Blues match police crowd management

[PeterWithesShin]

Us old farts will have seen a lot worse, and having seen it, a bit of inconvenience to stop it happening these days doesn't bother me.

[pauliewalnuts]

In terms of hardship, let's be honest, it's not exactly Stalingrad is it?

Interesting to see people who bang on and on like Danny Dyer for most of the year suddenly being surprised that the police are trying to do something about this sort of nonsense, too.

[amfy]

I think the key thing is that if you know what is going to happen, the whole thing becomes a lot less inconvenient than if you don't.

If you usually walk straight up Witton Lane to come into the North Stand, then knowing from now that you will need to come round from The Trinity Road side is helpful. Otherwise, you walk most of the way up Witton Lane and get turned back, and then you are pissed off. Actually, as long as you know up front, it isn't going to make a massive difference other than you knowing you haven't got to worry about clashing with Blues fans in the way in.

The other way round it's a bit further - if you usually walk down Witton Lane towards The Holte (as I do), then it is further to walk round, a bigger difference. So we now have a chance to rethink the direction we arrive from, and cut down the inconvenience. To me again, this up front notice is helpful. If I arrive from Witton island expecting to walk straight down to The Holte End and SUDDENLY find myself diverted back up Witton Road, I'd be pissed off, but now, I will make sure I arrive from the Holte side of the ground in the first place.

[QuintonVilla]

Our derby is getting closer to becoming a bubble fixture. The police restricting the allocations to 2000, putting more measures in place to keep fans apart, Small Heath coming on 18 escorted coaches. The day we have to go to VP to get on an official coach to travel a few miles to The Sty is the day I stop going.

[pauliewalnuts]

Our derby is getting closer to becoming a bubble fixture. The police restricting the allocations to 2000, putting more measures in place to keep fans apart, Small Heath coming on 18 escorted coaches. The day we have to go to VP to get on an official coach to travel a few miles to The Sty is the day I stop going.

Why?

You'll stop going because they're trying to keep fans apart?

[cdbearsfan]

In terms of hardship, let's be honest, it's not exactly Stalingrad is it?

Interesting to see people who bang on and on like Danny Dyer for most of the year suddenly being surprised that the police are trying to do something about this sort of nonsense, too.

Being asked to take a slightly longer walk to the game for one match a season is no hardship whatsoever.

However, I seem to recall posters on here  (Ads and Frank?) saying that we were kept behind for hours then marched around for even longer after the away game.

A pretty farcical situation.

[olaftab]

Than you amfy. Good stuff and it's a shame that these measures/restrictions have to be in place but there we are.

[Dave Cooper please]

Never mind a can of beans, somebody has opened a can of worms here. All a bit OTT to me, I bet all have seen worse than what will happen on the 23rd.

You're right, we probably all have. I know I have, been caught up in it as well, didn't like it one bit and never want to get caught up in anything like it again thanks.

I'd love this fixture to be a lovely Brummie Friendship match where we can all travel to the game on the train together after having a few jars in town discussing our relative fortunes this season, then bidding each other farewell on Witton Lane with a "good luck" and a promise to meet in The Bartons afterwards but we all know that there are far to many twats on both sides for thi , or anything even remotely like it, to ever happen.

[brentastonb6]

Their ground has about fifty different buses that go past, and town is about a ten minute walk.

Tbh I'd be happy if they just made these "bubble matches". All away fans on coach, keep home fans for behind for ten minutes while away coaches leave under police motorcycle escort.

Agree- that's what they do for Sunderland v Toon games , I always used to wonder why the away fans at both games all had club colours on then it was explained that when you bought your ticket you had to travel from home ground to away ground on coach.

[amfy]

The situation at the way fixture was farcical. I don't know how you can justify making the entire support walk halfway across the city.

That isn't happening here though. I think that especially with Knowing up front how it'll be set up, this all seems pretty sensible tbh. It's a shame it's needed, but it is.

[shirley_villan]

Why should us or them getting an extra thousand more be any more difficult than it was before December 2010? Or is that WMP don't want to look like pricks?

Don't get me wrong, I'd rather a smaller amount of away fans see the game than somebody get hurt but it just seems like an easy solution to me rather than them doing their job.

[wittonwarrior]

Seems a millions years away from when I along with 10,000 plus fans used to pack the Tilton Road for the Derby game. 

I honestly believe the police have such a tight budget they have no other option open to them these days.  Imagine double the number of nuggets coming to Villa Park on 23rd.  They will play up and all hell could break out.  It is there cup final after all and for some Villa not far behind.

Unfortunately, can't see any other way to manage this fixture these days.

[oswald funkletrumpet]

It all sounds a bit over the top to me, as was our detention and silly walk at their place (although it was easy enough to break away from that)... however the big issue here is that more people will now be walking the same route away from the ground as me and you lot all walk too bloody slow.
Can the police cone off a fast lane for those of us that want to walk faster? If not, how about keeping all the slow walkers in the ground for a minute.

Sounds like a case for african non car reverser fast walker, to the bat phone

[peter w]

Never mind a can of beans, somebody has opened a can of worms here. All a bit OTT to me, I bet all have seen worse than what will happen on the 23rd.

You're right, we probably all have. I know I have, been caught up in it as well, didn't like it one bit and never want to get caught up in anything like it again thanks.

I'd love this fixture to be a lovely Brummie Friendship match where we can all travel to the game on the train together after having a few jars in town discussing our relative fortunes this season, then bidding each other farewell on Witton Lane with a "good luck" and a promise to meet in The Bartons afterwards but we all know that there are far to many twats on both sides for thi , or anything even remotely like it, to ever happen.

To be fair the pain in the arsedness doesn't bother me, nor the restricted allocations. It is what it is.

But you can get tae fk if you think I'd ever wish them well. I wish them nothing but hoards of plagues and locusts and to be cut down by the scythe of misfortune, eventually resulting in the demise and a few thousands tears at Rover lamenting that, "If only I coudl've got off this shift I'd a gun down tha Bloooz cuz we're the team ov the citee not the Villa oo are from the Shires. SOV Tom".

Fk right off.

[Mister E]

Our derby is getting closer to becoming a bubble fixture. The police restricting the allocations to 2000, putting more measures in place to keep fans apart, Small Heath coming on 18 escorted coaches. The day we have to go to VP to get on an official coach to travel a few miles to The Sty is the day I stop going.

f you'd read the rest of the thread, you'd know that this is not a police restriction it is a club's-agreed limit