| Charlton crowd issues 21:05 - Feb 6 with 40982 views | E17hoop |
Well before the game the crowd was struggling to get in and there was a serious crush right before the game.
I strongly suggest sending complaints into Charlton, that was dangerous. |  |
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| Charlton crowd issues on 12:57 - Apr 7 with 6315 views | themodfather |
has anyone contacted the football supporters federation? i think they have supported the away ticket prices campaigns in the past and maybe they have known history of issues at the valley?
stewards at west ham in the fa cup recently v qpr, caused issues with double searches causing huge tail backs and anger at gates and police stood by as we protested and did nothing , i did say to the say if there is an incident THEN you will have to do something won't you?
who can legally search me? and does a ground steward have to have a certificate of training ( ie know peoples rights?) to do so ? i assume they consider it private land so can search, dunno. |  | | |
| Charlton crowd issues on 13:37 - Apr 7 with 6129 views | E17hoop |
| Charlton crowd issues on 12:57 - Apr 7 by themodfather |
has anyone contacted the football supporters federation? i think they have supported the away ticket prices campaigns in the past and maybe they have known history of issues at the valley?
stewards at west ham in the fa cup recently v qpr, caused issues with double searches causing huge tail backs and anger at gates and police stood by as we protested and did nothing , i did say to the say if there is an incident THEN you will have to do something won't you?
who can legally search me? and does a ground steward have to have a certificate of training ( ie know peoples rights?) to do so ? i assume they consider it private land so can search, dunno. |
Yep - the FSF are aware. | |
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| Charlton crowd issues on 14:44 - Apr 7 with 5963 views | stowmarketrange |
| Charlton crowd issues on 12:57 - Apr 7 by themodfather |
has anyone contacted the football supporters federation? i think they have supported the away ticket prices campaigns in the past and maybe they have known history of issues at the valley?
stewards at west ham in the fa cup recently v qpr, caused issues with double searches causing huge tail backs and anger at gates and police stood by as we protested and did nothing , i did say to the say if there is an incident THEN you will have to do something won't you?
who can legally search me? and does a ground steward have to have a certificate of training ( ie know peoples rights?) to do so ? i assume they consider it private land so can search, dunno. |
It was the same again on Sunday.There were 100’s of people still trying to get in at ko time judging by the tv pictures. |  | | |
| Charlton crowd issues on 16:52 - Apr 21 with 5198 views | TheChef |
| Charlton crowd issues on 14:44 - Apr 7 by stowmarketrange |
It was the same again on Sunday.There were 100’s of people still trying to get in at ko time judging by the tv pictures. |
Any further update on this? |  |
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| Charlton crowd issues on 22:43 - Apr 21 with 4919 views | E17hoop |
| Charlton crowd issues on 16:52 - Apr 21 by TheChef |
Any further update on this? |
I gave them until 21 April and they have about an hour to respond.
I'll be escalating since I've had no reply. [Post edited 21 Apr 23:25]
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| Charlton crowd issues on 11:23 - Apr 22 with 4724 views | E17hoop |
| Charlton crowd issues on 22:43 - Apr 21 by E17hoop |
I gave them until 21 April and they have about an hour to respond.
I'll be escalating since I've had no reply. [Post edited 21 Apr 23:25]
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I’ve sent them a final follow-up giving five working days to provide written answers to the four outstanding points. I’d already given them two weeks, so another week is reasonable. At this stage it feels like they are trying to run this down until the May SAG meeting.
If they don’t respond, it goes to two places.
First, to the Council, as the authority responsible for overseeing the General Safety Certificate, to ask it to review how this complaint has been handled, whether the issues raised should have been recorded and followed up differently, and whether any further action is required. That is the route for holding Charlton properly to account, including whether they have failed to pass on the material I asked them to share.
Second, to the Safety Advisory Group, to ask that the incident, the photos, and the unanswered questions are considered formally as part of its oversight of spectator safety at The Valley. That puts the details of this incident on record ahead of the May meeting and makes it harder for the issue to be brushed aside.
