HEALTH AND SAFETY ?

[BIGBADDON]

Whilst standing on the prom at the beginning of the Edinburgh game I was really annoyed when a member of the security staff told a man whose child was sitting on the "new" barriers that the child would have to get down. The man explained that he was standing behind the child and holding onto him. No this was not allowed. Could he put him on his shoulders. No this was not allowed. Could he go down to pitchside and climb onto the crowd control barrier. No this was not allowed. If he got a little blue step could he stand at the crowd control barrier and look over. No this was not allowed either. The guy gathered his son into his arms and went home.

An absolutely brilliant way to encourage families to come to the games, especially now with the dwindling numbers. We all know that this is not the secutity personnels fault, "Just doing what they are told".

Does common sense not prevail anymore ??????

It is about time the MUPPETS in charge started to waken up!

How many children have been injured and claimed over the past 10 years from falling off small stools or sitting on the barriers?? I would say a lot less that the adults who have tripped on the rubbish after the match.

One more point I don't drink larger and cannnot stand Murphys. My drink is Guinness if I brought my own 6 pack into Ravers could the security seize it?

[Cornerfleg]

Well said.

Laws are being applied to Ravers that have to cover other sports whose fan base is ... lets say lower down the food chain. Taking caps off bottles for example ... I've been coming to Ravers since 1973 ... I've yet to see one of these dreaded bottles being thrown onto the pitch. I put my own kids on the bars when they were smaller and they loved it. In all that time I never attended A&E where the nurses said ... yeah another one of those falling children from Ravenhill ... fetch the stitches.

I'm with you - I miss my Guinness and thon other pash isn't worth the effort. I've a hip flask which was given to me when I was 18 for the express purpose of keeping me warm at the Hill by my aunt. I now get the feeling that Mr Huge in the yellow jackets are monitoring CC TV in case they get a code 'Bushmills' and need to scramble the interceptors to evict me.

My guess is that Logie isn't behind these draconian rules but we are victims of morons who seem to equate watching sport for recreation with throwing punches or bottles or pushing kids off barriers.

[StevieD]

BigBaddon - have you contacted Ravers and made them aware of the events that took place and the implications this could have on crowd numbers?

[WhiteKnightoftheWeld]

well, i was at an away match and had some clown ask would i mind moving away from my prime, A1 position right down at a pint-holding-barrier, solely so his wee lad could sit on it. he'd a stool and a mat of some sort that got tied around the barrier to make a chair for the midget. the cheek of it!!

and when i say 'ask' i mean wait until there was an inch or so gap between the barrier and my frame, then start tying the thing on.

[Cornerfleg]

What was your weapon of choice, club or shot gun?

[etherman]

Having been a committed Prom man I've switched to the Terrace this year as the new barriers and fussy stewards have put me off. I know crowd safety is important, but it's becoming a bit ridiculous. And I dont really see how having everybody cramming to get through the gaps at half time makes things safer.

[promanader]

When we brought our 18 month son to the Aviva opening game, we had to pay full price for his ticket even though he would sit on either my wife's or my knee. We were then told we could not bring his buggy to the stadium as it would be considered a "weapon" - I kid you not. When we arrived the steward at the turnstyle did not ask for our son's ticket and there was ample room to store a buggy. I'm not normally one to complain but it's getting out of hand.

[backawaygoonahead]

Gentlemen you have an appalling attitude to those whose only concern is our safety, I hold a degree in health & safety studies from the University of Ballygobackwards - oh no...................sorry.................... its actually a degree in stating the bleedin' obvious, although some would say its the same thing.

Mr Jobsworth, the security "operative" was simply following the world recognised code of "Nanny knows best" and saving the supporter from endangering his son's life. Did the stupid parent not realise that with Ulster's exciting brand of rugby, just one lapse of concentration could have resulted in the young man falling on his head. OK it may only have fractured his skull but Eventsec just can't take risks with life & limb.

It is a well known fact that most "ordinary members of the public" are essentially braindead and take ludicrous risks on a daily basis and therefore cannot be trusted with their own safety. I have lost count of the number of people who walk on footpaths with music blaring into their ears from something called an iPod, this is as close to attempted suicide as you will get - cars do mount footpaths at least once every year - yet these musically enthused nutters don't seem to care.

