Topic: Club statement - North West stand |
---|
1. Author: NiallDAFC Date: Thu 26th Sep 2024. 20:09 DAFC Club Statement: North West Stand Dear Pars Fans, Following last Friday night`s match against Raith Rovers we are writing to you as a season card holder in the North West stand. The atmosphere has continued to be fantastic and we have never taken this support for granted. Friday`s match epitomised the positive effects of a vociferous support, pushing the squad over the line for an important three points. Likewise the Tifo celebrating the life of Sol Bamba highlights the togetherness of the Pars family, with friends and family of Sol reaching out to the club thanking the support for their thoughts and prayers. For all this good, we do unfortunately have to highlight several recent issues that has led to the football authorities and Police putting severe pressure on the club. In the home end last Friday night thousands of pounds of damage was caused, with many seats broken along with the metal backings that fix the seats to the concrete stand. Not only does a replacement seat and backing cost £130 per unit but supporters, in numbers, standing on their seats poses a significant safety risk to the individual supporter and all around them. We would like to reiterate supporters should sit in their allocated seat and not move to other areas of the stadium. Going forward, supporters who are identified as breaking/damaging their seats will be charged for this and could face club bans. A number of season card holders who`s seats were broken at last Friday night`s match have been written to as we seek explanations on why this occurred. Despite the club warning, we continue to see pyrotechnics used at KDM Group East End Park. This is against the law and the Police are reviewing CCTV to identify any supporters who have brought in or participated in the use of pyrotechnics. We have also been challenged by both the Police and the SPFL on whether we are doing enough to prevent these incidents. Most seriously, during last Friday night`s match the assistant referee in front of the North West stand was struck by an object, with further objects thrown in his direction during the course of the match. Regrettably this is the third consecutive game that the assistant referee in question has officiated at KDM Group East End Park and has been struck by objects. Due to the regular frequency of these incidents, assistant referees are now receiving briefings ahead of games to warn them of the likely behaviour of our fans in the North West stand and to be on guard for missiles. This is wholly unacceptable and damages the club. DAFC are now being challenged by the authorities to take much stronger action against `unacceptable conduct` that has stemmed from a small group of supporters in the North West stand, tarnishing the reputation of our largely fantastic backing. If objects continue to be thrown at officials the only next step available to us is to close down the North West stand for some competitive matches. Whilst we know that this will punish many supporters who have had nothing to do with these incidents, we have exhausted all other measures in dealing with unacceptable conduct in this stand. The football authorities have put us on our final warning around this topic and everyone at KDM Group East End Park would like to reiterate that supporters should refrain from throwing any objects on to the pitch at any time. We look forward to welcoming you on Saturday for another hugely important match as we take on Queen`s Park. Your support is never taken for granted and we hope collectively we can help push James and the squad on for another positive result. DAFC Reply |
2. Author: kelty_par Date: Thu 26th Sep 2024. 20:12 It`ll be fine until the next "big" game when the idiots return. Either that or something gets thrown on Saturday and there will be the usual moans about it being unfair when the stand gets closed. Reply |
3. Author: red-star-par Date: Thu 26th Sep 2024. 20:17 Just close it already, there`s plenty of room in the Norrie for the folk that go to this stand. They have had as many warnings, damaging our own seats is well out of order. Reply |
4. Author: PARadise Date: Thu 26th Sep 2024. 20:19 Totally reasonable statement. As someone who enjoys the North West and the great atmosphere it has now brought to EEP it’s incredibly frustrating when you see missiles being thrown, the regulars when someone throw pyro/missiles onto the pitch are always challenged and told where to go but it’s impossible to micro manage these situations realistically. The main issue is there are too many people in the one section for to identify these guys, they need to make it bigger to weed out the clowns. As for closing it down for a few games it’s understandable the club could get pushed to that but there needs to be a balance that the vast majority are well behaved and call out this behaviour when it happens Reply |
5. Author: NiallDAFC Date: Thu 26th Sep 2024. 20:34 My ST seat is towards the top of that section and whenever the rovers or Falkirk are in town I don`t get anywhere near my seat. Stewards don`t care so I don`t even attempt it and just find one of the many empty seats further along. Might have to be a bit more strict going forward if there`s a chance I`ll get fined for some wee fud who shows up for 4 games a season to get me into bother with the club. Anyone who sees someone throw anything towards the pitch should identify and slap the wee tit before handing them over to the relevant authorities with a sore puss. It`s either going to result in the stand being closed or having to watch games through a mesh net like they do across Europe. Neither of these options are acceptable, the guys who run SNW need to spend less time on Tifos and more time advising the group that throwing objects towards officials is not acceptable, it`s been going on for too long and nothing changes. Reply |
