CAB MINUTES FIRST PUBLISHED ON CLUB WEBSITE HERE
RAFC CLUB ADVISORY BOARD
MEETING 1: 14th APRIL 2025
6pm-8.45pm Crown Oil Arena
1907 Lounge
1. Attendees and Apologies and Introductions
Present
Jamie Willoughby (Chair), Andy Duff (RAFC MD), George Delves (RAFC Heald of
Football Operations and Administration), Ian Birchenough, George Brigham, Ken
Fletcher, Emma Thetford, Alison Mills-Daggatt, Stephen Jones, Howard Munson,
Ruby Loynd, Liz Cotterill, Kieron Babington, Charlotte Cromarty & Leanne
Connolly (Her Game Too), David Earnshaw & Bob Morrisey (Dale Trust)
In Attendance Chris Garland (CG) (Club Director of Operations) Rob Smith (RS) (Greater
Manchester Police)
Apologies
Nicola Toolan, Aqub Nasir, Jacob Wright, Ryan Bradley
2. Welcome and Introductory Message from Chair, Jamie Willoughby
JW welcomed all and thanked guests Chris Garland and Rob Smith for joining the meeting.
JW noted that the meeting was being convened promptly after the FA Trophy Semi-Final
because there had been considerable feedback received following the game regarding various
aspects of the fan experience and, in particular, regarding the pitch invasions during and after
the match and subsequent unrest.
Chris and Rob had been invited so that CAB members would have an opportunity to hear
directly from them on these issues and raise any concerns / questions. As a result, the meeting
was going to take a different format today, where the first half of the meeting would be
dedicated to discussions regarding the fan trouble during the Spennymoor Game and the
second half would focus on a discussion regarding the layout and seat allocation at the Crown
Oil Arena and whether changes might be made which would improve fan experience,
atmosphere and match day operations generally.
3. Discussion on Fan Unrest during the Semi-Final
CG provided an update on Club Stadium Bans issued following the Semi-Final match. As at the
date of the meeting there had been 3 Club Stadium Bans issued so far following requests from
GMP. [Club Stadium Bans are issued by the Club (often at the request of GMP) and relate to
access to the Crown Oil Arena whereas Football Banning Orders are issued by the Courts
following prosecution by the police/CPS and are nationwide].
RS provided an overview of the unrest on the day and action being taken subsequently. He
noted that certain incidents of violence on the day were some of the worst examples he has
seen. There is footage of people being kicked whilst on the ground and kicked in the head. He
warned that it is not unlikely that certain individuals may face custodial sentences based on
the evidence he has seen. RS explained the process that is now being undertaken which
involves reviewing hundreds of hours of CCTV and other footage an attempting to identify the
individuals involved. He explained that this is a painstaking process and will take some time
due to the police resource available. He was unable to share the names of any individuals
implicated while investigations are ongoing. The priority is currently to focus on the violent
crime but he emphasised that entering the field of play during the match was a criminal matter
(regardless of whether it is with violent intent).
Members of the CAB raised the concern that enforcement action taken appeared to be one
sided against Rochdale fans and it was asked whether action was also being taken against
Spennymoor fans. RS confirmed that both sets of fans were being investigated and that
Spennymoor and Durham Constabulary would also be reviewing the footage but that it was a
time-consuming process.
It was suggested by a CAB member that the reason the trouble started in the first place was
because the Spennymoor fans invaded the pitch following their equaliser. How can this be
prevented from happening? CG replied that it is very difficult to stop in those circumstances
because it would require a much higher level of stewarding verging on 1-1 coverage. There
had been no intelligence prior to the game to suggest that this level of unrest would occur.
RS/CG were asked why there was stewarding only and no police involved during the game. RS
confirmed that there were as many police in attendance at the Semi-Final as there had been
for the Rochdale-Oldham game earlier in the season, but they had not been deployed pitch
side.
