Supporter behaviour!

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Jun 19, 2024 21:42:50 GMT @johndaubneyslegs said:

Only just caught up with this. Terry's interview is hardly detailed, but it sounds like they are making the TE the away end?

In which case, well done to the club. Not an easy decision to take, even if it is the obvious one, because of the expense. But, by the sound of it, we had enough left over from the Cup money to do it - or at least to start work on it.

As someone who suggested this ages ago and who has taken a lot of flak for it in the years since, it's especially pleasing to hear this.

So, again, well done MUFC - good to have our faith in the directors reconfirmed.

All those who go on about the club not listening or not caring about the fans have got their answer - loud and clear.

I think the flak JDL was because looking at it logistically it was so much easier for away fans to enter by the far turnstiles up the road and stay at the Genco end of the ground well away from our car park and club house and main turnstile entrance..............

As a Genco fan I am delighted we will get it all to ourselves now but I am intrigued on how away fans are going to safely enter the ground and into the Town End without bumping into a Maidstone fan along the way or able to jump a railing and invade the Spitfire, main stand, club shop etc if it all kicked off - how on earth are they going to do it?

Have I missed something?

[Deleted]

Jun 19, 2024 21:42:50 GMT @johndaubneyslegs said:

Only just caught up with this. Terry's interview is hardly detailed, but it sounds like they are making the TE the away end?

In which case, well done to the club. Not an easy decision to take, even if it is the obvious one, because of the expense. But, by the sound of it, we had enough left over from the Cup money to do it - or at least to start work on it.

As someone who suggested this ages ago and who has taken a lot of flak for it in the years since, it's especially pleasing to hear this.

So, again, well done MUFC - good to have our faith in the directors reconfirmed.

All those who go on about the club not listening or not caring about the fans have got their answer - loud and clear.

They are not doing this because they have listened to and began caring about the fans they are doing this because the disruptive element of our Genco supporters have forced this issue upon them and this is the only logical solution to avoid future fines,point deductions and possibly games behind closed doors.
PS. Hearing rumours that continued crowd trouble at the Gallagher could mean the police/council revoking the clubs alcohol lice nse on matchdays. I hope the Yoof realise just how much this could cost the club in revenue.

[Deleted]

Very unlikely on the last point, otherwise they wouldn't do it in the first place.

[Deleted]

Probably wrong but i wonder if the plan is to steer the away support (when segregated) round the back of the Genco, and along the riverside, where the land is being leveled.

[Deleted]

Jun 20, 2024 14:42:53 GMT sword65 said:

Jun 19, 2024 21:42:50 GMT @johndaubneyslegs said:

Only just caught up with this. Terry's interview is hardly detailed, but it sounds like they are making the TE the away end?

In which case, well done to the club. Not an easy decision to take, even if it is the obvious one, because of the expense. But, by the sound of it, we had enough left over from the Cup money to do it - or at least to start work on it.

As someone who suggested this ages ago and who has taken a lot of flak for it in the years since, it's especially pleasing to hear this.

So, again, well done MUFC - good to have our faith in the directors reconfirmed.

All those who go on about the club not listening or not caring about the fans have got their answer - loud and clear.

They are not doing this because they have listened to and began caring about the fans they are doing this because the disruptive element of our Genco supporters have forced this issue upon them and this is the only logical solution to avoid future fines,point deductions and possibly games behind closed doors.
PS. Hearing rumours that continued crowd trouble at the Gallagher could mean the police/council revoking the clubs alcohol lice nse on matchdays. I hope the Yoof realise just how much this could cost the club in revenue.

[Deleted]

I don't think that alcohol is a factor. Most of the children giving it big are more likely to be drinking Powerade

[Deleted]

Jun 20, 2024 16:11:46 GMT pigbag said:

I don't think that alcohol is a factor. Most of the children giving it big are more likely to be drinking Powerade

It doesn't matter I know of 2 clubs Needham Market and Chorley who have been given final warnings that if they don't curtail supporter trouble their alcohol license will be cancelled under new legislation. Bans can last anything from 3 months to 5 years subject to appeals and future behaviour. It would be our job to prove that alcohol is not behind the problem. The only loophole I see is that we can say that the perpetrators had been drinking outside in pubs prior to the game and not in the Gallagher.

[Deleted]

Jun 20, 2024 16:04:58 GMT @boris said:

Probably wrong but i wonder if the plan is to steer the away support (when segregated) round the back of the Genco, and along the riverside, where the land is being leveled.

They are laying a hard standing footpath behind the fence so you could well be right.

