Agenda Item No: 8 Wolverhampton City Council OPEN DECISION ITEM Committee / Panel LICENSING COMMITTEE Date 18/07/07 Originating Service Group(s) REGENERATION AND ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES Contact Officer(s)/ DAN O’BRIEN Telephone Number(s) 4381 Title/Subject Matter WOLVERHAMPTON SPORTS STADIA SAFETY ADVISORY GROUP MINUTES Recommendation Members are recommended to note and endorse the minutes of the Molineux Stadium Safety Advisory (MSSAG) Group meetings of 20.3.07, 12.04.07 and 30.04.07. WSSSAG MINUTES REPORT TO LICENSING COMMITTEE 18/07/07dob WOLVERHAMPTON SPORTS STADIA SAFETY ADVISORY GROUP MINUTES 1.0 Purpose of Report 1.1 To provide Members with the minutes of the Molineux Sports Stadium Safety Advisory Group for noting and endorsement. 2.0 Background 2.1 The safety of the larger sports grounds within the City is the responsibility of the Licensing Committee. Accordingly, on 5 May 2004 Members approved proposals relating to the future arrangements for the discharge of the Council’s function in respect of the regulation of the four sports grounds within the City i.e. • Molineux Stadium, Waterloo Road • Dunstall Racecourse, Dunstall Park • Aldersley Leisure Village, Aldersley Road • Monmore Green Stadium, Sutherland avenue 2.2 Members also agreed that in addition to the existing Molineux Stadium Safety Advisory Group, a second SAG would be created to administer the certification issues relating to Dunstall Racecourse, Monmore Green Stadium and Aldersley Leisure Village. This is known as the Wolverhampton Sports Stadia Safety Advisory Group (WSSSAG). 2.3 The responsibilities of the Safety Advisory Groups are: • Assisting the Council, through Environmental Services, to issue and enforce the conditions of the safety certificate. • Co-ordinating and consulting with the Police, Fire Service and the building authority in respect of the identified stadia. • Assisting the Council with the placing of conditions on the safety certificate to ensure the safety of those using the stadium. • Identifying maximum stadia capacities and the areas of the stadia to which visitors have access. • Providing specialist advice to the Licensing Committee on sports ground safety matters. 2.4 Members agreed to receive minutes of all Safety Advisory Group (SAG) meetings and requested that the Officer who had attended the SAG meeting, is available to present the minutes to Licensing Committee. 2.5 The minutes of the following Molineux Stadium Safety Advisory Group (MSSAG) meetings held on the dates below are attached at Appendices A, B and C: • 20 March 2007 • 12 April 2007 • 30 April 2007 WSSSAG MINUTES REPORT TO LICENSING COMMITTEE 18/07/07dob 3.0 Resource Implications 3.1 There are no resource implications in this report. 4.0 Equalities Implications 4.1 There are no equalities implications in this report. 5.0 Environmental Implications 5.1 This report has no direct environmental implications. WSSSAG MINUTES REPORT TO LICENSING COMMITTEE 18/07/07dob APPENDIX A MOLINEUX STADIUM SAFETY ADVISORY GROUP Minutes of 20 March 2007 Present Wolverhampton City Council Phil Adams Dan O'Brien Steve Burson Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club Jez Moxey Steve Sutton Richard Skirrow West Midlands Police Tony Styles Andy Hodgetts West Midlands Fire Service Gary Jones Andy Keen 1. Apologies Chief Supt. Richard Green - West Midlands Police M. Girvan – Football Licensing Authority M. Chapman – West Midlands Ambulance Service 2. Minutes/Matters Arising from Meeting on 13.12.06 Minutes noted and agreed as correct record. PA stated that the SAG minutes from September 2006 to date will be going to the Licensing Committee on 04.04.07. Action: PA 3. FAW Inquiry Cardiff City DO’B has prepared a letter to the Welsh FA asking for clarification as to why the inquiry was dropped however he is awaiting copies of paperwork before sending the letter. Action: DO’B. 4. Championship play-off ticketing contingencies DO'B asked the club to outline the actions they intend to take to ensure they meet the demand for tickets and avoid large numbers of fans queuing on the day the tickets are released for both the play-offs and the final games. JM said he could not foresee any problems as the ticket sales would be mainly over the telephone. JM said he was considering employing a telephone sales company to manage the ticket sales for the heats and was also considering other options such as allowing season ticket holders to purchase 2 tickets instead of one and sell tickets to season ticket holders for the final. Consideration was being given to selling tickets to