I would expect that process to require Charlton to account properly for what happened outside the away end, explain what was reviewed, clarify whether there was a near-miss recording gap, and confirm what changes have been made to stewarding, queue management, and contingency planning.
If that still doesn’t produce a proper response, I’ll escalate it to the league and the Independent Football Ombudsman so there is an external review of both the incident and how it has been handled. | |
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| Charlton crowd issues on 11:26 - Apr 22 with 4718 views | dmm |
Absolutely sterling work, E17hoop. Thanks again for taking this on. It's such an important issue. |  | | |
| Charlton crowd issues on 11:46 - Apr 25 with 4414 views | E17hoop |
An update following the email I sent this week.
Charlton have now replied to say the complaint was shared in full with the Safety Advisory Group, including the photos and email chain, and that the SAG discussed it on 9 April. They say the matter was also reviewed alongside the Met debrief and SGSA ground assessment.
The SAG’s conclusion was that, on the evidence presented, the incident did not amount to a safety concern, and no breach of the Safety Certificate occurred. However, they did identify a set of action points, including updates to late-ingress risk assessments, better external queueing and crowd-flow management, improved steward briefing and communication, and retaining CCTV in future similar cases.
So the practical result is no formal finding of fault but a clear recommendation for better management of late-arriving away crowds in future. That is more than just a brush-off, but it still stops short of the club or SAG saying there were actual management failures on the night. They're not going to admit fault, so the response is probably the best I can expect.
What I’m doing next is shifting the focus from arguing the past to checking what happens now. I’m asking Charlton to confirm the timetable for implementing the recommendations, how they will be measured, and whether the SAG or Greenwich will review progress.
I’m also asking Greenwich, as the certifying authority, whether they are content with the SAG’s no-breach conclusion and what oversight they will keep in place for future late-ingress scenarios. This is so it's documented and can be called up should it happen again.
If the club and Council give proper answers, I’ll leave it there. If they don’t, or if the recommendations are left vague, I’ll escalate further and keep the paper trail going. | |
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| Charlton crowd issues on 16:49 - May 9 with 3962 views | E17hoop |
Last update:
Charlton have now replied to say the complaint was shared in full with the Safety Advisory Group, including the photos and email chain, and that the SAG discussed it on 9 April. They also say it was reviewed alongside the Met debrief and SGSA ground assessment.
The immediate learning points have already been implemented and tested at a recent evening kick-off against Ipswich Town, where they had a bigger away allocation and plenty of late arrivals. Conveniently, that was all dealt with “without issue”, and the SGSA was there to watch. Whether they would have been there if the complaint weren't live is another matter. It does mean it was safer for away fans, which is was the aim.
The SAG’s conclusion was that, on the evidence presented, the incident did not amount to a safety concern, and there was no breach of the Safety Certificate. That said, they still managed to identify a neat little list of action points anyway: updated late-ingress risk assessments, better queueing and crowd-flow management, improved steward briefing and communication, and CCTV retention for any future complaint that looks too familiar.
So, in summary, pretty much complete except the learning points, the changes, the testing, and the promise that everything will be sorted by the start of the 2026/27 campaign.
Next season will tell us whether this was genuinely fixed or just reworded more neatly. I'm keeping it open with RBG, as the certifying authority, whether they’re content with the SAG’s no-breach conclusion and what oversight they’ll keep in place for any future late-ingress issues. The aim is to get it on record in case a similar incident happens again. | |
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| Charlton crowd issues on 17:27 - May 9 with 3838 views | OldPedro |
| Charlton crowd issues on 16:49 - May 9 by E17hoop |
Last update:
Charlton have now replied to say the complaint was shared in full with the Safety Advisory Group, including the photos and email chain, and that the SAG discussed it on 9 April. They also say it was reviewed alongside the Met debrief and SGSA ground assessment.
The immediate learning points have already been implemented and tested at a recent evening kick-off against Ipswich Town, where they had a bigger away allocation and plenty of late arrivals. Conveniently, that was all dealt with “without issue”, and the SGSA was there to watch. Whether they would have been there if the complaint weren't live is another matter. It does mean it was safer for away fans, which is was the aim.
