Minutes - Wed 13 May 2015, 6pm
125 Suite, White Hart Lane Stadium
Attendees:
Katrina Law, THST
Kevin Fitzgerald, THST
Bernie Kingsley
Sue Tilling, Safety Officer, THFC
Bob McIver, London Borough of Haringey
Constable Noel Deady, Football Officer
Jonathan Waite, Customer Service and SLO, THFC
125 Suite, White Hart Lane Stadium
Attendees:
Katrina Law, THST
Kevin Fitzgerald, THST
Bernie Kingsley
Sue Tilling, Safety Officer, THFC
Bob McIver, London Borough of Haringey
Constable Noel Deady, Football Officer
Jonathan Waite, Customer Service and SLO, THFC
1. Summary of season at White Hart Lane
o Key learnings/ changes to procedure
- Following the incident at the COC QF v NUFC, THFC confirmed changes to the queuing system for away fans outside Park Lane had been introduced and was working well
- For the South upper and lower away turnstiles, barriers were in place to filter fans and enable smoother access to the stadium
- 15 foot high tear drop signage had also been installed to improve communication
- Fan liaison officers and stewards were deployed to the Park Lane entrances
- Ticket checks were in place at one end of the queue line and security checks at the other end, which speeded up the entry process, also
- Dogs had also been used as deterrents at some matches
- It was to THFC’s credit that lessons had been learned and improvements made after reflecting on the NUFC incident. A report on the meeting with the Football Supporters Federation and THFC can be read here: http://www.fsf.org.uk/latest-news/view/spurs-apologise-to-fans-over-crowd-congestion
- THFC have subsequently received positive feedback from other Clubs and visiting fans for the improved away entry system
o Questions on stewarding and policing at White Hart Lane from social media
- “ I have always wondered why (and I have asked the police on duty) is it that most of the police are positioned between the away fans exit in Park Lane and Tottenham High Road yet direct the majority of away fans in the other direction to their coaches in Worcester Avenue. Not that I have seen any trouble, but surely the potential is there”
- ND confirmed that the flashpoint has traditionally been immediately outside the stadium and on the corner of the High Road and the Park Lane, hence a bigger police presence in that area. Also, only a small minority of away fans travel on official coaches, with most opting for public transport, hence heading back to WHL station or 7 Sisters and away from Worcester Avenue
- "More female stewards needed because why should only male supporters be searched/frisked on entry to the stadium? Also searches don't happen at all entrances"
- THFC offered reassurance that there were sufficient female stewards – not 50/50 but enough. All checks are random: not every fan is checked at every entrance
- “Stewards are well meaning but ill prepared for fights/ trouble etc. Incident in Paxton Upper recently showed they need more training”
- THFC strongly refuted Stewards needed further training. The incident referred to was the first trouble in the Paxton Upper for years and the individual involved is known to THFC
- “Police stationed too near the stadium and not further up the high road – away fans outnumbered closer to 7 sisters”
- ND explained that the officers were initially stationed at the ground and then moved on further down the High Road after the end of a match
- BK raised concerns over the congestion on Paxton Road pre and post match. This is a recognised bottle neck. THFC confirmed that the ticket collection windows were moving in the close season to a unit in front of the community centre – within easy distance of the Park Lane ticket office. This will maximise room along Paxton Road for fans to walk/ access the stadium. Tottenham Square was felt to have vastly improved the space stadium side, too. THFC advised that whilst they were unable to confirm the changes, alterations would be made in the close season to this area to allow work to proceed on the new Stadium site.
