Post by QPR Report on Feb 4, 2009 9:19:34 GMT
Hate Stoke and fans...But how unusual for a club to do this.
Stoke Sentinel - Stoke City: Fan receives £20k backing
by Michael Baggaley
STOKE City have offered £20,000 towards legal costs of a fan who was forced to leave Manchester by police before the Potters's Premier League match at Old Trafford.
Stoke have pledged to assist Lyndon Edwards, from Chesterton, was issued a Section 27 order by Greater Manchester Police and put on a bus back to Stoke before the November 15 game.
Police have apologised to a small number of the 80 fans given the orders and made to leave the Railway Inn in Irlam.
Police have also offered to reimburse their cost of out-of-pocket expenses. However, Edwards is considering taking the case to a judicial review, where a judge will decide whether police acted lawfully.
Visit our Stoke City website Why Delilah to read the story in full
Fan gets £20k City backing
By Michael Baggaley/Stoke Sentinel
Stoke offer to help underwrite court costs of supporter fighting Section 27 order
STOKE City have offered £20,000 towards legal costs of a supporter who was forced to leave Manchester by police before his team’s game at Old Trafford.
The club has pledged to help after Lyndon Edwards, from Chesterton, was issued a Section 27 order by Greater Manchester Police and put on a bus back to Stoke-on-Trent before the November 15 game.
Police have apologised to a small number of the 80 fans given the orders and made to leave the Railway Inn in Irlam.
Police have also offered to reimburse their cost of out-of-pocket expenses. However, Edwards is considering taking the case to a judicial review, where a judge will decide whether police acted lawfully.
The case has been taken up by the Football Supporters Federation and civil rights group Liberty. They want assurances from police that orders won’t be used on fans in this way again.
Liberty and the Football Supporters Federation are waiting to hear more from the police before deciding whether to take the case to a judicial review.
Federation chairman Malcolm Clarke revealed Stoke’s offer. He praised Stoke chairman Peter Coates and chief executive Tony Scholes, saying: “This is a superb gesture. I have never known a football club to act like this in support of individual fans.
“I have spoken to both Peter Coates and Tony Scholes, who have both been 100 per cent supportive of what we are doing. We are extremely grateful for that.
“Their support indicates the bond that exists between the club and its supporters.”
Stoke’s £20,000 offer would help cover costs if Edwards took the case to a judicial review and lost. The rest of the estimated £40,000 cost would be met by the Football Supporters Federation.
Greater Manchester Police are reviewing the way they use Section 27 orders, which were part of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006. They allow police to remove individuals from an area for up to 48 hours if they believe there is a threat of alcohol-related
crime or disorder.
In the case of the Stoke fans in Manchester, police say they were protecting the public, having had intelligence that hooligan groups were planning violence at the match.
Edwards has received an apology from police, but wants them to go further. He said: “I just want assurances this won’t happen again. It is brilliant the club has given us this level of support and is really appreciated.”
Stoke City’s chief executive Tony Scholes said: “We thought the police’s actions were wrong and therefore we thought it was only right to back one of our supporters who was challenging those actions.”
www.whydelilah.co.uk/news/04_Feb_2009/Fan+gets+£20k+City+backing.html
Meanwhile Stoke Hoping to still sign Birmingham's Steve Kelly (remember him) who got stuck in the snow
STOKE OFFICIAL SITE - Kelly Update
Stoke City Football Club are hoping to complete the signing of Republic of Ireland international Stephen Kelly on loan from Birmingham City.
The necessary paperwork to complete the deal for 25-year old right back was submitted before yesterday's 5pm deadline, however, due to the adverse weather conditions the player himself was unable to travel to put pen to paper on the contract.