The SAG’s conclusion was that, on the evidence presented, the incident did not amount to a safety concern, and there was no breach of the Safety Certificate. That said, they still managed to identify a neat little list of action points anyway: updated late-ingress risk assessments, better queueing and crowd-flow management, improved steward briefing and communication, and CCTV retention for any future complaint that looks too familiar.
So, in summary, pretty much complete except the learning points, the changes, the testing, and the promise that everything will be sorted by the start of the 2026/27 campaign.
Next season will tell us whether this was genuinely fixed or just reworded more neatly. I'm keeping it open with RBG, as the certifying authority, whether they’re content with the SAG’s no-breach conclusion and what oversight they’ll keep in place for any future late-ingress issues. The aim is to get it on record in case a similar incident happens again. |
I guess it would be interesting to know how the Ipswich fans felt at that recent game and whether there were any issues on entry. Anyone know any who would have been at that game? |  |
| Extra mature cheddar......a simple cheese for a simple man |
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| Charlton crowd issues on 09:26 - May 12 with 3345 views | robith |
Not all heroes wear capes E17 |  | | |
| Charlton crowd issues on 10:15 - May 12 with 3261 views | BazzaInTheLoft |
| Charlton crowd issues on 17:27 - May 9 by OldPedro |
I guess it would be interesting to know how the Ipswich fans felt at that recent game and whether there were any issues on entry. Anyone know any who would have been at that game? |
These guys are FSA affiliated. Might be worth getting in touch.
Email: ipswichtownfirst@gmail.com
Twitter: @ITFCtrust
Facebook: Ipswich Town First – Independent Supporters Trust |  | | |
| Charlton crowd issues on 12:52 - May 12 with 3125 views | E17hoop |
Update: RBG have now confirmed that the matter was reviewed in full by the Safety Advisory Group on 9 April, alongside the Club’s internal investigation, the Met debrief and the SGSA ground assessment.ir The email also makes clear that the SAG’s view was that the incident did not amount to a safety concern and that there was no breach of the Safety Certificate.
That said, the same response still confirms a set of learning points for the Club: updated late-ingress risk assessments, better external queue management, improved steward briefing and supporter communication, and CCTV retention for any future complaint. So while the formal finding is “no breach”, the practical outcome is still that the issues raised have been recognised and actioned.
CAFC said those changes tested at the Ipswich evening kick-off - the question now is whether that improvement is sustained next season, rather than simply tied to a live complaint being under scrutiny.
I’ve also replied to RBG to ask what evidence the SAG relied on, how they distinguished an operational learning point from a safety concern, and how they will satisfy themselves that the agreed changes are actually embedded. I’ve asked them to confirm what oversight the certifying authority will keep in place for any repeat late-ingress issues, since the point of the exercise is not just a neat conclusion on one fixture, but a proper record and a proper standard for the future.
For me, that leaves the position pretty clear: the formal complaint may be closed out, but the underlying issue has at least forced some useful operational changes and put the question of future oversight firmly on record. Next season will show whether that was a genuine fix or just a more polished explanation. | |
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| Charlton crowd issues on 12:53 - May 12 with 3114 views | E17hoop |
| Charlton crowd issues on 09:26 - May 12 by robith |
Not all heroes wear capes E17 |
Like I said before - don't píss me off with things like this.😁 | |
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| Charlton crowd issues on 14:01 - May 12 with 3001 views | themodfather |
well done E17, likely charlton will reduce away capacity ( they did give us an extra 300 restricted view) but it seems they say no blame bit instigate measures? so yes blame but not in name .
we had issues at chelsea, searching us for sheets made in to anti john terry messages, as if i need a sheet and spray can for that! and this year at west ham with 2 searches into ground?
fans are treated poorly but are not expected to speak out.
trains were delayed but the KO could have been delayed too, if ref/club are aware but did not .
