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Dear Mr Boobyer
I wonder if I might draw to your attention a situation that arose towards the end of today's game? I am a season ticket holder in Block 12 of the Lyndhurst Stand and my seat is directly above exit 12. Towards the end of last season, stewards had obviously been instructed only to allow spectators seeking to leave the ground from the western end of Block 13 and the eastern end of Block 12 to do so by exit 12. Confrontation resulted and happily the practice seemed to have stopped but was reintroduced today.
Since the stand was opened about 12 years ago, it has been the custom of many spectators to leave the ground by a different exit, typically choosing to leave by a lower number exit thereby passing along the side of the group and leaving under the stand or making their exit through the large vehicular access gate between the Lyndhurst Stand and the Devonport End. Many supporters resent not being able to do this. Furthermore, some supporters from the western end of Block 12 also wanted to leave by exit 12 but were prevented from doing so and ushered towards exit 11. Both groups of supporters were antagonised by this and the stewards had to take the full force of their complaints. One supporter invited the woman steward on the pitch who seemed to be in charge to come over and explain but she declined to do so, walking off in the other direction.
I have supported Plymouth Argyle for over 40 years and have been a season ticket holder for many of those and had the same seat in the Lyndhurst Stand since it opened. I think we all know that a variety of factors, including complacency, will be forever linked with British Stadium disasters such as Ibrox (1971), Valley Parade (1985) and Hillsbrough (1989) and that it is incumbent upon the club to ensure the safety of all the spectators. Things have moved on since I exited from the Peverell End in the 1960s having been part of a great crowd witnessing an England FA XI demolishing an Irish FA XI 12-0, making my way down a series of flights of steps with the signs above '10 steps start here'. I must admit I would not like to part of a 38,000 crowd exiting the Popular Side down the dark slope to the Lyndhurst turnstiles and exit today, as I was in 1973 when Argyle ran out 3-2 winners over Santos, nor with the similar number leaving the Popular Side after the F.A. Cup fourth round tie against Everton in 1975, not that many Argyle fans will have tried that as the Popular Side was given over to Everton supporters. However, I had no qualms about the safety of the stadium in September 2004 when more than 20,000 fans attended the game against Leeds United, where spectators in the Lyndhurst Stand were not subject to the directions of stewards but simply left the stadium in a calm and orderly manner.
Sadly, there were only just over 6,000 spectators at Home Park today. In my view, directing spectators to leave by particular exits was totally unnecessary and only served to antagonise paying customers who just want to wander out of the ground in their preferred way, have a chat to friends, look wistfully across the pitch and make their way home, without necessarily going under the stands. Any safety risk today was caused by the stewarding policy. I suggest that the stewards take a more discreet, lower profile when dealing with the great majority of spectators, especially those who pose no threat to safety or threaten and incursion on the pitch. However, if you think that this policy should continue, I suggest that you personally come to Block 12 of the Lyndhurst Stand at half-time during the next home game, explain to spectators why this policy is vital to their safely and then wait at the end at exit 12 and help direct spectators in the way that you think they should go. Spectators are still paying customers and the product for which they are paying is not cheap. They at least deserve an explanation.
I shall post this letter on pasoti and will be happy to post any reply from you on the site as well.
Dear Mr Boobyer
I wonder if I might draw to your attention a situation that arose towards the end of today's game? I am a season ticket holder in Block 12 of the Lyndhurst Stand and my seat is directly above exit 12. Towards the end of last season, stewards had obviously been instructed only to allow spectators seeking to leave the ground from the western end of Block 13 and the eastern end of Block 12 to do so by exit 12. Confrontation resulted and happily the practice seemed to have stopped but was reintroduced today.
Since the stand was opened about 12 years ago, it has been the custom of many spectators to leave the ground by a different exit, typically choosing to leave by a lower number exit thereby passing along the side of the group and leaving under the stand or making their exit through the large vehicular access gate between the Lyndhurst Stand and the Devonport End. Many supporters resent not being able to do this. Furthermore, some supporters from the western end of Block 12 also wanted to leave by exit 12 but were prevented from doing so and ushered towards exit 11. Both groups of supporters were antagonised by this and the stewards had to take the full force of their complaints. One supporter invited the woman steward on the pitch who seemed to be in charge to come over and explain but she declined to do so, walking off in the other direction.
I have supported Plymouth Argyle for over 40 years and have been a season ticket holder for many of those and had the same seat in the Lyndhurst Stand since it opened. I think we all know that a variety of factors, including complacency, will be forever linked with British Stadium disasters such as Ibrox (1971), Valley Parade (1985) and Hillsbrough (1989) and that it is incumbent upon the club to ensure the safety of all the spectators. Things have moved on since I exited from the Peverell End in the 1960s having been part of a great crowd witnessing an England FA XI demolishing an Irish FA XI 12-0, making my way down a series of flights of steps with the signs above '10 steps start here'. I must admit I would not like to part of a 38,000 crowd exiting the Popular Side down the dark slope to the Lyndhurst turnstiles and exit today, as I was in 1973 when Argyle ran out 3-2 winners over Santos, nor with the similar number leaving the Popular Side after the F.A. Cup fourth round tie against Everton in 1975, not that many Argyle fans will have tried that as the Popular Side was given over to Everton supporters. However, I had no qualms about the safety of the stadium in September 2004 when more than 20,000 fans attended the game against Leeds United, where spectators in the Lyndhurst Stand were not subject to the directions of stewards but simply left the stadium in a calm and orderly manner.
Sadly, there were only just over 6,000 spectators at Home Park today. In my view, directing spectators to leave by particular exits was totally unnecessary and only served to antagonise paying customers who just want to wander out of the ground in their preferred way, have a chat to friends, look wistfully across the pitch and make their way home, without necessarily going under the stands. Any safety risk today was caused by the stewarding policy. I suggest that the stewards take a more discreet, lower profile when dealing with the great majority of spectators, especially those who pose no threat to safety or threaten and incursion on the pitch. However, if you think that this policy should continue, I suggest that you personally come to Block 12 of the Lyndhurst Stand at half-time during the next home game, explain to spectators why this policy is vital to their safely and then wait at the end at exit 12 and help direct spectators in the way that you think they should go. Spectators are still paying customers and the product for which they are paying is not cheap. They at least deserve an explanation.
I shall post this letter on pasoti and will be happy to post any reply from you on the site as well.
