Stoke City: Clarke blasts police for 'big club' precedent
A LEADING spokesman for football fans nationwide has criticised Greater Manchester Police for giving precedent to Sky and Manchester United – at the expense of so-called smaller clubs like Stoke City.
Police in the north west pushed for Stoke's game at Manchester City to be moved from today to tomorrow after receiving intelligence of possible trouble in the centre of Manchester.
Police feared that Stoke people – not necessarily Stoke fans – would travel from the Potteries on Saturday lunchtime to clash with Manchester United fans watching their team play on pub TVs in today's lunchtime kick-off at Everton.
The knock-on effect of this weekend's switch of kick-off has been felt not only with Stoke's game at City being shifted to Sunday afternoon, but their subsequent home match with Sunderland next week being moved from Tuesday to Wednesday evening – with the consequent loss of live TV coverage on Sky.
Malcolm Clarke, chairman of the Football Supporters' Federation and a life-long Stoke fan, left, is furious that two fixtures and three clubs have been inconvenienced in order to accommodate live coverage of Manchester United.
"More than 40,000 people attending the Manchester City v Stoke City fixture have been affected through no fault of their own and that cannot be right," he said.
"If police were so worried about clashes with United fans watching their game on television, then why not move their game and leave other fixtures untouched?
"Once again, we see the so-called smaller clubs having to fall into line for the so-called bigger clubs."
There was a spin-off benefit, however, for those many Stoke fans wanting to see the end to their much-derided Away Cards.
For Stoke's hierarchy appear to have regarded Greater Manchester Police's attitude as the final straw and used the change in the Manchester City date – together with the change of kick-off at Wigan in a fortnight – as reason enough to suspend the cards ahead of a probable abolition at the end of the season.
The cards were introduced in February 2003 to avoid the very kick-off changes now being implemented and so now, therefore, the club sees no logical argument in maintaining them for a set of supporters with a much-improved reputation anyway.
"I fully welcome the suspension of the cards," added Clarke, "and would add that the club's decision is also fully supported nationwide by the Football Supporters' Federation.
"I think the club in general, and chief executive Tony Scholes in particular, should also be praised for the leadership they have shown in this matter."
4 Comments
by Sacha Medina, Manchester
Sunday, October 26 2008, 12:50PM
“Quite a few points to respond to here...
Firstly, no pubs were 'supposed' to show the game yesterday, however of course if you know where to go and find a pub with the curtains drawn then yes you'll possibly find it being screened. However, it would not be in central Manchester, and there certainly wouldn't be an obvious congregation of reds.
Secondly, another reason for the switch could be due to Man City's qualification for UEFA cup, which meant there was a 4 out of 5 chance that they would be playing on Thurs eve - as it happens they drew the 1/5 chance, but at the time would have been considered when moving the schedule.
Personally I think GMP moved it due to the Utd vs Everton match ending at approx 2pm, and so would have seen a few thousand reds arrive in central Manchester on their way home at the same time that Stoke arrived for their 3pm game.
Lastly, I would ask Mr Clarke to consider why "people" not necessarily supporters, would travel to Manchester? Perhaps it's the reputation that preceeds Stoke supporters that have created this issue in the first place?
The upshot is this 'story' is fabricated to point accusation at MUFC when we had nothing to do with the fixture change. More than anyone we feel the disruption it causes, so for the title to be 'big club' precedent is far from the case. Still, why let facts get in the way of slurring MUFC eh?”
by Kingy, Stoke
Saturday, October 25 2008, 5:40PM
“Sacha,
If the game wasn't shown on tv in Mcr, then its even worse because this is the excuse GMP used to get the fixture moved”
by Stokie, stoke
Saturday, October 25 2008, 4:27PM
“well Sacha it was the Greater Manchester police that said the game was on TV. So the question has to be asked if it's not on Sky or Sultana was are pubs in Manchester allowed to show the game. On another note I hope tomorrow and against Wigan we don't get the usual welcome of Greater Manchester Police in full riot gear with their numbers taped up.”
by Sacha Medina, Manchester
Saturday, October 25 2008, 10:02AM
“Mr Clarke should check his facts before criticising anyone. For his awareness, Manchester Utd are not being shown on Sky today, or Setanta, or anywhere else for that matter.”