County putting profit before safety?

Notts County have been accused of putting profit before safety after they sold reduced price home tickets for their game against Rotherham.

According to a dossier sent to Notts County by the council’s safety chiefs the club knew that Rotherham fans would be tempted to buy tickets for the home end of the ground as they were at a reduced price. Rather than alter the prices the club simply requested that stewards and turnstile be on the look out for Rotherham supporters.

Those away supporters who did buy tickets for the home end were lead out of the ground down the side of the pitch which created a ‘flashpoint for violence’ and caused trouble for police outside the stadium, according to the local council.

The council claim that this breach of fan safety was not only in contravention of the safety certificate but also a criminal offence.

Notts County chairman John Armstrong-Holmes has said that far from being an attempt at trying to make money, it was a gesture of goodwill towards Notts County fans: “Ironically, although we’ve been portrayed in the local media as putting profit ahead of supporters it was completely the other way around. Had we not decided to give our fan a Christmas bonus by reducing prices the problem would not have arisen.”