o Banning orders and arrest figures
- ND provided a breakdown of arrest figures for the season so far. These are as follows:
Total arrests at home fixtures: 43
Breakdown of arrests:
6 Pitch invasions
3 Missile throwing
3 Assaults/ Assault on police
5 Ticket touting
3 Racially aggravated offences
2 Drunk and disorderly
6 Possession of flares
6 Affray / Section 4 POA
3 Breach of the peace
3 Breach of football banning order
3 Possession of Class A drugs
Total arrests of Spurs fans at away fixtures: 15
Breakdown of arrests:
6 Assault (Common Assault. Actual Bodily Harm)
2 Pitch encroachment
4 Affray
2 Section 4/5 Public Order Act
1 Drunk and disorderly
Banning orders:
8 Orders obtained this season
44 currently in force
Fixtures by category:
19 Category A (Low risk)
6 Category B
6 Category C (high risk)
- ND agreed to provide a further breakdown into the Home figures as to which were home fans and which were away fans
- The headline numbers were 22 home fans and 21 away fans arrested at White Hart Lane over the 2014/15 season
- ND also clarified that not all incidents occurred inside the stadium and that the ‘home’ arrests definitely included some ‘neutrals’
- THFC confirmed the steward centric approach was still working well inside WHL with reduced police officers for Category A games this season and looking to reduce further for next season (Cat A is low risk in terms of policing, Cat C is high risk, with Cat C IR increased risk)
o Away allocations
- After partially increasing the MUFC allocation for this season by 850 to 2600, THST asked whether plans were in place to give the full allocation to Manchester United next season. Both THFC and Haringey Council stated this would be dependent on the scheduling of the fixture: two 12 noon Sunday kick offs recently had helped create a ‘perfect storm’ in Tottenham’s favour. The behaviour of MUFC fans at other away games ahead of our fixture would also be monitored. That said, there was an appetite to increase again, up to the full 3000
- It had been possible to increase the allocation this season for MUFC as a result of a change in the Safety Team at United and the increased engagement with their Supporter Liaison Officer, coupled with the persistent campaigning by Dale Haslam of Reds Away, bringing this to the attention of those in relevant positions at the club, who recognised there was a problem across the board with United’s away allocations which needed to be addressed
- THFC confirmed that every other club is offered a full allocation at WHL
- It was also possible to offer various options to visiting clubs, in terms of 1800, 2200, 3000 tickets etc. owing to moveable segregation lines
- In terms of alcohol bans in the away section, currently West Ham United is the only fixture with a half time alcohol ban at WHL. Possibly Arsenal, dependent on fixture/ kick off day/ time
2. Future practice for away fixtures
o Joint work on preparing for games
o Best practice for post match follow up
- After serious entry problems at Stamford Bridge on 3 December, THST had collated fan complaints and approached Hammersmith and Fulham council, the Football Association, the Sports Ground Safety Authority (SGSA), the Premier League, the Metropolitan Police and Chelsea FC to ask for an explanation and for fan involvement in the planning of Cat C or C IR matches in future. We were invited to a meeting with CFC’s Head of Security, Deputy Safety Officer and the Environmental Health rep from Hammersmith and Fulham council on 23 April – a full report can be read here: https://www.thstofficial.com/thst-news/cfc-v-thfc-3-december-2014-safety-meeting
- THFC had asked that we approach such situations together in future - how did they anticipate this manifesting itself? What’s the text book approach here?
- THFC asked that THST contact them immediately should such a situation arise again in the future and the Club would take the lead on any follow up – on a Club to Club level
- THST explained that, as an independent organisation, we would want to retain the right to approach other bodies directly on occasion and whilst we would happily involve THFC in those communications, would want to continue to press for formal fan input and direct dialogue on behalf of our members when appropriate
- THST also confirmed they would continue to work with the FSF when beneficial to do so, who it was felt had a wealth of experience and best practice advice on policing/ safety issues
- THST agreed to further discuss the best approach with THFC outside of this meeting
- BK expressed concern at exiting certain Premier League grounds and in particular, Loftus Road, which it was felt could be managed better. ND agreed to speak with relevant stakeholders and confirm the reasoning for the exit procedure in place at QPR
- The allocation at Bournemouth was briefly discussed and, unless there are any expansions this summer, that will be 1100 only for away fans next season
3. Formal fan representation on Safety Advisory Groups
- At the last meeting of the Police Safety Forum in June 2014, THST had raised the question of including fan reps on Haringey’s Safety Advisory Group. This was revisited.
