General Krulak pt 4 - Q & A (No transfer Questions)

[RussG]

General I don't feel the need to comment in here often but the guy who got kicked out deserves an apology and the jobsworth stewards who kicked him out deserve a bollocking.

It was nothing short of pathetic.

[GREATBARRLION]

Hi General,

Firstly, just to add to above.

We have actually swopped our STs from Lower North to Holte End because of jobsworth stewarding.

Secondly, why is it that security/police/club? let the away fans out straight after the game today, even though there had been trouble outside before KO?

This led to quite serious trouble on Witton Lane.

After games at St Andrews we are kept in.

[drat01]

general please sort your stewards out because they will cause a problem one day. Guy walking back to his seat, ball is cleared for a throw in, guy walking past heads ball back on pitch and seemed to fall over barrier in come stewards who eject him! What a joke! People can't get in cubicles at half time for people in there smoking yet they act like this

General,

You and I have exchanged PM's already this season over the issue of stewarding at VP. For your info this took place in the lower Doug Ellis, exactly the place I pointed out to you earlier.

The incident today was a total disgrace but just reinforced to me the fact that some amount of customer relations training must be given before people are allowed to steward at games. Today's incident could quite easily have got out hand had some of the crowd waded in to help the poor young lad, it was after all quite a heated occasion anyway.

I am quite sure that nothing will be done as I feel that customer service is not high on your agenda right now - now perhaps if we were corporate customers.............

Just came to post about this. The stewards were absolute idiots with that decision. All the bloke was doing was having a bit of fun by heading the ball when it came into the crowd and he fell over the advertising hoardings by accident. He was then grabbed and ushered out the ground by several stewards. What's the point? It was an accident and he gave the ball back to the players.

Very disappointed with this. Will not comment on the game as I'm even more disappointed with that.

Thanks

Echoed completely. On a day where good professional stewards were needed, we got a poor set . Even the TV made comments about the stupidity of it.

There were people who in the very back of the Doug Ellis stand with nothing behind them other than a concrete wall were told by one steward to sit down, ignoring completely the fact that they were getting to their seats!!

[sellyoakvilla]

Think we can all agree that the level of stewarding is something that URGENTLY needs to be looked at.

EDIT: The incident was just shown on Match Of The Day 2, so if you can access that on iplayer wherever you are General, please watch it so you know what we're speaking about. It's also not very good to get national coverage of such a pathetic incident that wasn't needed. Please sort the stewarding out. Thanks

[paddy]

Hi General, hope you're well,

I'm aware you've no control over the policing around the ground, but I was wondering if you know why the policing was so poor outside the ground.

I was lucky to be well enough to be in the stands for the game today, which I enjoyed despite it not being the greatest game, as I wait for funding for my new treatment. Anyway, I was walking down from the North Stand end down past the Doug Ellis Stand to get to my entrance. This involved going past the Blues fans entrance. They were getting very aggressive (luckily no Villa fans were stupid enough to react) and just generally intimidating to anyone and everyone. The bloke walking next to me got whacked over the head with something wrapped up in a scarf by one of their 'fans' who ran up and then like the coward they were ran off. No police anywhere in sight. Which was baffling really. No police outside the away fans entrance. Had they been called away at the last minute of something? As surely that's the prime spot for trouble? Then as we got down towards the Holte End there were some calmly strolling around doing nothing and oblivious to the problems at the other end of the road. There was clearly something wrong with the policing as every derby I've been to before has been well policed and this one just seemed almost that it wasn't, or that they were short on numbers.

Was this noticed by the club or do you know why this was?

[CrackpotForeigner]

Ditto the above comments regarding the spectator header incident.

Even if there were extenuating circumstances, which I very much doubt, the club has been made to look foolish, heavy-handed, and out of touch.

I am embarrassed that the club I love is careless enough to employ such brainless bullies to look after its customers.

