The match day experience

Saturday was my first away game all season due to other commitments i have not been able to go, but despite a cracking first 60 minutes, some bits of the day left a very very sour taste in my mouth.

1. The fact we had 1 turnstile open with ten minutes before kick off meant we were queuing for ages to get in. Some drunken idiots were trying to get in for concessional rate and were turned away and told to get a ticket from the main office. These chaps were over 30, absolutely steaming and holding everyone up. Of course this then incites trouble as fans want to just get in. Two local cops were watching the tension rise with big smirks on their faces and not doing anything to help the poor woman on the turnstile do here job.

2. The most annoying this were the two disabled fans on the side of the pitch in wheelchairs with restricted views. A group of town fans were congregating right in front of the two supporters who clearly were missing most of the game. Fair play to the town fans who said get out the bl00dy way the you're blocking the view, only to be told "I will stand where I fecking well want to" but his moronic tw@t, who was soo drunk he could barely stand up.

I don't know if its the stewards that should have intervened at this point, but the disabled supporters were stuck nearly 30 minutes unable to see. Eventually they were moved to a more suitable spot.

I love away days with town, they are the best, but this one stood out worse than any I have ever seen as a GTFC fan. I left ashamed of our own fans attitude to fellow disabled mariners and the tensions in amongst the crowd as a result of p!ss poor turnstile management just led to potential problems.

Maybe it's just me, i don't know. Be interesting to get anyone elses viewpoint. The atmosphere behind the goal seemed spot on though, but certainly on the side it was quite confrontational

Quoted from excusebeef

2. The most annoying this were the two disabled fans on the side of the pitch in wheelchairs with restricted views. A group of town fans were congregating right in front of the two supporters who clearly were missing most of the game. Fair play to the town fans who said get out the bl00dy way the you're blocking the view, only to be told "I will stand where I fecking well want to" but his moronic tw@t, who was soo drunk he could barely stand up.

I saw this and couldn't believe it. The two main culprits were both older than me and I'm 48. Your mechanism has gone when you're arguing the toss when people are pointing out you are obstructing the view of our supporters in wheelchairs. Good on those who did try to put them right. There is an element of our support who'd start a  fight with their own shadows if they could.

just left a sour taste the whole day really, and I never say that!

I was sat just to the left of the crowd and some of our older fans had to go 2-3 rows up as they wasnt comfortable on the front row with the town fans stood around everywhere and not being able to see.

stand where there is a sit, not at the front, no need !!!

I was in side stand and totally see your point. The issue was a lot of Chesters doing in my opinion but totally agree with the lack of respect for disabled fans. I was stone cold sober and yes some fans were aggressive to the stewards, but I did say to steward if the stand behind goal was full why so many empty seats he said we close when it is certain % full. So why don't you put the netting over the % of seats not to be used, his response was don't know and quickly walked away!
I do think the police near side stand did a great job a number of times they could have thrown fans out but told them to calm down and managed it well.

Quoted from Jarmo.Is.God

I was sat just to the left of the crowd and some of our older fans had to go 2-3 rows up as they wasnt comfortable on the front row with the town fans stood around everywhere and not being able to see.

stand where there is a sit, not at the front, no need !!!

It was entirely Chester's doing. The fact was most of the Town fans wanted to be behind the goal, jumping up and down and singing. For some bizzare reason when they was clearly lots of empty seats behind the goal, they shoved a load of us in the side stand.

Now I am not defending those insistently blocking the view of wheelchair supporters, thats just flipping ridiculous. But the idea of two different stands exists for a reason; one stand for those who will stand, jump about and have a more party like atmosphere, and the other for those who for whatever reason don't want this or it isn't feasible, be that because thy're wheelchair bound, families, want to sit and watch the game, old folk, just not their thing etc. whatever.

To just have one turnstile open is ridiculous. The reason many Town fans were stood near the corner is because they clearly weren't happy and being put in the side stand when their mates are all behind the goal, when we could see hundreds of empty seats in that stand. This created a bit of a sour grudge in the first place and people congregated near the corner, in a "we'ĺl do what we want" kind of way. Could of been avoided.

