Forza East End 26/11/07
On the 10th October Bristol Citys Chairman attended a Supporter trust meeting and answered questions regarding the East End. These answers taken at face value were very enlightening but portrayed an image from the club that does not sit with the ideas and vision which had been presented to Bristol City fc by fans.
Q. It seems like the club has changed its mind on pay on the day for the East End due to the trouble at the QPR match. Is this a police decision?
Stephen Lansdown - No, it's the club's decision guided by the Police. Firstly the East End was always going to be opened for season ticket holders only except for overflow on big matches. We'd hoped to sell-out the 1,000 to season ticket holders but there's been a low take up. There were six arrests at the QPR match and the behaviour is a problem. It's not about the policing costs but more about the reputation of the club.
The East End is a catalyst for problems.
Fans who campaigned to get the East End open used the vision of a stand which promoted BCFC via the vibrancy of it's support, providing an area of the ground for vocal support to gather and attempting to keep the support we have who are disillusioned by the lack of atmosphere at the Gate while attracting lapsed fans back. It was all part of a bigger picture where fans young and old, paying on the day or possessing season tickets would gain a firm niche in the future of Bristol City fc by simply relentlessly supporting the team. The effort put into reopening the East End was never about selling large numbers of season tickets. It was all about being able to pay on the
day and fans who bought season tickets were unaware that they were buying season tickets for a stand that was not open for all.
Fans who met the club did not ever suggest a thousand season ticket sales were possible and the club used the sale of no under sixteen season ticket prices to deliberately keep younger fans out of the East End. 95% of fans in the East End are above sixteen which is a statistical anomaly which does not compare to the Atyeo.
Stating the East End is a catalyst for problems is grossly unfair on those fans who occupy it particularly as fans from the Dolman stand have managed to gain access to the stand during a game and according to BCFC caused problems, simple and effective control measures which have been in place in the past have not been employed and problems do affect other stands. The club has failed to respond to observations made about inadequate stewarding, insufficient netting and that for a policed match v QPR police were not INSIDE the East End shortly before kick off time when problems allegedly occurred. There have been numerous stadium management issues which are the primary cause of these minor problems and yet the
club has chosen to punish innocent fans instead.
The East End is exactly the type of support the club should be encouraging, passionate and vocal as any and the type of suppport the manager constantly calls for. The fans within this stand are credit to Bristol City fc and are working to improve the of reputation of the club by means of relentlessly supporting the team.
The spectacle was great. It was a new ground for me and it's certainly one I'd like to visit again. The view wasn't great, but the atmosphere generated in the segregated single tier stand behind the goal was fantastic
Thought they out sung us in our stand for much of the game. They seemed to have a repertoire, I liked the Cider song!!
Burnley fans on Clarets mad
Fans have proposed the following :-
" A meeting with BCFC to discuss the ways forward for the East End - turned down as the club did not see the point!
" Sales of tickets on match days linked to City's data base up to 11am .
" Sales of tickets in groups e.g. four matches using a price which is comparable to what the season ticket cost [£16.30 per game] then sold at £65 - 75 for four. This would be linked to City's data base or a season ticket holder could buy a friend one so it is traceable.
" All Tickets to be sold solely via City's data base so fans can be identified.
" Family/ Guest tickets linked to data base
" Tickets to be sold for the East End when games are policed e.g. Southampton
" A Membership scheme
Virtually nothing has been done! Except Bristol City at one point even deciding to not sell half season tickets for the East End till representations were made on fans behalf then finally deciding the bring a friend ticket could be bought over the phone.
Bristol City football club has again underlined measures which see fans not even being able to bring friends and family into the East End which creates a very poor image of Bristol City fc as being an uncaring club. Bristol City football club has been asked "how do fans in the East End get their families in"? Buy a season ticket or transfer was the answer although when the club does need the extra capacity for overspill miraculously the safety issues disappear. Bristol City fc has had since August to do something positive!!
Stephen Lansdown - "I was the one who got the East End open, I have always listened to fans about the East End and I've tried it again and again. If you want to go in the East End then you can buy a season ticket for it. We're happy to have season ticket holders there because we know who you are. Supporters with season tickets for other areas of the ground can swap into the East End and anyone can swap out to another area too. The demand is not what people were telling me it was".
The East End has not even been opened even for one game in the manner fans had constantly asked for i.e. parity with the Atyeo. There is a demand for this stand and suggesting fans mislead the Chairman is inaccurate and should have been challenged by the supporters trust and minuted. The club were met in january by supporters and it was made very clear that the East End was about pay on the day, being a stand which which has traditionally attracted those on lower incomes, nobody was misled by
supporters who were present that day.