The message must get through that Nanny will not fail in her duty of care to the great unwashed, whether they like it or not.

[Cornerfleg]

There was little care for health and or safety at the last match after I explored a Hot Chilli chicken and cheese crepe ... a good 20 minutes after putting this grenade into my mouth and pulling the pin I saw no men in big dayglo coats come to my rescue and dowse the flames ... no they were too busy looking for a flock of swan diving suicide children. I got my own back though - the following day when I single handedly destroyed the entire east Belfast sewerage syetem ... take that Eventsec.

[shamalicious]

I was at the Edinburgh match with family and as I was about to walk across the "pathway" from the changing rooms to the pitch on my way to the Prom when a fluorescent arm reached out to stop me. I carried on because I was practically across anyway. I turned back to see why and a solitary Edinburgh player was walking from the changing rooms. What's a 5'5" 22yr old girl going to do exactly? Actually don't answer that
My point is, they're going way OTT with this H&S lark. My wee bro a year ago had to spend most of the match asking what's happening because he couldn't see and wasn't allowed to perch on the barrier being held by my stepdad.

[Ardglass2]

Here's one for Health and safety - I can't take a cold beer into the stand but I can take a hot coffee into the stand.

In a moment of excitment which would you rather poured down you back in a moment of excitment

[Cornerfleg]

In a moment of excitement I'd be more concerned about all the children plummeting to their deaths from the barriers to care that you scalded the head off me.

Fair point though. Obviously a lot of thought has been put into that one.

[RedKC]

Also now that children cannot stand along the barrier at the front of the terrace it makes it very hard for them to get somewhere where they can see the match. Surely it would have been better to have the walkway along the back of the terrace but obviously no thought was given to this at the design stage.

When the situation is compared with that of Connacht at the weekned where kids were allowed to sit on a wall inside the dog track and run onto the pitch after and generally enjoy themselves it makes Ravenhill seem a bit ridiculous.

[Rooster]

Here's one for Health and safety - I can't take a cold beer into the stand but I can take a hot coffee into the stand.

In a moment of excitment which would you rather poured down you back in a moment of excitment

often wondered about that one myself, but then think again, it is to protect you from getting drunk and falling down steps, does not matter if you get burned and scared for life with boiling coffee but don't dare get a bruise falling.
Elf and Safety continually make up more daft rules to justify their own jobs I think a lot of the time.

[backawaygoonahead]

When we brought our 18 month son to the Aviva opening game, we had to pay full price for his ticket even though he would sit on either my wife's or my knee. We were then told we could not bring his buggy to the stadium as it would be considered a "weapon" - I kid you not. When we arrived the steward at the turnstyle did not ask for our son's ticket and there was ample room to store a buggy. I'm not normally one to complain but it's getting out of hand.

Promander this is not a personal attack, just an observation. Your failure to complain coupled with the tens of thousands of similarly polite individuals is why the lunatics have taken over the asylum and feel free to quote nonsense that defies all logic in any given situation.

Too often we merely subside into toothlessness in the face of a chump in a uniform. These people rarely know their Brennan from their elbow. Furthermore just because they are in a uniform of sorts doesn't mean that they have one iota of power.

Whilst not a legal eagle, my understanding of the powers or otherwise of these people is as follows:

Security staff have no more authority than any other member of the public.
Should they lay hands on you due to your not complying with their "requests" it is the same thing as any member of the public making a citizen's arrest & they can be sued for wrongful arrest.
They operate on a presumed "authority" & most people will comply.
If the venue you are attending has specific "rules" - e.g. no pitch invasions - then Jobsworth & his team have the authority to prevent you from breaking such rules.

I believe that the punter with the son could simply have asked Jobsworth to go & feck himself. Unless UR have something specific in place about the use of barriers, J wouldn't have had a leg to stand on. Similarly, if you decide to simply walk past the guys checking tickets as you stride to the terrace, I don't believe they have any powers to lay a hand on you never mind remove you.

Would be interested in the opinion of a proper legal eagle if any read this.

One thing is for certain, come the revolution, security staff will compete strongly with traffic wardens to be next against the wall after, Cliff Richard.