An email from York City

[silent majority]

I contacted them with reference to the game last night and why they didn't open up the extra seating area, amongst other things. This was their response;

Hi Martin, thanks for your email.

We take such matters very seriously and I sympathise entirely, particularly as (if it’s any consolation) I got soaked too trying to unblock another old drain blocking a walk way.

I do not understand why you were not allowed to transfer into the seated area.  The cost to enter any area of the ground was the same so there was no reason that I am aware of why you could not do so and we will investigate why you were told otherwise.  I am very disappointed to hear that and I apologise.  There was space to accommodate more than half of the Doncaster supporters.

However, you also make some other very valid points and we should have done more to guide people to that area and consider, had it filled, opening another area of that stand.  I’ll take this up with the stadium Operations and Safety Manager and we will do better in future.

We do suffer here from an ancient stadium that was supposed to have been replaced several years ago and yet was are still 18 months away from a new purpose built, (and fully covered) stadium. 

Martin, please accept my apology on behalf of the club.  We hope you visit us again, particularly to our new stadium when it opens in 2017.

Regards

John McGhee

[the vicar]

well said martin it was stupid not letting them in we was in the stand but the stewards were obnoxious on the transfer gate

[roversontheup]

I was in the stand and lots of people came in at half time who had been standing behind the goal? Who was refused entry?

[Monkcaster_Rover]

I think the rain has pretty much b*llocksed up my footwear. Can I bill York for that?

[StocktonRover]

I went to the ticket office before the game to get a ticket for the seated area only to be informed that there were no tickets on the day but just pay at the turnstile.

At the turnstile there was no option to pay for a seated ticket.

I asked the Steward on the Seated area if I could transfer (this was before the game started) and was refused.
I did ask him to contact a senior steward so that I could discuss the matter at which point he decided that it was too much hassle and let me in.

There was a female senior steward who came in the seats shortly afterwards who was to say the least unhelpful and downright rude, arrogant and lacking in any consideration whatsoever for supporters.

When the rain started, the police entered the seated area and went into the empty section, one of them then went to the obnoxious female senior steward and it looked like he was suggesting the opening of the empty seated section. It appeared that she was having none of it and was insistent that no-one else be allowed under cover.

Disgraceful behaviour but York club officials cant be blind to what the away fans had to endure during that torrential downpour throughout the second half.

[Askern_reds]

I went to the ticket office before the game to get a ticket for the seated area only to be informed that there were no tickets on the day but just pay at the turnstile.

At the turnstile there was no option to pay for a seated ticket.

I asked the Steward on the Seated area if I could transfer (this was before the game started) and was refused.
I did ask him to contact a senior steward so that I could discuss the matter at which point he decided that it was too much hassle and let me in.

There was a female senior steward who came in the seats shortly afterwards who was to say the least unhelpful and downright rude, arrogant and lacking in any consideration whatsoever for supporters.

When the rain started, the police entered the seated area and went into the empty section, one of them then went to the obnoxious female senior steward and it looked like he was suggesting the opening of the empty seated section. It appeared that she was having none of it and was insistent that no-one else be allowed under cover.

Disgraceful behaviour but York club officials cant be blind to what the away fans had to endure during that torrential downpour throughout the second half.

wrong time of month or got her dates mixed up?

[silent majority]

Stockton,

I'll pass your comments on to the club.

[RoversDave]

Might be an ancient ground, but it doesn't have to have dinosaurs running it. Has it never rained in York before?

[bradford exile]

I was in the stand and lots of people came in at half time who had been standing behind the goal? Who was refused entry?

Roversontheup & silentmajority

My Grandson and I were refused entry as "WE DIDN'T HAVE A TICKET" as were many others. When I asked the steward on the gate what was the difference as I assumed we had all paid the same price whether ticket or pay on the gate, all I got was a sneer and a hand that waved me away.

I drove back to Bradford absolutely  soaked to the skin, I didn't want to argue with the Steward as he seemed a real nasty piece of work, and there was the possibility in his frame of mind that I may have been ejected.....Still after that performance perhaps it may have been a good thing.

I felt sorry for one young lad who, after being allowed to enter the  area was then subsequently made to move out, Confusing??????? and how embarassing for the lad.

By the way, why did they have to move the police in there after the fans were allowed in, I kept my eye on it and didn't witness any trouble whatsoever.

Talk about Yorkshire Hospitality, York City should be ashamed of their actions on the night.

How many times did old Belle Vue open it's seating area to fans when the weather got bad...Many, many.

Rant over

Regards

Ray

[Yorkiered]

I was in the stand and lots of people came in at half time who had been standing behind the goal? Who was refused entry?

Roversontheup & silentmajority

My Grandson and I were refused entry as "WE DIDN'T HAVE A TICKET" as were many others. When I asked the steward on the gate what was the difference as I assumed we had all paid the same price whether ticket or pay on the gate, all I got was a sneer and a hand that waved me away.

