Mr Popodopolous

Problem is they seem to be looking at the foreign markets mostly. Not a single pound yet spent on Championship players this window but we're only about halfway through.

This is a really pertinent point- the crux, as we know if it isn't done correctly and the jury is out as to if it was on Saturday, this just makes it more difficult for those who want to do so correctly. It's a catch 22, both sides need to give a bit IMO. If it isn't done correctly, I expect that the club and or the relevant body will try and clamp down.

Would make sense. There is more than one way to migrate across I expect. There will be only a limited number of spare seats thst is correct- read claims of exceeding capacity but wasn't in there so can't comment. The club will have been aware without doubt. It was on social media, plus events on the day will have been very clearly picked up via CCTV so it does make me laugh when people go on about grassing to the club as with that plus first and second hand accounts from stewards in the area they'll know it all irrespective of a fan putting in an email or whatever. As if it would have been some open state secret if people had just kept quiet.

They already do check tickets I thought? At that vomitory anyway.

This statement will be interesting, whenever it comes out. Is it off the back of complaints by fan(s), surely the club would have been aware of it in any event- high standard of CCTV, how could they not have been

Well at Reading they have some of their livelier fans standing of course, in the same stand as away end. Were they sat persistently though- surely Tottenham's ground has an area where fans persistently stand (permitted or not).

This has all happened before albeit in different ways. Mid 2000's Dolman Block G springs to mind- a difference there is that season tickets or brought in that Block as it wasn't joined up as it is now- whereas moving between is easier because 3 Stands adjoined. Dare say you know this but not everyone reading might. Dunno how they dealt with it then.

Yeah one per row, plus the usual on the vomitories and some down the front I imagine but it can be done. Indeed at Ashton Gate with the reopening of the East End to home fans we had away fans in the same stand, separated by stewards. Likewise the Atyeo during hear 1 or 2 of the rebuild, feasible surely.

Yeah, agree to disagree on this bit. Inclined to agree on thst last bit as to how it might play out- and that will create aggravation, but I believe that some of that aggravation should it arise will be at least in part down to the club/police and their methods of enforcement. I am struggling to see a solution that everyone will be happy with.

I am inclined to agree but ours feel highly, excessively risk averse. Although maybe it is the club conveniently using them if they ever have, as they're not interested anyway- I'm open minded about who is the main party pushing the excessive measures here.

Well I dont agree because other clubs seem to handle it alright, our fans are no different to typical clubs. Look at other grounds and the levels or otherwise of segregation.

Austin last season was a good example. Was he worth a booking? Possibly yes!

Were I on commissiom it'd be a nice little side job PF! Just seems like the solutions being proposed may not be so feasible or easy in reality even if I do like the idea.

Couple of points. 1) Will the SAG, SGSA/Avon and Somerset go for it? 2) Even if they do approve and this is a matter of debate, what timeframe would this be looking at? 3) Season ticket holders unable to locate their seats will simply make this less likely. Your solution seems like a relatively simple one, making it happen seems altogether more complex.

Watford at home was decent no? Having said that, was more exception than rule prior to Saturday.

This tbh. It seems quite hard to reconcile, those who were in the East End in more modern times until 2014 were shunted around- once a lot of the redevelopment done it was Atyeo at the Lansdown end, Atyeo at the Dolman end then the Dolman/South Corner. It will be difficult to find a solution thst everyone is happy with, I'm sure of that.

Think atmosphere can rise and fall usually but subject to what happens on the pitch- Watford before the international break. However Saturday felt different as it was noisy from the off- Block C being upper E32?

The club are I would suggest treading a fine line so best so sit on the fence a bit, head below the parapet etc. While there was quite a bit of positivity about it, there have also been complaints on social media in particular pertaining to the issue of seats and or overcrowding. The club have to be seen to be acting responsibly etc. While it looked good fun in there, the club need to present as responsible and risk free an image as possible and longer term need to find a solution to satisfy all- and that second bit it won't be easy!

Didn't Deeney goads the South Stand/Singing Section Saturday after his penalty? Fortunately we responded correctly ie with the appropriate chanting and no more but Austin last season also springs to mind- on level this sort of thing while part of the game can be a low level of incitement?

Away fans can be searched pretty stringently but otoh as I understand it flares and pyro can be tiny and really easy to conceal. Pretty sure there are lengthy bans for possession or use, dunno if there is prosecution too.

Usually agree with your posts but it's a bit drastic don't you think? Struggle to see that we are anywhere near that stage, cannot be complacent of course but saw a stat the other day about arrests per x attendees at football and the same number at Glastonbury...the ratio was higher at the latter! Surely it would take many stages of warnings, small measures etc etc before behind closed doors even becomes a discussion point.

According to Nixon (yes I know), Stoke would prefer Iversen over Bentley. I'm inclined to believe that but who knows how finances will dictate etc.

https://toffeebitsblog.wordpress.com/2023/01/15/angry-evertonian-a-rant-on-yesterdays-post-match-events/ In the interests of balance.

Thought Fulham's was a bit soft today. Was disallowed anyway as Mitrovic slipped but do you know how many Fulham have been awarded? 7 in 20 League games. Midtable to upper midtable and decent side though they are that's a bit mad. What would be interesting is a) The average number per game and b) A breakdown of VAR award vs VAR uphold.

Small beer in the grand scheme, but when I went to Merseyside for a weekend with friends which encompassed some drinking in Liverpool on the Saturday night, was the first time I'd seen bouncers outside a Burger King! ? Around October 2013 this was.