Stewarding in LOI

We had an issue at the weekend (its highlighted in the weekend latest thread). Our stewarding is a joke at present but, I have seen other clubs with similar stewarding.
Our stewards are volunteers and its hard to lay blame on them, our fans have been calling for a professional company to be brought in, at least for the bigger travelling support.
How do other clubs work? Are they paying professional companies or is it again on a volunteer basis?

I quite like the level of stewarding in Finn Park, most professional firms are a bit mad with power in Cork, Bohs, etc.

UCD have a professional company. Same company is used by a few other Dublin clubs. Most grounds that I've been to that have volunteers have been a joke.

We've volunteers and professional security. The security are a joke really and not worth the money the company charges, there's a lack of stewards which means it's a bit crap too.

Ours are shocking...and their 'professionals'

Originally Posted by micls

Ours are shocking...and their 'professionals'

Yeah , they were pretty bad on Friday night in the away section , it took the Garda sergeant to get them to open up another section to accomodate the Drogs supporters despite three sections on the St Annes side being blocked off.

I think some of our stewards are paid but we have a bunch of volunteers as well. No hired goons though in a long time. Bohs title game 2006 was the last time we had those ***** iirc

we use the same company as cork city for big games, there useless, there have been a lot of seats broken in our new stand while the stewarts look on like fookin dopes,
any damage or fines for flares should be charged to these companies as they are gettin payed to ensure this doeant happen,
why should a club pay a fine and pay for security,

Originally Posted by Dazzy

I quite like the level of stewarding in Finn Park, most professional firms are a bit mad with power in Cork, Bohs, etc.

I've always found the Bohs stewards to be pretty good. I've never had any hassle off them and they've been quick to step in when some gob****e starts throwing **** at the away support on a couple of occasions.

I've nothing but contempt for the Sligo stewards, who are useless (one seemed to actually be retarded - in the medical sense), and I've heard no end of stories about the Cork stewards being heavy handed or useless.

Originally Posted by John83

I've always found the Bohs stewards to be pretty good. I've never had any hassle off them and they've been quick to step in when some gob****e starts throwing **** at the away support on a couple of occasions.

Different supports will have a different view of security in each ground.

Bray have private security. Most of the lads are local youngsters just doing it for the money though and, being honest, they're not that dedicated.

Originally Posted by Dazzy

Different supports will have a different view of security in each ground.

Sure they will. It depends on how you behave, and how your fellow away fans behave, and how the home fans behave (which will be different if there's rivalry or something). Still, someone spoke ill of them, and it's not my experience, so it's worth pointing out that some of us rate them.

Anyway, on to a fun anecdote. Playing Kilkenny in our brief visit to the first division, the UCD fans (who for perhaps the first time ever may have outnumbered the home support), were approached by the stewards. "Lads, would ye put the tins in the bin on your way out." Best. Stewards. Ever.

Originally Posted by don ramo

we use the same company as cork city for big games, there useless, there have been a lot of seats broken in our new stand while the stewarts look on like fookin dopes,
any damage or fines for flares should be charged to these companies as they are gettin payed to ensure this doeant happen,
why should a club pay a fine and pay for security,

Our volunteers do a great job though

Galway United have professional security plus lots of trained volunteers. Also, there is a dedicated Garda liason officer who usually plonks himself beside the visiting fans along with a few other Gardai. The segregation works really well.

That is, with the exception of last week. The dividing barriers were lifted. At half time, about 20 Bray fans went for a walk around the ground and were greeted with chants of "you're only a small town in Dublin" by the local legends, which was responded with a few hand gestures from the visiting fans.

Nothing became of it because if it was a start-of-season relegation battle rather than an end-of-season relegation match.

Originally Posted by rambler14

Our volunteers do a great job though

they do, im only on about the hired help,

i'm a volunteer at tolka. there's a load of paid fellas there who don't really seem to care. unless there's a fight right in front of them they won't move. the clubs gonna be sending myself and a few others to a course held by the fai so we can be qualified and get paid

We have a combination ... omost games is just voulenteers but for bigger
travelling support theres a private firm hired in.

Originally Posted by Ash

We have a combination ... omost games is just voulenteers but for bigger
travelling support theres a private firm hired in.

They were busy on Saturday, I arrived late and there had already been two Dundalk fans standing outside the ground after been evicted. But I was pleased with the relaxed view by security at the bar, where both sets of fans sang songs at one another with drinkers passing through them to get in and out of the bar.

Cork, Derry, and Shels (the paid ones) are the worst I've seen.

Shligo's attempts at segregation are a joke. Thought the Cork stewards did a good job with us last season.