- BM explained that the SAG met infrequently, with one formal SAG and one informal SAG this year
- Each meeting had standing items on its agenda and THST would be very welcome to feed into that agenda in advance, in writing, via THFC
- THST explained that not being physically in these meetings meant fans were reduced to placing Freedom of Information requests to learn what had been discussed and decided, often with heavy redactions. It would be more beneficial to actually be in the room during these discussions
- BM acknowledged that certain topics and points could not be shared publicly, hence the redactions and hence the issue with having fan reps present in the meetings
- It was noted that at present no Trusts had reps on any SAG’s although the national push for this was acknowledged with other major cities such as Manchester and Birmingham now considering this
- THST referred to the Football Supporters Federation’s work in this area, alongside the SGSA and there was recognition this had now been moved onto the mainstream agenda, with the long term goal of placing a fan rep on every SAG and the short term goal of engaging fan groups in more pre and post match discussions, as had been illustrated by THST’s meeting with CFC in April
4. London policing approach to matches
o London Football Club Fan Conference at New Scotland Yard – 26 May
- THST has been invited to this event the week after next by the Met police to discuss the policing of football in the capital. As a fan only conference, THFC won’t be in attendance but requested a debrief from THST
- ND will be present and reminded any fans planning on attending the session to take formal photo ID with them in order to access New Scotland Yard
- A full synopsis for the session has yet to be circulated
5. UEL away fixtures
- Following the UEL away leg in Florence, THFC had liaised with Supporters Direct Europe to pool learnings ahead of future visits to Italy
- JW had overseen a full debrief with Stuart Dykes of SD Europe immediately after the trip
- The policing of that match was discussed and it was generally felt the Italian authorities had made some draconian decisions based on knee jerk reactions to the issues caused by Feyenoord fans in Rome the previous week
- The Italian Prime Minister is the former Mayor of Florence and had personally promised there would be no problems during Spurs’ visit to the city
- The alcohol ban and heavy police presence were decisions made at the last minute and ones THFC had argued firmly against, using the rationale that by forcing our fans out of the city centre squares and bars, it meant supporters were spread all over Florence and thus harder to police
- It was felt it had been unfortunate timing for our match in light of the incident in Rome and even the best planning in advance didn’t help here, which was a shame as Fiorentina themselves had been the model of a perfect club to deal with in the run up to the game
- ST wrote to the UK Football Policing Unit on her return to London and the Italian equivalent had responded stating simply ‘nothing had gone wrong’, which was a reflection on the success of the clamp down but no acknowledgement of an over-reaction or the impact these decisions had on the experience of our travelling fans
6. Transport
o White Hart Lane station: High Road West project - progress on upgrade
- BK had met with TFL, the station architects and Haringey council in February. A full report can be read here: https://www.thstofficial.com/thst-news/high-road-west-regeneration-white-hart-lane-station-meeting-17-feb-2015
- TFL is due to take over the line from Liverpool St to Enfield and Cheshunt this summer and incorporate it within the London Overground network. This should increase the number of 8 car trains on the line and potentially improve frequency
- Regarding expanding the Victoria line to Northumberland Park, BK recalled the explanation given by TFL at the aforementioned meeting in February as to why this wasn’t viable. Northumberland Park would be a branch line feeding into Walthamstow. With 33 trains an hour running on the Victoria line, trying to feed in additional trains from a branch line would disrupt the entire line scheduling for, what they regarded as, little benefit. There were currently no plans to expand the Victoria line to Northumberland Park
o Match day timetables
- Awaiting confirmation of timetables for next season
- Was hoped TFL would have a greater appreciation of match day flow pre and post game than Abellio had!