6. Author: Dave_1885 Date: Thu 26th Sep 2024. 20:41 Close the stand. About time the harshest punishment was brought in for this behaviour. Imagine breaking seats at your own ground during a game you’ve won 🤦🏻♂️ embarrassing Reply |
7. Author: parsloyal98 Date: Thu 26th Sep 2024. 20:43 A statement that should come to the surprise of nobody. The state of the NW after the Rovers game was shocking with all the broken seats. I’m all for atmosphere and think what SNW - for the most part - does make a difference but breaking our own seats? Probably doesn’t help it’s 3 to a seat on most of the big games. Pyro is very much a part of the global fan culture these days and there’s many countries and clubs who have ways of allowing this and making it as safe as possible. As a country, it probably should be looked in to but ultimately nothing will come of it. Safe standing would make perfect sense in that section but appreciate that comes at a cost. We love Dunfermline We do! Reply |
8. Author: parsfan97 Date: Thu 26th Sep 2024. 20:50 Hardly a surprise. Wee fuds that can’t behave themselves. More surprised it hasn’t been shut down yet Reply |
9. Author: Raymie the Legend Date: Thu 26th Sep 2024. 20:50 Not that this should be deemed necessary, but could the linesmen not swap sides, so that we have one at the north east and the other at the main west? It`s bloody tough being a legend Ron Atkinson - 1983 Reply |
10. Author: Rigger Al Date: Thu 26th Sep 2024. 21:06 change the sides for assistan the asst ref ,away from the idiots throwing misiles ,if possible Reply |
11. Author: jake89 Date: Thu 26th Sep 2024. 21:07 It`s a minority of the fans in the stand. Moving them doesn`t solve the issue. If the club have CCTV in place it shouldn`t take much to start identifying and banning any idiots bringing in pyros or throwing objects. Whilst I`d agree it`s unacceptable to damage seats, I could almost accept it if it`s accidental as a result of overzealous celebration. Pyros and throwing things though are pre-meditated. Ban a couple and the message should get through. Reply |
12. Author: Dave_1885 Date: Thu 26th Sep 2024. 21:07 Raymie the Legend, Thu 26 Sep 20:50 Is it not a standard throughout football that they are on those sides? I may be wrong mind you. On the safe standing bit - are you not still allocated one seat? Wouldn’t stop the overcrowding in the area. Reply |
13. Author: P Date: Thu 26th Sep 2024. 21:26 It may well be a minority but until they are policed by the majority it will continue to happen. Clearly the minority feel they are in a safe space to do whatever they want without consequences and the silent majority enable them and probably think it’s a big laugh since we’ve been around this loop so many times. Reply |
14. Author: veteraneastender Date: Thu 26th Sep 2024. 21:47 Dave_1885, Thu 26 Sep 21:07 It’s not written in stone, unless a change has slipped under my radar, but it’s the normal procedure. If you look at the footage of the famous win over Everton the linesman who OK’d the late winning goal operated on the alternative side. That’s not really the issue here though - changing a linesmen’s traditional beat would be tantamount to allowing the NW clowns to set the agenda. Post Edited (Thu 26 Sep 21:48) Reply |
15. Author: Connor560 Date: Thu 26th Sep 2024. 21:51 EDIT - just seen this point made above. There are clearly many issues here, all which the club has highlighted well. I know this is the smallest of them, could the assistant referees not switch sides? So run along the empty part of the west stand with the one nearest the norrie on front of the main stand? As above, know this doesn`t fix the issues or behaviour of our support but for safety reasons of the officials, it could work. C'mon Ye Pars! Post Edited (Thu 26 Sep 21:52) Reply |
16. Author: Pars Athletic Date: Thu 26th Sep 2024. 22:06 As others have said get assistant refs to change sides. It gives the club 1 less problem to sort. Absolute clowns destroying your own stadium. Reply |
17. Author: Underpars Date: Thu 26th Sep 2024. 22:20 Unfortunately kids have turned a bit feral these days, the bus station is another area where they have no fear or won’t respect authority. We need to integrate them with adults so - shut the section down so we can police them properly I’m sorry to say. It’s not going to improve in future. Reply |
18. Author: Paralex Date: Thu 26th Sep 2024. 22:21 "Get the assistant refs. to change sides?" Absolute nonsense. Totally unacceptable that we should have any tolerance for items being thrown at officials. Identify the culprits and ban them from the games. We`ll have our linesmen needing riot gear with tin helmets soon. So much leeway has been given to them because they have had a positive effect on the atmosphere but now they`re taking advantage of the indulgence. Reply |
19. Author: Jeffery Date: Thu 26th Sep 2024. 23:29 Who on earth pays in to watch a team they supposedly support and smashes their own seats up?! I noticed a big group of what looked like teenagers before the game, dressed head to toe in black, hoods up and scarfs over their faces. Apart from this obvious attempt to hide their identity, it seemed strange that there was no obvious pars gear amongst them. Wondering now if they were involved and maybe weren`t regular fans. Reply |
20. Author: thebear Date: Fri 27th Sep 2024. 00:25 Good and correct statement, surprised it`s taken this long. Good video coverage will id mist of them, who must be banned Reply |