Forum | Non-Football Related

According to various media outlets, some who can spell and some who cannot, West Ham United believe they have found a resolution to the segregation of fans issue by adding a further three rows of vacant seating to enhance security. Yes, that is three additional rows will be manned by well meaning but hopelessly under trained stadium staff, that's it? The only barriers between opposing fans are less than a metre and a half high and could be vaulted, to be politically correct, by a person of diminished stature! Unless there is a significant material structure put in place to prevent fan insurgences, serious incidents like the ones on saturday during the match against Watford will continue and escalate, creating a 'buffer zone' with three extra rows is using King Canute logic, especially given that the police will only enter the stadium in response to a serious incident until a new communication system is installed, thus leaving the 'line' to be defended by the mainly young stewards. The situation is further exacerbated because many of the season ticket holders in the sir trevor brooking stand area that adjoins where the away supporters are, particularly in the upper stand, are children accompanied by a parent, and so if, heaven forbid things did 'kick off' following an 'invasion' by opposition fans, there would be little or no physical protection available.
The club have stated that where possible season ticket holders will be moved to more appropriate areas (with hindsight something that should have been done from the outset) however the 'path' to doing so is not entirely clear unless waiting for hours at the end of a telephone gets a response.
It is absolutely vital that action is taken now, surely the construction of a realistic barrier, even a temporary one, is within the bounds of the stadium owners remit? As we have been banging on about, Watford and Bournemouth represent the less vociferous of opponents that will visit the London Stadium, others will not be so 'gentile', furthermore the hooligan element may be of the opinion that they have a stage, and the ugly minds of nasty pieces of work will be looking at all the 'opportunities' that they currently see on offer.
A three metre fence at the very minimum will at least go some way as to making fans feel more secure and to prevent the massive accident waiting to happen, perhaps further down the line thought may be given to relocating the away fans 'up in the gods' as they do at Old Trafford and Anfield, this would serve two purposes by ensuring segregation and nullifying the 'atmosphere' that away fans can currently generate due to the fact that they are right next to the pitch in the lower visitors section.
The London Stadium security issue has rather deflected debate regarding Saturday's eventual capitulation to Watford, but if matches are to be witnessed safely in the future, wins draws or losses, then the key issues need to be addressed swiftly.
Perhaps Alan Sugar can loan the police some radios? - Ed

The groundswell of opinion among fans and the massively negative press that followed the 2-4 defeat to Watford at the London Stadium has, as expected, invoked an immediate response from the club with the blame for events being firmly placed on the stadium management and particularly on the security company they use. The 'robust' response on the club's official website is as follows:
"West Ham United undertook a full investigation into the crowd issues immediately after Saturday’s game with Watford and today held a productive meeting with stadium owners E20. Whilst West Ham United do not hold the Safety Certificate (this is held by LS185) or control the security at the stadium, the Club is doing everything possible within its jurisdiction to help provide a safe and enjoyable environment for all supporters. It is important that we recognise the vast majority who have attended the first five fixtures played at London Stadium have been outstanding with their behaviour and support. They, like all at West Ham United, do not want their reputation or the Club’s to be tarnished by the minority. Today, the Club have insisted that E20 guarantee a police presence in the Stadium. In addition, the Club have also specified a number of essential important improvements to match day operations moving forward, including the need for LS185 to bolster the stewarding and security operation in terms of numbers, but also in terms of the level training and experience they have dealing with Premier League football matches. E20 confirmed today that immediate action is being taken on the issues raised. The Club will work tirelessly with them to ensure London Stadium continues to be the inclusive and family-friendly environment that all parties have worked so hard to achieve. This includes a more robust and secure line of segregation between the home and visiting fans as specified by the Club. We have been assured this will be in place ahead of the next match. The Club has already taken action to improve all match day elements within their control, including the relocation of young children and families from areas where the fans are more vociferous and the issuing of season long bans for supporters engaging in antisocial behaviour.
The Club is working hard to move likeminded supporters into areas to enhance their match day experience. This process commenced ahead of the Watford game and has already proved successful in key areas. The Club will continue prioritising this approach around the stadium.
In relation to Saturday’s match against Watford: • 10 individuals were ejected from the Stadium.• No arrests were made. • The Club received seven complaints in relation to standing, although 40 reports were received in relation to the antisocial behaviour in the stands.
The Club would appeal to supporters to report any incidents directly to the Club, as all reported complaints and incidents are fully investigated, in conjunction with a full review of CCTV footage from the day, with a view to issuing further bans where appropriate. Supporters are requested to provide as much information as possible, as the more intelligence the Club have the more proactive and focused all efforts to clamp down on antisocial behaviour will be. The Club will act on every piece of evidence all of which will be collated and treated in the strictest of confidence. The Club now appeals to all supporters to come together and support West Ham in the famous way we have historically been so proud of."
At least the issues are being addressed, certain teething troubles were expected following the move from the Boleyn Ground to the London Stadium, but they have turned out being more root canal than a simple filling!
It does appear that the immediate issue that needs addressing is top of the agenda, and that being crowd segregation. It is a blessing in disguise that things 'kicked off' during the Watford match, and as much as their 'cheerleaders' would like to think, they were one of the 'softer' teams that West Ham will face, even though the match was technically a London derby. Had the visitors been from Tottenham or Chelsea the outcome could have been horrific, and that is no over statement!
Negatives & Positives:
The obvious negative is that the publicity for the club has been atrocious, images of fighting fans have been beamed all round the world, hardly the sort of global branding envisaged by the West Ham hierarchy. Fans feel 'disconnected', not because of sight lines or atmosphere, more the fact that the stewards treat them generally politely but incredibly inefficiently, acting with no latitude, empathy is an essential element of crowd control!
The positives are that a major incident has thus far been avoided, and henceforth the impending 'shoring up' between the away fans and the Sir Trevor Brooking stand home fans will engender a feeling of increased security and well being, especially among those who are accompanying children. Because there has been such a brouhaha about the first few matches, rival supporters have begun to think the london stadium is 'there for the taking', the new controls being put in place should help snuff out that particular cinder and hopefully people can enjoy watching a football match instead of seeing an endless stream of hapless 'yellow jackets' panicking as they try to diffuse situations they have little or no training for.
The increased police presence is also a must, and one that will be welcomed by all, even those who don't always see eye to eye with the authorities! It is to be hoped that they can suggest the leaving time for the away supporters in order to avoid clashes outside the stadium as well.
So: Build a wall to segregate the away fans, a sufficient metal barrier that is high enough not to be vaulted and strong enough not to be knocked over. Have a Police presence inside the Stadium, and insist on much better training for the security staff. These actions will go a long way to making a visit to the London Stadium a positive experience that can be recommended. Of course we haven't touched on the issue of safe standing and family zones yet, why on earth given the amount of season tickets held by under 16's, was no provision made for a family zone? It beggars belief that the hard working board of West Ham didn't perceive this issue before it had a chance to develop. The safe standing problem will unfortunately run and run due to the FA's vice like grip on any meaningful change to the rules, however common sense can prevail if like minded souls are given the option to swap areas that they are currently seated in and be positioned where they are not obscuring the views of those who cannot or do not wish to stand, or those of children. Of course by doing so the club would be surreptitiously condoning standing, but technically they would just be 'assembling' like minded supporters who like to 'sing and chant' more than others.
It is vital that West Ham United is seen as a club moving forward, and their supporters not as a bunch of ingrates who cannot handle being 'gifted' one of the best stadiums in the world, but as supporters who are embracing a brave new world whist maintaining the core values that made West Ham many opposition supporters' favourite second team. Come on you irons? - Ed