o Controlled parking zone
- With the expansion of the CPZ last summer and the introduction of Pay to Park schemes around N17, THST asked for an update on how that was going
- BM explained that the Pay to Park scheme hadn’t seen a great deal of uptake so far and the Council had asked the Club to help promote that on match days
- THFC commented that, following a number of incidents with unauthorised car parks at the Villa and Man City matches, they would advise fans to make use of the Pay to Park scheme
- THFC also urged fans not to hand over any money or to leave their cars in car parks they were even slightly uncertain or uneasy about using. Fans had been handing over money to men in Hi Visibility vest in unauthorised car parks and returning to find tickets or their cars towed away
- As regards Club car parking, none is available on match days for supporters. Limited staff parking is available in the West Stand car park (including players)
- 8 disabled parking spaces are available in Northumberland Park School and a further 5 in the West Stand car park
- There was felt to be no significant issues with match day traffic flow with road closures and restrictions felt to be working adequately
7. Safe Standing
o Police/ Haringey position – pending legislative change/ Green Guide regulations etc.
o Rail seating demonstration
- At the recent meeting between the Boards of THFC and THST, the possibility of a rail seating demonstration had been raised. THST followed this up by offering a demo to Haringey Council alongside THFC
- THFC agreed to follow up with their Project Team outside of the meeting with a view to organising a demo
- THST asked BM for Haringey Council’s position on the principle of Safe Standing. BM confirmed any change in legislation would be taken on board
- THST asked whether Haringey would object to rail seating being included in the design of the new stadium. Rail seats are used in Germany, for example, in a ‘seat down’ position for UEFA games where stadia are required to be all seater and then in a ‘locked up’ position to make standing areas for Bundesliga matches. Theoretically, would THFC including rail seating in their design from the start be a problem with Haringey Council as they could be kept with the seat down to comply with current legislation and they afforded the flexibility to be used as standing areas in future?
- Haringey Council had no problem with this suggestion. It was felt designing an all seater stadium in the traditional mould and then applying to make changes at a later date to convert into standing sections would create more problems
- For instance, the capacity would change (it’s generally regarded that you can fit 1.5 people standing into the space of 1 person sitting) and the configuration of rows would change in relation to the spacing of gangways and aisles, hence it would theoretically be cleaner to design this in from the off
- THST requested that the THFC reps present at the meeting fed back this discussion to the Project Team and the THFC Exec Board for further consideration
8. AOB
- THST followed up on THFC’s offer to observe a match from the control room and to shadow their Safety team. It was agreed to wait for the fixtures to be released (and the TV picks) and then to select Cat A games for one rep to shadow at a time across the coming season
- THST had received a few complaints regarding the positioning of cameras behind the Paxton goals this season. THFC’s Deputy Safety Officer, Dean Smith, was in charge for the Club and it was agreed had ironed out any major issues quickly and satisfactorily on the whole. Those seated in the front 2 rows of the Paxton Road and Park Lane stands were sold restricted view price seats, as a result of increased camera presence
- Regarding the incident in the concourse at half time at Stoke City last weekend, THFC confirmed CCTV was in the process of being reviewed and this incident was still under investigation
- Regarding the Surfing flag planned for the Hull City match, THST reported there was a lack of sufficient volunteers to make this viable at present. It was felt this could be a result of apathy at the close of the season, fans preferring to spend the last home game of the season with their friends rather than giving up time to rehearse a surf or a general lack of enthusiasm for the idea. It was agreed to make a call on Friday afternoon as to whether to proceed or not. The alternative being to roll this out at the first home game of next season, when the hunger and enthusiasm for the new campaign was in full flow
