Another letter of compaint winging its way to NCFC

[DMnumber4]

Dear Norwich City Football Club,

As a Doncaster Rovers supporter of 14 years and having travelled to around 500 home and away games, I have never felt compelled to write a letter of complaint.

However, Tuesday 22nd February’s events at Carrow Road have evidently changed my mind. After only 5 minutes of the game, I was asked to sit down by a steward by the name of R. Money.

Due to an unwritten rule of fan-steward relationship, it’s usually a case of being left to your own devices. 5 minutes later, after admittedly persistent standing (on the second to back row) I was hauled out for a chat by a ‘Chief Steward’ who told me to sit down or I would be kicked out. Due to the vast number (approximately 2500) Norwich fans in the lower tier behind the goal stood up I thought what goes for them, can go for the away fans. It appeared not.

At half time, I approached Mr Money and asked for Chief Steward’s name. Needless to say, he refused point blank to give me details. He did agree that I personally was of no threat to anybody, not under the influence of alcohol, hadn’t used racist, foul or abusive language or thrown any objects.
He also said that I had been asked twice by him to sit down. An interesting point, as the Chief Steward, by the name of P. Buckle said I had been asked FIVE times. I protested that this was complete fabrication and an attempt to exaggerate the truth.

My conversation with Mr Money was very revealing and quite interesting. I pointed out that we are not a highly supported club, or have violent fans. ZERO arrests and ZERO banning orders last season in comparison to other clubs in the division backs up this sentiment and perhaps it would be nice to be treated for good behaviour at some point?

I explained that I found it completely baffling that the same number of stewards were deployed to around 250 Rovers fans and 2500 Norwich fans in the previously mentioned area.

I was even warned I may be ejected due to being ‘argumentative’, when I was merely trying to apply logic to my situation.

Whilst I accept I was guilty of breaking ground regulations, why have those regulations if they are only going to be applied to certain areas of the stadium?

Mr Money agreed that Doncaster posed zero threat and as such, it was a non-policed game.
So why did the stewards feel it necessary to act on behalf of the police when Doncaster scored late on during the game? This incident in itself was worthy of a complaint.

It was evident that this tension had been building throughout the game. The stewards were nothing short of a disgrace and were over-zealous, resorting to (accidentally) elbowing an elderly lady and punching an innocent spectator in the face in their haste to evict ‘culprits’.

I suggest NCFC review their stewarding strategies. Speak to other Championship clubs and see how they treat the ‘small’ club that is Doncaster Rovers FC. Take a leaf out of Swansea City’s book. Their stewards were not bullies, they were lenient, understanding and applied the thing most lacking at Carrow Road...common sense. It made for the sort of good atmosphere that was unfortunately lacking.

It’s such a shame to see a club such as Norwich with a large and friendly fan base, a good team and a good manager, let itself down in this way. On the pitch and outside the ground the Canaries are a credit, in the stands it was similar to being treated as a hooligan from a distant era, which I’m sure football in general wants to forget.

[mushRTID]

Reading these threads and its obvious our fans have been treated badly.

They will get away with it probably though, they will just use the excuse you were standing.

I bet they are not like that when Millwall visit. Bullies.

[idler]

It might be a good idea to send a copy of the letter to the local Norwich paper. Maybe if it featured on the letters page it might provoke a reaction. Tell John Ryan, a call from him to Delia or the other directors of Norwich City might also be more productive than relying on the Norwich stadium team to sort it out.

[keyser_soze]

I personally think the letter is weighted totally wrong.

You should play down the 8 paragraphs moaning about you breaking the rules, not doing as you're told, and  moaning at the steward when you're told to obey stadium rules. This is the steward basically doing his job, and to me it reads as if you're bitter about being told what to do, and you continued doing it, even when you knew you were in the wrong.

One sentence on an 'old lady being elbowed' and a random being 'punched in the face' should get much more airtime. This is the stewards being 'overzealous'. As it is sounds like a post-script to your moaning about being called out on breaking the stadium rules.

[yarmouth rover]

we all saw what happened mate, you and your lot were joyfull and keeping us all in a good footballing mood there was no need for what did happen with the stewards. i agree with what you say about the norwich fans, do not let this put you off enjoying the game we need people like you to help build the atmosphere home and away