‘A Block Ultras’

[Barrs Court Red]

The games where those (I assume) young lads went in A Block last season had (generally) a cracking atmosphere.  Shame this hasn’t continued.

 

[Mr Popodopolous]

17 minutes ago, Barrs Court Red said:

The games where those (I assume) young lads went in A Block last season had (generally) a cracking atmosphere.  Shame this hasn’t continued.

 

That in turn varied subject to size and scope of away following.

2.5k from Birmingham differed from say a few hundred from Blackburn.

Not the be all and end all but definitely a factor. Two feed off each other much better with the former.

Edited August 8, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous

[Mr Popodopolous]

Anyway as I said 5 and a half years back if people want increased standing capacity to it properly.

Put together a case, lobby the club, organise and in turn pre-empt objections, objection handling that the club or external bodies may put up.

Said external bodies will probably be not thrilled about the organic change to E34.

[Barrs Court Red]

50 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Anyway as I said 5 and a half years back if people want increased standing capacity to it properly.

Put together a case, lobby the club, organise and in turn pre-empt objections, objection handling that the club or external bodies may put up.

Said external bodies will probably be not thrilled about the organic change to E34.

So? I’m bored how the unelected bureaucrats can have so much sway.  So secretive they refuse to release their minutes, which give men the sag is a public body just shows how little confidence they have in their reasoning standing up to scrutiny.

Dare I say there’s enough precedent out there to make a legal challenge fairly winnable, though I accept that the club won’t want to go to that sort of expense. 

[Mr Popodopolous]

41 minutes ago, Barrs Court Red said:

So? I’m bored how the unelected bureaucrats can have so much sway.  So secretive they refuse to release their minutes, which give men the sag is a public body just shows how little confidence they have in their reasoning standing up to scrutiny.

Dare I say there’s enough precedent out there to make a legal challenge fairly winnable, though I accept that the club won’t want to go to that sort of expense. 

I actually agree with you. Not really sure of the best way forward but they've been at it for years now.

They work for us and yet they hide minutes.

Tail wagging the dog or what!

By the second line I obviously mean, they're a public body working for the good of and paid for by the public and yet minutes, ooh can't release those.

Edited August 8, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous

[phantom]

FOI request?

[Mr Popodopolous]

1 hour ago, phantom said:

FOI request?

There appears to have been one in 2016 and one in 2017.

Both rejected!

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ashton_gate_safety_advisory_grou

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ashton_gate_safety_advisory_grou_2#incoming-1065565

[Bristol Rob]

5 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

There appears to have been one in 2016 and one in 2017.

Both rejected!

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ashton_gate_safety_advisory_grou

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ashton_gate_safety_advisory_grou_2#incoming-1065565

Way beyond the appeal date! 

[Mr Popodopolous]

4 minutes ago, Bristol Rob said:

Way beyond the appeal date! 

I had a quick look at other clubs, some were granted in full, some were partially granted. I get the latter even if I'd prefer the former!

Listed sides and local authorities as diverse as Barnet, Crystal Palace, Mansfield, Millwall, Norwich, Tottenham (when they were at Wembley) Wales national side.

None of the other requests albeit a small sample, appear to have been outright rejected!

Edited August 9, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous

[phantom]

30 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

There appears to have been one in 2016 and one in 2017.

Both rejected!

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ashton_gate_safety_advisory_grou

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ashton_gate_safety_advisory_grou_2#incoming-1065565

I wonder if this is something that  @The Journalist can assist with

[youwhat]

On 08/08/2023 at 18:25, Barrs Court Red said:

The games where those (I assume) young lads went in A Block last season had (generally) a cracking atmosphere.  Shame this hasn’t continued.

 

I’m not too sure what happened, over-stewarding or getting the lads to sit maybe?  It was a good opportunity for the club to back it.  We moved but I guess some ppl didn’t want to, obviously their right.  It’s farcical really how the club went about finding a place for the original east end…s82 via atyeo is not exactly old east end is it.