- THST thanked Sue Tilling for agreeing to speak at the next Members’ Meeting on 20 May around match day policing/ stewarding, which was very much appreciated. JW to confirm whether parking is available by Monday 18 May
Action Points
- ND to provide further breakdown into arrest figures at White Hart Lane
- ND to speak with QPR re: exit procedure for away fans and report back to THST
- THST and THFC to further discuss best approach to following up incidents at away games
- THFC to provide THST with contact details for the new stadium Project team re: rail seating demonstration
- THFC to follow up on rail seating design discussion with Club Exec Board
- THST to debrief THFC on London Football Club Fan Conference at New Scotland Yard on 26 May
- THFC to offer dates for Cat A matches during 2015/16 season for THST to shadow match day security operation
Meeting concluded at 8.00pm
o Key learnings/ changes to procedure
- Following the incident at the COC QF v NUFC, THFC confirmed changes to the queuing system for away fans outside Park Lane had been introduced and was working well
- For the South upper and lower away turnstiles, barriers were in place to filter fans and enable smoother access to the stadium
- 15 foot high tear drop signage had also been installed to improve communication
- Fan liaison officers and stewards were deployed to the Park Lane entrances
- Ticket checks were in place at one end of the queue line and security checks at the other end, which speeded up the entry process, also
- Dogs had also been used as deterrents at some matches
- It was to THFC’s credit that lessons had been learned and improvements made after reflecting on the NUFC incident. A report on the meeting with the Football Supporters Federation and THFC can be read here: http://www.fsf.org.uk/latest-news/view/spurs-apologise-to-fans-over-crowd-congestion
- THFC have subsequently received positive feedback from other Clubs and visiting fans for the improved away entry system
o Questions on stewarding and policing at White Hart Lane from social media
- “ I have always wondered why (and I have asked the police on duty) is it that most of the police are positioned between the away fans exit in Park Lane and Tottenham High Road yet direct the majority of away fans in the other direction to their coaches in Worcester Avenue. Not that I have seen any trouble, but surely the potential is there”
- ND confirmed that the flashpoint has traditionally been immediately outside the stadium and on the corner of the High Road and the Park Lane, hence a bigger police presence in that area. Also, only a small minority of away fans travel on official coaches, with most opting for public transport, hence heading back to WHL station or 7 Sisters and away from Worcester Avenue
- "More female stewards needed because why should only male supporters be searched/frisked on entry to the stadium? Also searches don't happen at all entrances"
- THFC offered reassurance that there were sufficient female stewards – not 50/50 but enough. All checks are random: not every fan is checked at every entrance
- “Stewards are well meaning but ill prepared for fights/ trouble etc. Incident in Paxton Upper recently showed they need more training”
- THFC strongly refuted Stewards needed further training. The incident referred to was the first trouble in the Paxton Upper for years and the individual involved is known to THFC
- “Police stationed too near the stadium and not further up the high road – away fans outnumbered closer to 7 sisters”
- ND explained that the officers were initially stationed at the ground and then moved on further down the High Road after the end of a match
- BK raised concerns over the congestion on Paxton Road pre and post match. This is a recognised bottle neck. THFC confirmed that the ticket collection windows were moving in the close season to a unit in front of the community centre – within easy distance of the Park Lane ticket office. This will maximise room along Paxton Road for fans to walk/ access the stadium. Tottenham Square was felt to have vastly improved the space stadium side, too. THFC advised that whilst they were unable to confirm the changes, alterations would be made in the close season to this area to allow work to proceed on the new Stadium site.