I drove back to Bradford absolutely  soaked to the skin, I didn't want to argue with the Steward as he seemed a real nasty piece of work, and there was the possibility in his frame of mind that I may have been ejected.....Still after that performance perhaps it may have been a good thing.

I felt sorry for one young lad who, after being allowed to enter the  area was then subsequently made to move out, Confusing??????? and how embarassing for the lad.

By the way, why did they have to move the police in there after the fans were allowed in, I kept my eye on it and didn't witness any trouble whatsoever.

Talk about Yorkshire Hospitality, York City should be ashamed of their actions on the night.

How many times did old Belle Vue open it's seating area to fans when the weather got bad...Many, many.

Rant over

Regards

Ray

Obviously the police didn't want to get wet Ray 

[Filo]

I was in the stand and lots of people came in at half time who had been standing behind the goal? Who was refused entry?

Roversontheup & silentmajority

My Grandson and I were refused entry as "WE DIDN'T HAVE A TICKET" as were many others. When I asked the steward on the gate what was the difference as I assumed we had all paid the same price whether ticket or pay on the gate, all I got was a sneer and a hand that waved me away.

I drove back to Bradford absolutely  soaked to the skin, I didn't want to argue with the Steward as he seemed a real nasty piece of work, and there was the possibility in his frame of mind that I may have been ejected.....Still after that performance perhaps it may have been a good thing.

I felt sorry for one young lad who, after being allowed to enter the  area was then subsequently made to move out, Confusing??????? and how embarassing for the lad.

By the way, why did they have to move the police in there after the fans were allowed in, I kept my eye on it and didn't witness any trouble whatsoever.

Talk about Yorkshire Hospitality, York City should be ashamed of their actions on the night.

How many times did old Belle Vue open it's seating area to fans when the weather got bad...Many, many.

Rant over

Regards

Ray

Obviously the police didn't want to get wet Ray 

Did they have a ticket for that area though? 😀

[Colin C No.3]

I contacted them with reference to the game last night and why they didn't open up the extra seating area, amongst other things. This was their response;

Hi Martin, thanks for your email.

We take such matters very seriously and I sympathise entirely, particularly as (if it’s any consolation) I got soaked too trying to unblock another old drain blocking a walk way.

I do not understand why you were not allowed to transfer into the seated area.  The cost to enter any area of the ground was the same so there was no reason that I am aware of why you could not do so and we will investigate why you were told otherwise.  I am very disappointed to hear that and I apologise.  There was space to accommodate more than half of the Doncaster supporters.

However, you also make some other very valid points and we should have done more to guide people to that area and consider, had it filled, opening another area of that stand.  I’ll take this up with the stadium Operations and Safety Manager and we will do better in future.

We do suffer here from an ancient stadium that was supposed to have been replaced several years ago and yet was are still 18 months away from a new purpose built, (and fully covered) stadium. 

Martin, please accept my apology on behalf of the club.  We hope you visit us again, particularly to our new stadium when it opens in 2017.

Regards

John McGhee

I think that counts as an unequivocal apology & you can't ask for much more.

[Glyn_Wigley]

I went to the ticket office before the game to get a ticket for the seated area only to be informed that there were no tickets on the day but just pay at the turnstile.

At the turnstile there was no option to pay for a seated ticket.

As a disabled person who doesn't need an allocated disabled space but does need to have to sit down for a match, I'd have been extremely pissed off if that had happened to me as that would have been a wasted journey.

[bradford exile]

I was in the stand and lots of people came in at half time who had been standing behind the goal? Who was refused entry?

Filo................there was only one area to go wasn't there....Behind the goal

If everyone paid the same entry price why single out the people that paid on the gate...it's called hospitality isn't it??

Regards

Ray

Roversontheup & silentmajority

My Grandson and I were refused entry as "WE DIDN'T HAVE A TICKET" as were many others. When I asked the steward on the gate what was the difference as I assumed we had all paid the same price whether ticket or pay on the gate, all I got was a sneer and a hand that waved me away.

I drove back to Bradford absolutely  soaked to the skin, I didn't want to argue with the Steward as he seemed a real nasty piece of work, and there was the possibility in his frame of mind that I may have been ejected.....Still after that performance perhaps it may have been a good thing.

I felt sorry for one young lad who, after being allowed to enter the  area was then subsequently made to move out, Confusing??????? and how embarassing for the lad.

By the way, why did they have to move the police in there after the fans were allowed in, I kept my eye on it and didn't witness any trouble whatsoever.

Talk about Yorkshire Hospitality, York City should be ashamed of their actions on the night.

How many times did old Belle Vue open it's seating area to fans when the weather got bad...Many, many.

Rant over

Regards

Ray

Obviously the police didn't want to get wet Ray 

Did they have a ticket for that area though?

Filo.......there was only one place to go wasn't there..behind the goal

If everyone paid the same price why single out the people that paid on the gate..it's called hospitality isn't it??

Regards

Ray