mlsintoronto
04-03-2009, 02:38 PM
Before I start... I know a good number of you and I have no doubt that what follows doesn't need to be said...but there are a lot of people who like to come and read to get their footy fix. So here goes:
as many of you know the security plans have changed for this year at BMO. I believe that we have the right people running the show, and the right staff on the ground. Having said that, tomorrow will be the first football match for many of them.
We have all endured the unwarranted bad PR over the course of our first two seasons. I'm not a security professional, but I assume that they have read the papers and through no fault of their own have formed a pre-conceived notion of what our supporters are like. I know that you guys will be in full voice and enjoying the sun...but I also know that the behaviour of the vast majority of our fans will be absolutely fine. And for many of you your behaviour will be no different from last year. The problem is that the folks in security weren't here last year and have no point of reference.
So - if you please:
- greet the security staff as you come in. Look them in the eye, shake their hand if offered. Smile! :) You're going to be working together all summer.
- if you have a complaint...give them a moment to assess the situation. As you know managing our crowd requires a soft touch. The same problem could occur 3 times during a game, but may require a different solution for each of the 3 occurences. Judgement is required. I know that our security team gets it...but who knows? they may not get it right the first time.
- if you find yourself the subject of their attention...refer to the previous point. Pause a second or two before responding, then try to remember to be civil and cooperative in finding a solution.
Thats all. Michael and the security team want to get it right and will debrief after the game. I will be interested in your feedback next week. Please try to be constructive.
Thats it. Have a ball tomorrow. I know I will. I'll be out in the parking lot around noon...I can't wait to welcome you all back to BMO!
Paul
as many of you know the security plans have changed for this year at BMO. I believe that we have the right people running the show, and the right staff on the ground. Having said that, tomorrow will be the first football match for many of them.
We have all endured the unwarranted bad PR over the course of our first two seasons. I'm not a security professional, but I assume that they have read the papers and through no fault of their own have formed a pre-conceived notion of what our supporters are like. I know that you guys will be in full voice and enjoying the sun...but I also know that the behaviour of the vast majority of our fans will be absolutely fine. And for many of you your behaviour will be no different from last year. The problem is that the folks in security weren't here last year and have no point of reference.
So - if you please:
- greet the security staff as you come in. Look them in the eye, shake their hand if offered. Smile! :) You're going to be working together all summer.
- if you have a complaint...give them a moment to assess the situation. As you know managing our crowd requires a soft touch. The same problem could occur 3 times during a game, but may require a different solution for each of the 3 occurences. Judgement is required. I know that our security team gets it...but who knows? they may not get it right the first time.
- if you find yourself the subject of their attention...refer to the previous point. Pause a second or two before responding, then try to remember to be civil and cooperative in finding a solution.
Thats all. Michael and the security team want to get it right and will debrief after the game. I will be interested in your feedback next week. Please try to be constructive.
Thats it. Have a ball tomorrow. I know I will. I'll be out in the parking lot around noon...I can't wait to welcome you all back to BMO!
Paul