Swansea Bubble

[Mr Mosquito]

Ask him if Wales qualifid for the World Cup,

and if he was in charge, would he insist on a bubble trip for England fans going to South Africa ?

Excellent comment. What concerns me most is the fact that public spending is out of control and the South Wales Police chief is contributing to this problem with his massive salary. I'd like to send the South Wales Police chief on a one way bubble trip to a Stalinist Gulag in Siberia where he can learn the meaning of real work in minus 40 degrees centigrade of frost. That'll then be one less anti football Toff scrounging from the beleaguered UK taxpayer.

[Chivs]

Ask him who holds him accountable for his decision to make this a bubble match. And has he been asked by these people for his reasons to make this a bubble match. And how does this tax payer join the people who hold him accountable. And does he recall the last Chief Constable who was sacked for being inept?

That's my question.

[Mr Mosquito]

Ask him who holds him accountable for his decision to make this a bubble match. And has he been asked by these people for his reasons to make this a bubble match. And how does this tax payer join the people who hold him accountable. And does he recall the last Chief Constable who was sacked for being inept?

That's my question.

If I had my way the Chief Constable of the South Wales Police would be sacked along with his Crown Prosecution Service lawyer puppet masters. No way can any of these Toffs justify their salaries that are in excess of £150,000 per year - sack the lot of 'em.

[Ian M]

Would the policing costs and the breakdown of what they're charging clubs for be available under the Freedom of Information Act?

Might be interesting to see the difference between SW Police's charge for the Bubble match and A&S's charge for the return fixture.

[PhilC]

More precisely, how much does he get paid from our hard earned taxes? Does he feel guilty about being a state scrounger?

What sort of bonus does he get?

Can we invoice him for our travel costs? (And could he not just put them on expenses?)

What car does he drive?

[4eveREDDy]

Ok what questions do you want me to ask the Chief Superintendent of Swansea - he's phoning me back after I wrote to him asking for a justification of how he can insist on a bubble match when Cardiff didnt insist on one for Rovers, Avon & Somerset aren't looking for one for the return fixture in Bristol and it probably cost Swansea £50000 in ticket sales.

So lets have some questions and I'll ask him.

Could you ask, because he insists that the match is a bubble and his policing costs will be significantly reduced does he need my home address to reinburse the four of us the costs of the coach fare, approx £40 extra allowing for fuel, parking, severn crossing compared to travelling in my car,also what about the minimum of 20 extra hrs we will have wasted out of our lives because we are football supporters subjected to draconion policing methods, what price does he put on that, if his answer is, well dont attend the game, is that what he really wants because his force are unable to do a job that we the tax payer are paying for anyway and this is just a easy option, also is he not embarrassed that his force cannot operate successfully without him breaching the law on human rights, or is the truth he is just passing the buck onto the innocent supporters because of his own inadequacy, or is it he just has no faith in his own force to do their jobs.

P.S

I am i 61 year old urban terrorist but only when i buy a ticket to watch a football match at Swansea.

[NickJ]

Ok what questions do you want me to ask the Chief Superintendent of Swansea - he's phoning me back after I wrote to him asking for a justification of how he can insist on a bubble match when Cardiff didnt insist on one for Rovers, Avon & Somerset aren't looking for one for the return fixture in Bristol and it probably cost Swansea £50000 in ticket sales.

So lets have some questions and I'll ask him.

Well given that the policy is so unpopular among a law abiding electorate, as a point of order I would ask how you should address him.

"Sir", "God", "The Right Honourable", "Mein Fuehrer", "Oh Great One", or whatever.

Obviously be sure to display an appropriate level of deference.

[luke_bristol]

Ask him if his entry-level hired goons deserve to get paid more than Private soldiers (and probably Lance-Corporals and even some Corporals) in Afghanistan.

[Busterrimes]

Sorry, Probably me being dim but can you explain a little more clearly, I don't see your point.

If your saying that the Police bill for every match should be available to the public then I agree but I don't think that's what you are getting at.

Congratulations on 1000 posts.

AS the Police are open to Freedom of Information anyone can request the charges given to football clubs for policing games. They have to produce an answer unless the cost is prohibitive and as these figures must be part of their accounts I don't see how it can be.

