Crawley

[Hannah]

What a great result! But undeserved it has to be said.

DeBolla touched the ball approximatley twice.

But there was a great atmosphere today, despite the below thousand attendance (I'm assuming this-they didn't announce it)

[Ian_D]

932, looked a lot less though!!

[Hannah]

It did didn't it! It looked about 850

[Ian_D]

If that.

[EUFC FAN]

One thing that might start hurting our attendances more is the toe rags that are breaking into cars outside the ground. I noticed as we drove out that they had been at work again tonight. There was also some “excitement” under the new EuroStar line bridge (fire engine and old bill). We can only hope that someone caught one of these chavs and beat to with an inch of their sorry pathetic lives.

[Hempstead Gaz]

I saw at least 2 cars with broken glass alongside, I wonder if that is contributing slightly to the poor gates?

[Harry J Allstars]

Originally Posted By: Hannah

It did didn't it! It looked about 850

About 600 of tonights attendance were in the tunnel.

No doubt the usual hangers on were there trying to talk to the "stars".

[Alan W (GNFC)]

The atmosphere sounded far better than the empty atmosphere at Histon last Thursday despite the fact that the attendance was some 300 fewer.

[Bill Kent]

It would appear that someones car was set on fire, hence the fire engines. I will seriously have to consider as to to whether or not I will attend any more night games due to the fact that's when the cockroaches appear. On my way back to my car I noticed a few smashed side windows to cars. As luck would have it (selfishly), it wasn't mine. Mind you it may have been some angry disgruntled fan with a grudge.

[1 F in Fleet]

Probably a roach - given the attendance of Fire and Police who aren't that quick to respond , doubt it would have been a footy fan . Think the fire could have been a distraction while they pilfered from the cars with the smashed glass ? Incidentally , which side were the smashed cars on - I was parked on the Citroen dealers side , and didn't notice any ? Mind you , I was concentrating on the pretty blue lights .

[Hempstead Gaz]

Both smashed windows I saw we on the opposite side - from the beidge onwards.

[Stu M]

Is there any CCTV in the area? Whose responsibility is this? Surely if the council are on board and hope to promote the club as part of what the area has to offer, then this is tarnishing its image and there should be some measure of preventative measures in place.

[REDolent3]

Sadly we seem to be covering old ground threads of which have appeared over the previous 2 seasons. I highlighted last winter that I knew of 3 people who had had their cars broken into and now do not (usually) come to home games and these brought others with them so you are probably talking of a attendance reduction of 10 there alone. I had my (cheap) wheel trips nicked. There must have been a few people walking back to their cars last night taking in the smashed glass & smouldering remains thinking is it worth it?

You can argue about whether its name changes, addmission prices or playing 3-5-2 thats keeping poeple away but I believe this is a very UNDERESTIMATED reason.

[carjam]

I can back that up..I know of two that have had windows smashed. They wont come again. I park in the Industrial estate by the traffic lights at the Swanscombe end now. It seems a little safer. Over recent seasons ive lost a window, lost wheel trims and even had my light clusters pinched (Old Nissan..screws on the outside)..it does not exactly make it very welcome down there. Ive not reported it..so i suppose that makes me partly to blame for the on-going problem. Certainly will if it ever happens again.

 

Poor game last night. Fleet played with a plan..and it worked..but it's not exactly entertaining..

[Hempstead Gaz]

Absolutely, Rob. This IS the club's problem - they are Fleet supporters whose cars are being damaged and now set on fire. Like it or not, it shows the club in poor light if you have a reasonable chance of having your car trashed at least once a season.

Perhaps events like this will inspire Brian to hasten the ground move. Although he mentioned it in his programme notes, one cannot help but feel we won't be in for at least 4 years. Until then, perhaps the club could employ one security guard for 3 hours to patrol around the bridge on match days - cost - £50?

Loss to club of stayaway fans concerned about getting car damaged - £200+?

 

It is stuff like this that needs to be properly debated without the usual put downs from the usual crew, and then taken up with the club.

 

We cannot stand losing any more fans, God knows what our gates will be like if this continues, but I can see us struggling to get 500 in those bleak winter evening games.

[DA11]

This is a shame for the club after the work that has been put in. Gravesham is becoming a lawless state at the moment with illegals and hoodies freely roaming the streets. I would say it is more of a council and policing issue more than the clubs. But it will affect attendances. I find it despicable that you work your nuts off to pay for something you enjoy and some scumbags think they have the right to take it away.

[Hempstead Gaz]

The council will do nothing, because they do not have the funding for it.

The police in Gravesend are already woefully shortstaffed, and, apart from the infrequent drive by, cannort afford the time to stake out the road for 3 hours, lest there be any troublemakers in the area.

And they are powerless untill an act of vandalism has been started.

By default, the responsibility lies with the club.

It is Fleet fans who are directly affected. It is happening within sight of the main gates.

Last night at the exit were at least 6 huge, burly "security" minders, watching the crowds and the blue flashing lights.

Not sure who pays for their employment, but even if they have no juristiction on the public roads, one of those guys patrolling up and down by the bridge would sure be a deterrent, for the would be vandal.

[John Pearce]

Originally Posted By: Chatham Gary

Absolutely, Rob. This IS the club's problem - they are Fleet supporters whose cars are being damaged and now set on fire. Like it or not, it shows the club in poor light if you have a reasonable chance of having your car trashed at least once a season.
Perhaps events like this will inspire Brian to hasten the ground move. Although he mentioned it in his programme notes, one cannot help but feel we won't be in for at least 4 years. Until then, perhaps the club could employ one security guard for 3 hours to patrol around the bridge on match days - cost - £50?
Loss to club of stayaway fans concerned about getting car damaged - £200+?

It is stuff like this that needs to be properly debated without the usual put downs from the usual crew, and then taken up with the club.

We cannot stand losing any more fans, God knows what our gates will be like if this continues, but I can see us struggling to get 500 in those bleak winter evening games.

It may have been only a short term answer to the problem, but I cannot understand why someone from the club has not already approached the operators of the new Ebbsfleet International Station to see whether the club could use some of the acres of empty car parking space that lies on the left of Thames Way. Surely those car parks are already being monitored for security reasons. The walk to the ground being no more than 300 or 400 yards, if that?


If cost is the problem, then I am sure most supporters home or away, would have been willing to pay a small fee rather than run the risk of costly vandalism repairs to their vehicles.

I realise this would probably only have been available up until the station opens for business and has Eurostar trains running through it so is therefore now probably too late to introduce, but the vandalism problem is not new and those car parks have been standing empty for what seems like for ever. Possibly a missed opportunity and something that could have been arranged as a result of our link-up with Eurostar.

[hopeful]

do you seriously think that they will let you park for free, anywhere near that station when its open,there will be yellow lines everywhere.

[Slartibartfast]

This is a real problem and one that can only be resolved by the police.

Apart from the obvious fact that preventing crime is the police's responsibility and the fact that the area that these crimes are committed is not only not club premises but isn't even that close to, or within sight of club premises, I should think that the club could be in a very serious legal position if as C.G. suggests they employed what amounts to a vigilante patrol to solve this problem.

I have every sympathy for the victims of these crimes and if the failure of the police to catch the thieving little b*st*rds even though they know where and when the crimes will occur dissuades people from attending evening matches then clearly the club are one of the victims.

I don't know what, if any, contact there is between the club and the police regarding these crimes but if the club can't persuade the police to do their job then gates will continue to fall.