how qpr fans were treated at old trafford was terrible, we were champs from championship, they from prem league, stewards dragged fans down, steep steps forcibly, fiinally met police arrested a steward ! | | | |
| Charlton crowd issues on 14:39 - May 12 with 2971 views | wombat |
| Charlton crowd issues on 14:01 - May 12 by themodfather |
well done E17, likely charlton will reduce away capacity ( they did give us an extra 300 restricted view) but it seems they say no blame bit instigate measures? so yes blame but not in name .
we had issues at chelsea, searching us for sheets made in to anti john terry messages, as if i need a sheet and spray can for that! and this year at west ham with 2 searches into ground?
fans are treated poorly but are not expected to speak out.
trains were delayed but the KO could have been delayed too, if ref/club are aware but did not .
how qpr fans were treated at old trafford was terrible, we were champs from championship, they from prem league, stewards dragged fans down, steep steps forcibly, fiinally met police arrested a steward ! |
this goes back way longer than old trafford anyone remember the treatment we used to gte at villa park when we was behind the goal ? they used to have the wall behind the away fans which allowed the local plod to basically walk along to the the fans and nick anyone who was close to the exntrance , happened for years , one copper was a regular there and used to nick at least 4/5 people per game , ginger tw@t with a tache . mate if mine got nicked before he had put a foot on the platform at villa park by the very same copper , his comment was to a femal police dog handler was which ones the dog !
forest was also a ground renowned for stewards and ploice being heavy handed back in the day . |  |
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| Charlton crowd issues on 15:11 - May 12 with 2923 views | Rangersw12 |
| Charlton crowd issues on 14:01 - May 12 by themodfather |
well done E17, likely charlton will reduce away capacity ( they did give us an extra 300 restricted view) but it seems they say no blame bit instigate measures? so yes blame but not in name .
we had issues at chelsea, searching us for sheets made in to anti john terry messages, as if i need a sheet and spray can for that! and this year at west ham with 2 searches into ground?
fans are treated poorly but are not expected to speak out.
trains were delayed but the KO could have been delayed too, if ref/club are aware but did not .
how qpr fans were treated at old trafford was terrible, we were champs from championship, they from prem league, stewards dragged fans down, steep steps forcibly, fiinally met police arrested a steward ! |
Derby away this season young fans manhandled out by stewards whilst the home fans continued to goad and mouth off | | | |
| Charlton crowd issues on 20:25 - May 12 with 2738 views | boysfromthebush |
And last season at Derby! | | | |
| Charlton crowd issues on 20:33 - May 12 with 2715 views | Ned_Kennedys |
| Charlton crowd issues on 14:39 - May 12 by wombat |
this goes back way longer than old trafford anyone remember the treatment we used to gte at villa park when we was behind the goal ? they used to have the wall behind the away fans which allowed the local plod to basically walk along to the the fans and nick anyone who was close to the exntrance , happened for years , one copper was a regular there and used to nick at least 4/5 people per game , ginger tw@t with a tache . mate if mine got nicked before he had put a foot on the platform at villa park by the very same copper , his comment was to a femal police dog handler was which ones the dog !
forest was also a ground renowned for stewards and ploice being heavy handed back in the day . |
Yeah Villa used to be the worst: fans dragged out seemingly at random. |  | | |
| Charlton crowd issues on 20:36 - May 12 with 2709 views | stowmarketrange |
| Charlton crowd issues on 14:39 - May 12 by wombat |
this goes back way longer than old trafford anyone remember the treatment we used to gte at villa park when we was behind the goal ? they used to have the wall behind the away fans which allowed the local plod to basically walk along to the the fans and nick anyone who was close to the exntrance , happened for years , one copper was a regular there and used to nick at least 4/5 people per game , ginger tw@t with a tache . mate if mine got nicked before he had put a foot on the platform at villa park by the very same copper , his comment was to a femal police dog handler was which ones the dog !
forest was also a ground renowned for stewards and ploice being heavy handed back in the day . |
Where were the coppers when me and my mate almost got done at Villa Park in May 1977.Nowhere to be seen of course. | | | |
| Charlton crowd issues on 08:39 - Jun 29 with 1924 views | E17hoop |
Update: RBG have now sent a fuller response after the Special SAG meeting on 28 May.
