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Red Bulls help lift stadium bans on six fans

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There will be a few more New York Red Bulls fans in attendance for Wednesday night’s match against FC Barcelona after the Red Bulls helped lift bans on six of 10 fans who were ejected and banned  from Giants stadium during the team’s match against the Los Angeles Galaxy on July 19th.

Nine fans were ejected during the altercation pictured above, an incident that escalated after Giants Stadium security guards entered Section 101, home of the Empire Supporter’s Club, attempted to remove a fan who was crowd-surfing. The incident turned ugly when fans reacted to some mistreatment and rough behavior from stadium security.

The tenth fan ejected, in a seperate incident, was former New York Red Bulls fan of the year Thomas Binkley, who was ejected for an encounter in another section. Binkley’s ban has been lifted.

"We looked into the incidents and realize that there were some peacemakers who got caught up in the situation and we were able to work with the sports authority," Red Bulls managing director Erik Stover said. "The four other fans were guilty of things such as crowd surfing and pushing guards, and there was a security guard who was injured in the incident and we can’t just ignore that."

The incidents of the July 19th match have led the Red Bulls to work toward establishing new guidelines for the policing of Section 101, where the club’s oldest and largest supporter’s group sits. The club will place ambassadors in the section for home games and the ambassadors are expected to sere as liasions with stadium security, who are expected to have a less visible presence in section 101.

What do you think of the news? Are you glad to see the Red Bulls get involved? Are you still angry that the team is playing in Giants Stadium? Have you given up on going to games at Giants Stadium?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. “They seem to be taking a page from some other supporters’ groups at long last.”

    This is a lame response. The only difference between now and then is a FO that doesn’t take an adversarial role. The implicit criticism of the ESC, and the attempt to attribute credit to supporters’ clubs of other teams, shows just how ignorant you are.

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  2. It seems for the first time that the ESC has been assertive with their team’s front office, and actually tried to accompish something other than just cheering. Good for them. They seem to be taking a page from some other supporters’ groups at long last.

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  3. I believe Tim is correct; the Goldthwaite jersey was game-worn & tossed into the section. Perhaps the question shoud be, “Who wears a Goldthwaite jersey?” 😀

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  4. I’m suprised, finally some rational approach to the situation. To us, it’s obvious: fans will be ‘excited’ at games – perhaps, only a european (non-gringo) owner truely understands that.

    In appreciation, I’ll actually buy some redbull (compared to the team, the drink is excellent).

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  5. Perfect. Good Compromise and great response RBFO! Glad they took a page from the Fusion history, as I indicated. P.S. MLS can we have our team back now?…please!

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  6. It looks like you could practically kill somebody at the game and get away with it because the Red Bulls are desperate to keep what little fans they actually have. I can’t wait!!!…I will be up there for the DC UNITED match!!! If Ben Olsen were healthy for this game, he would have a hat trick!

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  7. The security is brutal there. It is like old school DC security. Just looking for an excuse to kick ass….

    Can I get my ejection form torn up to?

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  8. Thank you Red Bull FO for supporting us supporters. We need each other and its been refreshing to see this front office do what the Metrostars could never do.

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  9. Good job by RBFO!!! Glad several got reinstated.

    When they refer to crowd-surfing are they talking about a la Jim Morrison… being passed overhead?

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  10. This is good news and I am glad the RBNY FO has become more involved, but the yellow goon who gave the middle finger in the picture of Ives original story and any other guard who was disespectful to any patron should be fired to be even handed.

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  11. For the fans crowd surfing, I guess the ban should stand… but for the guys who pushed the guards, that ban should also be lifted.

    It was done in the heat of the moment when both guards and fans were behaving inappropriately. If the verdict is to punish the fans with bans, than the guards who acted inappropriately should be fired for life. That would be fair. Otherwise the fans who reacted physically should receive a stern warning but have their bans overturned.

    The point is that the guards clearly provoked the fans — so the fans who reacted physically to that provocation shouldn’t be banned considering those fans would have been civil without the provocation. Otherwise it would be a entrapment. The guards provoke, the fans react, so the fans are guilty. That doesn’t work in our society.

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  12. Long time coming. It’s not the fans’ fault security guys are uninformed about all things soccer. They see passion as some kind of threat or dangerous behavior.

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  13. Revs fan here, but good for you guys. I know ESC and the populace of 101 has had a hard time with security and it’s good to see things finally pushing toward a resolution.

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  14. This should have been done years ago! In any case, good job to all for collaborating and communicating! Most fans are dying to get out of GS with the mistreatment by these “security guards” being one of many reasons.

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