Letter of complaint

[ooh!!bodyform]

after the dreadful way we were treated at deadwood i have written to the board of directors of RFC and reads as follows;

 

To whom it may concern

 

I feel the need to write this e-mail after the dismal way margate fans were treated at your ground on Boxing day. Firstly i arrived in plenty of time and made my way to the bar area which took me 25 mins for me and my friends to get a drink,although the pure fact that this was always going to be a busy game i appreciate this was not RFC fault,however, 2 portaloo toilets in the away end?????? for a huge margate contingent?????? not acceptable.

I was unable to get a burger or a hot drink due to the tiny snack bar you have which was manned(or femaled) by people who had a stinking attitude(according to other margate fans) because i gave up waiting after 30 mins and missing 15 minutes of the second half!!

Then on top of all that to be goaded out of the ground by 25-50 ramsgate so called fans(or chavs) either side of us away supporters STILL INSIDE THE MAIN GATES and stewards that allowed them to throw bottles of drink, spitting and swearing at innocent margate fans with their children was an absolute disgrace to your club and to football in general.

I very nearly took my 5 year old son to the game and am very glad i never as this would have been very intimidating for him.

Not 1 police officer on scene at the end of 90 mins when it was already becoming clear that your so called fans were never just going to walk out of the ground and go home.

 

I have to say my whole boxing day experience(which i have to say was MY christmas day as i have been looking forward to this all season) was ruined and totally dissapointed by the whole day. I know that there are a number of fans writing to the F.A about this and i will do the same, i believe also that this has already gone to the papers of which i look forward to seeing what RFC have to say in their statement.

 

A massive day for thanet and a huge income for yourselves have been spoilt by complete lack of security, refreshments, amenities and treatment of your visitors oh yes and programmes

Financially our clubs need stability but i feel that you have scored an own goal with what should have been the match of the season for local football supporters!!!

 

yours looking forward to your reply

 

Mr J Redpath

 

i think that others should do the same!!

 

 

[batfloke]

just about sums up the day!

[ooh!!bodyform]

a letter has also been sent to the chairman of the ryman league with a copy of this e-mail attached

[Tony_T]

As well intentioned as your letter is, I feel that it will simply fall on deaf ears. Now, sending it to the League, thats a different matter! Ramsgate did not make the most of yesterday - the best gate (sic!) that they've had in years ruined by their pathetic staff (be it Director, Manager or Players). With a simple bit of arrangement with MFC, they could have had ample food and drink catering, extra (useful) stewards and maybe they might have printed a few extra hundred programmes too!!

In a word, shambles.

It really isn't just Blues sour grapes - I, like many hundred others were at the game yesterday (with my wife who suffers my love of football!) and even she said how shambolic the whole thing was. Personally, if this event should ever happen again (God forbid) then it be staged at HDP where our stewards, segregation, catering, toilets etc are at a much better standard and we would teach them a thing or two (not just on the pitch!)

[Frankie100]

When we had trouble at a game at Chelmsford in the mid 70's a letter went off from the fans to the Southern League and Chelmsford had sanctions imposed on them.

 

So it does work

[Porka]

Emailed the Ryman League myself last night and had a reply from Alan Turvey this morning. He told me that my email and others will be discussed at a league board meeting tomorrow. I urge anyone else to send your emails to: chairman@isthmian.co.uk

[AncientBlue]

Have also e-mailed the league today.

Something has to be done!

[Rob_Butler]

Fans were throwing the contents of plastic pints holders in the air. NOT throwing bottles as it sounds like from your post. I know this is not acceptable but just thought it was worth getting the story cleared up.

[Blues with Soul.]

And why were they allowed to carry the contents of their plastic pint holders out of the bar,into the ground and into Price's Avenue ?

Is this effective stewarding ?

[abdullah]

Ramsgate have to take their responsibilities to ALL visitors very seriously.

 

The questions of segregation, policing, provision of facilities, access, Stewarding and their responsibilities should all have been ironed out weeks ago. It is not as if they only had a couple of days to prepare - the game has been on the fixture list since the start of the season! And given that both sides have been in the running for top spot they can't say the size of the crowd "surprised them". I thought there would be 2000 there (my wives were at the Boxing Day sales which obviously reduced the numbers a bit).

 

I haven't read the Ryman Leagues rules on groundgrading etc, but would be keen to know if there are actual or suggested guidelines to Clubs on their responsibilities to the fans. Clearly there should be.

 

The worst part of it is for so many people the game should have been a highlight of the season and an advert for Thanet Football and a showcase game for the Ryman.

 

Too many people will have been put off by this experience to ever come again!

 

Abdullah the saddened!

 

 

[Frankie100]

Paul Scally the Chairman at Gillingham thought he knew how many police were needed at a game and went to court the morning of a league game against Fulham. Five hours later one Fulham fan was killed at the game in which there was constant fighting.

If the police suggested our game kicked off at 1pm they must have suggested policing too which Ramsgate did not follow.

 

[Rob_Butler]

Was the death not due to fans leaving early? Something that is rarely monitored.

[Frankie100]

Not at all. Police had to be called to the match after it had started when the stewards lost control. Not a nice situation to be caught up in especially when my mate who is a Gills fan had brought his 6 year old son along for his first game

[ooh!!bodyform]

you must be ashamed of the way your club dealt with the whole boxing day shambles rob!

[Pagey]

I'm not bothering with a letter as I think that this is a massive own goal for Rams.

 

Lack of facilites at our end has cost them money, this is why at Hartsdown a catering unit is put at the away end.

 

The Rams fans that I know were embarrassed at what was provided (two loos, I have more than that in my house!) and the d1ckheads at the end, who I must admit aren't Rams fan

 

The parents of the ball boys were in the Rams end and most are not Rams supporters couldn't believe the set up compared to Margate's.

 

Doubt that they will go back after that !

 

 

[TonyM]

Well said there Pagester,I doubt if anybody would want to go back to that DUMP they call a football groung again,unless they get sent there by the local JP,to try and clean up the place.

[bigtw]

I also emailed and received a reply from the chairman of the league. Looks like something is going to happen so this does'nt become a habit.