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Posted

I received this from the club tonight, I'm assuming it's only fans in the North West.

DAFC Club Statement: North West Stand

 

Dear Pars Fans,

 

Following last Friday night's match against Raith Rovers we are writing to you as a season card holder in the North West stand. The atmosphere has continued to be fantastic and we have never taken this support for granted. Friday's match epitomised the positive effects of a vociferous support, pushing the squad over the line for an important three points. Likewise the Tifo celebrating the life of Sol Bamba highlights the togetherness of the Pars family, with friends and family of Sol reaching out to the club thanking the support for their thoughts and prayers.

 

For all this good, we do unfortunately have to highlight several recent issues that has led to the football authorities and Police putting severe pressure on the club.

 

In the home end last Friday night thousands of pounds of damage was caused, with many seats broken along with the metal backings that fix the seats to the concrete stand. Not only does a replacement seat and backing cost £130 per unit but supporters, in numbers, standing on their seats poses a significant safety risk to the individual supporter and all around them. We would like to reiterate supporters should sit in their allocated seat and not move to other areas of the stadium.

 

Going forward, supporters who are identified as breaking/damaging their seats will be charged for this and could face club bans. A number of season card holders who's seats were broken at last Friday night's match have been written to as we seek explanations on why this occurred.

 

Despite the club warning, we continue to see pyrotechnics used at KDM Group East End Park. This is against the law and the Police are reviewing CCTV to identify any supporters who have brought in or participated in the use of pyrotechnics. We have also been challenged by both the Police and the SPFL on whether we are doing enough to prevent these incidents.

 

Most seriously, during last Friday night's match the assistant referee in front of the North West stand was struck by an object, with further objects thrown in his direction during the course of the match. Regrettably this is the third consecutive game that the assistant referee in question has officiated at KDM Group East End Park and has been struck by objects. Due to the regular frequency of these incidents, assistant referees are now receiving briefings ahead of games to warn them of the likely behaviour of our fans in the North West stand and to be on guard for missiles.

 

This is wholly unacceptable and damages the club. DAFC are now being challenged by the authorities to take much stronger action against 'unacceptable conduct' that has stemmed from a small group of supporters in the North West stand, tarnishing the reputation of our largely fantastic backing.

 

If objects continue to be thrown at officials the only next step available to us is to close down the North West stand for some competitive matches. Whilst we know that this will punish many supporters who have had nothing to do with these incidents, we have exhausted all other measures in dealing with unacceptable conduct in this stand.

 

The football authorities have put us on our final warning around this topic and everyone at KDM Group East End Park would like to reiterate that supporters should refrain from throwing any objects on to the pitch at any time.

 

We look forward to welcoming you on Saturday for another hugely important match as we take on Queen's Park. Your support is never taken for granted and we hope collectively we can help push James and the squad on for another positive result.

Posted

Any way, I'm in the North West but I'm under the media gantry at the east end of the stand. I moved away from the west end because of the incessant flooding of young ones into my seating area when we scored. I'm a backer of their Tifos and enthusiasm, but not throwing stuff and breaking seats (utter stupidity). You'll get the usual guff about the club about releasing statements yadda yadda, but sh*te behaviour, is sh*te behaviour. Wear it.

  • Upvote 10
Posted

Can never understand the mentality of idiots destroying their own stadium.

It's beyond embarrassing that linesmen are having to be briefed before running the line in front of the North West.  No doubt if and when the stand gets closed it will be the club's fault...  

  • Upvote 1
Posted (edited)
38 minutes ago, Piracy said:

Any way, I'm in the North West but I'm under the media gantry at the east end of the stand. I moved away from the west end because of the incessant flooding of young ones into my seating area when we scored. I'm a backer of their Tifos and enthusiasm, but not throwing stuff and breaking seats (utter stupidity). You'll get the usual guff about the club about releasing statements yadda yadda, but sh*te behaviour, is sh*te behaviour. Wear it.

Exactly this. Clubs gave the minority in there multiple warnings so when it eventually shuts down there can’t be any complaints. Shame as ruins it for everyone else

Edited by kelty_par
  • Upvote 1
Posted

Unacceptable behaviour is not ok obviously but I do have a few critical points on the statement whilst accepting some of it isn't the clubs own opinion but one the feel the need to show to satisfy others.