[Mr Popodopolous]

8 minutes ago, youwhat said:

I’m not too sure what happened, over-stewarding or getting the lads to sit maybe?  It was a good opportunity for the club to back it.  We moved but I guess some ppl didn’t want to, obviously their right.  It’s farcical really how the club went about finding a place for the original east end…s82 via atyeo is not exactly old east end is it.

The issue there I suppose could be two-fold or maybe more. Not the wider issue but the mid-season move.

1) Fans and existing season ticket holders..it was organic. Intent good, execution problematic on some levels.

2) External regulation. Strikes me that the SAG (Safety Advisory Group) would not appreciate it, all clubs have to work with these, all entries staging events have to. 

A lot of blah blah yes but unsure the club could do an awful lot other than to tackle or be seen to be tackling it.

The third factor is thst vs lesser away followings both in terms of numbers and profile it seems the area is a bit quieter and less edgy.

Last bit is nothing to do with regulation but dynamic between home and away, bigger v Birmingham than say Preston, Cardiff than say Blackburn etc.

Edited August 13, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous

[A Horse With No Name]

3 hours ago, youwhat said:

I’m not too sure what happened, over-stewarding or getting the lads to sit maybe?  It was a good opportunity for the club to back it.  We moved but I guess some ppl didn’t want to, obviously their right.  It’s farcical really how the club went about finding a place for the original east end…s82 via atyeo is not exactly old east end is it.

No, and its also not 1976 any more

[Mr Popodopolous]

Just on a general note.

Whether it's done properly or not we definitely need more "Safe Standing" at AG IMO. I certainly hope it is done properly!

Read that Birmgihsm plans are for Safe Standing along the entirety of the Lower Tilton Road end.  Quick search says the stand as a whole holds 9k but I dunno how that is split.

Also dunno what percentage of it is Home/Away as Safe Standing needs to include some provision for away fans too.

[Mr Popodopolous]

Seems that there are 16 criteria for Safe Standing approval.

https://constructionmanagement.co.uk/safe-standing-football-grounds-design-construction/

[MarcusX]

On 08/08/2023 at 12:04, Winterstoke toad said:

Sorry but when Coventry beat us 2-1 at their place it was absolutely rocking and to be fair to them it has been like that since they’ve been back in the champ .

 

Also teams like Leeds , Middlesbrough, Norwich,Ipswich , Cardiff , Wednesday and Southampton all have home support who more than always drown out the home support .

That wasn’t my experience of Norwich last season, or Sheff Wed or Southampton when I’ve been before. I think last time I went to Southampton they couldn’t even afford to open half their ground so could be going back a while.

[Mr Popodopolous]

A few may want to read this (but probably won't).

May or may not suit the club but there certainly is concrete proof of external bodies wanting to push the issue of Persistent Standing in non-designated zones.

No let up is a fairly depressing term.

On the plus side, maybe it could mean extended Safe Standing areas are applied for.

The Dolman A Block as it stands feels a bit untenable however.

Edited August 16, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous

[Mr Popodopolous]

Came across this thread from 2015 while the redevelopment was ongoing

Given just 3 Blocks of the South , well away from a) The Tunnel (Tunnel should be behind the goal behind the home end IMO) and b) The away fans and c) Even the centre of the Stand I would ask.

What went wrong.

Range of interesting ideas in this thread,  even from the club.

[Mr Popodopolous]

Continued to think about it a bit and assuming that it's a pointless suggestion, exercise to hope for a) As many home fans as can be stuck in the Atyeo as is reasonably practicable next season onwards that in addition to the current Dolman/South corner or b) Away fans into the Upper Lansdown.

B) Especially seems fanciful given its a kids area, given that the Lansdown most expensive bit of the ground, given that it has the Directors Box albeit I  the Lower.

[Mr Popodopolous]

Or really radical.

Whole away end away fans, Safety Authorities etc permitting.

Give most of the South Stand and unreserved- two actual ends with the leeway to generate noise consistently.