[ashbyvillan]

adding to the comments previously posted,

yesterdays game was just mentioned on Daybreak (UK breakfast TV show) the report concluded with a clip of the supporters header and the concluding comment "the most entertaining incident of the game..fan decided to head the ball back into play and fell over the hoardings. and then to add insult to injury he was thrown out by stewards"

General can you find out from the Stewards why this man was ejected, if it was for encroaching on the playing surface - he didnt go more than a yard over the hoarding and then only for a couple of seconds!! there are 40,000 witnesses to this plus tv footage!

also regarding smoking, using the toilets in Holte Upper is now very unpleasant due to the thick fog of smoke in their, it is no longer confined to people in cubicles they are no openly smoking within the area. If the stewards are not prepared to tackle this can the club consider creating a smoking area for fans that are unable to go without smoking for more than 45 minutes

[Villarocker]

Hi General,

I think you may have gotten the point regarding the guy who was ejected for heading the ball back into play and falling over the hoardings. I just want to say that something funny and harmless as turned into something that as shown the club's stewarding in a very poor light and hopefully the man will get an apology and partial refund, if he was indeed removed from the stadium.

Also, can you please confirm whose idea it is to allow the away fans to exit the stadium at the same time as the Villa fans? We came out of the North Stand yesterday to witness a scene of mayhem with fans fighting and innocent people getting injured by objects being thrown in our direction from the Blues fans section, across the road in Witton Lane. We were sort of backed up against the wall of the North Stand Lower entrance and what did the stewards do? they closed the doors!

Seriously General, people were getting injured and all the stewards cared about was their own safety. One guy, who looked like someone with authority, came outside to tell all his staff to get inside asap. They then proceeded to close the doors as quickly as possible. There was just one door left open when I noticed a middle aged lady had been hit in the head by an object and she was dazed and quite upset. I pointed her out to one of the few stewards remaining outside and this guy allowed the lady and her partner back inside. There were a lot of youngsters outside too and luckily the stewards started to allow people back inside so that they could exit through the back of the North Stand and to a safer area within the confines of the car park.

We exited through this part of the stand and we were shocked to find around a dozen Police Officers standing at the top of the stairs having a nice cosy chat. My Uncle was incensed by this and made his thoughts clear to one of the officers. How can these people justify stading around chatting whilst people are getting injured just yards away from them outside?

The above officer in question said that it was the club's idea to allow the away fans to exit at the same time as us. Can you please confirm that this is the case? and, if so, why does the club do this? Surely it would make more sense and be safer for everyone involved if the away fans were kept behind for say 30 minutes after the game so that the home fans can make there way home without any trouble.

[The_Lions_Roar]

General,

Just reiterating what many have said, 3 incidents which you expect to be handled better by a club that has existed over 100 years.

- No police by the away entrace before the game, it was clear that it was ready to kick off which 2 sets of fans singing at each other, i saw more police around there at the Bolton game!

- The stewards that threw the fan out for heading the ball back should be sacked, to threat a 'customer' like this for doing nothing wrong is shocking. Is this fan a season ticket holder, attend regularly, will he attend again? Im not so sure i would if that was me. Something needs to be done about this urgently, the fact that it made the news, the fans had a laugh when it happened and then he's drag out by around 4 stewards as if he's just done a lap of the pitch.

- Smoking in the toilets, its come to the stage where i try not to go to the toilets at the ground. Its bad enoough with the waiting thats involved but to have to inhale smoke from the mindless idiots in their that can't go 90 minutes without a fag just about finished it for me. Why not put a couple of stewards in them at half time, or do they have somethign better to do at half time? I am aware the club can only do so much and some will still smoke in their, but when it appears that the club is doing nothing about this is shocking.

[Stephen_Evans]

Hi General

Before a load of Holte Enders vent their fury at me, I am playing devil's advocate here.

But in the interests of consistency, if that poor guy is to be ejected for a bit of harmless humour in the Doug Ellis Stand, surely those Holte Enders at the back who persistently stand for the entire game should all be ejected. If rules are rules, why is there such inconsistency in stewarding policy? All fans must be treated alike.