From the beginning of the season It was only to be expected that there would be more than a fair share of media coverage given to any negativity with regards to West Ham United's tenure of the London Stadium, given the jealousy surrounding and muck raking involved in the decision process to appoint Hammers as the anchor tenancy, despite it being the only realistic option to avoid having a 'white elephant' stadium as has happened in other host countries.
There has been a lot of coverage with regards to fans refusing to sit down, a situation that could be easily resolved by having a safe standing area similar to the one that Celtic have, but the real problem is the lack of segregation between the rival fans. Currently there are NO physical barriers to separate fans, only a couple of 'mini' hurdles that a child could jump over (possibly a legacy from the olympic games) On Saturday the 'thin line' of stewards could easily have been overwhelmed had the opposing fans been from a less 'gentile' club, the situation is compounded because the walkways to the opposing sections are like an 'avenue of honour' allowing home/away fans to taunt each other depending on how the matches are panning out, it would only takes one or two 'nutters' to create a dreadful situation by diving into the opposition supporters from above, The current situation is an accident waiting to happen, all those involved need to seek a resolution before something terrible happens, which it will if nothing is done, and pronto! This may seem like dragging up 'old coals' but the importance of a quick resolution cannot be stressed highly enough, the reputation of the club is at a pivotal point with global exposure as never before, it would be ludicrous to blow this once in a life time opportunity by presenting the club as an organisation incapable of maintaining it's own security let alone progressing to the 'higher level' so often talked and dreamed about!
The logical conclusion would be that West Ham step up to the plate and 'offer' to take over security or at least the bulk of it on match days, original Boleyn stewards should be sort out and re-hired (at a premium if necessary) they, with a few 'real' policemen and women along with realistic barriers would be able to keep matters in hand far better than the current situation. In the end it is the only viable option to prevent the inevitable sanctions that will follow any unrest in the Stadium and even worse the possibility of people getting hurt.
Stadium Operators, London Stadium 185 have released a statement following events on Saturday:
“London Stadium have identified a number of supporters involved in incidents of disorder during Saturday’s Premier League match between West Ham United and Watford. Our stewards and response teams were called to address isolated instances of violent confrontation which resulted in ten supporters being ejected from the stadium and three handed to police.
“In line with our safety and security policies, these supporters will be banned from all stadium events. In addition, we will continue to review CCTV footage and take retrospective action where necessary. Any evidence of crime and disorder will be passed to the police.We remain determined to ensure that all supporters can enjoy the best possible matchday experience in a safe and secure environment. We will continue to work closely with West Ham United to identify and take action against the small number of supporters found to be responsible for these incidents.”
It's a start, but the stadium operators need to be pro-active instead of reactive if similar situations are to be avoided - Ed