[redkev]

On 16/08/2023 at 19:46, Mr Popodopolous said:

A few may want to read this (but probably won't).

May or may not suit the club but there certainly is concrete proof of external bodies wanting to push the issue of Persistent Standing in non-designated zones.

No let up is a fairly depressing term.

On the plus side, maybe it could mean extended Safe Standing areas are applied for.

The Dolman A Block as it stands feels a bit untenable however.

About 5,000 standing behind the goal at Leeds tonight , sort that out stewards , all 3,000 brum will be standing tomorrow 

[Mr Popodopolous]

Just now, redkev said:

About 5,000 standing behind the goal at Leeds tonight , sort that out stewards , all 3,000 brum will be standing tomorrow 

Yes good point. Dunno if Leeds has proper provision for Safe Standing yet..we need bigger areas of it, unsure how that has been enforced there at Leeds before if at all.

[phantom]

11 hours ago, redkev said:

About 5,000 standing behind the goal at Leeds tonight , sort that out stewards , all 3,000 brum will be standing tomorrow 

Elland Road has large areas wiith rail seating which they've had for a number of seasons now 

As for away fans, we've all been standing for years 

[pongo88]

11 hours ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Or really radical.

Whole away end away fans, Safety Authorities etc permitting.

Give most of the South Stand and unreserved- two actual ends with the leeway to generate noise consistently.

That definitely would be radical. I’m sure the people who have season tickets in the South Stand, and enjoy sitting by the same people each match, might have some complaints about most of the stand becoming unreserved 

[phantom]

Let's face it, nothing is gonna change. 

The disruption wouldn't be worth the hassle 

[Mr Popodopolous]

17 minutes ago, pongo88 said:

That definitely would be radical. I’m sure the people who have season tickets in the South Stand, and enjoy sitting by the same people each match, might have some complaints about most of the stand becoming unreserved 

I dunno the best answer, but it does seem to me that a) The 'Safe Standing' area if available more widely would attract more demand and b) With legislation moving in the right direction the opportunity is there and it might improve the atmosphere too.

[redkev]

15 minutes ago, phantom said:

Elland Road has large areas wiith rail seating which they've had for a number of seasons now 

As for away fans, we've all been standing for years 

I’ve nothing against standing much prefer it myself , generally it works ok as the older want to sit people tend to get to the ground earlier and usually understand they need sit near the front to have on one in front of them .

As for the safe standing group ( organisation ) getting involved again and it causes more problems than it solves generally at most games it all works out ok , it’s more sanitisation of the game in my eyes there like the just stop oil of football .

let’s just get on with it for gods sake

[Barrs Court Red]

2 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

I dunno the best answer, but it does seem to me that a) The 'Safe Standing' area if available more widely would attract more demand and b) With legislation moving in the right direction the opportunity is there and it might improve the atmosphere too.

What should happen of course, is that the original promise made to Bristol Rugby fans is kept. 
 

No one who sits in the lower Dolman, or top half of the South stand can have any complaints - both areas were listed as eventual safe standing areas once the rules changed.  Well, we’re there now, so let’s get it done. 

[Mr Popodopolous]

28 minutes ago, Barrs Court Red said:

What should happen of course, is that the original promise made to Bristol Rugby fans is kept. 
 

No one who sits in the lower Dolman, or top half of the South stand can have any complaints - both areas were listed as eventual safe standing areas once the rules changed.  Well, we’re there now, so let’s get it done. 

Yeah that's true, there's some 16 criteria test referred to Safe Standing wise on SGSA site but yeah Rail seating ability to stand or sit as it provides. Would lower half Dolman all standing block sight lines in the Upper? I'm no expert all told.

[Mr Popodopolous]

https://sgsa.org.uk/licensedstanding/

Some key points for those who are interested:

Unsure how to link downloads but the full 16 points appear in another one.

Ah yes here we go.

https://sgsa.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Licensed-standing-criteria-October-2022.pdf

Edited August 19, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous