What being a Steward Involves

Hi.

So for this second blog, I wanted to focus on what I do in my role as a steward. This will expand on some of the things I talked about in Blog 1.

Firstly my role is what is known as a General or Matchday Safety Steward. My job on matchdays is to help and support spectators, advise and enforce ground regulations, monitor and report any issues in my area and to assist in dealing with an emergencies or evacuations of the stadium.

So in terms of helping and supporting spectators; where i am positioned for a particular event will determine what this involves. There are three main positions I can be expected to be; by a turnstile, on a concourse or in a vomitory.

If I am positioned by an entry point (or turnstile) then it will be my job to ensure spectators can access the stadium quickly and efficiently and that anyone with a ticketing issue is directed to the correct location for assistance. If I am positioned on a concourse (the internal area where bars/food outlets and other amenities are placed) then my job will be to deal with any direct enquiries or complaints record these and/or pass them to a supervisor or stadium control for action. If I am in a vomitory (the entrance from the concourse into the seating area) then my job will be to check tickets, welcome spectators and direct them to where their seat is.

But being a welcomer and helper is not the only role.

The second key part of our job is to monitor and enforce ground regulations. This will involve checking spectators around us - do they look like they are comfortable in their surroundings, are they acting as you would expect people to act, are they doing something that they are not permitted to. A good example of this is that here in the UK smoking and the use of E-Cigarettes are not permitted inside commercial premises. Therefore if someone is potted using these substances/devices our role is to advise them that they should not be doing this and ask them to cease. This may sound normal and even quite a simple task, but when there are people who are not used to our smoking laws such as supporters from abroad then it can be quite challenging to explain the reasons for this.

A second is that the sport I mainly steward at is regulated by the Government that no alcoholic substances may be consumed when in view of the pitch. What this means is that bars and restaurants within the stadium can serve alcohol, but it cannot be drunk whilst watching the event. When you are trained as a steward in the UK one of the most key things you are taught is how to spot someone trying to bring alcohol to their seats.

The third area involving dealing with emergencies and evacuations, i will deal with in a separate blog where I will also talk about a couple of the examples where things have gone seriously wrong.

Thanks and until next time……..