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Post by A Source (aka Angry Badger) on Aug 14, 2022 16:09:42 GMT
Some of the stewards from the new security firm are absolute terminators. I’m sure they’re all nightclub bouncers doing abit of daytime work. At least when I got kicked out of clubs by Ronnie Butler - Yate, Spirals, early 90's - he sometimes did it with a smile on his face. Apart from pointing at the entrance to the turnstile the steward had no idea, looked completely lost when I reversed out of the turnstile to find an operator. I went to the states years ago and got really annoyed by 'have a nice day.' It's getting that way in some places in blighty. Someone then said to me. 'I'd rather someone say have a nice day and smile without meaning it rather than being told to F off by someone who does' Good point |
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Post by mftc on Aug 14, 2022 18:51:07 GMT
Some of the stewards from the new security firm are absolute terminators. I’m sure they’re all nightclub bouncers doing abit of daytime work. At least when I got kicked out of clubs by Ronnie Butler - Yate, Spirals, early 90's - he sometimes did it with a smile on his face. Apart from pointing at the entrance to the turnstile the steward had no idea, looked completely lost when I reversed out of the turnstile to find an operator. I went to the states years ago and got really annoyed by 'have a nice day.' It's getting that way in some places in blighty. Someone then said to me. 'I'd rather someone say have a nice day and smile without meaning it rather than being told to F off by someone who does' Good point Ronnie Butler - that's a name from the past. Not the biggest but hard as nails and always wore a suit. I thought he wore 80's style shoulder pads but it was all him!. He always seemed fair and used his brains to talk people out of situations. A lot of other bouncers seemed to goad people into actions. Ronnies son went to be a decent boxer at British level. |
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Post by Gaswood on Aug 14, 2022 19:03:59 GMT
Some of the stewards from the new security firm are absolute terminators. I’m sure they’re all nightclub bouncers doing abit of daytime work. Working in a security and protection role it can be tricky to get the right people for these roles, especially after “incidents” where it needs reinforcement. The cost per hour means you either get weak and unskilled people, often with poor conversational skills, or pay a bit more for “door supervisor” level that can handle something kicking off and have better de-escalation ability. It’s really hard to get the right people in fairness, and what we are currently seeing is probably preferential to what we had at the end of last season (given current sanctions and focus) and are probably costing considerably more. Fingers crossed that behaviour improves and the balance becomes a bit more mixed. |
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Post by mftc on Aug 14, 2022 19:14:48 GMT
Some of the stewards from the new security firm are absolute terminators. I’m sure they’re all nightclub bouncers doing abit of daytime work. Working in a security and protection role it has a tricky to get the right people for these roles, especially after “incidents” where it needs reinforcement. The cost per hour means you either get weak and unskilled people, often with poor conversational skills, or pay a bit more for “door supervisor” level that can handle something kicking off and have better de-escalation ability. It’s really hard to get the right people in fairness, and what we are currently seeing is probably preferential to what we had at the end of last season (given current sanctions and focus) and are probably costing considerably more. Fingers crossed that behaviour improves and the balance becomes a bit more mixed. It does seem difficult, but wasn't it better when there were more stewards actually employed by the club. 5-10 years ago they seemed to the same stewards year after year, who were generally a lot older and wanted to discuss things and talk rather than shout and be aggressive. I believe a lot of the stewards now are outsourced to rent a mob agencies to save the club money, but some seem very young, with no knowledge of the Mem. Against FGR a couple of young lads asked a steward where the away end was and all he replied was dunno. Surely sometimes stewarding is more to do with customer service, local knowledge and first aid, rather than security, being over zealous and expecting problems? |
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Post by basel on Aug 14, 2022 20:23:59 GMT
I paid cash for my 50/50 tickets.
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Post by pastpirate on Aug 14, 2022 21:52:02 GMT
I paid cash for my 50/50 tickets. Yes but whoever you paid your £1.00 to then had to pay for it on his/her own card. So it was still cashless. This is one way us volunteers are trying to help people out. Cheers, Jamie. |
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Post by o2o2bo2ba on Aug 15, 2022 6:53:20 GMT
I paid cash for my 50/50 tickets. Cash? Dun dun dun!! *Dramatic music!* You were done, mate... 😉 |
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Post by mftc on Aug 15, 2022 7:12:59 GMT
I paid cash for my 50/50 tickets. Yes but whoever you paid your £1.00 to then had to pay for it on his/her own card. So it was still cashless. This is one way us volunteers are trying to help people out. Cheers, Jamie. God job the SC volunteers are providing a sensible approach and some actual customer service that helps the fans, but also helps the club. Imagine if Tom got his way and sacked the volunteers and replaced them with paid agency staff? I doubt they would offer to pay with their own cards if you were unable to pay by card. However, at this rate the 50/50 is going to be a few hundred quid like at other grounds. It always amazed me that you play at a team with 10,000 crowd and the prize was £300, yet we were getting £1,000 all the time with a 6,000 gate. I don't think the FC are that bothered as to them it is small fry and they don't seemed to be bothered to make the effort for small money making events. Look at the last World cup, Ashton Gate was on the national news, with packed bars and making tens of thousands. Rovers - well someone made the decision they just wouldn't bother!? (I think someone one here tried to defend them by saying the clubhouse bar was being refurbished - yeah 2 weeks after the tournament ended! - but what about the other bars! - even worse once they accepted the error, they arranged a bar with almost more staff than customers for the Nations cup thing and used that as justification not to run any events. When was the last social event (not run by the CT or the SC?). The fun day was replaced with a dull open day.God knows what has happened to the YP. Love them or hate them the PC valentine party was always a decent fundraiser. Now we just outsource (at a cost) any event such as the hoi polloi party at Concorde. The big wigs at the club have a nice meal but it costs the club a lot of money. We don't even get bar takings. Still it is good on their CVs. Although they do a lot of good things, sometimes we really could do with the staff realizing that just answering a email at home is not everything and they just need to plan and organize properly and put themselves out a bit to try to raise more money. After promotion we could have done so much more and really struck while the iron was hot. It was just a case of please go home, nothing to see here. I was expecting a massive sponsorship deal, a party, a book, dvd but instead a few mugs, prints and a kids comic. We really missed the boat. The stadium needs urgent attention. The female toilets are disgusting but the only improvements are made to the hospitality areas. As long as Wael is happy to throw away his money, it's great. We can spend more on players wages, get more coaches, more medical facilities, more coaching tech (do you thing Don or Gerry would have ever used drones to view from overhead?). This is good as we get a better team and results, but if we keep racking up millions of pounds losses each season, it scares me of what will happen when Wael can't afford it anymore - he must have a more understanding Mrs than mine - she begrudes me spending a few hundred a year on the Gas! |
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Post by o2o2bo2ba on Aug 15, 2022 8:12:04 GMT
Yes but whoever you paid your £1.00 to then had to pay for it on his/her own card. So it was still cashless. This is one way us volunteers are trying to help people out. Cheers, Jamie. God job the SC volunteers are providing a sensible approach and some actual customer service that helps the fans, but also helps the club. Imagine if Tom got his way and sacked the volunteers and replaced them with paid agency staff? I doubt they would offer to pay with their own cards if you were unable to pay by card. However, at this rate the 50/50 is going to be a few hundred quid like at other grounds. It always amazed me that you play at a team with 10,000 crowd and the prize was £300, yet we were getting £1,000 all the time with a 6,000 gate. I don't think the FC are that bothered as to them it is small fry and they don't seemed to be bothered to make the effort for small money making events. Look at the last World cup, Ashton Gate was on the national news, with packed bars and making tens of thousands. Rovers - well someone made the decision they just wouldn't bother!? (I think someone one here tried to defend them by saying the clubhouse bar was being refurbished - yeah 2 weeks after the tournament ended! - but what about the other bars! - even worse once they accepted the error, they arranged a bar with almost more staff than customers for the Nations cup thing and used that as justification not to run any events. When was the last social event (not run by the CT or the SC?). The fun day was replaced with a dull open day.God knows what has happened to the YP. Love them or hate them the PC valentine party was always a decent fundraiser. Now we just outsource (at a cost) any event such as the hoi polloi