The Football League and the FA yesterday announced that any club who were unable to complete the signing of any player due to the adverse weather conditions, would be granted special dispensation to finalise the deal after 5pm, as long as there was proof of the two clubs and player agreeing a deal before the deadline.
www.stokecityfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10310~1543833,00.html
Stoke Sentinel - Stoke City: Fan receives £20k backing
by Michael Baggaley
STOKE City have offered £20,000 towards legal costs of a fan who was forced to leave Manchester by police before the Potters's Premier League match at Old Trafford.
Stoke have pledged to assist Lyndon Edwards, from Chesterton, was issued a Section 27 order by Greater Manchester Police and put on a bus back to Stoke before the November 15 game.
Police have apologised to a small number of the 80 fans given the orders and made to leave the Railway Inn in Irlam.
Police have also offered to reimburse their cost of out-of-pocket expenses. However, Edwards is considering taking the case to a judicial review, where a judge will decide whether police acted lawfully.
Visit our Stoke City website Why Delilah to read the story in full
Fan gets £20k City backing
By Michael Baggaley/Stoke Sentinel
Stoke offer to help underwrite court costs of supporter fighting Section 27 order
STOKE City have offered £20,000 towards legal costs of a supporter who was forced to leave Manchester by police before his team’s game at Old Trafford.
The club has pledged to help after Lyndon Edwards, from Chesterton, was issued a Section 27 order by Greater Manchester Police and put on a bus back to Stoke-on-Trent before the November 15 game.
Police have apologised to a small number of the 80 fans given the orders and made to leave the Railway Inn in Irlam.
Police have also offered to reimburse their cost of out-of-pocket expenses. However, Edwards is considering taking the case to a judicial review, where a judge will decide whether police acted lawfully.
The case has been taken up by the Football Supporters Federation and civil rights group Liberty. They want assurances from police that orders won’t be used on fans in this way again.
Liberty and the Football Supporters Federation are waiting to hear more from the police before deciding whether to take the case to a judicial review.
Federation chairman Malcolm Clarke revealed Stoke’s offer. He praised Stoke chairman Peter Coates and chief executive Tony Scholes, saying: “This is a superb gesture. I have never known a football club to act like this in support of individual fans.
“I have spoken to both Peter Coates and Tony Scholes, who have both been 100 per cent supportive of what we are doing. We are extremely grateful for that.
“Their support indicates the bond that exists between the club and its supporters.”
Stoke’s £20,000 offer would help cover costs if Edwards took the case to a judicial review and lost. The rest of the estimated £40,000 cost would be met by the Football Supporters Federation.
Greater Manchester Police are reviewing the way they use Section 27 orders, which were part of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006. They allow police to remove individuals from an area for up to 48 hours if they believe there is a threat of alcohol-related
crime or disorder.
In the case of the Stoke fans in Manchester, police say they were protecting the public, having had intelligence that hooligan groups were planning violence at the match.
Edwards has received an apology from police, but wants them to go further. He said: “I just want assurances this won’t happen again. It is brilliant the club has given us this level of support and is really appreciated.”
Stoke City’s chief executive Tony Scholes said: “We thought the police’s actions were wrong and therefore we thought it was only right to back one of our supporters who was challenging those actions.”
www.whydelilah.co.uk/news/04_Feb_2009/Fan+gets+£20k+City+backing.html
Meanwhile Stoke Hoping to still sign Birmingham's Steve Kelly (remember him) who got stuck in the snow
STOKE OFFICIAL SITE - Kelly Update
Stoke City Football Club are hoping to complete the signing of Republic of Ireland international Stephen Kelly on loan from Birmingham City.
The necessary paperwork to complete the deal for 25-year old right back was submitted before yesterday's 5pm deadline, however, due to the adverse weather conditions the player himself was unable to travel to put pen to paper on the contract.
The Football League and the FA yesterday announced that any club who were unable to complete the signing of any player due to the adverse weather conditions, would be granted special dispensation to finalise the deal after 5pm, as long as there was proof of the two clubs and player agreeing a deal before the deadline.
www.stokecityfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10310~1543833,00.html