Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) - Discussion

[Kwality]

What exactly are we at risk from if this fence isn't implemented?

Are these blokes living in Melbourne still?
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/la...t/news-story/2ceef6ac8bab27d36adbc2c411833fa3

CONVICTED terrorists from a radical Muslim group jailed for planning to bomb the MCG could still pose a threat, according to intelligence sources.
Eight members of the Melbourne homegrown terror cell led by Abdul Nacer Benbrika have served between one and eight years for their role in the terror plot that aimed to kill and injure 80,000 Victorians at an AFL Grand Final.
The Herald Sun confirmed at least three members remain living in Melbourne, and according to sources some of the men remain active extremists.

 

[milhouse1]

I thought the gates weren't too bad yesterday. Got in pretty quick, had my bag checked on the way in then got the metal-detecting wand thingy. It is a bit of a shame to have it there because it does detract a bit, but not so bad. I like to go for a walk around the MCG in breaks of play, so in my case it was actually better because I didn't have to have my bag checked again coming back in to the stadium, as I just walked around the G within the perimeter fence. Pluses and minuses, but obviously if safety is improved its a good thing.

 

[KissKiss]

It wasnt too bad getting in but the crowd wasnt that big. Will have to wait for a really big game to see how it functions. Its pretty ugly though. Does ruin the view of the ground a bit.

Also from chatting to a few people the main reason for it is insurance. They are apparently saving a lot of money by installing the fence and extra security

 

[milhouse1]

Having a closer look today the down side is it is now actually far easier to sneak a bag in with a couple of people working together. With the temporary fence there is a pretty big gap at the bottom of the fence, would be very easy to slip a bag under at the right spot and not get noticed. Once inside this fence it can get taken into the stadium without any checks.

 

[Headless]

I've been overseas for six months and today is my first day back at the 'G.

Bloody special place.

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

Having a closer look today the down side is it is now actually far easier to sneak a bag in with a couple of people working together. With the temporary fence there is a pretty big gap at the bottom of the fence, would be very easy to slip a bag under at the right spot and not get noticed. Once inside this fence it can get taken into the stadium without any checks.

Since the fence has gone in I've been to the BBL and Day one of the test. Both time's I've seen people with cans of coke inside the stadium.

On Boxing day there was a piece of fence missing around gate 4 with no security around it.

I can see there being massive problems with a large crowd.

Last thing we want is what happened a week or so ago at Old Trafford. There was advice that because of the increased security fans should show up 2 hours before the game just to get in.

Also from chatting to a few people the main reason for it is insurance. They are apparently saving a lot of money by installing the fence and extra security

Love to know how. I would of thought they would need to pay Securecorp more money for the extra guards(and if it's a contract no doubt some fee to change the contract) And now doubt the fence hire for such a large amount of fence would cost a bit.

 

[KissKiss]

Love to know how. I would of thought they would need to pay Securecorp more money for the extra guards(and if it's a contract no doubt some fee to change the contract) And now doubt the fence hire for such a large amount of fence would cost a bit.

Yep but allegedly the insurance costs increase without them is higher than that of the fence + extra security

 

[Jeremias]

Last thing we want is what happened a week or so ago at Old Trafford.

Wrong.

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

Wrong.

Not wrong. A message was sent to fans on the 19th-20th dec to show up two hours earlier because of additional security checks. They also closed the small train station at the back because of a lack of space due to the extra checks.

 

[Jeremias]

Not wrong. A message was sent to fans on the 19th-20th dec to show up two hours earlier because of additional security checks. They also closed the small train station at the back because of a lack of space due to the extra checks.

I'm not talking about the incident in Manchester.

Rather I am talking about you (and others) carrying on about something completely irrelevant in the scheme of things.

Obviously the fence is not ideal, and the resultant increase in time it will take to get into the ground is an inconvenience, however it is ludicrous to suggest that it is the last thing we want to see. A fence was just put up to try and avoid the last thing we want to see.

 

[krisholio14]

I'm not talking about the incident in Manchester.

Rather I am talking about you (and others) carrying on about something completely irrelevant in the scheme of things.

Obviously the fence is not ideal, and the resultant increase in time it will take to get into the ground is an inconvenience, however it is ludicrous to suggest that it is the last thing we want to see. A fence was just put up to try and avoid the last thing we want to see.

Or so they say.....

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

Obviously the fence is not ideal, and the resultant increase in time it will take to get into the ground is an inconvenience, however it is ludicrous to suggest that it is the last thing we want to see. A fence was just put up to try and avoid the last thing we want to see.

The problem is that fence wouldn't stop terrorism. Security at the checkpoints do such a half arsed job of it they may as well not bother. The fence is flimsy and can be very easily removed and cut.

 

[Jeremias]

The problem is that fence wouldn't stop terrorism.