o Banning orders and arrest figures
- ND provided a breakdown of arrest figures for the season so far. These are as follows:
Total arrests at home fixtures: 43
Breakdown of arrests:
6 Pitch invasions
3 Missile throwing
3 Assaults/ Assault on police
5 Ticket touting
3 Racially aggravated offences
2 Drunk and disorderly
6 Possession of flares
6 Affray / Section 4 POA
3 Breach of the peace
3 Breach of football banning order
3 Possession of Class A drugs
Total arrests of Spurs fans at away fixtures: 15
Breakdown of arrests:
6 Assault (Common Assault. Actual Bodily Harm)
2 Pitch encroachment
4 Affray
2 Section 4/5 Public Order Act
1 Drunk and disorderly
Banning orders:
8 Orders obtained this season
44 currently in force
Fixtures by category:
19 Category A (Low risk)
6 Category B
6 Category C (high risk)
- ND agreed to provide a further breakdown into the Home figures as to which were home fans and which were away fans
- The headline numbers were 22 home fans and 21 away fans arrested at White Hart Lane over the 2014/15 season
- ND also clarified that not all incidents occurred inside the stadium and that the ‘home’ arrests definitely included some ‘neutrals’
- THFC confirmed the steward centric approach was still working well inside WHL with reduced police officers for Category A games this season and looking to reduce further for next season (Cat A is low risk in terms of policing, Cat C is high risk, with Cat C IR increased risk)
o Away allocations
- After partially increasing the MUFC allocation for this season by 850 to 2600, THST asked whether plans were in place to give the full allocation to Manchester United next season. Both THFC and Haringey Council stated this would be dependent on the scheduling of the fixture: two 12 noon Sunday kick offs recently had helped create a ‘perfect storm’ in Tottenham’s favour. The behaviour of MUFC fans at other away games ahead of our fixture would also be monitored. That said, there was an appetite to increase again, up to the full 3000
- It had been possible to increase the allocation this season for MUFC as a result of a change in the Safety Team at United and the increased engagement with their Supporter Liaison Officer, coupled with the persistent campaigning by Dale Haslam of Reds Away, bringing this to the attention of those in relevant positions at the club, who recognised there was a problem across the board with United’s away allocations which needed to be addressed
- THFC confirmed that every other club is offered a full allocation at WHL
- It was also possible to offer various options to visiting clubs, in terms of 1800, 2200, 3000 tickets etc. owing to moveable segregation lines
- In terms of alcohol bans in the away section, currently West Ham United is the only fixture with a half time alcohol ban at WHL. Possibly Arsenal, dependent on fixture/ kick off day/ time
2. Future practice for away fixtures
o Joint work on preparing for games
o Best practice for post match follow up
- After serious entry problems at Stamford Bridge on 3 December, THST had collated fan complaints and approached Hammersmith and Fulham council, the Football Association, the Sports Ground Safety Authority (SGSA), the Premier League, the Metropolitan Police and Chelsea FC to ask for an explanation and for fan involvement in the planning of Cat C or C IR matches in future. We were invited to a meeting with CFC’s Head of Security, Deputy Safety Officer and the Environmental Health rep from Hammersmith and Fulham council on 23 April – a full report can be read here: https://www.thstofficial.com/thst-news/cfc-v-thfc-3-december-2014-safety-meeting
- THFC had asked that we approach such situations together in future - how did they anticipate this manifesting itself? What’s the text book approach here?
- THFC asked that THST contact them immediately should such a situation arise again in the future and the Club would take the lead on any follow up – on a Club to Club level
- THST explained that, as an independent organisation, we would want to retain the right to approach other bodies directly on occasion and whilst we would happily involve THFC in those communications, would want to continue to press for formal fan input and direct dialogue on behalf of our members when appropriate
- THST also confirmed they would continue to work with the FSF when beneficial to do so, who it was felt had a wealth of experience and best practice advice on policing/ safety issues
- THST agreed to further discuss the best approach with THFC outside of this meeting
- BK expressed concern at exiting certain Premier League grounds and in particular, Loftus Road, which it was felt could be managed better. ND agreed to speak with relevant stakeholders and confirm the reasoning for the exit procedure in place at QPR
- The allocation at Bournemouth was briefly discussed and, unless there are any expansions this summer, that will be 1100 only for away fans next season
3. Formal fan representation on Safety Advisory Groups
- At the last meeting of the Police Safety Forum in June 2014, THST had raised the question of including fan reps on Haringey’s Safety Advisory Group. This was revisited.
