Re: Widnes Fans : Thu Aug 21, 2014 1:13 pm  

Father Ted wrote:

Does the RFL not have responsibilty for all this as it was their event?

Who was responsible for the staffing levels of stewards as it proved they were wholly inadequate. Where were the police?
So who had the responsibility for the security at Leigh? The RFL, the Leigh club, the police or or is there a match day co-ordinating effort?
Either way punishing the Widnes club seems very unfair.
Widnes had no security control at the event and most certainly no control over those invading the pitch.
The RFL, Stewarding and the Police surely were the ones with the control, or lack of it, it is they who should take full responsibility, not the Widnes club.
Prosecute the individuals yes, the Widnes club, no!

Absolutely nothing to do with the Leigh club. We don't own the ground.

Re: Widnes Fans : Thu Aug 21, 2014 1:13 pm  

If they did have a risk assessment then they got it very wrong.
Just that when at the DW I've looked out from the East Stand to see stewards shoulder to shoulder along the touch lines to prevent encroachment onto the pitch.
The small number that did invade the pitch at Leigh would have been prevented and may not have attempted it had there be that shoulder to shoulder cordon which is often seen at many, many grounds.
I just feel that those who had the responsibility to get it right failed and due to their failure they will blame the Widnes club.
Deal with the offenders and no one else.

Re: Widnes Fans : Thu Aug 21, 2014 1:57 pm  

It's a bit late to suddenly decide to let Widnes off the hook; the established principle in the sport is that the club bears some responsibility for the behaviour of its fans, and I guess the ability to punish the club is an incentive for the club to do some awareness work to discourage its own tribe of morons from attending games; or at the very least, to keep their shirts on and behave like half-decent, semi-sentient human beings if they do.

I don't think it's an either or; the individuals should be dealt with, the match-day management arrangements should be looked at, the role of stewards should be revisited and at the same time, Widnes will need to take some responsibility - if not, then I'd expect the victim mentality of, for example, Cas fans, to exceed any normal measurements, since they were handed a hefty punishment when a minority of their idiots found it impossible not to comment on a players sexuality.

Re: Widnes Fans : Thu Aug 21, 2014 2:31 pm  

Ave It! wrote:

Is this thread still going on? Its been, its gone lets move on.

Yep and people are still trying to blame the RFL, the stewards, the police, even Leigh Centurions. Sorry guys there is only one group of people to blame. If you visibly staff f6ir trouble you will get trouble. Oh and I forgot for people looking for loopholes in the law. Get this thread locked amd lets have a thread naming in big letters the cretins

Re: Widnes Fans : Thu Aug 21, 2014 4:31 pm  

Chris28 wrote:

Has anyone been arrested or banned yet?

Not heard of any Widnes fans being banned for the activities at Leigh, but I saw that Warrington banned 2 fans this week. One for 5 years for setting off a flair at the (ironically) Widnes games and a second fan for being in possession of a flare at the semi-final v Leeds

Re: Widnes Fans : Thu Aug 21, 2014 5:21 pm  

Father Ted wrote: If they did have a risk assessment then they got it very wrong. Just that when at the DW I've looked out from the East Stand to see stewards shoulder to shoulder along the touch lines to prevent encroachment onto the pitch. The small number that did invade the pitch at Leigh would have been prevented and may not have attempted it had there be that shoulder to shoulder cordon which is often seen at many, many grounds. I just feel that those who had the responsibility to get it right failed and due to their failure they will blame the Widnes club. Deal with the offenders and no one else. Is that a wind up Ted, I could go to DW next week with a few hundred mates and I'll bet you anything you want we could invade the pitch, there is even stuff on you tube showing latics fans on the pitch www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoEBFwRbFZsat DW and the average age seems to be about 14 and 6st wet through The FACTS are some folk supporting Widnes in the Widnes end chose to rip up advertising boards, behave like bell ends and invade the pitch. Some folk supporting Widnes bottled the Cas team coach pre game - the Widnes club have the job of sorting it out and issuing apologies to innocent parties ie Cas, LSV co, RFL and anyone who saw it. I wish them well in getting it sorted asap especially for the vast majority of great Widnes fans this incident has tarnished

Father Ted wrote: If they did have a risk assessment then they got it very wrong. Just that when at the DW I've looked out from the East Stand to see stewards shoulder to shoulder along the touch lines to prevent encroachment onto the pitch. The small number that did invade the pitch at Leigh would have been prevented and may not have attempted it had there be that shoulder to shoulder cordon which is often seen at many, many grounds. I just feel that those who had the responsibility to get it right failed and due to their failure they will blame the Widnes club. Deal with the offenders and no one else. Is that a wind up Ted, I could go to DW next week with a few hundred mates and I'll bet you anything you want we could invade the pitch, there is even stuff on you tube showing latics fans on the pitch www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoEBFwRbFZsat DW and the average age seems to be about 14 and 6st wet through The FACTS are some folk supporting Widnes in the Widnes end chose to rip up advertising boards, behave like bell ends and invade the pitch. Some folk supporting Widnes bottled the Cas team coach pre game - the Widnes club have the job of sorting it out and issuing apologies to innocent parties ie Cas, LSV co, RFL and anyone who saw it. I wish them well in getting it sorted asap especially for the vast majority of great Widnes fans this incident has tarnished

Re: Widnes Fans : Thu Aug 21, 2014 5:42 pm  

Father Ted wrote:

Just that when at the DW I've looked out from the East Stand to see stewards shoulder to shoulder along the touch lines to prevent encroachment onto the pitch.
The small number that did invade the pitch at Leigh would have been prevented and may not have attempted it had there be that shoulder to shoulder cordon which is often seen at many, many grounds.

Going off the jackets that some stewards were wearing..........they were from the DW (either that or they bought them from DW sports and were being paid to advertise). I have NEVER seen a "shoulder to shoulder" cordon around ANY RL ground, yes increased numbers if it a big game/local derby/known issues with the fans, but never a complete cordon.

Re: Widnes Fans : Thu Aug 21, 2014 7:07 pm  

Those types of steward cordons have been used in front of the North and East Stands at the DW, though can't say that for the East Stand.
It doesn't matter who you ban, fine, etc if fans are determined to get into a ground they will, especially away from their home club ground.
The only way to stop them getting onto the pitch is with a cordon by stewards helped by the stadium CCTV system.
How they run that stewarding is down to the Match Authorities, in this case the RFL.
It was their event and their responsibility.

Re: Widnes Fans : Thu Aug 21, 2014 9:08 pm  

Ave It! wrote:

Is this thread still going on?

Yes. To save you having to ask in future, there is a little-known trick you can use: just see if any more people have posted comments. If they have, that's the giveaway - the thread is still going on.

HTH

Re: Widnes Fans : Fri Aug 22, 2014 6:50 am  

Can widnes fine the rfl for poor crowd control? after all that is what the rfl does to clubs!