Aldershot- Why I Think The Club Are Right

[KShep]

I think the club are totally justified in offering the Stonebridge Road stand to the away support tonight.

 

99% of people will disagree with this, but I think a counterargument, and my argument, have to be offered.

 

Much has been made of 'over half of the ground' being given over. Special K has said this 'just isn't right'.

 

Why not?

 

We would usually have about 400 in the Stonebridge Road stand. These fans can easily be relocated elsewhere in the ground. It's not as if we'll have anything more than 1000 fans in total tonight anyway. No-one won't have a place to sit/stand- far from true if we didn't offer extra space to the 1000-2500 Aldershot fans, many of whom would actually miss their biggest game in years. Wouldn't we have been pretty upset if hundreds of us had to sit outside as Bostwick's goal hit the roof of the net? Especially if we knew the space was there in the ground!

 

We are Ebbsfleet United ''Football Club''. As a football club, we should have the interests of the game at heart. All of us are football fans, so all of us should respect the commitment shown by away fans. Barely 1000 Fleet fans will turn up tonight- credit to everyone who shows up nonetheless, but there is huge apathy towards our club in the community. Should we shun a club whose town has actually embraced them? Should we really tell the hundreds of Aldershot fans who have travelled 90 minutes to the game that there isn't room for a large chunk of their support? I would be disgusted if we did that- a football club stifling the nature of the game we all follow and love.

 

To further this point, tonight has the potential to be something special at Stonebridge Road. Admittedly, following the sour reaction of our fans, it probably won't be, but it could have been. 2000 Aldershot fans, packing out the Swanscombe and Stonebridge Road stands, the Main Stand and Plough End full of Fleet supporters. Aldershot fans will be in full voice and much closer to the centre of the Fleet's vocal support. There could have been a really atmospheric battle of noise between the Shots and the Plough End- Aren't we always noisier when the opposition can also be heard?

 

All the club are doing is asking 400 fans to move, in order so potentially 1000 more away fans, who've made the effort to see their team on the road, can actually see the game. This in turn could've resulted in a greatly enhanced atmosphere as well as much higher gate reciepts. It seems most of our support would prefer committed supporters to miss a monumental game in their club's history, and settle for our usual mediocre atmosphere, so that a few regulars don't have to move from a half-empty terrace.

 

 

[John Pearce]

Well KShep you are right about one thing ...... you are alone in thinking the club is right.

 

What has been done for tonights game is totally unjustified, and as I said elsewhere we should have been as accomodating as Aldershite were two or three weeks ago. Make them stand on limited space, give them cesspit portaloos to use, serve them crap food and charge them extra to get in.

 

What has been done for tonights game is wrong and has as usual been handled as is usual by the 'Fleet appallingly. Yet another stab in the back for the club's own supporters. Perhaps the next time questions are asked about why the people of Gravesham don't bother turning up to support the 'Fleet, the directors should look at themselves because the club's image is not of a professional club who knows what it is doing, but of an club with professional aspirations but run by amateurs. God only knows what would happen if the club ever got into the league, perhaps the directors would deem it neccessary to give over half of the ground to away supporters for every home game?

[thatguy]

Where was the vote on this

As a director, I would of told aldershot to sling their hook, take what your allocated.

[American FLEET FAN No1]

Once again, all I can say is " I HOPE THE CLUB LEARN FROM THIS FIASCO!"...........But I won't hold my breath......If they had made the match all ticket, they would have known how many to expect. I said it before the match, so this is not hindsight!

[Hempstead Gaz]

Originally Posted By: KShep

2000 Aldershot fans, packing out the Swanscombe and Stonebridge Road stands, the Main Stand and Plough End full of Fleet supporters. Aldershot fans will be in full voice and much closer to the centre of the Fleet's vocal support. There could have been a really atmospheric battle of noise between the Shots and the Plough End- Aren't we always noisier when the opposition can also be heard?

Whilst there was a great cup tie atmosphere, it was hardly packed at either the Swanscombe end or the main road terrace.
It looked like about 800 Aldershot fans - who could all have comfortably fitted onto the end terrace.
I think the club were wrong on several counts.
They underestimated the feelings of the home supporters
They overestimated the Aldershot crowd
They should never have agreed to splitting of the main road stand, which in the end was unneccesary.

[kaizen]

Despite all the explanations from the club as to why it happened, the REAL reason is ineptitude for not seeing this coming - it was clear for some time this fixture needed to be a ticket match. That same very nasty taste is still in my mouth despite their protestations and may take a long while to go away.

[Jeff]

Jeff in agreeing 100% unconditionally with Chatham Gary SHOCKER!!!!

[BrianK]

The estimated figures for Aldershot fans were not the club's figures and as already explained a few times the decision re segregation is not ultimately the club's. By all means criticise when the club does something wrong, but not when it is out of its' control.

 

 

[BrianK]

Regarding all-ticket, we were aware that this game may be of great significance, but also that it wouldn't be known for sure until after last Saturday.

We could have made it all-ticket for all fans last week and that would have meant selling Aldershot tickets alongside Wembley ones and some fans having to get down to Stonebridge twice during the week.

We could have done the same after last Saturday's results and the same applies in a very short time period.

We could have just made the away end all-ticket last week, but based on intelligence of crowd numbers our away sections would hold 1,150 to 1,650 less than demand. There is then the possibility that, because of the vital importance of the game, many away fans would travel on the night without tickets and try to get in the home end without wearing colours. Not something liked by the safety authorities.

[Riverview Red]

Does the club really think that this was the way other clubs behave in similar circumstances ? If it does, it is totally deluded !

 

Since when have we become the hosts of other clubs championship celebrations ? !

 

Do Man United believe, that because on their last away game of the season they were about to lift the title, the home club would suddenly give them another 50,000 tickets and kick their home supporters out of their regular seats - of course not !