- BM explained that the SAG met infrequently, with one formal SAG and one informal SAG this year
- Each meeting had standing items on its agenda and THST would be very welcome to feed into that agenda in advance, in writing, via THFC
- THST explained that not being physically in these meetings meant fans were reduced to placing Freedom of Information requests to learn what had been discussed and decided, often with heavy redactions. It would be more beneficial to actually be in the room during these discussions
- BM acknowledged that certain topics and points could not be shared publicly, hence the redactions and hence the issue with having fan reps present in the meetings
- It was noted that at present no Trusts had reps on any SAG’s although the national push for this was acknowledged with other major cities such as Manchester and Birmingham now considering this
- THST referred to the Football Supporters Federation’s work in this area, alongside the SGSA and there was recognition this had now been moved onto the mainstream agenda, with the long term goal of placing a fan rep on every SAG and the short term goal of engaging fan groups in more pre and post match discussions, as had been illustrated by THST’s meeting with CFC in April
4. London policing approach to matches
o London Football Club Fan Conference at New Scotland Yard – 26 May
- THST has been invited to this event the week after next by the Met police to discuss the policing of football in the capital. As a fan only conference, THFC won’t be in attendance but requested a debrief from THST
- ND will be present and reminded any fans planning on attending the session to take formal photo ID with them in order to access New Scotland Yard
- A full synopsis for the session has yet to be circulated
5. UEL away fixtures
- Following the UEL away leg in Florence, THFC had liaised with Supporters Direct Europe to pool learnings ahead of future visits to Italy
- JW had overseen a full debrief with Stuart Dykes of SD Europe immediately after the trip
- The policing of that match was discussed and it was generally felt the Italian authorities had made some draconian decisions based on knee jerk reactions to the issues caused by Feyenoord fans in Rome the previous week
- The Italian Prime Minister is the former Mayor of Florence and had personally promised there would be no problems during Spurs’ visit to the city
- The alcohol ban and heavy police presence were decisions made at the last minute and ones THFC had argued firmly against, using the rationale that by forcing our fans out of the city centre squares and bars, it meant supporters were spread all over Florence and thus harder to police
- It was felt it had been unfortunate timing for our match in light of the incident in Rome and even the best planning in advance didn’t help here, which was a shame as Fiorentina themselves had been the model of a perfect club to deal with in the run up to the game
- ST wrote to the UK Football Policing Unit on her return to London and the Italian equivalent had responded stating simply ‘nothing had gone wrong’, which was a reflection on the success of the clamp down but no acknowledgement of an over-reaction or the impact these decisions had on the experience of our travelling fans
6. Transport
o White Hart Lane station: High Road West project - progress on upgrade
- BK had met with TFL, the station architects and Haringey council in February. A full report can be read here: https://www.thstofficial.com/thst-news/high-road-west-regeneration-white-hart-lane-station-meeting-17-feb-2015
- TFL is due to take over the line from Liverpool St to Enfield and Cheshunt this summer and incorporate it within the London Overground network. This should increase the number of 8 car trains on the line and potentially improve frequency
- Regarding expanding the Victoria line to Northumberland Park, BK recalled the explanation given by TFL at the aforementioned meeting in February as to why this wasn’t viable. Northumberland Park would be a branch line feeding into Walthamstow. With 33 trains an hour running on the Victoria line, trying to feed in additional trains from a branch line would disrupt the entire line scheduling for, what they regarded as, little benefit. There were currently no plans to expand the Victoria line to Northumberland Park
o Match day timetables
- Awaiting confirmation of timetables for next season
- Was hoped TFL would have a greater appreciation of match day flow pre and post game than Abellio had!
