A Tottenham Hotspur fan has labelled the club’s stewarding system a ‘joke’ after his seven-year-old daughter was reduced to tears in her first trip to White Hart Lane.
Wayne Aylott said his daughter Rebecca was left distraught by home fans’ refusal to sit down in the south lower section of the ground during Saturday’s home match against Wigan.
Mr Aylott claimed both he and Rebecca were unable to see much of the game, until stewards finally moved them to a seat at the front of the stand 15 minutes from the end of the game.
After complaining to staff and sending an email to the club, Mr Aylott, from Potters Bar in Hertfordshire, called for stricter regulations for fans who persistently stand up during games.
“It was my daughter’s first time to Spurs and it was meant to be a day to remember, but instead it ended up being a nightmare,” said Mr Aylott. “I spoke to the stewards to ask them to try to get the fans sitting down but they didn’t seem interested.
“Rebecca had to spend most of the match standing on tip-toe on the seat – I’m not sure what the club’s health and safety policy is but I’m sure it does not involve standing on seats.
“I sent the club an email to see if they might send her a complementary ticket, but received a standard reply telling me I should have asked the fans to sit down. That’s just a joke.
“The stewards have no control over the fans, they just get laughed at. Fans should be asked once then twice to sit down, after that they should be ejected from the ground.”
A statement from Tottenham Hotspur read: “We recognise there is an issue with standing in certain parts of the stadium and we continually urge fans to consider the needs of their fellow supporters around them.
“Fans who persistently stand during games have been ejected from the stadium – which carries a minimum three-match ban – and this policy will continue if supporters do not adhere to this regulation. The comfort and safety of all supporters is our priority.”
Tottenham journal