Police Today - Why?

After watching Town across 5 decades there has been times when I have walked away from games thinking is it worth it? That feeling has arisen usually due to a poor display by the team or shocking refereeing but today was different.

The Police presence today was completely over the top. I love going away to watch Town but am not sure any longer if I want to visit grounds to see Police officers dressed like they are about to take on some form of riot in a revolutionary state. I get that each game will have the odd trouble maker who can't drink in the afternoon but today was for too much.

They even had a crew in reserve as at half time they appeared to d some form of duty change with a load going out of the ground swapping with some incoming officers who again where dressed like a Action Men rather than bobby's.

Towards the end of the game when they all stood up from left to right I think I counted around 25 officers and possibly another half dozen in the stands. We may have "an element" as all clubs do but really?  

Not sure what to think about this other than after all these years I may give the away games a rest for a while if it means spending £20+ on a ticket to see a high vis and helmet parade each game.  

Quoted from HertsGTFC

After watching Town across 5 decades there has been times when I have walked away from games thinking is it worth it? That feeling has arisen usually due to a poor display by the team or shocking refereeing but today was different.

The Police presence today was completely over the top. I love going away to watch Town but am not sure any longer if I want to visit grounds to see Police officers dressed like they are about to take on some form of riot in a revolutionary state. I get that each game will have the odd trouble maker who can't drink in the afternoon but today was for too much.

They even had a crew in reserve as at half time they appeared to d some form of duty change with a load going out of the ground swapping with some incoming officers who again where dressed like a Action Men rather than bobby's.

Towards the end of the game when they all stood up from left to right I think I counted around 25 officers and possibly another half dozen in the stands. We may have "an element" as all clubs do but really?  

Not sure what to think about this other than after all these years I may give the away games a rest for a while if it means spending £20+ on a ticket to see a high vis and helmet parade each game.  

Reached that point a couple of seasons ago,the last away matches I attended were Wycombe and Colchester last season,thought why should I make all this effort when the team doesn't.

It's a simple opportunity for a bit of overtime Herts. Bonanza time. And maybe get an opportunity to crack a few heads. I think they call it job satisfaction.

The police obviously get a buzz out of it, it makes them feel important and gives them relatively easy prey to boost their crime figures. In the meantime, your house gets broken into by a professional burglar or your kids get sold drugs by a sophisticated crime syndicate and they are awkward and dangerous crimes to solve. I know I'd rather video a few football fans making vaguely obscene gestures than entering the criminal underworld and trying to weed out the malevolent dross of society.

Notts County will be the same I fear, same police force.

Oh well at least here imp fans will just have stewards to put up with strutting their stuff in the ground that should be interesting.

I agree that it seems to be escalating in presence, which at the same time the atmosphere at away games doesn't seem as much fun as before. Not just down to poor team performance.

Quoted from GrimRob

The police obviously get a buzz out of it, it makes them feel important and gives them relatively easy prey to boost their crime figures. In the meantime, your house gets broken into by a professional burglar or your kids get sold drugs by a sophisticated crime syndicate and they are awkward and dangerous crimes to solve. I know I'd rather video a few football fans making vaguely obscene gestures than entering the criminal underworld and trying to weed out the malevolent dross of society.

Absoulutely excellent post Rob, outstanding. Too drunk to respond properly, but nice and absolutely correct.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

It's a simple opportunity for a bit of overtime Herts. Bonanza time. And maybe get an opportunity to crack a few heads. I think they call it job satisfaction.

I can live with the team being crap away but take exception to the authorities (away club/Police Managers) thinking I'm scum because I wear a Town shirt.

I have nothing against the individual constables as despite the odd bad apple they generally do a difficult job outside of football often unarmed against some "real scum" who would have no hesitation to commit serious real crime.against us and them.

This is where we have got to, it ironic at best. At half time I went down the front behind the goal and a copper started talking to me, nothing threatening but just making a bit of conversation as I was on my phone looking at half times, seemed like a nice lad, then a steward came over and told me "I could not stand there" FFS I was stood next to a copper having a reasonable mature conversation what was I going to do cosh him with my beer belly and bomb the pitch?

Not the fault of the individuals but the decision makers I feel   

Looks like Mansfield agree too

http://www.stagsnet.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=32104

Feel free to tweet their Football Police account

https://twitter.com/MansPolFootball