Obviously. Who is arguing to the contrary?

Nothing can or will ever 'stop' terrorism in its entirety - that doesn't mean we shouldn't explore the implementation of reasonable preventative measures where possible.

My heart bleeds for the pour souls who feel aggrieved that this will add onto the time it takes to enter the arena.

 

[Tassieboy]

Fair to say the MCG have ****ed it up for spectators.

 

[PP34]

Probably won't even bother going to big games at the G this year and after seeing photos of the debacle tonight. Forget about grabbing a pre game feed and some beers at a nearby pub now.

Farce.

 

[The_Wookie]

still a record crowd for the Big bash apparently

The previous BBL attendance record of 52,637 set at Adelaide Oval, was broken by the time James Faulkner bowled the first ball of Saturday night's match, with 56,674 fans inside the ground.

But it was estimated that more than 20,000 people remained outside the venue as the new counter-terrorism fence and security checkpoints slowed entry to the facility.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket...rustration-20160102-gly8cl.html#ixzz3w9duYyAS

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

Apprantly people were jumping the fence to get in. The whole thing was a farce.
Same is going to happen every Friday night game at the footy.

Get rid of the wanding and it will speed it up a bit.

 

[PerfectFooty]

Fence has to go, MCG has problems enough with big crowds having the fence take it slower is just terrible. The MCGs counter argument tonight is that they didn't expect so many more than 50k, but i'm not sure what they could have done to speed it up had they have had a better estimate

 

[Teagueeee15]

I'm sure that they will learn from tonight that they require more access points to cater for the big crowds come footy season. Many of the people coming from Jolimont Station/Hilton Hotel side get funnelled down towards one particular checkpoint outside the MCC members and the que was so long that some just jumped the fence while others cut into the que which caused some army bargy. I walked around a bit and found a slightly smaller line in between gate 2 and the Ponsford Stand so that may be worth trying in future.

Having experienced the fence at the test and Big Bash, I don't mind the wait if it ends up making people safer, but I don't see how it minimises the risk. The fence is flimsy and can easily be climbed, bags can fit underneath it and the large people that build up in such a small space around the checkpoints would result in mass casualties anyway if a bomb were to go off. At least they are trying something I guess.

 

[hitthepost]

but I don't see how it minimises the risk

It'd be a lot harder to set off a bomb inside the stadium when your bag is getting checked 20m away from it rather than right at the entrance. More open space would lower the impact of an explosion, and less chance of structural damage to the stadium itself which could cause issues if it started collapsing with people inside it, not to mention the panic and attempted mass-exodus which would likely happen.
That's the theory, far as I can tell...

 

[andrew_]

I worked just outside the ground yesterday (customer service) and was thoroughly appalled with what happened. Not only were we severely undermanned, we were asked to essentially act as security and crowd control, which is not what we are and not what we've been trained for. What were they thinking? The gate not only makes it easier for a potential attack to take place, it ruins the atmosphere outside the stadium. Simply put the fence was a complete failure and if the system is not drastically improved or discontinued come football season, there will be riots.

 

[SuperEgz]

Dont know what it is really like at the MCG with this fence but at Adelaide Oval this Big Bash they have been checking everyone's bags and wanding people every now and then just outside the front doors and it only takes a few seconds. Why cant they just do that in Melbourne?

 

[OzBomber]

Surely with the fence and crowd crushes like yesterday any potential terrorist could create far greater damage and create so much more panic by letting something off in those queues. Imagine if something happened yesterday, 30,000 people outside the ground all in hysterics would have resulted in deaths and hundreds of injuries.

Gotta feel sorry for the staff that had to put up with the complaints. They're not the ones at fault yet they would've copped so much abuse from people.

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

I'm sure that they will learn from tonight that they require more access points to cater for the big crowds come footy season.

Its a easier to do on the Yarra Park side of things near the MCC. Around the Great Southern Stand side you cant add anymore. They have to keep access to the footbridges and there are steps making it unveven.

Dont know what it is really like at the MCG with this fence but at Adelaide Oval this Big Bash they have been checking everyone's bags and wanding people every now and then just outside the front doors and it only takes a few seconds. Why cant they just do that in Melbourne?

Thats what they used to do. The bag check was outside the gate and the had one guard wanding people every so often.

 

[WagonBang]

Dont know what it is really like at the MCG with this fence but at Adelaide Oval this Big Bash they have been checking everyone's bags and wanding people every now and then just outside the front doors and it only takes a few seconds. Why cant they just do that in Melbourne?

They do at Etihad and AAMI Park. It's just the MCG wanted to be different. It's backfired.
All this rubbish about bombs and crap. They set a bomb off in them lines yesterday thousands would be dead. You'd need a check point for the line to the check point. It defeats the purpose of this thing.