[Pezo]

AS the Police are open to Freedom of Information anyone can request the charges given to football clubs for policing games. They have to produce an answer unless the cost is prohibitive and as these figures must be part of their accounts I don't see how it can be.

Well that's a great start, where would I go/How would I go about getting this information? What we wont find out is the other quoted price but this years police bill for Swansea could be compared to last years and this should show us the difference.

[bringbacktherobin]

Oh right I get it now - the problem with what has been said there though is that no one knows if it does cover the cost, it is a lot more money (that isnt guaranteed but is a fair assumption) fair enough but from what I have been led to believe that extra money would all be used up by the fictional costs the police make up to ensure these games are bubble matches and that's not going into the extra costs a larger away following has like extra stewarding.

I'm fairly sure (80%) that the Police get to charge for any football related policing. So every police person in the surroundings of the ground (so basically everywhere in south Bristol) and any escort of football supporters to the ground and back to temple meads if they deem it is required.

No they dont.

Clubs only have to pay for police inside the ground, so for example police standing outside KFC after a game the club do not get charged for. Any inside the gate they do get charged for.

One club, think it might of been Colchester did get handed a bill for the whole day but i think it got taken to court, im not sure of the outcome. They basically said if they had to pay that each week they would go bust.

About two years ago, each policeman in the ground cost a club £50 a hour, for a minimum of four hours. It might have gone up now, but that was the case at the police forum they had at the club a few years ago when the question was asked.

[Geoff65]

Well that's a great start, where would I go/How would I go about getting this information? What we wont find out is the other quoted price but this years police bill for Swansea could be compared to last years and this should show us the difference.

Here's a link for you to let you request stuff under the FOI Act

[Fodbarmyarmy]

Taking his time to call back aint he?

[Busterrimes]

Well that's a great start, where would I go/How would I go about getting this information? What we wont find out is the other quoted price but this years police bill for Swansea could be compared to last years and this should show us the difference.

This should help.

How to Obtain Information

To make a valid request under the Freedom of Information Act, the following criteria must be met:

The request must be made in writing

It can be made by letter, fax or email

It must contain your name and a return address (this can be an email address)

It must clearly identify the information being sought

It must be legible

Requests made to South Wales Police under the Freedom of Information Act should be sent to:

Freedom of Information Officer

South Wales Police Headquarters

Cowbridge Road

Bridgend

CF31 3SU

Telephone: 01656 869437

Fax: 01656 302176 (please address faxes to the Freedom of Information Office).

Email: foi@south-wales.pnn.police.uk

A valid FOIA request must contain your name and an address. The provision of any other contact details is optional, however any additional information you choose to provide will enable us to provide you with a faster and more efficient service.

I would ask for police costs per match for last season broken out match by match. That should tell you whether bubble trips are more expensive or cheaper.

Don't forget you can complain if you think the information received is rubbish or doesn't answer your question. I used to help answer FOI questions.

[Geoff65]

Taking his time to call back aint he?

Decided to go visit him instead - probably wont hear anything for at least a week - waiting for him to get back for a convenient day and time.

[Fodbarmyarmy]

Decided to go visit him instead - probably wont hear anything for at least a week - waiting for him to get back for a convenient day and time.

Thats real cool ....will be very interesting to read the report

I am going next week so will keep keen eye on how handled by SWP - been on bubbles before but never really took any notice of the actual operations

[Drew Peacock]

Ok what questions do you want me to ask the Chief Superintendent of Swansea - he's phoning me back after I wrote to him asking for a justification of how he can insist on a bubble match when Cardiff didnt insist on one for Rovers, Avon & Somerset aren't looking for one for the return fixture in Bristol and it probably cost Swansea £50000 in ticket sales.

So lets have some questions and I'll ask him.

Football Supporters Federation may have some ideas of questions

[Geoff65]

[Mr Mosquito]

[Chivs]

This seems like a very reasonable list. Good Luck with your interrogation.

