Are EFM to be banned from Clarence Park?

[Guest]

I understand that our new Chairman is not impressed by the antics of our infamous crew!<p>As he wants to bring the family atmosphere back to Clarence Park, I can imagine that seeing people drinking out of cider bottles won't exactly bring families flocking to watch the Saints.

[Guest]

I'd be interested to see how he'd do it, Duke. How exactly would this be workable? Who would he decide was a member of EFM and who wouldn't be classified as one? Would it purely be members of the Football Club, a majority of whom don't even go to City matches (which would be kind of counter-productive)? Would it be anybody who has ever sung either "Do They Know It's Christmas" or "My Garden Shed" behind the goal on a Saturday afternoon or Tuesday night? Would he ban Councillor McMillan (honorary president of EFM FC) and people like Mark White and AFF, who, while they're never involved in any sort of trouble with anybody, may or may not regard themselves as honorary members of EFM? <p>These imponderables are all very well, but Mr Gibson would do very well to remember these basic facts: No-one connected with EFM has ever been arrested as a result of their behaviour either inside or outside a football ground. St Albans City needs all the support it can get at the moment - and it needs loyal support, which will turn up on wet Saturday afternoons in December when there's Christmas shopping to be done and half-decent films on the television. EFM had people (myself included) who walked to Boreham Wood for the Enfield match the other week, and it has also had people turn up for supporters' forums and other fundraising events such as quiz nights. What was the crowd last night? 200? 250? As I've said before on this site, EFM (whatever the hell that is) puts a not considerable amount of money through the turnstiles and behind the bar at every home match, and some of the people at Clarence Park would do very well to remember that. <p>If he wants to be seen to be doing something, then might I suggest that rather than over-reacting in line with the (frankly bizarre) reactions that EFM has received at places like Canvey and Kingstonian, he takes steps which minimise the likelihood of trouble ever occurring in Clarence Park - he could ban alcohol if he wanted to (personally, I don't think it would make much difference), he could ban people who cause trouble regularly or eject people if there are complaints about their language (he'd need to clearly state what the ground regulations are, because if the signs at Kingstonian unclear, then they're non-existent at the Park), and he could employ stewards (and by that I don't mean mouthy fans in orange waistcoats a la Canvey or nightclub bouncers earning a bit of extra cash as we seemed to see at Kingstonian last weekend).<p>Mr Gibson is, I presume, an intelligent man. These decisions all lie with him. Banning the people who, for all of their (numerous) faults, are the only people who give a bit of atmosphere to City matches both home and away would do nothing except for take much needed money away from St Albans City FC. He may look at the empty terraces and envision them being filled with happy smiling families with a large disposable income, but the evidence seems to show that these people don't go to non-league football full stop.<p>The other point is that maybe we should start taking messages left on this board by supporters of other clubs with a bit more of a pinch of salt. Let yourselves see the trees through the wood, if you'll allow me to mangle a metaphor. With regard to all aspects of this messageboard, we'd be doing ourselves the greatest service if we stopped getting so angry so quickly and started being a little more contemplative.

[Colin Zeal EFM]

Would a better solution not be to ban all families from the ground?

[Rob_the_Saint]

The ground regs are printed in the matchday programme and expressly forbid bottles, glasses, flares (the firework kind) foul and abusive language, etc etc. Not that I've ever seen anyone enforcing them mind you...

[GHA EFM]

A couple of points.<p>1. Will Younes and Rhino be banned as well as Mark White, AFF, the Councillaaaa and numerous others? What about John Farmer, who is worse than EFM when he has two pints or more inside him?<p>2. RE: the drink. At Kingstonian, there were no ground regulations. Two stewards told Costello that he wasn't allowed to drink. When challenged, SACFC Safety Officer Rex Winn joined in the conversation and told Costello that you aren't allowed a drink inside any Ryman League ground. Could Rex please inform our bar staff of this fact, as it would save money on buying plastic glasses. I noticed last night that Rex was briefly standing behind the goal at the start of the second half. EFM returned from the bar, and I counted around 7 seperate pints different people had. Rex did nothing. Someone get on the phone to Dave Kendall. EFM need legal representation, as they have been informed, mis-informed and not informed of their rights many times in the last week.<p>3. Would John Gibson be happy if we turned into a team like Chesham, or Croydon. Banning EFM would bring as much atmosphere as those two get. Who else is gonna sing?<p>4. The ground regulations say nothing about the prohibition of alcohol within the ground.<p>[ 27 March 2002: This message was edited by: Grand High Aviator ]</p>

[AFF]

Hi Trev.<p>A couple of small points.<p>What do you mean "[AFF]...may or may not regard [himself] an honorary member of EFM"? I AM an honorary member of EFM. A select group. Steve Clark. Kevin Mudd. Malcolm MacMillan. John Kendal. And Me.

That's fine by me.<p>You said, quite rightly, that John Gibson is an intelligent man. He may spot that The Duke of Marlborough has an uncanny similarity to Buzz Lightyear.