the play offs in advance of the fixtures and refunding of the money if the game does not take place. WSSSAG MINUTES REPORT TO LICENSING COMMITTEE 18/07/07dob RS said that the FL have written to all clubs in the play-offs with the possible dates and times of the games which are: Semi-finals - Friday 11 May, 7.45pm Saturday 12 May, noon Second leg Monday 14 May, 7.45pm (winners from Friday) Tuesday 15 May, 7.45pm (winners from Saturday) RS said that clubs have been asked to notify the FL if any of these dates are not an option. TS said that Friday evening would cause a major problem for the Police due to the evening economy irrespective of whom the opposition may be. The Saturday would be the more manageable option. RS asked that the Police put this in writing so that he could evidence the request for the Saturday option to the FL. The last game will be on the 6th May it was likely this may determine the final placings. Action: RG/RS JM said that for the play-offs he would like to use 2 locations for the away supporters to fulfil the 15%. This would be in the Steve Bull lower and Jack Harris flank. TS said that for the Police to be able to manage the game safely and effectively his preference would be in one stand irrespective of the opposition. DO'B agreed with TS saying that there is more likelihood of fans standing if put in the upper tiers of the Jack Harris stand therefore could not support the divide. JM said that he would have to abide by the decision of the Police and the authority however wanted it made clear that this was not the preference of the club. RS asked if Wolves come up against Cardiff will the away fans be allowed into the ground? TS said he would not want to go from a total ban to no restriction at all especially as there have been problems at Cardiff's last few games. TS said he was awaiting the post match reports from those games which would give an idea as to what can be expected. JM said that the FL would need to be advised of the SAG's concerns and seek advice from them. JM said he did not support a full ban and thought the council could do more to support the club by closing part of the ring road adjacent to the ground to allow the away coaches to park and get the Cardiff fans into the ground as quickly as possible which would reduce the risk of problems around the ground and in the City. PDA said that the road closure issue would require a separate meeting with Bob Barratt and other officers from WCC and was not an issue that could be decided by the SAG. Action: RS to contact FL/RS to contact Bob Barratt. PDA said that the group would need to meet again after the Easter break to discuss every eventuality. DO'B to confirm date of meeting. 5/6. Reports of WWFC/Police SS stated that there had been 5 games since the last meeting as follows: WBA FAC - 28/01/07 - 2 home arrests, 5 home ejections and 1 away. No major problems during the game. TS - Post match an incident took place in the city centre where 4-500 Wolves fans gathered. Police were attacked but managed to keep the Wolves fans away from WBA fans who were on the whole well behaved. WSSSAG MINUTES REPORT TO LICENSING COMMITTEE 18/07/07dob Plymouth - 03/02/07 - Police free, 3 home ejections. No major problems during or post match. Burnley - 17/02/07 - Category A, no major problems. Leeds - 24/02/07 - Category C, 2 home arrests, 1 home ejection and 1 away. Alcohol sales restricted, not served until 3pm. Post match 1 Leeds fan assaulted by Wolves youth and the Police avoided incident in Molineux Street by detaining one individual. JM asked if following arrests the individuals are then prosecuted, TS responded that where there is evidence the individuals are prosecuted, however the Police do have the powers to remove people if they are considered a threat until such time that they are no longer a threat which would not lead to a prosecution. WBA - 11/03/07 - 2 home arrests, 11 home ejections and 1 away. Police controlled ingress and egress, no major problems during or post match. TS said that he was aware of some fans in the upper Steve Bull stand taking alcohol into the ground and that some fans were drunk when entering the ground. TS said that the checking procedure did not seem to be working in particular for the Steve Bull stand and requested the club look into this. DO’B reported he had flagged up the searches of home fans going into the Steve Bull upper at the WBA FAC fixture. SS said that he intends to provide refresher training to the search teams and asked if the Police could assist with this training. TS/AH both agreed to provide any assistance they could.