Damage to seats, I don't believe this is in anyway intended, reckless behaviour standing on them sure, but it comes from a core problem of not providing a suitable area for fans who wish to stand and bounce about which everyone in that area appear to do so. Every time we put a seat in this area we are wasting money that can go towards putting barriers into it and making it a suitable area for standing. 

Pyro, I'm not it's greatest fan and would rather it didn't get used, but your almost guaranteed it at every derby and not just ones involving us. Using it in an area where everyone understands that it likely will be used and crucially not throwing it(which I don't think it was vs rovers) isn't something I'm that bothered about.  Club Need to play the game tho until authorities decide to come up with a more rounded solution as has been done elsewhere rather than a 'its illllegall...' approach.  Just trying to ban things without trying to understand it doesn't work.

I worry about our seemingly willingness to crumble when spfl or police put pressure on, we need to stand up for ourselves here,  we know this behaviour is going on at a lot of stadiums most weeks and nobody else feels the need to threaten stand closures etc and other clubs aren't being punished,  strict liability is not in place, so why crumble?

Throwing stuff, never justified, identity and ban, simples.   Club is happy to do this for those who said a few bad words to the board, do it for those throwing things first.

Posted

There is one group of people to blame for the broken seats and one group only and that is the idiots breaking them. 

I’ve been going to games for 43 years and have managed to not damage a seat or anything else for the matter in that time. I’ve gone/go daft with the best of them at exciting times during games, but I’ve never felt the need to stand on or break a seat. I can’t even see how standing kn it would break like the picture above. Most of those kids in there are about 7 stone soaking wet which suggests multiple people are on it at the time. 

Safe standing areas are a separate issue. We don’t have those at the moment, so behave accordingly in the meantime. It’s not difficult. 

I don’t accept anything less than 100% blame in this for anyone but the individuals responsible. Who by the way, might not even be Pars fans. If they were, that sold out stand would not be half empty at every game except the Rovers and Falkirk.

  • Upvote 4
Posted

Next big home game make it ST only as some of these idiots only turn up for Rovers, Falkirk games. That behaviour is unacceptable and only impacts the club they are supposed to support! There have been plenty of warnings from the club over the years even going back to when Ross was Chairman but some of these clowns act with Impunity and should be banned, ST's removed and made to pay for the damage.    

  • Upvote 2
Posted
8 hours ago, Superally said:

Next big home game make it ST only as some of these idiots only turn up for Rovers, Falkirk games. That behaviour is unacceptable and only impacts the club they are supposed to support! There have been plenty of warnings from the club over the years even going back to when Ross was Chairman but some of these clowns act with Impunity and should be banned, ST's removed and made to pay for the damage.    

I get where you're coming from S'Ally, but the club would be punishing itself and many innocent fans, losing valuable income by denying entry to anyone who doesn't have a ST. And what about away fans? Would some Pars fans - normal and lunatic fringe - not be tempted to use the away stand if they don't have a ST?

I would suggest the club asks for increased policing at the next 2 games v Rovers and Falkirk..They would be instructed to eject any wee f@nnies at the first hint of unacceptable behaviour. 

Posted

Not often i dare to disagree with you @GG Riva , This is not about innocent fans. Less crowds in that section makes it easier to identify trouble makers. Its also not about denying fans entry, its about managing and supervising crowds. If some fans migrate to the away end then they are only there for the purposes of trouble and should be nicked and banned. I do agree that because of the difficulties, increased Policing and costs for which we will be libel and is necessary for High tariff games and although wee f@nnies will be ejected its will likely cost us more than they will likely pay for entry!

Posted

Could maybe try going back to something like the voucher system we had years ago for games v Celtic and Rangers where fans got given a voucher like thing at games against so-called lesser teams that gave them priority when tickets for the matches against the ugly sisters went on sale, but updating it for the 21st century.  Season ticket holders and people who buy online for games against teams like Queen's Park and Morton could get a one time only code that would be valid for Rovers and Falkirk games when the tickets go on sale, and make Rovers and Falkirk games online only sales as that way the club would have contact details for everyone who buys a ticket, I know that it wouldn't be ideal for everybody but blame the wee f*****s who are destroying things (literally and figuratively) for everyone.

Posted

They could also try and make sure folk who buy tickets for other sections are actually in the right area of the stand. Last game vs Falkirk I ended up standing at the back of the stand as about 8/9 folk were rammed into the seats me and my mates were meant to be in (end section of the NW closest to the Norrie), and judging by the amount of other folk standing at the top id imagine we weren't the only ones who couldn't get into the right section for the game

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