Just been reading the latest[url=http://bullieve.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/bullieve-18th-february-2013.html BULLieve[/url and was disturbed to read the claim that


First I've heard of this. I drove into the ground and so could have had a carful of contraband yet nobody searched that. Very unhappy at this if it is true. No need for it at all, and anyway if it is so useless that smoke grenades are missed, then what's the point anyway? Anybody get searched?

No searches in the Provident Stand just checks of stand tickets to obviate last season's debacle of ground ticket holders walking into the stand and filching empty stand seats.

I find the article from BULLieve strange as I have heard nothing about this from the many friends who populate the pop side.

As FA says - lets know if this did in fact happen, OR tell us if it did not happen

I was asked to open my bag outside the ground. The steward said that he was checking to see if I was carrying any glass bottles. Very polite, seemed satisfied with just a quick look. All I had was a few extra layers, plus extra scarf, hat and gloves! I love Summer rugby!

Yup, Cookie Jnr and his girlfriend had to open up their bags and have them searched.

I heard terrace singer had his head searched but nothing was found.










(Sorry terrace!

)

Nothing different for me, the only thing I noticed when showing my pass for the stand was that the two chaps were wearing Bradford City embroidered coats.

Never ever been searched and I usually have a fairly hefty rucksack with me. I think security should be tighter to be honest.

The only thing I have noticed different this season is that some steward keeps telling me not to stand in the aisle at half time or before the match when I am talking to someone. That has never happened to me ever before, and it comes across as jobsworthness to me. The guys are always polite enough, mind. Just OTT IMO.

Really? I've been told off so many times I can't step on anything yellow any more, in or out of the ground.

What's the deal with the security bloke (not steward) standing by the bar on the popular side? They don't do anything. We never had them before and they were never needed so what's the point of them?
Save money by getting rid and spend it on more (or better) bar staff. The beer is better (Becks NOT Budweiser) but the staff are so slow it's daft.

There was a jobsworth standing by the bar behind the main stand too, telling us which way to queue (AND he was talking bollox, since from time immemorial we have always queued from the right, and he made us queue from the left and thereby get in the way of both an entrance to the stand AND the burger van queue.

Its sounding like we might have a bit of a totally-avoidable nuisance issue here. Maybe swo can appraise his colleagues of this nonsense?

Re the bar staff, I was told that they had got rid of most of the previous staff, since the previous gameand were relying on "foreign students" and volunteers. That was slowing things down, despite the best efforts of volunteers.

Indeed. But surely your ASBO for trampling bananas expires soon?

The Guardian to the portal that leads to the Premier Club bar was dressed in a fine 3 piece suit bereft of any dayglow HSE trappings.
Our credentials were checked properly and we were addressed pleasantly as Sir and Madam.
He opened the inner door for us and closed it after our entry.

Strange to be treated as valued customers, but most welcome

One gripe only: beer is £3 a pint whilst it is only £2.50 in the Coral Bars

And in the plebs bar in the back of the stand. Even so, its worth about £2.99 a pint more than the rubbish last year. A MUCH nicer pint IMO. Mind you, I DID have to sample three just to make sure...

Didn't get searched as such, though a steward, politely, checked my bag outside the turnstile. Not a problem to be honest. Actually felt quite complimented - they felt I'd sufficient energy an vitality to cause bovver..

I'll be honest, I've taken cans of lager into the ground for ~10 years. I buy from the bar until the queues get to the stage that I'll end up missing the game, at which point I top my glass up. I keep the empties in my bag and take them home to recycle.

This week I was asked if the steward could check in my bag. "Fair cop" I thought. I said "no you cannot look in my bag", planning on walking back to the car to leave the cans in the boot but as I was explaining this to the original steward I became aware of another who was opening my rucksack from behind my back! That lead to an argument which required a senior steward to step in.

So during the game I missed the first few minutes of the first half (up to the injury) and around 10 minutes of the second half due to grossly under staffed bars. As someone who who doesn't need a beer to enjoy the game, I'll simply not bother with the bars in future, which is money not going into the club.

I would like to buy my refreshments from the Bulls rather than Q gardens so that any profit goes to the club. The three of us drink Cider which has now been taken off draft and replaced with un-chilled Stella Cidre at £4 a chuck. I envisage a fallout at the next match as I try to smuggle contraband Strongbow, lots of people who sit around us were searched, and I will object strongly if some tries to search my bags.

This checking bags for "sharp objects" is just rubbish, clearly the stewards have been told to check for booze..Its the old captive audience stuff, which i can understand to a point as long as they don't start charging silly money for a pint, if this is the case I'll be doing my boozing before i get into the ground.

As for the bar behind the stand. What a mess this was, 2 studenty types (no offence students) serving the beer and the usual lady the only one allowed to take the cash and give change, lets hope they get this sorted quick!

Are you really all moaning about not being allowed to smuggle your own booze in?

I don't think so, just the way its been managed, badly.

Please tell me the spelling mistake was deliberate!

At the risk of sounding like an alcoholic I have to say that the speed of the beer service is among my top 2 considerations when I review my matchday experience.
I've got 2 kids under 4 so as you might guess I don't get out much. This means I don't want to spend 30 minutes queuing for a beer (in a bizarre manner this season) because I'm on a rigid alcohlic units per hour schedule that must be fulfilled.
I buy 2 pints from the bar every game and would probably have another if it didn't take so long. The only game I don't buy any beer from the Bulls is the Leeds game. This is because the queues are ridiculous and have taken 45 minutes in the past - no where near good enough in the past and I fear it will break the hour mark from what I've seen this season. I will bring my own and will drink it stood at the gate if pulled.
Again - why are we spending money on security guards who just stand next to the bar (they could at least organise the queuing) when we have people apparently manning the bars for free?

I tend to head to the beer tent where service is usually ok. Bizarrely I was asked how much I'd paid for my pint on Sat by two fellas who had apparently just been charged £10 for 2 pints of Stella in the touchdown bar.. a mistake surely?

I can quite imagine that someone saying no you cannot search my bag, would cause a security incident. The bag search is on the main for people taking in food and drink.

But when you get someone saying no, that's going to immediately make a security person think 'We've got something more than the usual here'.

As for bag searching, I think it will become more and more common placed. We visit the USA regularly and your bags get searched at most events. It's not a bomb thing, it's simply a food check, but they do put it up that you can't bring your own food or drink (baby food is the exception).

There are always ways around any security if you are desperate to bring your own beer in. But honestly for 2 hours I can manage to enjoy the rugby without a pint and if I did feel the need for one, then it's just about going in plenty of time. On the bright side you at least have security and bar staff to have a whinge about this year, you see, not such an issue in the scale of things.