It was many incidents such as this that stopped me going to away games. The Grimsby reputation precedes us and sounds like there were some dickheads on Saturday doing everything to keep that reputation going with their antics. All fans then get the same treatment regardless. I got fed up of being herded around like cattle, so stopped travelling.

Quoted from MarinerWY

It was entirely Chester's doing. The fact was most of the Town fans wanted to be behind the goal, jumping up and down and singing. For some bizzare reason when they was clearly lots of empty seats behind the goal, they shoved a load of us in the side stand.

Now I am not defending those insistently blocking the view of wheelchair supporters, thats just flipping ridiculous. But the idea of two different stands exists for a reason; one stand for those who will stand, jump about and have a more party like atmosphere, and the other for those who for whatever reason don't want this or it isn't feasible, be that because thy're wheelchair bound, families, want to sit and watch the game, old folk, just not their thing etc. whatever.

To just have one turnstile open is ridiculous. The reason many Town fans were stood near the corner is because they clearly weren't happy and being put in the side stand when their mates are all behind the goal, when we could see hundreds of empty seats in that stand. This created a bit of a sour grudge in the first place and people congregated near the corner, in a "we'ĺl do what we want" kind of way. Could of been avoided.

I agree but there were a couple of incidents where town fans who were clearly part of the bunch having a bit of party, were saying to certain individuals - you need to stop blocking the view of the disabled supporters. They were met with abuse and contempt - the worst offenders were all fifty plus.

I was behind the goal and got in early so missed all this. Desperately sad to hear! All the Town fans near me were class and saw the atmosphere on the side building up on the side nicely, didn't realise there was any obstruction of others

Have to say though;

A)well done to those fans for trying to stand up to the tossers.

B) Please don't let it out fans off going away, the way we fix tossers is by making sure there are more of us forcing them into better behaviour.

I was one of the people stuck outside waiting to get in until 25 minutes after kick off having arrived at 3pmish which, had there been sufficient measures taken been ample time to get in at kick-off or just after. I missed the first goal and 25 minutes of the match.

I understand why people were asking for a reduced match entry. It was not our fault we missed 25% of the game, therefore 25% of the product we paid to see.

The police, who were simply saying "take it up with the club", did not help help the situation. If they expect fans to liaise with them, it has to be give and take. This is the moment where they get on the radio to someone at Chester FC and ask them, politely, to get someone down very quickly and open another gate. Queue halved, problem solved. They eventually, after a very minuscule bit of pushing and shoving, just walked away leaving two stewards and the lady on the turnstile to it.

When we eventually got in, there were no programme sellers until half time, no hot food and only out of date crisps for sale at half time, and an empty section of seats to our right which was allegedly full.

Now, I am definitely not condoning any of the idiotic antics performed by some of our less desirable away following but Chester FC, as a fan run club, has a lot to answer on Saturday. Their ineptitude was not a good supporter experience and contributed to the escalation of fans moods. Had they acted quickly and thoughtfully, a lot of the incidences above could have been avoided.

Quoted from Caesar

I was behind the goal and got in early so missed all this. Desperately sad to hear! All the Town fans near me were class and saw the atmosphere on the side building up on the side nicely, didn't realise there was any obstruction of others

Have to say though;

A)well done to those fans for trying to stand up to the tossers.

B) Please don't let it out fans off going away, the way we fix tossers is by making sure there are more of us forcing them into better behaviour.

spot on

Quoted from Paris Mariner

I was one of the people stuck outside waiting to get in until 25 minutes after kick off having arrived at 3pmish which, had there been sufficient measures taken been ample time to get in at kick-off or just after. I missed the first goal and 25 minutes of the match.

I understand why people were asking for a reduced match entry. It was not our fault we missed 25% of the game, therefore 25% of the product we paid to see.