[Deleted]

Jun 20, 2024 17:07:53 GMT sword65 said:

Jun 20, 2024 16:04:58 GMT @boris said:

Probably wrong but i wonder if the plan is to steer the away support (when segregated) round the back of the Genco, and along the riverside, where the land is being leveled.

They are laying a hard standing footpath behind the fence so you could well be right.

I had a look the other day when I was 'picking up' my ST. The new path only goes as far as the back of the Black Monolith (aka the TV stand). So make of that what you will. There is currently no access to the TV scaffolding from the back (outside the fence), so either they are going to install a back door, or that path is for another reason. The ground outside the fence beyond that point is largely cleared of foliage for about 3m away from the fence, but I would guess this is done every year anyway - there are no signs of preparations for the path to be continued (it doesn't even go behind the the TV stand). So, my guess is it's in preparation for an emergency exit gate to be installed in the fence, just before the TV stand - although there is already a full-sized emergency gate only half the pitch away (gate D) with safe access to the riverside.

The stadium was locked when I was there (the first time it's ever been locked up when I've visited outside a fixture, which was odd - I had to ask to see the new pitch!), so I couldn't see behind the TE stand very easily, but it looked as if nothing much has been done in that area. But one thing, other than the path, that has been done is hardstanding (crushed rock) has been laid in the area between the car park and the riverside fence, leading up to the riverside turnstiles (I've no idea what was there before - grass?). And more hardstanding has been laid along the edge of the car park from there to the main gate, turning what was (I think) a grass verge, into a path.

So, my guess is that this has been done to prepare safe/segregated access to the riverside turnstiles - a path (that presumably will/can be fenced off) from the main gate towards the turnstiles, plus a circulation area between that path and the turnstiles themselves (which also can/will be fenced off from the car park). Plus emergency access along the outside of the riverside fence, up to the TV stand, for unknown purposes, but presumably related to segregating that end of the ground.

So, although nothing major appears to have happened (yet) - nothing obvious at the TE end so far, and no sign of the fence being moved - there are clear signs that the club are preparing for segregated access to the TE (I would guess up to the half-way line/TV stand). Which - plus segregation fencing behind the dugouts and between the TE and the Spitfire) is probably enough at the moment for NS requirements, and possibly the basis for more secure area for NL segregation?

One of the main arguments against the TE becoming the away fan end was the cost of moving some of the buildings/huts behind the TE, and improved facilities at the EE to replace those no longer accessible to home fans, but if you leave the TE huts alone and just add facilities at the EE, the FAC money probably covers the expense - which I think is what Terry was talking about.

So, it appears to have happened - the TE is the new segregated away end. It's not likely to affect us much this season, as I can't see more than a few league games being segregated, but, assuming promotion, it should be very much in place for next season. And, at long last, the end of the madness in the Genco.

And, more importantly, access to decent toilets for us old gits on the MS!

[Deleted]

Probably emergency exits

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As for the riverside fence and the ground we bought a year or two ago - does anyone know exactly what we bought?

I did some rough measurements (using the standard JDL foot and stride) and the closest the path comes to the fence (at the riverside/TE corner) is about 6m away. Alongside the riverside fence, the new path is about 2m wide and a further area of 2 or 3m appears to be regularly cleared. So my guess is a strip between 5 and 6m wide. And I assume the border of the new land is parallel to the fence? (The actual available land is a triangle, as the path veers away from the stadium towards the bridge.)

[Deleted]

This article says two metres, which feels like a lost opportunity as nobody else will ever be able to make use of the rest of it.

www.kentonline.co.uk/maidstone/news/clubs-joy-over-council-u-turn-135765/

This looks like some of the fence cut open at the opposite corner, so the disused road can become an exit for the EE. Can’t see the away tea hut.



If the TE and Riverside are to become the permanent away end in the NL, there will need to be seats, no matter how basic.

Are you saying the new path follows the blue line around the edge of the site? I think the red line is the new home exit.

[stones1]

It makes sense. Increasing traffic up the end where most of our fans are housed. That blue Path round to the ‘away’ town end by the river seems like it works best logically. Might take a detour down there tomorrow to see what’s going on. More excited about this than I am the squad!

[Deleted]

I still think it’s a shame as I liked the choice of wandering around and spending 15 mins here and 15 mins there and ending up in the Genco.

Those spotty little twats on the segregation line ruined that.

[Deleted]

And the spotty little twats must not be allowed to ruin the new set up.

Really hope the stewarding is cleverer than just responding to problems after they have happened.

How hard can it be to control a few twelve year olds and a couple of adults who should know better?