Secondly, the guy in the Doug Ellis was IMMEDIATELY manhandled. It was not at all clear that he had been given the opportunity to comply with a verbal request to leave before being virtually jumped on. This too, frankly, disgusts me. Our club should NOT treat its lifeblood in this way. As you will imagine, many of us were very angry, even before we saw the mocking of the club on Match of the Day 2.

[rjw63]

General;

Are AVFC going to send scum heath the bill for the toilets that were smashed up by their inbred followers in the away section?

And is it not time we brought in a ban for away fans when these cretins play us? The same cycle of brain dead violence and vandalism every time we play them.

Cheers.

Rob

[DeadlyDirk]

Same as everyone else General, I thought the lad being ejected was far too OTT, he didn't do anything malicous, the bal lwas going out and he headed the ball back into play (it's no different from a spectator catching the ball and throwing it back into play), he was just a bit unfortunate that he fell over.... I'm sure a little word in the lads ear would have done the trick, rather than being man handled by 4 big chaps. Very OTT in my opinion and a great shame for a moment of relief during a dull game to end like that.

Ta,

Roger

[b6bloke]

General, reference the smoking I have raised this quite a few times now and at the SGM and nothing is done, the smokers start before half time and lock themselves in, some parents like their kids to use the cubilcle but there isnt a chance with the smokers, I come out to find stewards chatting away with each other when they could be in the toilets making the presence felt. The smell of smoke is gagging at times and in my opinion by not stopping this the club are breaching their duty of care to the fans under the smoking regulations 2006.

Another point is why do they have smoke detectors if they do not work?

Another quick point about the lad ejected, he fell over the hoardings yet did one steward even check if he was ok before man handling him out?

[LJRM050389]

General for Cup fixtires am I right in thinking both sides have to agree a price for match tickets? If so please can we not let Blues charge us anything more than £30 for the Quarter Final game

[Oaks]

I have to say, its been over 24 hours now and the silence from yourself and the club has been deafening. I take it your a busy man but nothing at all from the club yet has left me very disappointed.

AGAIN not good, not good at all.

[villadude]

general please sort your stewards out because they will cause a problem one day. Guy walking back to his seat, ball is cleared for a throw in, guy walking past heads ball back on pitch and seemed to fall over barrier in come stewards who eject him! What a joke! People can't get in cubicles at half time for people in there smoking yet they act like this

That guy should been given an apology by the club.

I agree with this!

[C4rvillan]

General, I would like to ask what you thought of the Rapid Vienna supporters at VP?

The reason I ask is this is that you may be aware that their is a group of Villa supporters trying to create a similar atmosphere making expereince for Villa. Would the club be willing to work with a group of so called Ultra's i.e. giving them their own designated area for them to organise displays and chant etc or would they prefer to distance themselves from this particular way of support?

You seemed to miss this General.

[c-krulak]

General Krulak here:

1. Oaks: I am not sure what you mean by not posting for 24 hours....I was on the site with a post yesterday!!! I try to post once a day...which, in my opinion is pretty darn good for a Director of a Club...who has a wife who would like to see me once in awhile!!

2. Stewards: I have been in communications with John Handley, Head of Security, over the incident at the Blues game AS WELL AS other issues relating to stewards. We are aware that we need to work with the issues that have surfaced over the first few games re. stewards. John is meeting with ALL senior stewards and ensuring that they use "customer friendly" actions and use their noggins when dealing with our Fans. He is also going to be talking about ensuring that the away fans are not given a "pass" because they are away fans. What we want to do is to ensure health and safety but NOT by acting in an excessive manner. We absolutely do NOT want the actions of an individual steward or many stewards to impact on the public's impression of AVFC...and we certainly don't want them impacting on the impression of our Fans. Obviously, we are NOT where we want to be and need to be. We hear you and are taking action.

[dudevillaisnice]

Good, thanks general, nice to know something is being done about it.

[c-krulak]

General Krulak here:

1. Re. Dunne: Who plays is the Manager's call, not mine.

2. C4rvillain: Obviously the Club is all for making a good atmosphere at the Club. I would be interested in specifically what you are talking about.