wonder goal game was a bit spicy

I don't setting fire to their union jack went down well

Or trying to demolish their away end

I think it was 1989 I first went, midweek. Some of our fans left and went out the ground to try and get into the home end turnstiles, that didn’t go down to well with them either….

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Re: Great away support yesterday

I think it was 1989 I first went, midweek. Some of our fans left and went out the ground to try and get into the home end turnstiles, that didn’t go down to well with them either….

I remember it well

We were in a supporters club bus and the driver decided to park right outside the main gates

We suggested he moved

[A Quiet Monkfish]

Re: Great away support yesterday

Cardiff. The councils plan was to expand the city’s population by a quarter by 2030 I believe.

All coming into Cardiff along Llantrisant Road. Until they turn it into a bus-only/cycle route that is !

[Citizen's Nephew]

Re: Great away support yesterday

Cardiff fans corralled and bottlenecked into confined space as police force a blockade and stop people exiting the stadium. The police line stopped fans from dispersing into a larger but also confined away coach park. No need to create such a tense situation.

Meant there was some confrontation and raised batons.

I'm glad you and IanD raised issues about this. I've written to BCFC and the WMP regarding this and I've asked for a copy of their Risk Assessment. I spend a lot of time as a disability rights advocate and activist and this was pretty scary stuff.

I was on crutches, there was a young lad in front of me using a walking frame and others around who were mobility-challenged. The club stewards had been fantastic and helpful but the situation we found ourselves in at the end when leaving the ground was unacceptable and dangerous e.g. as IanD pointed out, it was dark, we were on a fairly steep upward incline for those with mobility issues, there were surges of people from the back and we had no communication as to how long we were going to be kept there.

When we finally started moving through we were confronted by a police blockade. There was one young lad with autism pleading with a policeman 'please don't make me go back into the crowd' and visibly distressed.

It's not a situation that abled-bodied people and kids should be in let alone, disabled supporters. I'm shocked that in 2021 football supporters are still being dangerously corralled like we were on Saturday.

[Citizen's Nephew]

Re: Great away support yesterday

...and in a largely unlit area under the stands. Too dark to video what was going on. It could have kicked off very badly. Totally unnecessary for WMP to hold us back and it did get a bit tense as the City fans began pushing against their lines. Almost like medieval warfare at one point. Talking to a copper, the official reason for the police lines was "to allow rival crews to disperse". As it was "managed retreat" by the WMP was the way forward. For us, anyway.

Thanks for highlighting this. I'm interested in how they risk-assessed this scenario.

[IanD]

Re: Great away support yesterday

Thanks for highlighting this. I'm interested in how they risk-assessed this scenario.

After some pleading, a wheelchair user and helper were allowed through the police lines with a ripple of applause from those who could see than common sense prevailed. I've worked with autistic students and know full well how unfamiar changes in situation can cause stress (and, indeed violent outbursts). There were families with small kids in the mix, too. As was rightly pointed out by our fans, if the police had allowed our supporters at least up onto the coach park, hundreds could have got on to the buses and eased the pressure. But it wasn't to be. Also, closing Bordesley station after the match meant fans were either having to walk the Digbeth corridor or wait for a bus...if one came. It's about a 30 minute walk from St Andrews to New Street ir Moor Street. Not so good if you are elderley, infirm or with nippers. Having WBA and Birmingham kick off at the same time, and with fans on the same train line, was daft in the first place. Simple risk assessment would dictate one match kicks off say 1.00pm and the other 3.00pm just to spread fans out. Or one Saturday KO, one Sunday. As it was, two matches kicking off at the same time/Christmas market/Christmas shoppers/train and bus chaos. And the A46 over Coventry way was closed for bridge replacement. There were even some Wolves fans on our train, coming back from Manchester, as their match had kicked off early. Walsall were at home, too. Clearly there was no communication between WMP and Heddlu spotters, either, re station closure as they didn't know what was going on. Was there really a need to have batons drawn? Zulus?

[Canton Kev]

Re: Great away support yesterday

Our fans have to take some of the blame. I was stood at the back of the crowd and the entire area underneath the stand was empty. The whole area we were restricted to could’ve comfortably accommodated probably 5000 people without issue yet 90% of our fans wanted to crowd together and push towards the police.

[IanD]

Re: Great away support yesterday

Our fans have to take some of the blame. I was stood at the back of the crowd and the entire area underneath the stand was empty. The whole area we were restricted to could’ve comfortably accommodated probably 5000 people without issue yet 90% of our fans wanted to crowd together and push towards the police.

I was at the front, some of the first out, and very surprised there was a police line towards the top of the slope. One of the senior coppers had a bullhorn, who could hardly be heard, imploring us to wait. Not much fun standing on a slope, in the dark, with well over a thousand City fans backing up behind. It was no suprise there was a bit if pushing. Many just wanted to get on the coaches just a few feet away. Mismanaged (?) by WMP to the point that it looked like a situation was deliberately being set up to allow for a bit of a taffy-bashing. Indeed, years ago, I worked with an ex WMP officer who was candid in saying that they would go out of their way to wind up the Welsh at matches. Our fault...nope.

[Canton Kev]

Re: Great away support yesterday

I was at the front, some of the first out, and very surprised there was a police line towards the top of the slope. One of the senior coppers had a bullhorn, who could hardly be heard, imploring us to wait. Not much fun standing on a slope, in the dark, with well over a thousand City fans backing up behind. It was no suprise there was a bit if pushing. Many just wanted to get on the coaches just a few feet away. Mismanaged (?) by WMP to the point that it looked like a situation was deliberately being set up to allow for a bit of a taffy-bashing. Indeed, years ago, I worked with an ex WMP officer who was candid in saying that they would go out of their way to wind up the Welsh at matches. Our fault...nope.

There was nothing stopping our fans from standing on flat ground, in the light under the stand.