It was suggested by a CAB member that allowing the ‘singing section’ to occupy Block U of the
Pearl Street stand was a mistake in hindsight. AD replied that it was an unallocated match and
fans were able to purchase tickets where they wanted – and that there was precedent for it
during the Altrincham quarter-final where there was no trouble.
The discussion moved on to consideration of pitch invasions generally and whether a
distinction should be drawn between entering the pitch with the intention of committing
violence or entering during a match a opposed to entering the pitch in a celebratory manner
after a game has ended (i.e. as often happens after the final game of the season).
RS’s opinion was that entry onto the pitch should be discouraged whatever the circumstances.
Clearly violent conduct is prioritised from an enforcement perspective but any incursion is
liable to be reviewed and the individual is liable to face a sanction (whether a Club Stadium
Ban, a Football Banning Order or other criminal charges if appropriate).
It was suggested by CAB members that this message needs to be made very clear to fans
(particularly the younger fans). BM and DE suggested that the Dale Trust could reach out to
younger members to reinforce this message and ensure that younger fans who may not be
aware of the potential consequences were properly informed. RS also suggested he would be
happy to attend schools and other organised sessions to make kids more aware of what is and
is not acceptable and the consequences of unruly behaviour.
In response to a suggestion that announcements should be made over the PA System
requesting fans not to enter the pitch it was noted by several CAB members that the PA
System in the Sandy Lane and Pearl Street stands was not fit for purpose and that it was very
difficult to hear announcements generally. JW said the Club would look into this.
It was agreed that a clear message should be sent by the Club through its social media
channels, website and pre-match guide that anyone entering the pitch would be liable to an
investigation and possible Stadium Ban or worse.
Other negative fan experiences on the day of the semi-final were also addressed as follows: – – – –
On stewarding, AD and CG noted that on days with large crowds additional stewarding
staff are brought in who are not as familiar with the ground or the fans and the quality of
stewarding can be affected. It was noted that the Club was reviewing its stewarding
operations and would be tendering the contract for the upcoming season in the near
future.
On fans being denied entry to the ground with food purchased from Scratch catering in
the carpark, AD noted that this was an oversight by the Club and apologised for any
inconvenience. It was a new offering introduced for the day and the stewards had not
been briefed properly. Clearly this would be rectified on any future occasions.
On the problems encountered entering the Pearl Street stand, this was primarily due to
two of the turnstiles not functioning correctly. This was a known issue but the measures
put in place to mitigate were not sufficient in hindsight. AD noted that all of the turnstiles
would be upgraded for Season 25/26 as part of the contract with new ticketing partner
Fanbase but that this work would not take place until after the end of the current season.
On certain fans not sitting in their allocated seats and refusing to move when asked, AD
noted that this was a particular problem at the Club and it needs to be addressed. Likely
due to the number of available seats it seems to have become accepted behaviour for
people to sit where they like rather than in their allocated seats. This becomes particularly
problematic on busy games. Inadequate stewarding of the issue and some unfortunate
behaviour from a small number of fans led to some poor experiences for others. This is
something that will be focussed on for the coming season. It was suggested that it would
be a good idea to have some voluntary fan stewards in the crowd across the stands to
help try to mediate these issues when they arise.
4. Seating Organisation at the Crown Oil Arena
JW noted that this was a topic that had arisen during the first CAB meeting and had come into
focus again given some of the issues faced during the Spennymoor match. The question was
whether there was a way to improve fan experience and matchday operations more generally
at the Crown Oil Arena by re-thinking the way we use the stadium. JW noted that as a
newcomer to the Club he was reluctant to be seen to tell longtime fans how their ground
should be set up but noted the following as some initial observations: –
The Willbutts lane stand is arguably the best equipped stand (in terms of kiosks etc) and
arguably offers the best views of the pitch but is entirely unused other than for away fans.
