Portadown Away :Parking and Bars-Very Important

Got a call from the portadown Security officer earlier.A ports friend of mine gave him my number,and the following is in place for the game.

-City fans are being put in the new stand behind the goal-has refreshments etc but no bar...I Will know tomorrow evening if Euro's will be accepted there but take it at the moment its sterling

- City fans will NOT be allowed into the bars at the ground,at the request of the PSNI.There is bar close by the ground but its not recommended we drink there as PSNI can't guarentee our safety there

- City fans will be bussed out of the ground immiediatly after the game 9:15 at the latest.Home fans are being kept in the stadium until we have departed and we will have a Police escort away from the ground untill we are on the road to dubland

-Secure parking under CCTV cameras and stewards ,along with Police presence ,will take care of the buses(200 yds from ground)

-buses will be brought up to the stand 10 mins before full time ready to take us home and police escort waiting

-There is Secure parking in the ground for maximum of 30 away supporters cars


gav


Admin - can this be made a sticky please

bit heavy-handed, isn't it?

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Originally Posted by Risteard

bit heavy-handed, isn't it?

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ye think thats bad :confused: We had the sniffer dogs and horses on patrol tonight :D

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Originally Posted by Risteard

bit heavy-handed, isn't it?

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Standard for the competition- ports fans were escorted to tolka, same with linfield fans tonite - same rules apply as a precaution apparently

makes u think is this tournament all worthwhile

why do you say that?

Chr$t - it makes the Rovers games seem like the Corpus Christi procession :eek: :D

Imagine if the same applies at The Cross - will we be kept in the ground while they go to their busses?

These are all precautions only - with the media waitin to pounce on any story's, and everyone wanting this to go off smoothly , they just want the risk taken out of it - AFIK the same applys to ports fans comin to cork

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Originally Posted by Risteard

bit heavy-handed, isn't it?

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To be honest .... it is better to have too much than too little.

From what i can see already, i cant see there being any problems what so ever but it being the first year i suppose there is not harm in going through all of this ... it is only protocol, and exercise .... cant see it being like that all the time.

I suppose its better that they're extra careful, it only takes one idiot :rolleyes: Pity though, as I had been invited to have a drink with a Portadown fan. Hopefully these measures won't be necessary next time around and we can all enjoy the next setanta cup in a more civilised normality.

Better to be safe than sorry, time will sort out the segregation so until then maybe it's for the best, we don't want this to be the first and last Setanta Cup.

Pity as there are plenty of O fans would love to get the craic going as they want a day out when they come down to the cross.

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Originally Posted by A face

cant see it being like that all the time.

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Woodint it be grayt if it was like dis ul the time.

Ye're probably right once you've proper stewards.

City steward wouldn't let me walk past behind the Derrynane Stand with its 8 Shels fans at 6.30 last Monday. That unnecessary stuff just aggravates people.
I'm confident Setanta will pass off peacefully.

I know that there were lots of Linfield fans about Longford yesterday and last night in the pubs and their was no bother with them so maybe the Ports fans could do the same when they go to Cork.Also we had no probs spending Euro's at the match with Glentoran because all you could buy was the match program and stuff from the chipper van.They are only to glad to take euro's up the north so i wouldn't worry to much.

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Originally Posted by Éanna

Pity though, as I had been invited to have a drink with a Portadown fan.

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Me too, shame about that, a bit of pre-match banter would have been good

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Originally Posted by thecorner

makes u think is this tournament all worthwhile

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Was thinking the same thing myself.

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There is bar close by the ground but its not recommended we drink there as PSNI can't guarentee our safety there

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Jeez what is this...Iraq?

I'm sure the PSNI and officials have to err on side of caution but i'm sure once we up there will be able to wander around a bit outsdie the ground...

IMO supporters have as much responsibility to ensure they prevent their own idiots from not provoking things with "insensitive" jestures.

Lads,
Seeing as we leave Jackland at 3 we should be there roughly at 5.30. The game doesn't kick off till 7.15 (or 7.30). Is there somewhere we can go for a pint/munch? They hardly expect us to go straight into the ground do they??
I'm all for security as it would take a few idiots to mess things up for everyone - but sticking us in the ground for that long is unfair.

Maybe Exile might consider a pit stop somewhere outside Portadown for an hour en route.

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Originally Posted by fella

Maybe Exile might consider a pit stop somewhere outside Portadown for an hour en route.

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I don't know he not so handy with a map ;) :D

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Originally Posted by pete

I don't know he not so handy with a map ;) :D

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Coming from the man who drives down Pedestrian streets and the wrong way around Roundabouts ;) :D :D

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Originally Posted by tiktok

Coming from the man who drives down Pedestrian streets and the wrong way around Roundabouts

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Thought we'd forgotten all about that. :o :D
Did I say left or right? :confused: :D

I'm not sure of which route we are taking, but Armagh is about 15 minutes drive from Portadown, so maybe we could have a jar and a bite to eat there?

Dublin to Portadown is about an 1 hr 50 mins, so arriving at Armagh at 5.15/5.30 would give us an hour to relax before heading to the ground at 6.30.

Is this an option or are we ging to be "chaperoned" all the way from the border?


EDIT: Do we have to go straight to the ground when we arrive in Portadown?

Just checked AA Road Watch there, and Dublin - Armagh is 1hr 46mins.
That gets us there at 5ish. I would like to have a jar/food and relax for a while somewhere, I don't see the point in going to Portadown to be in the ground 2 hours before kick-off?