| Gone Swan 18:18 - Dec 29 with 10414 views | MJC |
Dear fellow Planet Swans' posters,
After 13 years of watching the Swans with my father - a season ticket holder of many a year - I have never quite been left dumbfounded by my experience at the Liberty (Bob Bradley aside).
Around 30 minutes into the first half, myself and another other fan went to the aid of child of about 8 years' of age who was attending the match with his grandfather in the NW upper stand - they were sat alone in the block next to me and a few rows behind (next to the away).
The grandfather and his grandson were suffering quite abbhorent abuse from the away support from quite early on. Our stewards had gone over to the away support twice during the first half to warn the away fans about their behaviour but ultimately did nothing.
At around 30 minutes, the abuse escalated with the away fans pointing and shouting god-knows-what at the grandfather; this left the child in tears and the grandfather visibly shaking.
Myself and another mild-mannered fan took objection to this and went to their aid - a couple of stewards came over and that was as far as it went, the whole verbal to-and-fro lasting about 15 seconds, max, and consisted of us telling them how pathetic they were for abusing a kid and an old man. It was literally the most non-event you could witness at the football. The stewards said nothing to me at the time and moved the kid and his grandad to the seats behind me, and I spoke to the kid before halftime to see if he was OK.
I then went to the toilet at halftime (about 15 minutes after this happened) and was approached on the way back to my seat by a steward and SW police and ejected from the stadium for 'approaching the away fans'. I couldn't quite believe what was happening, I asked the stewards to review the footage to check they'd got the right person - apparently they did. Anyway, I wasn't allowed back in, for nothing more than standing up for a child and his elderly grandad.
I phoned my Dad from outside the stadium and he in turn walked out in disgust and disbelief, initially believing I was having him on - nobody in the seats next to us would believe it either.
So, cheers for the free pint this afternoon Swansea City, but after spending thousands of pounds watching you over the years and the untold hours - travelling the 400-mile round trip from Shropshire every home game - I've dedicated to watching the team, you will not have another penny or ounce of energy out of me.
Positives: I missed the traffic.
Well done to everyone who endured the 90, and if anyone has any contacts at the club who I can raise this with, it would be most appreciated.
All the best
Matt [Post edited 30 Dec 2019 0:22]
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| Gone Swan on 12:47 - Dec 30 with 1560 views | donnybackspin |
I did notice but guessed it was a typo.
I make loads especially when I can't find my glasses. | | | |
| Gone Swan on 12:48 - Dec 30 with 1554 views | Badlands |
| Gone Swan on 11:38 - Dec 30 by chad |
Whilst the club sees fit to sell tickets for children in the west corner of the north stand they have a duty of care to ensure any abuse (most especially of a targeted and continuous nature and involving children) is dealt with.
Unless beyond supporting our own team, they were particularly doing anything to goad the opposition supporters, then they are the victims and should be protected. It appears, as reported here, that despite being fully aware of the situation, the stewards / police were not doing that.
It is a matter of pride that there are people like the OP that will stand up for others. I am only sorry not to have been there to help. As others have said, if as described this is entirely unacceptable, the OP deserves a full and public apology and thanks for attempting to protect the child and his grandad, and they and the OP deserve some reward as a small recompense for the treatment they as customers were allowed to suffer.
Good to see the Trust being rapidly involved and investigating. Hope we ensure this is fully, fairly and properly dealt with by the Club |
I fully support the OP as I've had numerous occasions to call out inept stewarding / club response in the past.
I also know formally complaints were often batted away by Liberty staff, but the system is different now and I have more confidence that the group running the stadium for the Swans is more clued up.
But
Duty of care is first and foremost with the accompanying adult.
At point of sale the club won't know who or how many away fans are attending.
Duty of care for the club / stadium is to ensure physical safety. Assumption of risk, rightly or wrongly, would be a stadium defence.
As a parent, had I been in that situation I would have simply explained to the senior safety staff what was happening and asked to be seated away from the problem. But also to make my complaint to a police officer on site and later in writing to the club.
I agree the taunting of a child was wrong and the away fans should have been punished but, first action must be to remove the child from the situation.
Has a complaint been made to the club and police?
Will the supporters' trust be taking this incident forward?
Before the usual suspects have a go I'm living in the real world where idiots are happy to abuse the young and weak, where those who should protect us don't and retaliation is dealt with more harshly than he original offence. |  |
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| Gone Swan on 23:50 - Dec 30 with 1301 views | N_T_J |
| Gone Swan on 07:10 - Dec 30 by Glastonbury |
V sign ? There a little diff mate. E.g. Ur 50 yards away and u flick the V sign at me. Clearly nothing etc U come up to me a yard awash and start telling me how pathetic i am ? Diff outcome innit provocation ? U may have a knife ? U may be a loony bin whose misses just left him ? My point is His grandad could have moved them both if stewards wouldn't help. I would have moved to diff seats and told stewards why |
Try ' you ' and ' you're ' |  | | |
| Gone Swan on 10:20 - Dec 31 with 1140 views | PatchesOHoulihan |
| Gone Swan on 07:04 - Dec 30 by Glastonbury |
Ur intentions mean well I'm sure why was grandad sitting next to the away fans with his grandson ? Im.sure swans have a family stand. I've sat there many times over the years and I wouldn't take my 10 year old daughter there. |
Whether you agree or disagree I don’t think anyone should point the blame at the grandad and grandson 🙄 |  |
| This is Patches O'Houlihan saying "Take care of your balls, and they'll take care of you." |
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