Old Bill do a runner…

This stadium stewarding business is now becoming less teething problems and more like a case for a new set of dentures. It has emerged today that the police are refusing to help inside the London Stadium as an Airwave radio system has not been installed. Did they have one of those when they used to tiptoe through the North Bank confiscating high-leg steel-toecapped DM boots? 

There will be a police presence outside the stadium and the police will enter if there is a serious disturbance. The Airwave radio might be ready by December, apparently, which leaves E20 and West Ham halfway up the River Lea without a paddleboad. It's a bit like a footballing Lord of the Flies. Leave enough fans poorly stewarded with no police in a new ground and see how long it takes to kick off. 

There's a good overview of the situation in today's Guardian, with some quotes from Knees Up Mother Brown. Most of the problems are occurring at the ends in the Bobby Moore and Trevor Brooking Stands. Whereas everyone in the old Bobby Moore Stand used to stand up all game, now the situation is complicated by the club having sold 25,000 family tickets. Clearly there's been little planning in how to separate families and old-style Bobby Moore Standers. A designated singing area where people could tacitly agree to stand might have helped. 

At least the club is now trying to help families with children who can't see to swap to different parts of the stadium. Certainly where we sit in the East Stand there's been no problem with standing so far. If like-minded people are seated with each other then some of the problems might be solved. Otherwise we'll need Billy Bonds to sort it out…