Southampton FC Announce Stringent Measures For Itchen Stand Block 1 & 2 Tuesday, 9th Aug 2022 16:29 Whilst last season saw Block 1 & 2 in the Itchen Stand suffer more unrest than the rest of the ground, something that had to be dealt with, was it that bad that they need to lay down some stringent measures. Southampton FC appointed a new Stadium manager in the summer, so I am told he is a former commander in the Metropolitan Police and also was Stadium Manager at Millwall for the past few seasons. But St Mary's isn't the New Den and issues at Millwall are different to those at Southampton, but it seems that we are looking to break a butterfly on a wheel with the e mails that have been sent out to season ticket holders in block 1 & 2 and whilst no one can deny there are issues, the majority who go into that section do so with no intention of causing trouble.
The Police & Stewards have worked hard with the fans to nip trouble in the bud, most of which seems to be generated when some of the big clubs are at St Mary's and away supporters go into home sections or in the case of block 1 & 2 are in the corporate boxes behind. I am not in these areas myself but having spoken to fans that are, the issues happen when those away supporters are not content to just keep quiet but jump up and down when their side scores a goal and seem determined to make a point that they are there, rather than just adhering to the unwritten code of an away fan in a home section that says you just keep yourself to yourself or you get ejected. From what I see the issues between the Itchen Stand & the actual away section are no worse than those we face when we go away from home, there is plenty of banter going on, but in truth nothing much more than bluster and I have not seen any real efforts by either home or away fans to trade punches across the divide. At the two home friendlies heavy handed measures were taken with fans being ejected for standing up, whilst technically this is an offence, it can never be truly eradicated and indeed safe standing at St Mary's will surely be something that happens in the next couple of seasons in line with many clubs. The game against Leeds has the potential to be a flashpoint and given the reputation of Leeds supporters it will be interesting to see if the home fans in the Itchen & Northam are forced to sit or be thrown out whether the same measures will be taken against any Leeds fans who refuse to sit, I suspect not as I and probably every steward and policeman in the ground know that would be a flashpoint that could see some serious disorder and injury. But if you are going apply rules then you have to apply them to everybody and that won't happen. This problem could have been dealt with easily and peacefully instead it has the potential to create more trouble. E mails have been sent to fans in this section and i print one now. Thank you for purchasing your season ticket for the 2022/23 season, we can’t wait to welcome you back to St Mary’s. The energy you generate is fantastic and the team really value the support you give them from the stands. To ensure we can continue to offer a safe, accessible stadium that all of our fans can enjoy, we wanted to make you aware of some changes you’ll notice when you come to St Mary’s this season that have been made following conversations with the local authorities. These changes have been made following a season when throughout football we witnessed a disappointing increase in anti-social behaviour. The Premier League have recently launched a league-wide campaign designed to raise awareness of the consequences of this anti-social behaviour, and we are committed to working with the Premier League and local authorities to ensure Southampton Football Club remains the family friendly venue we pride ourselves on. The club has recently appointed a new Safety Officer who is currently working closely with the local authorities to help eradicate unacceptable behaviour at St Mary’s which will be supported by an increased steward presence in Itchen North. It is really important for us to get this right because it will avoid the club having to operate at a reduced capacity in certain areas and hopefully prevent the installation of a solid boundary wall between home and away fans in the Itchen North corner. Being able to demonstrate that we are able to operate safely at full capacity will also be vital as we look towards introducing safe standing at St Mary’s, something the club will continue to consult with fans about during the course of the season. In the meantime, we ask all fans to follow these basic guidelines to ensure their safety and that of their fellow supporters. 1. Look after your ticket. Remember that, according to our T&C’s your ticket is non-transferable. If you share your Season Ticket and the person using it is ejected for anti-social behaviour, your ticket will be revoked and no refund will be provided. You may have seen that there is no availability for general purchase in Blocks 1 and 2 and these blocks will now only be available to purchase as a Season Ticket. If you have purchased a Season Ticket and wish to sit in this area please contact the ticket office who can now arrange for you to be moved. 2. Bring an ID. You could be asked to show your ticket and identification by a member of our staff or the Police. If you are unable to show this, you may be asked to leave the stadium. 3. Keeping you safe. Missile throwing, persistent standing, pyrotechnics or any other form of anti-social behaviour have no place at St Mary’s and will likely result in ejection, a ban and further action from the police. 4. Stick to your area. It is a criminal offence to move beyond the barriers next to the pitch or to enter the playing area at any time (except for emergency situations). Anyone entering the field of play will be subject to a lengthy ban from the stadium and face further action from the police. The passion and commitment from fans make the atmosphere at St Mary’s so incredible and we believe the majority of you will welcome these changes and thank you in advance for your continued support. These rules seem a little draconian, whilst the T & C's state that a season ticket is non transferable again the unwritten rule at any football ground is that you buy a season ticket and if you can't go you lend it to a friend, given the changes in kick off times, season ticket sales would drop if these rules were applied to the letter, likewise I know people who buy season tickets to share as they can't afford one individually or parents who buy a second season ticket and take along various family members. Number 2 for me is especially infuriating, there is no law that in this country that says we have to carry ID, so why should someone be asked to produce it in a football ground, by law you don't have to produce your ID to a Police officer unless he has reasonable grounds to believe you are committing an offence, this seems to me to be intimidation. The club say that the passion & commitment make the atmosphere and that they believe the majority will welcome the changes, but it isn't the majority that are being affected, it is a minority, most of whom are completely law abiding and would not dream about instigating trouble, they feel that they are being targeted purely on the basis of where they choose to sit and are now having to be subjected to effectively a stop and search policy. Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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