Joe_Fox
Well-Known Member
Don't know if this has been posted yet:
PRESS RELEASE
STATEMENT FROM CITY CHIEF EXECUTIVE TIM DAVIES
I have heard many comments aired following the ejections at Sunday’s Championship clash with Coventry City at the Walkers Stadium and as a result have reviewed the video footage of the incident in detail.
What transpired during the match was that following some complaints from fans, one supporter was ejected and proceeded to move down the stairs without disruption.
But for whatever reason, he then tried to climb back up and a friend of his came rushing down and attacked the stewards which resulted in an unseemly scuffle.
If you only saw one part of the incident, it would be easy to draw the wrong conclusions.
I consider Sunday to be the subject of a much broader issue facing football with regards to what is and what is not acceptable at a football ground.
As one supporter e-mailed to me recently, “Yes, people should be ejected for racist chanting, fighting or throwing objects, but once people start to be thrown out merely for shouting, occasional standing and in the case of L1 Block, gesturing at the visiting fans from about 60 yards away, it becomes a joke.”
I believe that the correct level of, call it ‘tolerance’, has become misunderstood by many in the game of football.
I would also stress that our stewards have the most difficult job and I am in admiration of the work they undertake and am fully supportive of their actions.
What they need is proper guidance as to the right tolerance levels which are accepted by all of us - from the fans, the club, the Police and the Safety Advisory Group.
Obviously, as said above, there is no place for racist chanting, fighting or throwing objects but where is the line drawn after that?
Columnist and City fan Karam Radwan, in the Leicester Mercury on Tuesday, made many pertinent points over what was acceptable and what isn’t now acceptable.
The way forward I think is to sit down (excuse the pun!) with all parties and redefine the tolerance levels so we all agree and stick to them at our stadium.
As a result, we will be holding an open meeting at 7.30pm on Thursday, November 17 at the Walkers Stadium to sort these issues out, at which I will be there, a steward representative, other club employees, hopefully as many of you as possible (particularly from L Block), the Police and the Safety Advisory Group.
There will also be an opportunity to raise any other matters you wish to at this meeting.
Many of us love this club with a passion and want to show our support as loudly as possible.
Let’s get together and get it right together so we are all united in our passion and remove all the friction that none of us want.
Please come along to express your views on the 17th November.
ENDS
PRESS RELEASE
STATEMENT FROM CITY CHIEF EXECUTIVE TIM DAVIES
I have heard many comments aired following the ejections at Sunday’s Championship clash with Coventry City at the Walkers Stadium and as a result have reviewed the video footage of the incident in detail.
What transpired during the match was that following some complaints from fans, one supporter was ejected and proceeded to move down the stairs without disruption.
But for whatever reason, he then tried to climb back up and a friend of his came rushing down and attacked the stewards which resulted in an unseemly scuffle.
If you only saw one part of the incident, it would be easy to draw the wrong conclusions.
I consider Sunday to be the subject of a much broader issue facing football with regards to what is and what is not acceptable at a football ground.
As one supporter e-mailed to me recently, “Yes, people should be ejected for racist chanting, fighting or throwing objects, but once people start to be thrown out merely for shouting, occasional standing and in the case of L1 Block, gesturing at the visiting fans from about 60 yards away, it becomes a joke.”
I believe that the correct level of, call it ‘tolerance’, has become misunderstood by many in the game of football.
I would also stress that our stewards have the most difficult job and I am in admiration of the work they undertake and am fully supportive of their actions.
What they need is proper guidance as to the right tolerance levels which are accepted by all of us - from the fans, the club, the Police and the Safety Advisory Group.
Obviously, as said above, there is no place for racist chanting, fighting or throwing objects but where is the line drawn after that?
Columnist and City fan Karam Radwan, in the Leicester Mercury on Tuesday, made many pertinent points over what was acceptable and what isn’t now acceptable.
The way forward I think is to sit down (excuse the pun!) with all parties and redefine the tolerance levels so we all agree and stick to them at our stadium.
As a result, we will be holding an open meeting at 7.30pm on Thursday, November 17 at the Walkers Stadium to sort these issues out, at which I will be there, a steward representative, other club employees, hopefully as many of you as possible (particularly from L Block), the Police and the Safety Advisory Group.
There will also be an opportunity to raise any other matters you wish to at this meeting.
Many of us love this club with a passion and want to show our support as loudly as possible.
Let’s get together and get it right together so we are all united in our passion and remove all the friction that none of us want.
Please come along to express your views on the 17th November.
ENDS
