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Fans get the message - Dogs are texting away trouble
Chris Barrett
May 12, 2011
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...way-trouble-20110511-1eizs.html#ixzz1M3L7JguV
CANTERBURY, whose home games were once marred by repeated crowd violence, have become industry leaders by introducing a text message system that allows supporters to report any trouble in the stands or outside ANZ Stadium immediately.
The club has tested the innovation at three home games this season and will launch it at tomorrow night's blockbuster against premiers St George Illawarra. It is expecting a crowd of more than 40,000, threatening the NRL's regular-season Sydney record of 41,835.
The system, set up with ANZ Stadium and NSW Police, adopts technology used by many major stadiums in the United States and by the AFL in Melbourne and allows spectators to SMS a number on the big screen in the event of poor crowd behaviour or disturbances such as smoking or excessive swearing.
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''I got here in 2008 and from '02 to '08 our crowd numbers were year-on-year declining, despite us winning a premiership in that time,'' Bulldogs chief Todd Greenberg said.
''We had issues off the field, and that contributed significantly. We've had a zero-tolerance policy to anti-social behaviour from the start, and in 2009 and 2010 we were second [in crowd averages] behind Brisbane, in a one-team town. This year we're averaging 25,000.''
The Bulldogs' endemic crowd problems of the past are no more. The most recent major incident involving the club was a fight during their match against South Sydney in April 2009, which led to two security guards being hurt and one man being banned for life.
In 2006, a series of flare-ups inside and outside the ground prompted police to consider sending riot police to Bulldogs games, while the club was warned it could be stripped of competition points if unrest continued.
The only serious melee to break out at an NRL game so far this year was at Toyota Stadium last month when a policeman was injured attempting to settle a violent dispute on the northern hill towards the end of Cronulla's 19-13 defeat to Manly.
No bans to crowd members have been issued by the NRL this year.
Even so, the Bulldogs believe the new service - allowing supporters to alert security staff to trouble in a discreet manner - is a further safeguard and makes attending their games more appealing.
''The appeal is you don't have to confront a security guard if you want to report anything; you can just text,'' Greenberg said. ''That's just good, quality customer service.''
Fans get the message - Dogs are texting away trouble
Chris Barrett
May 12, 2011
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...way-trouble-20110511-1eizs.html#ixzz1M3L7JguV
CANTERBURY, whose home games were once marred by repeated crowd violence, have become industry leaders by introducing a text message system that allows supporters to report any trouble in the stands or outside ANZ Stadium immediately.
The club has tested the innovation at three home games this season and will launch it at tomorrow night's blockbuster against premiers St George Illawarra. It is expecting a crowd of more than 40,000, threatening the NRL's regular-season Sydney record of 41,835.
The system, set up with ANZ Stadium and NSW Police, adopts technology used by many major stadiums in the United States and by the AFL in Melbourne and allows spectators to SMS a number on the big screen in the event of poor crowd behaviour or disturbances such as smoking or excessive swearing.
Advertisement: Story continues below
''I got here in 2008 and from '02 to '08 our crowd numbers were year-on-year declining, despite us winning a premiership in that time,'' Bulldogs chief Todd Greenberg said.
''We had issues off the field, and that contributed significantly. We've had a zero-tolerance policy to anti-social behaviour from the start, and in 2009 and 2010 we were second [in crowd averages] behind Brisbane, in a one-team town. This year we're averaging 25,000.''
The Bulldogs' endemic crowd problems of the past are no more. The most recent major incident involving the club was a fight during their match against South Sydney in April 2009, which led to two security guards being hurt and one man being banned for life.
In 2006, a series of flare-ups inside and outside the ground prompted police to consider sending riot police to Bulldogs games, while the club was warned it could be stripped of competition points if unrest continued.
The only serious melee to break out at an NRL game so far this year was at Toyota Stadium last month when a policeman was injured attempting to settle a violent dispute on the northern hill towards the end of Cronulla's 19-13 defeat to Manly.
No bans to crowd members have been issued by the NRL this year.
Even so, the Bulldogs believe the new service - allowing supporters to alert security staff to trouble in a discreet manner - is a further safeguard and makes attending their games more appealing.
''The appeal is you don't have to confront a security guard if you want to report anything; you can just text,'' Greenberg said. ''That's just good, quality customer service.''