party at Concorde. The big wigs at the club have a nice meal but it costs the club a lot of money. We don't even get bar takings. Still it is good on their CVs. Although they do a lot of good things, sometimes we really could do with the staff realizing that just answering a email at home is not everything and they just need to plan and organize properly and put themselves out a bit to try to raise more money. After promotion we could have done so much more and really struck while the iron was hot. It was just a case of please go home, nothing to see here. I was expecting a massive sponsorship deal, a party, a book, dvd but instead a few mugs, prints and a kids comic. We really missed the boat. The stadium needs urgent attention. The female toilets are disgusting but the only improvements are made to the hospitality areas. As long as Wael is happy to throw away his money, it's great. We can spend more on players wages, get more coaches, more medical facilities, more coaching tech (do you thing Don or Gerry would have ever used drones to view from overhead?). This is good as we get a better team and results, but if we keep racking up millions of pounds losses each season, it scares me of what will happen when Wael can't afford it anymore - he must have a more understanding Mrs than mine - she begrudes me spending a few hundred a year on the Gas! Brutal! But, largely accurate. Good post i m o, it has fast become outsourcing of most things, where some will say it's the way of the world to keep up, but I still maintain: This isn't the club I recognise. Cashless...no option for your customers...get a grip, you marginalise some of your willing to pay fanbase and self serve. |
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Post by rememberhalifax on Aug 15, 2022 8:32:12 GMT
Can't remember the original reason for going cashless but it does not seem to be very popular, part of my match routine was walk into ground fiver at the ready ,programme, couple 50/50s job done, i am not anti card payment i just think in this instance it is not appropriate and it will cost the club. As a business you either listen to customers concerns, especially when those concerns are expressed by large numbers and it costs you much needed revenue , and admit you got it wrong, or your pride says 'its' a great idea, you are all wrong and we are right so tough, looks like we are following the BBC template and making unpopular changes regardless of what listeners want, it will be interesting how this pans out, would like to think the club will listen and have a rethink.
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Post by Kingswood Polak on Aug 15, 2022 9:59:10 GMT
At least when I got kicked out of clubs by Ronnie Butler - Yate, Spirals, early 90's - he sometimes did it with a smile on his face. Apart from pointing at the entrance to the turnstile the steward had no idea, looked completely lost when I reversed out of the turnstile to find an operator. I went to the states years ago and got really annoyed by 'have a nice day.' It's getting that way in some places in blighty. Someone then said to me. 'I'd rather someone say have a nice day and smile without meaning it rather than being told to F off by someone who does' Good point Ronnie Butler - that's a name from the past. Not the biggest but hard as nails and always wore a suit. I thought he wore 80's style shoulder pads but it was all him!. He always seemed fair and used his brains to talk people out of situations. A lot of other bouncers seemed to goad people into actions. Ronnies son went to be a decent boxer at British level. Still goes to spanny gym each day and they call him the punchbag 😂. If you ever took a punch from Ron then you would definitely have gone down. He could be a ruthless bugger especially if he took a dislike to you but i will leave it there. His son, Danny, was a very good boxer but, sadly, the promoters didn’t help him and that’s another story. He now trains kids and has his own boxing gym |
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Post by SleepyGas on Aug 16, 2022 16:16:28 GMT
Ronnie Butler - that's a name from the past. Not the biggest but hard as nails and always wore a suit. I thought he wore 80's style shoulder pads but it was all him!. He always seemed fair and used his brains to talk people out of situations. A lot of other bouncers seemed to goad people into actions. Ronnies son went to be a decent boxer at British level. Still goes to spanny gym each day and they call him the punchbag 😂. If you ever took a punch from Ron then you would definitely have gone down. He could be a ruthless bugger especially if he took a dislike to you but i will leave it there. His son, Danny, was a very good boxer but, sadly, the promoters didn’t help him and that’s another story. He now trains kids and has his own boxing gym Crikey is Spaniorum still going? I used to go there ~20 years ago and punch bags. Would see Jane Couch there quite often. Decent pub next door-ish too  |
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Post by Kingswood Polak on Aug 16, 2022 20:29:38 GMT
Still goes to spanny gym each day and they call him the punchbag 😂. If you ever took a punch from Ron then you would definitely have gone down. He could be a ruthless bugger especially if he took a dislike to you but i will leave it there. His son, Danny, was a very good boxer but, sadly, the promoters didn’t help him and that’s another story. He now trains kids and has his own boxing gym Crikey is Spaniorum still going? I used to go there ~20 years ago and punch bags. Would see Jane Couch there quite often. Decent pub next door-ish too Yes mate. Jane still pops in |