I got this last week, and they say the original complaint, photos and follow-up emails were all shared with the group, along with steward logs, the incident log, the risk assessment and police observations. The SAG still says the 6 Feb congestion wasn’t enough to count as a safety concern or a breach, mainly because the flow stayed moving and there were no injuries, near-misses or escalations.
What they do make clear, though, is that the evidence trail wasn’t ideal - especially since CAFC from the game wasn't downloaded before the 30-day retention period expired. Not suggesting CAFC were hiding anything but...
The club has now been told to tighten up late-ingress planning, keep a closer eye on turnstiles, improve steward briefings and comms, and make sure CCTV is retained properly if there’s ever another complaint or incident.
So, the formal verdict is “no breach”, but the complaint has at least forced some proper changes and a bit more oversight from RBG and SGSA. The missing CCTV is still the bit that sticks out, because it shows why the procedures needed tightening in the first place.
Our game on 9 September - another evening kickoff - will be the real test of whether this has actually been sorted or whether things were just made to look better while the complaint was live.
I’m keeping it on record with RBG, the certifying authority, and will feed back after that game. If there’s another bad experience, CAFC will have some explaining to do. | |
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| Charlton crowd issues on 10:51 - Jun 29 with 1700 views | TwoHalves |
| Charlton crowd issues on 08:39 - Jun 29 by E17hoop |
Update: RBG have now sent a fuller response after the Special SAG meeting on 28 May.
I got this last week, and they say the original complaint, photos and follow-up emails were all shared with the group, along with steward logs, the incident log, the risk assessment and police observations. The SAG still says the 6 Feb congestion wasn’t enough to count as a safety concern or a breach, mainly because the flow stayed moving and there were no injuries, near-misses or escalations.
What they do make clear, though, is that the evidence trail wasn’t ideal - especially since CAFC from the game wasn't downloaded before the 30-day retention period expired. Not suggesting CAFC were hiding anything but...
The club has now been told to tighten up late-ingress planning, keep a closer eye on turnstiles, improve steward briefings and comms, and make sure CCTV is retained properly if there’s ever another complaint or incident.
So, the formal verdict is “no breach”, but the complaint has at least forced some proper changes and a bit more oversight from RBG and SGSA. The missing CCTV is still the bit that sticks out, because it shows why the procedures needed tightening in the first place.
Our game on 9 September - another evening kickoff - will be the real test of whether this has actually been sorted or whether things were just made to look better while the complaint was live.
I’m keeping it on record with RBG, the certifying authority, and will feed back after that game. If there’s another bad experience, CAFC will have some explaining to do. |
Appreciate your tenacity in highlighting this important issue, E17. Not to mention the time you must have devoted to it. The proverbial ‘dog with a bone’ has got nothing on you! | | | |
| Charlton crowd issues on 10:58 - Jun 29 with 1665 views | TheChef |
| Charlton crowd issues on 10:51 - Jun 29 by TwoHalves |
Appreciate your tenacity in highlighting this important issue, E17. Not to mention the time you must have devoted to it. The proverbial ‘dog with a bone’ has got nothing on you! |
Hear hear! Kudos to E17 and all his efforts.
Certainly with Charlton away being midweek it will be interesting to see what the experience is this time. Although I do wonder with it not being a Friday night, if that helps at all. Not that it should make any difference to procedures, crowd management, etc. | |
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| Charlton crowd issues on 12:13 - Jun 29 with 1525 views | E17hoop |
It doesn't take long to do and it's stuff I'm interested in - it's almost a hobby. Some people love classic cars, some watch trains, I like challenging and understanding the failures in bureaucracies. | |
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| Charlton crowd issues on 13:42 - Jun 29 with 1423 views | TheChef |
| Charlton crowd issues on 12:13 - Jun 29 by E17hoop |
It doesn't take long to do and it's stuff I'm interested in - it's almost a hobby. Some people love classic cars, some watch trains, I like challenging and understanding the failures in bureaucracies. |
Well there's certainly plenty of that to keep you engaged (rofl/sad face...) | |
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