A West Ham chief steward with over twnety years of experience has described yesterday’s management of stewarding as a disgrace and a shambles.
“Yesterday at West Ham, It was an absolute disgrace. In my 24 years as a steward I have never seen such a shambles from the new security firm running it. The OCS, a former cleaning company, won the contract. They have young boys and clueless ‘cricket and concert’ stewards in high positions simply because they worked the Olympics and Rugby… Yet people like me, 24 years experience and a chief steward at Upton Park. I am put on a set of stairs to stop alcohol coming into the stands. That’s how I am treated over there also on a minimal wage. I was also the only steward to get in the middle of a fight and calm it down yet the response stewards on more money just stood and watched me. My heart breaks for my club and what is happening. RIP West Ham”
I don’t agree with the bit about selling story to highest bidder but the rest of it is a shame for her and all the stewards that put in many years at UP or were just good at what they do. Football at West Ham is not a corporate jolly up, we are not the prawn sandwich champagne set, most of us are one form or other of working class, if these stewards think politely asking people to stop will work they now know differently, I hope when they do their review they look at and if required change the mgmt structure and hire people like the former stewards who can handle potentially violent conflicts and if possible pay them more for their experience. I doubt it will happen because the stadium operators are a corporate entity, they think employment is a numbers game, they no doubt have a lot of highly qualified experts paid on vast salaries in mgmt and consultancy with not a single sensible idea amongst them…
When Lady Brady was shown on the big screen, the booing was very evident.
The natives are restless!
But I’m sure she’s popular amongst the corporate sectors on the West side.
Seems to me that OCS need to have a real good look at themselves.Surely if your company have never “stewarded” a football match (especially one that attracts 57.000 people) the first thing you do is talk to the people that have experience of the situation.Obviously this was not done or if it was the lessons learned have been ignored.Unless something is done in the very near future my beloved Hammers will be buried under a torrent of fines from the FA closed door matches and family season ticket holders leaving in droves.This was not the purpose of the move from Boleyn.Sorry for our ex-steward above.Good luck in your new position,but please don’t drag down the team any more than it already is.