Bag Limit Size Ban at The Valley

cafcfan

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Sheepie1985

If they trialled it at the end of last season then they done a bad job as my bag I’ve been taking for years is bigger than A4 and not once has it been questioned 

ArmchairAddick

- Take stuff in large carrier bag

- Before going in, take it all out, fold up bag, put in pocket, go in with armfuls of stuff (it's not in a bag!)

- Get inside and put it back in the bag 

Or am I overthinking it 😆

ArmchairAddick

Actually it doesn't say you can only bring one bag....

Jints

Sheepie1985 said:

If they trialled it at the end of last season then they done a bad job as my bag I’ve been taking for years is bigger than A4 and not once has it been questioned 

Same.

TootingRedArmy

MrOneLung said:

cafcfan said:

TootingRedArmy said:

If bag searches are done ...what is difference between a A4 bag : rucksack and a normal rucksack search? 

I don't know - it's your joke.

But seriously, this stuff is worked out on the basis that in all probability the security staff find the task of searching bags boring in the extreme and won't do it properly. 

Excluding large bag sizes is an easy and foolproof way of ensuring that large explosive devices do not get in the building. 10 kg of military grade explosives can take down a multi-story building and kill everyone within a 35m radius. 1kg only kills within a 5-10m radius and the building probably survives.  That's a big difference in the numbers of dead supporters.

Also the larger the bag the longer it takes to search creating queues and pressure as kick-off time approaches.

Is it rubbish and is it a real drag for supporters?  Yes it is but the alternative doesn't bear thinking about.  We're going to have to suck it up.

As usual, it would have helped if the club had communicated something about it in a prominent way with an explanation as to why the restriction was being imposed.  But they didn't.  It's going to be a right bastard for the kitman....

People do ridiculous things balancing cost vs effectiveness to attempt to minimise risk and the results are not always very sensible. Many years ago my employer was exploring ways of reducing damage from bomb blasts outside the building.  The recommended answer was to install a clear film on the windows and use special tear-resistant net curtains one and a half times the drop of the window. The surplus curtain was weighted and lived in a box on the window sill. The concept being that the film would stop the glass from shattering into shards and the curtain/box would retain all the larger pieces so they wouldn't fly around the offices. 
My employer was happy to pay for the window film but not the curtains and boxes. The end result being that in the event of an explosion, instead of staff getting small pieces of glass stuck in their face they would all be decapitated by lots of large panes hurtling through the office at high velocity.  You pay your money you take your choice.

First they came for the large bags to prevent large bombs
Then they came for the small bags to prevent small bombs

Finally they came for the West Stand Car Park season ticket holders to prevent car bombs

this is only incident on record ......of course it only takes one device but is this the reason?

Old Trafford, Manchester, 2016: a realistic-looking bomb was discovered shortly before Manchester United were due to play Bournemouth. The stadium was evacuated and the match cancelled. It turned out to be a dummy training device accidentally left behind by a security company, not a real bomb.

if the club had proper bag searches whats difference between A4 and regular rucksack check? 
if its security then why not go the whole hog and get airport style security? 
Feels more like trying to put off fans bringing a bag with food and drink into the Valley

CaptainRobbo

Leuth said:

I had also been hoping to attend tomorrow's cricket match with no cricket bag but merely a rucksack containing my whites and shoes and then abscond to The Valley as soon as the game is rained off, but now I see I can't even do that. I will have to wear my whites to the game or something 

CaptainRobbo

PrincessFiona said:

shirty5 said:

https://www.cafc.co.uk/news/matchday-info-charlton-v-preston-north-end

Bag policy 

At the end of last season, the club introduced a trial bag policy aimed at enhancing safety and security and streamlining supporter entry to the stadium. Following the trial, the policy has been implemented for the 2026/27 season. Click here to read the policy in full.

Reusable, transparent bags are available to purchase in the club shop, priced at 80p, allowing supporters to bring their belongings or newly purchased merchandise into the stadium in these bags.

As this is the first full season of the policy, the club will work with supporters who bring luggage and bags to the upcoming fixture against Preston North End. Fans requiring a medical exemption or wishing to bring additional luggage are encouraged to email safetyteam@cafc.co.uk by 6pm on Friday evening. For all future matches, there will be an online exemption form available on the club website that supporters can fill out no later than 48 hours before matchdays.

A temporary bag storage facility will be available for the upcoming fixture against Queens Park Rangers, with a permanent solution to be introduced in due course.

The club will monitor the process and work with supporters should changes be required.

does this apply to away fans too who may not know and/or who may have brought more than an A4 sized bag with them as stying over a night or more?

Could be a bit of an issue for tourist fans too.

shine166

 

This one is perfect for the NU.

fenlandaddick

shine166 said:

 

This one is perfect for the NU.

Baking a cake? 

guinnessaddick

Leuth said:

I had also been hoping to attend tomorrow's cricket match with no cricket bag but merely a rucksack containing my whites and shoes and then abscond to The Valley as soon as the game is rained off, but now I see I can't even do that. I will have to wear my whites to the game or something 

Couldn’t you put all in a box, or is that not big enough?

shine166

fenlandaddick said:

shine166 said:

 

This one is perfect for the NU.

