Bulldogs supporters to face extra securityBy Edmund Tadros
SIX uniformed security guards will travel with Bulldogs fans this Friday to protect Newcastle Knights supporters from a repeat of the Telstra Stadium brawl.
There will also be extra police and more security guards and body searches at EnergyAustralia Stadium.
The move comes after fights broke out in the grandstand as the Bulldogs defeated Wests Tigers last Friday night. Further trouble also occurred outside after the game.
Police said four people had been charged with affray over the fight inside the stadium.
On Monday, the club asked people to come forward and name anyone they knew who had been involved in the incidents, although this has yet to yield any positive leads.
This will be the first time security guards have travelled with the Bulldogs fans.
However, the club has previously segregated supporters and hired security guards to prevent their trouble-making fans causing fights at home games.
A meeting will be held today with NSW Police Minister Carl Scully to discuss how to deal with last week's brawl and prevent a repeat of the crowd behaviour at this Friday's match. NRL chief executive David Gallop and police representatives will also attend the meeting.
Knights CEO Ken Conway said plenty of tickets to the game would be available on the day and expected a crowd of between 22,000 and 23,000.
"In the last four years at EnergyAustralia Stadium, crowd behaviour at Bulldogs matches has been relatively quiet and our preparations have been effective," he said
Conway is keen to ensure the night game remains a safe family environment, and claimed that brawls at league games were a Sydney-based problem.
"The police are taking a special interest in this game," he said. "In relation to our own security, this match differs in that the Bulldogs fans will travel with six of their own security staff, who will mix with them and know the crowd. They will attempt to defuse any problems before they start.
"We very rarely get complaints about our fans when they travel. Our fans travel with the view of really wanting to watch the game, not to have a stir."
Other teams contacted by the Herald also said they did not use security guards for fans.
Penrith Panthers spokesman Rob Weaver said: "We don't do that and we certainly don't see any requirement to do it. We do have very good security at our home games. Our view is that prevention is lot better than cure."
A Rabbitohs official said: "We get quite a good supporter base when we do travel away, but we don't send our own security guards with our fans and we never have."
:lol: 6 guards what a joke ;()