With large away attendances this seems to undermine home advantage by giving the
away supporters prime position along the pitch. With low away attendances, which is
often the case in the National League, it makes the stadium feel empty and impacts
atmosphere; – – –
The Pearl Street stand is known as the family stand but it doesn’t really function effectively
as a family stand. The Desmond’s Den set up is a great initiative but it is placed directly
behind a large bar and not an appropriate place (particularly on busy games) for young
children.
The Sandy Lane stand is a cherished stand but is relatively poorly served in terms of kiosks
and the design of the stand allows noise to dissipate rather than reverberate around the
ground.
If we want to bring a new audience to the games (which we do) we need to ensure we
organise the stadium in a way which ensures all ages and demographics can have an
appropriate place in the ground to enjoy the games.
[A wide ranging discussion ensued on the pros and cons of the current set up and potential
alternative arrangements. For the purposes of these minutes, the key takeaways from this
discussion have been summarised below]
Willbutts Lane – –
It was generally agreed that Willbutts Lane was a good stand and underutilised. It is closer
to the pitch than all other stands and it remaining largely empty for most games is not
conducive to a good atmosphere.
Arguably it would be a good location to anchor a singing section because it runs along the
length of the pitch and would keep the noise within the stadium.
– –
It could also (or alternatively) provide a location for a genuine family area (for younger
kids) or an ‘alcohol free zone’ as it has spaces under the stands which could be used for
activities and child-friendly zones and it has two kiosks which could be split between
alcohol and non-alcohol offerings.
The difficulty with using Willbutts lane for regular season ticket holders is that it is
currently where away fans are positioned and therefore needs to allow for those games
with larger away attendances which limits the potential for use. Even if the Club limits
away allocations to allow segregation in Willbutts between home and away, this may be
problematic from a GMP/Stewarding perspective.
Pearl Street – – – –
It was suggested that we need to more clearly define what we mean by ‘family stand’.
One CAB member who attends with his teenage son said his son was delighted that the
singing section had moved to Pearl Street for the FA Trophy games because he wanted to
be as close as possible to the atmosphere created. JW suggested that in his view the
‘family area’ should be more aimed at those with much younger children who may want
to avoid the more raucous sections of the ground. It may not be limited to young children,
there may also be other fans (or potential fans) who would rather be seated in a calmer
section of the ground.
A CAB member of the singing section noted that the reason the group wished to move to
Pearl Street was primarily because of the better atmosphere that can be created under
the roof (and secondarily to be closer to the away fans).
Others were less keen on the singing section being in the Pearl Street stand – either
because they were Pearl Street ticket holders who felt their enjoyment of the game was
negatively affected by the behaviour of some of those fans or because they were Sandy
Lane ticketholders who thought the movement of the group had reduced the atmosphere
in the Sandy.
AD noted that the Club had made the decision that for the 25/26 season away fans would
only ever be in the Willbutts Lane stand, not Pearl Street. This would allow for better use
of the kiosks/bars available in Pearl Street for home fans and make stewarding operations
easier (albeit at a marginal increase in cost).
Sandy Lane –
It was noted that Sandy Lane was not well served with kiosks/bars and that the wait-time
was often far too long.
Away fans
– – –
It became apparent during the discussion that the real issue to be resolved is the location
of the away fans. Once it is decided where the away fans should be placed, then it is much
easier to work out how best to accommodate and serve the home fans.
For so long as away fans are placed in Willbutts Lane, this significantly limits the Clubs
ability to properly utilise that stand.
If away fans are moved to allow for proper utilisation of Willbutts Lane, then the only
location for them would be in either Pearl Street or Sandy Lane. There were strong views
expressed on both sides as to which of these would be a better option.
AD noted that this was a topic that would need to be consulted amongst the wider fanbase
and was not something that would impact the 25/26 season, but was well worth exploring
further as the current use of the ground is not optimal and some reorganisation could enable
significantly better use and fan experience.
JW thanked members for a constructive discussion.