Baking a cake? 

Yeah it is pub grub, but you dont wanna peak too early. 

MrOneLung

shine166 said:

 

This one is perfect for the NU.

and what about for the 2nd half ?

Rob7Lee

Not sure what this is really going to achieve, but I guess it is what it is as they say, can't imagine they'll be any revision to policy. I probably openly make about half to two thirds of the midweek games these days due to work, looks like zero now!

Photollery

My 9 year old normally takes his rucksack, as we travel in on the train and on the weekends we spend the day in London. Full of everything you normally have with kids. 

Obviously, no more rucksack.

Just means on mid week games we rush after school to get the train to London and don’t normally have time for any sit down dinner. I’ll have to eat as we walk to the Valley (Tesco or Sainsbury’s) as CAFC don’t deal with allergies on the concourse, well, not with the confused face you get if you ask someone and I normally stick my meal deal in his rucksack 😂 and eat at the ground. 

Bag check, no problem. A4, ridiculous. Being a bad Dad and getting your kid to carry everything, guilty 😳

JamesU2002

The first midweek game at the Valley is going to be chaos. So many people turning up with work bags. Not handled or communicated properly this change.

SE_7EVEN

iainment said:

My cycling musettes will probably be ok and can take a surprising amount of stuff.

@iainment Good call it's very close

killerandflash

Sheepie1985 said:

If they trialled it at the end of last season then they done a bad job as my bag I’ve been taking for years is bigger than A4 and not once has it been questioned 

If they trialled it at the end of last season, they managed to keep the trial secret from everyone, so not a trial in the normal meaning of the word.

How can you trial bag size rules anyway? You either have the A4 rule or you don't.

MrOneLung

The whole A4 business is nonsense anyway. A4 is a two-dimensional size. Bags are, by their very nature, three-dimensional.

Exactly. 

What do you mean. This is the size of A4 

Fanny Fanackapan

Anyone received a response from "safetyteam@cafc.co.uk " to their email re an exemption today ? 

Pointless if there's no reply IMO. 

Sent one @ 13.17 this afternoon regarding Mr F's prostate/diabetes necessities  but nothing received in return. 

fenaddick

Fanny Fanackapan said:

Anyone received a response from "safetyteam@cafc.co.uk " to their email re an exemption today ? 

Pointless if there's no reply IMO. 

Sent one @ 13.17 this afternoon regarding Mr F's prostate/diabetes necessities  but nothing received in return. 

Useless. I really hope you don’t have to fill in an exemption form for every fixture too, would be a ridiculous hassle 

Sark99

Fanny Fanackapan said:

Anyone received a response from "safetyteam@cafc.co.uk " to their email re an exemption today ? 

Pointless if there's no reply IMO. 

Sent one @ 13.17 this afternoon regarding Mr F's prostate/diabetes necessities  but nothing received in return. 

I have had a response yesterday afternoon. It appears to be a bit of a farce. I spent all last season trying to get a response from the club, to take in supplies to treat type 1 diabetes. Never got a response. This season got a response 2 weeks ago from the new fans support team. Two weeks later we now have this new policy. 

usetobunkin

GSGLH

What makes me really angry about this is that the club brought in the policy just after the season tickets were sold. They obviously expected that this would make it uneconomical for some supporters. Those who come to The Valley after work and now won't be able to may no longer be able to attend midweek games. The club should be permitting those people to get a full refund on their season tickets and take the cheaper option of buying Saturday tickets individually.

shine166

Going on my own today and unless my son is also expected to carry around a backpack all day, this just does not work at all, I forgot that at Wembley my Mrs was there too, so we had twice the space. Good luck unpacking the bag to search it, will take a age to repack it all. 

I wont be going through this faff again, we just wont bother going. 

jose

Stewards have all been issued with these today.

thickandthin63

Normally me and the wife take a smallish carrier bag with flask,bottle of water and pack of kitkats plus whatever she needs to take(Dont talk to me about that).Solution, two smaller bags ,pain in the arse,take up same space .Do agree that some people bring in ruck sacks that look like they are going hiking,and do present a problem when trying to step over or round them .But there you go ,suppose elf and safety may have got involved.

jose

Bulging pockets are the answer.

Sword65pf

So Charlton rucksack sales are going to plummet!!

Er_Be_Ab_Pl_Wo_Wo_Ch

I emailed the club seeking an exemption for the season. I received a short email reply saying I'm exempt from the bag policy.

I interpret this as a sensible conversation with the steward each game, gets your bag in. Just say you have a medical condition and need to carry stuff.

I'm not seeing any hard lines being taken by the club here.

Looks to me that the policy will succeed in putting off a lot of people from bringing bigger bags, and maybe that's the intention. Those who want or need to, can find a way.

But we'll see what plays out at the turnstiles.