 

Or indeed any Man U away game, where they "may want to have 50,000 tickets".

 

The real reason for giving over over half of the ground to the Aldershot fans was because the club saw an opportunity to make extra money guaranteed and to hell with the Fleet faithful. This has been the attitude of the Board for its whole regime (changing the name to the ridiculous "Ebbsfleet", without consultation was another prime example).

 

If more Aldershot supporters had turned up than their away allocation allowed, they would have had to stay on the street and be dealt with by local police - ie a civil matter and nothing to do with the club!

 

I for one, boycotted the game (my first missed home game of the season) along with at least another 40 or 50 Fleet faithful (that I personally know) last night on principle. And, lets not forget at the the start of the day the club had given the whole of the Stonebridge road side to Aldershot! It was only after many, many phone calls of protest to the club and local radio that it relinquished a little.

 

Another shambles just like the accounts and mounting debt !

 

Although a weird idea, thank god for My Football Club.com ! At least we know that its boss is a shrewd businessman to be able to convince so many people to part with

[Beery Trainspotter]

I think you'll find there's no way the police would have let us go ahead, with the risk of hundreds or so disgruntled Shots fans dumped on the street. I think Brian's reasoning on various threads explains the situation pretty clearly for any reader open minded enough to look at what he's saying properly.

 

By the way, Lionel, your 40 friends & yourself missed the best game of football I've seen at the Fleet in ages, with both sides passing the ball around & breaking dangerously. And all played at a cracking pace for the entire 95 minutes.

 

BT

[Hirsty]

The return of RR....!!! Welcome back !

[Riverview Red]

Beery Trainspotter you missed the point ...... The club could have done what it did finally, at the start, if it had thought about it carefully and given some thought for the home supporters !

[Andrewc]

Originally Posted By: American FLEET FAN No1

Once again, all I can say is " I HOPE THE CLUB LEARN FROM THIS FIASCO!"...........But I won't hold my breath......If they had made the match all ticket, they would have known how many to expect. I said it before the match, so this is not hindsight!

It must be wonderful for the likes of yourself and John Pearce being correct all the time. How do you manage it? I'm sure there are plenty of people who would love to know the secret.

[Beery Trainspotter]

Wise & after the event come to mind here, RR. Nevertheless, I agree that the initial announcement on the official website was rushed & would have been much better if it had included details about the input of the police & fire services on the safety committee. Imo, that's the only thing the Club really cocked up.

 

However, I think the amended plan (to make the allocation of space on the standing enclosure flexible) only came after the Club offered to pay for extra stewards & police in the light of the pretty unreasonable limitations originally forced upon us.

 

Nice to see you back, but please mix some posts about the football with your relentless criticism of the people running the Club. If you'd been there last night, you could have done that this morning.

[American FLEET FAN No1]

Originally Posted By: Andrewc

Originally Posted By: American FLEET FAN No1

Once again, all I can say is " I HOPE THE CLUB LEARN FROM THIS FIASCO!"...........But I won't hold my breath......If they had made the match all ticket, they would have known how many to expect. I said it before the match, so this is not hindsight!

It must be wonderful for the likes of yourself and John Pearce being correct all the time. How do you manage it? I'm sure there are plenty of people who would love to know the secret.

Simple.........Sit down and work it out.
It was apparent a couple of weeks ago that this was likely to be the game that gave Aldershot promotion. If the Club had made this all ticket, or ticket only for away fans, they would have known how many away fans to cater for.
If by the time of the game, it wasn't going to be so important for Aldershot, what would the Club have lost, nothing.
Moving the regular fans out of their usual area, and only announcing it the day before the match, is inept at best and has lost respect of some of the Clubs staunchest supporters!
Having a go at me is easy.............Getting some of those fans back, might not be so easy!

[BustaGut]

Originally Posted By: Beery Trainspotter

Wise & after the event come to mind here, RR. Nevertheless, I agree that the initial announcement on the official website was rushed & would have been much better if it had included details about the input of the police & fire services on the safety committee. Imo, that's the only thing the Club really cocked up.

However, I think the amended plan (to make the allocation of space on the standing enclosure flexible) only came after the Club offered to pay for extra stewards & police in the light of the pretty unreasonable limitations originally forced upon us.

Nice to see you back, but please mix some posts about the football with your relentless criticism of the people running the Club. If you'd been there last night, you could have done that this morning.

Ok flexability. Why could they not have warned home fans,That if needed then extra space will be needed, and you maybe asked to move down the terraces to make way for visiting support, IF there numbers require this, sorry for the inco etc etc I am sure they would have suffered that, I for one would have turned up along with others I know.

[Santa]

Originally Posted By: American FLEET FAN No1

Simple.........Sit down and work it out.
It was apparent a couple of weeks ago that this was likely to be the game that gave Aldershot promotion.

How was it likely.....seems to me as likely as Torquay losing at home to Droylsden.

[American FLEET FAN No1]

Originally Posted By: Santa

Originally Posted By: American FLEET FAN No1

Simple.........Sit down and work it out.
It was apparent a couple of weeks ago that this was likely to be the game that gave Aldershot promotion.

How was it likely.....seems to me as likely as Torquay losing at home to Droylsden.

Errrrmmmm......The number of points they have?.......... As I said, if it wasn't, what would the Club have lost?

[Hannah]

The club have to abide by what they are told they have to do. You can't blame the club.

 

But I'm just surprised that it was actually believed that Aldershot were to bring 1500-2000 supporters. The estimate should have been better made; perhaps with Aldershot making enquiries and making a more sensible estimate. Then all of this wouldn't have had to happen. There were less than 1000 Aldershot supporters in the ground and because it was so far off the mark I think a lesson needs to be learnt here.