Complaint against St Helens from 2002

I was going through some old archive stuff today and I found this complaint that I did against St Helens.

It dates back to 2002 when I was but a young webmaster and video commentator on Leigh games our Under-18s team was going to play the Saints. Sky TV were in attendance for a later game between St Helens and Leeds. It tells the tale of what I considered to be a jobsworth and is quite humourous reading now.

It didn't feel that way at the time!

ST HELENS - SUPERLEAGUE CHAMPIONS BUT NOT EVEN NATIONAL LEAGUE STANDARD IN CUSTOMER SERVICE


This afternoon, Super League Champions St Helens prevented the Centurions video crew from filming the under-18s championship clash. Centurions on Video (COV) has followed every grade out of Hilton Park for the last three years and has rarely encountered problems at venues across the country, from Whitehaven and Gateshead to London, that is until today.

We should have realised we were in for a bad afternoon when Car Park staff stopped the Centurion minibus, asking gruffly "who are you?" Improving literacy levels mustn't have reached St Helens yet, as the Centurion logo is featured heavily on the side of the vehicle. Players travelling in a car directly behind were then not allowed on to the car park instead being forced to park on a side street, despite recent reports of increased car crime in the surrounding area.

After casting a quick look over the playing surface and getting team news from the Centurion camp, COV usually set their equipment up in time for the game, but not today.

Again a gruff voice, this time belonging to the matchday controller asked "who are you two?"

to which came the reply "we're the video crew".

"Meaning one." stated the controller.

"Meaning two - camera man and a commentator." was the reply

"You don't commentate on under-18s games." stated the controller.

Wherever possible COV provides and will continue to provide match commentary. What gives this jobsworth the right to say what can and cannot be done on Centurion game videos?

He then replies "You can't film today anyway, you did not inform us that you were coming and SKY are here. It's a Super League directive."

Now according to my way of thinking Academy games aren't affected by Super League directives. I'd certainly like some feedback on the subject. It is true to say that I've never seen anything in black and white. This allied with the fact that in three years, most clubs have been accommodating.

Despite trying to come up with an alternative the matchday controller was most unhelpful and the Centurions have been forced to miss out on a video that could prove crucial in 17 young player's development.

Not only was the match video affected, but also supporters from Leigh and player parents coming to see the earlier game. Saints apparently run the rule that even if people only view the first game they must pay the admission price of £13-00 (£15-00 if seated).

Player tickets were supposed to be sent out early last week, yet remained at St Helens.

Is there a common pattern emerging here yet?

To say the organisation of such a big club is shoddy would be an understatement. Like Batley before, the Centurions have found out the sort of petty one-upmanship employed by these so called professional clubs who want to claim all the money and glory for themselves and make things difficult for perceived smaller clubs.

It makes you wonder just why we are killing ourselves to enter an environment like that. There is little doubt in my mind that if such an experience had been encountered in a restaurant, its custom would be severely affected within a month.

Ironically when leaving Knowsley Road I noticed a sign that read "Welcome to the Saints Experience". If that is the experience that they offer I do not want to encounter it again!



*** Ironically and perhaps hypocritically so, I have returned to Knowsley Road since, or the GPW Recruitment Stadium as it's currently known and I've reported a handful of games. Let me tell you that wearing Reporter ID brings about a whole different experience!
 
*** The video team at Leigh began to notify clubs and not relying on the Centurions to do it for them after this incident. A practice that continues to this day, so perhaps something good did come out of it.