Appalling treatment of away fans ..... again.

[Jacko51]

On 1st February Sunderland play Newcastle at St James's Park. Northumbria Police have designated this a "bubble" match. All Sunderland fans will have to travel on official coaches to the game - this has been made a condition of sale for the tickets. The tickets will not be issued to the fans until they are on the coaches. So a Sunderland fan living in Newcastle will have to take the Metro to Sunderland, get on an official coach, go to the game, get back on an official coach afterwards, travel back to Sunderland then get the Metro back to Newcastle. A Sunderland fan living in London - faced with an early 12.45 pm kick off - will have to get the train from Kings Cross to Newcastle Central (10 minutes walk from the ground), then get the train to Sunderland, then get on a bus .... etc, etc.

 

How is this even legal?? And bearing in mind that the bulk of the trouble after last year's game was caused by Newcastle "fans" - the majority of whom hadn't even been to the match - what the hell is going on here?

[Santa]

Hull fans rightly kicked up a stink when they had the same thing happen at Huddersfield.

 

In the end the Police apologised. They're very good at getting things wrong then apologising afterwards.

[butt lane vale fan]

Didn't Swansea fans face the same against Cardiff this Season, although not sure if as extreme as that.

[grebovale]

Just a thought,if we beat Plymouth then draw Stoke away it could happen to us

[robf]

On 1st February Sunderland play Newcastle at St James's Park. Northumbria Police have designated this a "bubble" match. All Sunderland fans will have to travel on official coaches to the game - this has been made a condition of sale for the tickets. The tickets will not be issued to the fans until they are on the coaches. So a Sunderland fan living in Newcastle will have to take the Metro to Sunderland, get on an official coach, go to the game, get back on an official coach afterwards, travel back to Sunderland then get the Metro back to Newcastle. A Sunderland fan living in London - faced with an early 12.45 pm kick off - will have to get the train from Kings Cross to Newcastle Central (10 minutes walk from the ground), then get the train to Sunderland, then get on a bus .... etc, etc.

 

How is this even legal?? And bearing in mind that the bulk of the trouble after last year's game was caused by Newcastle "fans" - the majority of whom hadn't even been to the match - what the hell is going on here?

 

Spot on Jean. As a Vale exile of some twenty-odd years, I am increasingly fed up with the notion that all fans live in or near to the town that their club plays in. Surely there are far better ways to police a potential flash-point game than those sort of outdated, inflexible and discriminating measures?

[soothsayer]

In the end the Police apologised. They're very good at getting things wrong then apologising afterwards.

 

Anyone can make a mistake but the Police just go on making the same ones and think by apologising it makes everything fine. It doesn't!!!

[melv]

On 1st February Sunderland play Newcastle at St James's Park. Northumbria Police have designated this a "bubble" match. All Sunderland fans will have to travel on official coaches to the game - this has been made a condition of sale for the tickets. The tickets will not be issued to the fans until they are on the coaches. So a Sunderland fan living in Newcastle will have to take the Metro to Sunderland, get on an official coach, go to the game, get back on an official coach afterwards, travel back to Sunderland then get the Metro back to Newcastle. A Sunderland fan living in London - faced with an early 12.45 pm kick off - will have to get the train from Kings Cross to Newcastle Central (10 minutes walk from the ground), then get the train to Sunderland, then get on a bus .... etc, etc.

 

How is this even legal?? And bearing in mind that the bulk of the trouble after last year's game was caused by Newcastle "fans" - the majority of whom hadn't even been to the match - what the hell is going on here?

 

Think of the chaos that would happen if it was Man Utd.Its really pathetic policing.As you say is it even legal or will the police just use certain laws to their advantage.

[smithie]

I'm just surprised that anyone's surprised at this!!

 

They don't "police" football any more, they run it.

 

Heaven knows what football will be like in this country in 10 years time.

[melv]

Why would it make any difference if it was Man Utd?

 

A Sunderland fan living in London - faced with an early 12.45 pm kick off - will have to get the train from Kings Cross to Newcastle Central (10 minutes walk from the ground), then get the train to Sunderland, then get on a bus .... etc, etc.

 

There is a clue for you.

So a southern based Man Utd fan could potentialy have to travel up to Manchester to see Man Utd play a game in London IF the same stupid logic was applied.

[melv]

So whilst trying to be a smart **** you've essentially just given the same scenario as I did on the previous page when a mate of mine drove from Cardiff to Stoke to get a coach back to Cardiff. Not sure why you were singling Man Utd out?

 

Not trying to be smart in the slightest.Just showing another possible situation of a stupid idea.As I'm sure you know full well that there are many southern based Man Utd fans.

[Tone]

What are things coming to? This is nothing less than profiling, which if it was done to any other group of human beings would be condemned.

 

It's yet another daft idea conceived by the police.

[melv]

So whilst trying to be a smart **** you've essentially just given the same scenario as I did on the previous page when a mate of mine drove from Cardiff to Stoke to get a coach back to Cardiff. Not sure why you were singling Man Utd out?

 

Did you also fail to notice the post that I quoted and replied to was the opening post to the thread.Your post came after ie post #5

[Houston Valiant]

On 1st February Sunderland play Newcastle at St James's Park. Northumbria Police have designated this a "bubble" match. All Sunderland fans will have to travel on official coaches to the game - this has been made a condition of sale for the tickets. The tickets will not be issued to the fans until they are on the coaches. So a Sunderland fan living in Newcastle will have to take the Metro to Sunderland, get on an official coach, go to the game, get back on an official coach afterwards, travel back to Sunderland then get the Metro back to Newcastle. A Sunderland fan living in London - faced with an early 12.45 pm kick off - will have to get the train from Kings Cross to Newcastle Central (10 minutes walk from the ground), then get the train to Sunderland, then get on a bus .... etc, etc.

 

How is this even legal?? And bearing in mind that the bulk of the trouble after last year's game was caused by Newcastle "fans" - the majority of whom hadn't even been to the match - what the hell is going on here?

 

That would cost me a small fortune. :) Seriously though, it is a terrible way to treat fans of any football club.

[andy jones]

I unsurprised there hang been a legal challenge to this.

[geosname]

I unsurprised there hang been a legal challenge to this.

 

Powerful stuff that..