The East End has a unique opportunity to act as a catalyst in making Ashton Gate a fortress and turning match-day into an event that will not only impress people visiting the stadium for the first time, but will also leave them wanting more. We as fans know what the East End can achieve if it was supported by BCFC. No other stand at Ashton Gate has a mindset where support comes from virtually every fan, constantly backing the team vocally as if it were an away match at home. Such a mindset can create a spectacular backdrop to the match if it is channelled correctly, through working with the fans rather than leaving them out in the cold. We could still have support which is the envy of the division, with fans of other clubs witnessing the
East End experience in full effect going away thinking about how passionate, colourful, vibrant and proud Bristol City Fans are of their club.
East End questions 21/11/07
The following questions have been asked on behalf of fellow supporters regarding East End ticketing policy. Here is BCFC's response.
Transfer of season tickets to the East End :-
1: Can this be done over the telephone or does this need to be done in person at the club?
Bristol City fc - The transaction can be done over the phone, but they would then need to bring their existing book to the ticket office for surrender. The new book would be handed over at that point.
2: Can under sixteen's transfer their season tickets to the East End?
Bristol City fc - No. The original deal for people wishing to buy in the Wedlocks was an U21 season ticket and we see no reason to change that. While we do sympathise with our law abiding younger fans, many of the people causing "issues" in the Wedlocks are under 16, therefore we have decided not to sell to that age group.
3: Is it possible to transfer season tickets for one game only?
Bristol City fc - No. We have tried this in the past but only received a minimal take-up. In light of the extra administration involved we see no reason to change current policy.
4: Why are fans who are on City's data base unable to buy a ticket or tickets for the East End in advance?
Bristol City fc - They will be able to, once we have reached the position that the Wedlocks is required as an overflow area.
5: The club have limited the bring a friend scheme to one ticket only is it not possible to extend this for fans with families or fans wishing to bring more than one friend?
Bristol City fc - We are concerned that without a limitation it could be open to abuse.
6: Can the bring a friend tickets be bought over the phone?
Bristol City fc - Yes
7: Fans who have purchased half season tickets for the East End can still not purchase a ticket for the East End. Why can it not be possible for these supporters to buy a ticket for the East End?
Bristol City fc - We see no need to change previously stated club policy: The Wedlock Stand is for season ticket holders only, unless it is being used as an overflow area once the rest of the ground is sold out. So far a very small number of people have purchased a half season ticket for the Wedlock Stand. When these tickets come into effect on the 1st January, they will be able to enjoy the same privileges as other season ticket holders.
8: Will the club be offering fans in the East End the opportunity to buy tickets for the East End at half price for the Barnsley game? Any details regarding the Wedlocks have been omitted on the Clubs website.
Bristol City fc - Yes, if we get to the overflow situation.
Nothing adventurous please
"I don't want to change the world; I'm just looking for a new east end" sang Billy Bragg (or something similar), and that still seems to be the elusive goal for this fanzine. Despite the legendary scenes last season against Rotherham and the wave of optimism that swept through BS3 following our fantastic promotion to the second division (sorry I can't find myself able to promote that tooth rotting American syrup) we still haven't found an amicable solution to the Eastend issue.
Despite getting the green light in January for a successful trial that included key games in the run up to the Rotherham promotion party, we are left with the current crazy situation which is satisfactory for neither the fans nor the team on the pitch.
For which we are truly thankful
For which we are truly thankful
To date we have a small collection of season ticket holders who bought their tickets in the Eastend with good faith believing that the club had eventually realised that this stand was just like any other save for its history and the opportunity to create an away match at home. However sinister forces were at hand intent on discriminating against City fans on the basis of age. Under-16s were found that they were not welcome in the Eastend and would thus have to pay the same as those receiving a wage or those under 21 for season tickets. Apparently under -16 year olds have been responsible for a number of heinous crimes in and around Ashton Gate, including gesticulating, talking too loudly and spitting chewing gum on the floor. Such is the current outrage of their antics, BBC journalist Donal MacIntyre has been hanging out in KFC disguised as a bin, in order to get close to these underage louts. Not to be outdone, Bravo TV has ordered Danny Dyer; star the real football factories, to ponce about in a fish-tail parka, smoking cigarettes in an attempt to find out who the real naughty boys are at Ashton Gate. Police are investigating reports that an under-10 football match was disrupted in Ashton Park, as a half-pint-sized mockney lovey with sunglasses was chased into the Cumberland Basin.