The police, who were simply saying "take it up with the club", did not help help the situation. If they expect fans to liaise with them, it has to be give and take. This is the moment where they get on the radio to someone at Chester FC and ask them, politely, to get someone down very quickly and open another gate. Queue halved, problem solved. They eventually, after a very minuscule bit of pushing and shoving, just walked away leaving two stewards and the lady on the turnstile to it.

When we eventually got in, there were no programme sellers until half time, no hot food and only out of date crisps for sale at half time, and an empty section of seats to our right which was allegedly full.

Now, I am definitely condoning any of the idiotic antics performed by some of our less desirable away following but Chester FC, as a fan run club, has a lot to answer on Saturday. Their ineptitude was not a good supporter experience and contributed to the escalation of fans moods. Had they acted quickly and thoughtfully, a lot of the incidences above could have been avoided.

I hope you mean condemning.

Quoted from mariner91

I hope you mean condemning.

I am definitely not!! is what I meant to say.

Quoted from Paris Mariner

I am definitely not!! is what I meant to say.

Thought as much, didn't have you down as the hoolie type!

Quoted from mariner91

Thought as much, didn't have you down as the hoolie type!

Yeah, definitely not.

It seems that for key home or away games, the number of Town fans increases. Unfortunately,some of the additional fans are not true Town fans, or if they are, their behaviour brings the Club into disrepute.    

Burton was the prime example.  

Quoted from TownSNAFU5

It seems that for key home or away games, the number of Town fans increases. Unfortunately,some of the additional fans are not true Town fans, or if they are, their behaviour brings the Club into disrepute.    

Burton was the prime example.  

Burton was a while ago and was an unfortunately exceptional day. Not defending it, but I sometimes wonder if we sort-of perpetuate our own "reputation"when we discuss that actions of the moniority in certain ways. We have a fantastic support, of which a very tiny percentage gets involved in idiotic acts. But that happens at every club - maybe slightly more or less depending on individual cases, but I wouldn't say we're especially bad. By and large our support is commendable.

Not neccesarrily disagreeing here, just saying I don't think we should add to the "reputation" that we may or may not have, I've only ever seen tiny pockets of trouble at away games (Burton excluded) and I think it happens with a lot of clubs.

UTM.

I think Alferton will be the next big pinch point I really hope they cater with a big away following in a better way.

Let's just get out of this excrement league with it's excrement grounds and excrement away ends.. The worst next year is Accrington if we go up but atleast that caters for over 1000 safely

Lesson learnt from the game from me is to get there with ample time before KO. I misjudged the traffic so got stuck in all the queue before the game. From what a previous poster said though, Chester should have sorted the turnstile out well in advance knowing that we were going to be close to the 1000 mark.  I think that fuelled a lot of the aggression being stuck outside as the game kicked off. Was like Boston away all them years ago when loads were waiting to get in. When someone complained to their stewards about the wheelchair user getting barged and bumped and people standing, he said "we didn't think there would be this many fans coming" which I thought was farcical

The stewarding and general organisation on Saturday were nearly as shambolic as Hursts substitution, but that was no excuse for the utter male masturbators who were an embarrassment to our club. Grown men arguing that it's ok to stand in front of people in wheelchairs are pretty flipping low.

Two questions:

Could the Trust / club take it up with Chester? Obviously too late for us now (this season) but........

For future games where we expect a big following (and the occasions are fairly predictable) could again the Trust / club safety officer liaise with the opposition club about making sure they have made appropriate arrangements?

If this was any other form of entertainment the establishment's licence would be in jeopardy. Because it's football we get the shitty end of the stick.

A number of seats in the side stand were broken by Town fans on Saturday. I was at the ground on Sunday morning and saw the damage for myself. Chester FC staff don't think the damage was caused maliciously but did invite John Fenty to see it following the game.

The one turnstile thing was not acceptable and I couldn't believe the queue outside at 2:50. I thought in the circumstances the Town fans were very patient. Fed up with waiting, we decided not to miss kick off and went in the main stand to watch the game.