One further question: ask him if he is willing to meet with BCST would he be happy if they demanded that

1. The meeting starts at 7.45pm near Ashton Gate
   
2. He is transported by taxi from near the Liberty Stadium
   
3. The taxi leaves at 4pm
   
4. The taxi stops at Magor Services and waits around for a while
   
5. He is held in the meeting room for 90 minutes before the meeting starts
   
6. He leaves the meeting 30 minutes after everyone else has left
   
7. These restrictions are only in place because significant numbers of SWP have been involved in hooligan incidents (though there's no evidence that this individual is a hooligan)
   

[Geoff65]

Goblin - it's not the Chief Constable that I am meeting - she passed my original question to the police officers responsible for the bubble matches.

[Blagdon red]

Great set of questions, Geoff.

A couple of suggestions:

I'd remove the reference to Leeds vs Man U (not a current fixture) and any reference to Millwall (gives him an excuse to bring up the recent violence at West Ham).

I'd also suggest that at the end of your meeting you give him a written copy of your questions and ask him to confirm the verbal answers that he has given you - and perhaps expand on them - in writing and for publication.

[Mr Mosquito]

Goblin - it's not the Chief Constable that I am meeting - she passed my original question to the police officers responsible for the bubble matches.

It's called 'passing the buck'. The Chief Constable is ultimately responsible. Perhaps the SWP Kommandant Chief Constable could do with President Harry Truman's desk sign.....

President Harry Truman......

[downendcity]

Goeff, you could ask what shareholding the cvhief constable has in the

[Fat Cigar]

Great set of questions, Geoff.

A couple of suggestions:

I'd remove the reference to Leeds vs Man U (not a current fixture) and any reference to Millwall (gives him an excuse to bring up the recent violence at West Ham).

I'd also suggest that at the end of your meeting you give him a written copy of your questions and ask him to confirm the verbal answers that he has given you - and perhaps expand on them - in writing and for publication.

Expanding on this, are you going to be taking a dictaphone?

If you have one, and they allow it to be used, I would. If not, make sure, as 'Blagdon red' has said, that you go over their answers with them so that there's no misunderstanding or 'taking things out of context' nonsense.

Just looking at all the other local derbies and there not being bubble games for them just makes me laugh. None for Celtic-Rangers?? Blimey, if they don't need them then no one does.

[downendcity]

Goeff, you could ask what shareholding the cvhief constable has in the

Sorry about that, I finished too soon, so to speak!

I was going to say, to ask what shareholding the chief constable has in the Bristol Coach Companies who are used to trasport fans to the bubble matches.

Fans who would travel under their own steam are forced to buy coach tickets, thereby increasing said companies profits compared to what they would have bene had the match operated as normal..

If the answer is none. You should then ask that, having now given her the idea, what plans does the chief constable have to increase the number of bubble mtches with other clubs and what plans does she have to invest in coach companies in Coventry, Plymouth, Reading, Watford, Ipswich etc.etc?

[Mr Mosquito]

Goblin - it's not the Chief Constable that I am meeting - she passed my original question to the police officers responsible for the bubble matches.

She ????!!! :noexpression:

....you mean the Welsh have got a witch running their South Wales Police?

[downendcity]

She ????!!! :noexpression:

....you mean the Welsh have got a witch running their South Wales Police?

Geoff, you had better ask if the chief constable floats!

[Mr Mosquito]

Geoff, you had better ask if the chief constable floats!

Well remembered Sir.

Pure classic Monty Python.

If the cap fits then wear it, so here's the SWP Chiefs Police hat....

[thatcham red]

This seems like a very reasonable list. Good Luck with your interrogation.

One further question: ask him if he is willing to meet with BCST would he be happy if they demanded that

1. The meeting starts at 7.45pm near Ashton Gate
   
2. He is transported by taxi from near the Liberty Stadium
   
3. The taxi leaves at 4pm
   
4. The taxi stops at Magor Services and waits around for a while
   
5. He is held in the meeting room for 90 minutes before the meeting starts
   
6. He leaves the meeting 30 minutes after everyone else has left
   
7. These restrictions are only in place because significant numbers of SWP have been involved in hooligan incidents (though there's no evidence that this individual is a hooligan)
   

Very good.

I have indeed written to the Chief Superintendent of South Wales Police on behalf of the Supporters Trust and asked if he would be willing to attend such a meeting. I did, however, suggest that he had the freedom to travel any way he wishes

I suspect our meeting won't happen and anticipate that Geoff, being ahead of the game here, will do us all proud and obtain the answers we all want to hear.