[Guest]

Glad to see that mob rule hasn't completely taken over at the Park (though it has to be said that this is hardly surprising, given that it is the mob themselves who are "on trial" here). <p>Thank you, gentlemen, for your support. To take your posts one by one: Alban - if alcohol is to be banned, then it's to be banned. No-one said that Anthony shouldn't have been thrown out last Saturday (least of all him). For those of you who were at both matches, the contrast between Chesham and Kingstonian was stark. Ironically, in EFM terms, it was almost exactly the same people at both matches (give or take a couple). I have no problem with not drinking inside the ground, but I think I can be trusted to behave myself. If it's banned, and it's known that it's banned, then fine. But a ban on alcohol has to apply to everybody - not just 18 year olds with big bottles of cider.<p>Rob - I never but a matchday prgramme. How would I know whether it's in the ground regulations or not. A lot of people don't buy a matchday programme. If the club doesn't advertise it's rules, and (through selling plastic pints during half-time and before the match) seems to encourage breaking these rules, then they can hardly be surprised if people break them.<p>GHA - A full list is available of everyone that will need to be banned if "EFM" is banned. This list would include your good self, AFF, Councillor McMillan, Ryan Moran (and his dad), Younes Nabil, Rex Wynn himself (though he may not necessarily know it), Chas & Dave, Everybody who is a regular drinker in The Beehive pub (official sponsors of EFM), Carter USM, the ghost of John Lennon, The Queen, Steve Clark, Kevin Mudd, John Kendall, John Mitchell and Kerry Pollard. As for John Farmer, I couldn't agree more - but he's nothing to do with EFM, so he's beyond my jurisdiction.<p>AFF - A million apologies. As you should well know by now, I never mean to hurt anybody's feelings. Maybe I should get some EFM metal pin badges made up (I wouldn't recommend wearing them on Saturday afternoons or Tuesday nights). An EFM "I-Spy" book is already at an advanced stage (samples - Bottle Of Cider 10pts, Wisbech fan with one eye in the middle of his forehead 15pts, Sniffer Thorns goal in an EFM league match [not a friendly] 50 pts, Person Who Thinks EFM is a genuine firm 100 pts, sighting of Enfield playing in Enfield 1000 pts and so on). <p>Non-playing members of The (In)Firm are always most welcome - don't forget that, subject to banning orders, you all have the chance to view EFM yourselves playing at the Park on May 4th. 6.00 kick-off, come one come all. Alternatively, there is every Sunday morning. Check out the website for details. Some people will also get the chance to see that EFM aren't as serious as people like to think they are.

[Alban]

As a regular supporter home & away (not EFM although my display name indicates otherwise!) I'm all for your cheering and noise provided it doesn't include swearing - I'm not offended personally but others are and it's tedious.Without your chants there is no atmosphere.<p>The incident at Kingstonian was nonsense but there's no doubt that some supporters turn up at games p....d out of their brains and are offensive and a complete embarrasment to the club and themselves. By all means have a drink but only as much as you can handle.<p>Commonsense needs to prevail.

[SAINTS64MAD]

HEY DUKE DO U KNOW MY DAD? HE IS RICHARD PALMER AND USED TO WORK DOWN THE DUKE WHEN IT USED TO BE A PUB!

[Guest]

Talking of similarities, doesn't Buzz & The Duke's wordage seem similar to Samantha, aged 9?<p>Old Civil Service saying: "you've got to be behind a man before you can stab him in the back". I wonder if there is a similar saying in commercial property agent circles.<p>A message to Mr. Gibson: "beware the wearer of scarlett stockings!"<p>Go on, go on, call me Harding or Eames! Go on, go on, go on ...

[Guest]

Interesting Topic.<p>The club should comply with its own ground regulations.<p>All alcohol not purchased at the club should be banned, and only consumed in open plastic glasses.<p>With the stewards know all wired up there is no reason to ask people to leave the gound that have been breaking the ground regs.<p>A number of members of EFM and other supporters have been ejected from other grounds in our league especially Kingstonian, Canvey, Aldershot to name but a few. These individuals should be placed on a good behaviour bond by the club as in the long term they could cost the club money in terms of FA fines, police charges or increase in security chargers.<p>Members of the press that get in free to games should be there to report on the game not to drink bottles of cider etc.<p>The club does need every support, but it also needs to creat an atmosphere that will generate more support.<p>Lets not give this club the reputation that B/Wood had a ferw years ago. Lets all enjoy ourselves and most of all lets help the Saints progress upwards

[Nos]

I can't get to the bottom of this one. Can someone please tell me? Is the consumption of alcohol in the actual ground supposed to be allowed or not? (not the Boardroom or the Clubhouse, where it obviously is). It needs a clear directive from the top. Because in my opinion and several others, if it isn't banned, it should be. It sets a dreadful example, especially to any new support we are trying to attract. If fans want to drink, fine but it should be kept within the confines of the Clubhouse. <p>As far as the chanting on the terraces is concerned, Alban is right. Sing out as loud as you like, EFM, it improves the atmosphere no end. The louder the better I say but keep it clean. You might even try putting a bit more humour into it. Why don't you get that Trev bloke to organise it, he sounds a bit good at that sort of thing. Don't worry if you are short of an alto tenor, I'm sure we can find you a set of pliers from somewhere.