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Post by Baxtinho on Aug 17, 2022 7:44:01 GMT
Yes but whoever you paid your £1.00 to then had to pay for it on his/her own card. So it was still cashless. This is one way us volunteers are trying to help people out. Cheers, Jamie. Look at the last World cup, Ashton Gate was on the national news, with packed bars and making tens of thousands. Rovers - well someone made the decision they just wouldn't bother!? (I think someone one here tried to defend them by saying the clubhouse bar was being refurbished - yeah 2 weeks after the tournament ended! - but what about the other bars! - even worse once they accepted the error, they arranged a bar with almost more staff than customers for the Nations cup thing and used that as justification not to run any events. The difference in facilities is probably the answer here - I was with you and thought it was an own goal for them not to show the games at the Mem, so they tried it and nobody was interested. Whereas down at BS3 their events made national news and it was hard not to look on enviously. Why would we try and compete before we had spent the money? I feel sorry for the SC volunteers. They are trying but nearly everyone knows that using cards for a £1 50/50 ticket is just plain stupid. I've never understood this argument. Why does it bother some people using their card for smaller amounts? At what point does it become acceptable? You'd buy a pint on your card but not a half? Seems weirdly arbitrary. |
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Post by A Source (aka Angry Badger) on Aug 17, 2022 10:53:44 GMT
Had an offer of a spare ticket for Forest Green yesterday so thought I'd 'scout' Accrington. Got there and all tickets were manually looked at as there was a system problem. Either that or as they suspected it would be cancelled it was easier to do it manually and no need to reload cards for the actual game. Strange as someone went to there EFL cup game, ticket didn't work so had to queue at ticket office for a fresh one. They've had cashless longer then us and still have issues. These 'teething' issues seem much more than that
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Post by SleepyGas on Aug 17, 2022 11:12:27 GMT
Had an offer of a spare ticket for Forest Green yesterday so thought I'd 'scout' Accrington. Got there and all tickets were manually looked at as there was a system problem. Either that or as they suspected it would be cancelled it was easier to do it manually and no need to reload cards for the actual game. Strange as someone went to there EFL cup game, ticket didn't work so had to queue at ticket office for a fresh one. They've had cashless longer then us and still have issues. These 'teething' issues seem much more than that Vegans vs Milk Merchants. Must have been some edge to that! |
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Post by A Source (aka Angry Badger) on Aug 17, 2022 13:21:55 GMT
Had an offer of a spare ticket for Forest Green yesterday so thought I'd 'scout' Accrington. Got there and all tickets were manually looked at as there was a system problem. Either that or as they suspected it would be cancelled it was easier to do it manually and no need to reload cards for the actual game. Strange as someone went to there EFL cup game, ticket didn't work so had to queue at ticket office for a fresh one. They've had cashless longer then us and still have issues. These 'teething' issues seem much more than that Vegans vs Milk Merchants. Must have been some edge to that! They've got Plymouth this weekend. Just seen Ginsters are no longer the shirt sponsors ☹ |
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Post by stapletongas on Aug 18, 2022 5:47:14 GMT
Absolutely no problems this season, everything working great and it’s nice going to games with just your phone and no wallet or cash
Well done Rovers
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Post by A Source (aka Angry Badger) on Aug 18, 2022 7:34:30 GMT
I see Shrewsbury had issues on Tuesday night. Club looking into ticket quality for scanners but also blaming late arrival of fans. Reading their forum it seemed like it ended up as a free for all to get in.
Who is testing these systems?
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Post by Kingswood Polak on Aug 18, 2022 8:20:07 GMT
Still a few issues and I seemed to be one of a small number with issues. Problems scanning ticket from mobile. Steward just sending people into the turnstile despite me saying, "I'd like to get back out so I can go to a turnstile with an operator to sort." (Note - the QR card is more reliable than the bar code) The bloke just pointed at people, didn't even grunt. After the chatty and friendly experience with Burton stewards and greatly improved Port Vale stewards compared to previous visits this was a shame. 50/50 prize fund low. Not sure if that was lack of interest or the fact that seller behind the Thatchers bar could not get any connection with the card reader. I understand cashless but no back up when cards fail = lost revenue I found I was getting problems scanning my phone but it was pointed out to me that if I am doing it as a snapshot it won't work, you have to do it from an email or what's app, snapshots won't work Or stick the ticket in your phones wallet |
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