o Controlled parking zone
- With the expansion of the CPZ last summer and the introduction of Pay to Park schemes around N17, THST asked for an update on how that was going
- BM explained that the Pay to Park scheme hadn’t seen a great deal of uptake so far and the Council had asked the Club to help promote that on match days
- THFC commented that, following a number of incidents with unauthorised car parks at the Villa and Man City matches, they would advise fans to make use of the Pay to Park scheme
- THFC also urged fans not to hand over any money or to leave their cars in car parks they were even slightly uncertain or uneasy about using. Fans had been handing over money to men in Hi Visibility vest in unauthorised car parks and returning to find tickets or their cars towed away
- As regards Club car parking, none is available on match days for supporters. Limited staff parking is available in the West Stand car park (including players)
- 8 disabled parking spaces are available in Northumberland Park School and a further 5 in the West Stand car park
- There was felt to be no significant issues with match day traffic flow with road closures and restrictions felt to be working adequately
7. Safe Standing
o Police/ Haringey position – pending legislative change/ Green Guide regulations etc.
o Rail seating demonstration
- At the recent meeting between the Boards of THFC and THST, the possibility of a rail seating demonstration had been raised. THST followed this up by offering a demo to Haringey Council alongside THFC
- THFC agreed to follow up with their Project Team outside of the meeting with a view to organising a demo
- THST asked BM for Haringey Council’s position on the principle of Safe Standing. BM confirmed any change in legislation would be taken on board
- THST asked whether Haringey would object to rail seating being included in the design of the new stadium. Rail seats are used in Germany, for example, in a ‘seat down’ position for UEFA games where stadia are required to be all seater and then in a ‘locked up’ position to make standing areas for Bundesliga matches. Theoretically, would THFC including rail seating in their design from the start be a problem with Haringey Council as they could be kept with the seat down to comply with current legislation and they afforded the flexibility to be used as standing areas in future?
- Haringey Council had no problem with this suggestion. It was felt designing an all seater stadium in the traditional mould and then applying to make changes at a later date to convert into standing sections would create more problems
- For instance, the capacity would change (it’s generally regarded that you can fit 1.5 people standing into the space of 1 person sitting) and the configuration of rows would change in relation to the spacing of gangways and aisles, hence it would theoretically be cleaner to design this in from the off
- THST requested that the THFC reps present at the meeting fed back this discussion to the Project Team and the THFC Exec Board for further consideration
8. AOB
- THST followed up on THFC’s offer to observe a match from the control room and to shadow their Safety team. It was agreed to wait for the fixtures to be released (and the TV picks) and then to select Cat A games for one rep to shadow at a time across the coming season
- THST had received a few complaints regarding the positioning of cameras behind the Paxton goals this season. THFC’s Deputy Safety Officer, Dean Smith, was in charge for the Club and it was agreed had ironed out any major issues quickly and satisfactorily on the whole. Those seated in the front 2 rows of the Paxton Road and Park Lane stands were sold restricted view price seats, as a result of increased camera presence
- Regarding the incident in the concourse at half time at Stoke City last weekend, THFC confirmed CCTV was in the process of being reviewed and this incident was still under investigation
- Regarding the Surfing flag planned for the Hull City match, THST reported there was a lack of sufficient volunteers to make this viable at present. It was felt this could be a result of apathy at the close of the season, fans preferring to spend the last home game of the season with their friends rather than giving up time to rehearse a surf or a general lack of enthusiasm for the idea. It was agreed to make a call on Friday afternoon as to whether to proceed or not. The alternative being to roll this out at the first home game of next season, when the hunger and enthusiasm for the new campaign was in full flow
- THST thanked Sue Tilling for agreeing to speak at the next Members’ Meeting on 20 May around match day policing/ stewarding, which was very much appreciated. JW to confirm whether parking is available by Monday 18 May
Action Points
- ND to provide further breakdown into arrest figures at White Hart Lane
- ND to speak with QPR re: exit procedure for away fans and report back to THST
- THST and THFC to further discuss best approach to following up incidents at away games
- THFC to provide THST with contact details for the new stadium Project team re: rail seating demonstration
- THFC to follow up on rail seating design discussion with Club Exec Board
- THST to debrief THFC on London Football Club Fan Conference at New Scotland Yard on 26 May
- THFC to offer dates for Cat A matches during 2015/16 season for THST to shadow match day security operation
Meeting concluded at 8.00pm
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