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Bulls chief Graham Turner has blamed Walsall fans for the fiasco that has left many Walsall fans complaining about the Bulls organisation.
Turner has issued the statement he has sent to the Football League over the entry problems last Saturday, saying that over 600 Walsall fans turned up for the game without tickets after the match was advertised to them as all-ticket:
For our match against Walsall it was decided that for visiting supporters it was all ticket, with them being available for purchase from Walsall Football Club for approximately 2 weeks prior to the match.
Walsall sold to their supporters 535 tickets, the total number of Walsall supporters in the visitors areas was 1174 therefore 639, more than half turned up at Edgar Street without tickets.
The majority arrived at the ground within 15 minutes of kick-off. Despite being repeatedly informed that it was all-ticket for visitors, to have that number turn up especially at such a late time would cause problems for most Clubs at this level. Inevitably under the circumstances there was going to be delays.
Four days later we had an FA Cup replay with Shrewsbury the attendance was similar with 917 visiting supporters. Again it was all ticket for visiting supporters. Of the 917, 907 arrived with tickets, there was absolutely no problems in them getting into the ground in good time.
The obvious reason for Saturday's problem therefore is the number of Walsall supporters who arrived fairly close to kick-off time and without tickets.
Meanwhile, a message on the upthesaddlers forum reportedly from the Walsall safety officer gives a different point of view:
Many thanks for your observations. As the Safety Officer for Walsall FC, I was asked to take 10 of our stewards to Hereford to assist them. I saw everything you did and more at first hand. Like you, I was not happy with the treatment and some 30 minutes before the kick off I asked for the kick off to be delayed so that we could get everyone in. I was told no and I then asked for additional turnstiles to be opened. This did not happen until after kick off and after they had closed other turnstiles for their own supporters. Your comments are noted and I have already complained to their Local Authority Safety Officer (who was with me during the game), the police (I am a retired police Inspector and match day public order Inspector so I know about policing games far bigger than even Walsall have), and the Football Licensing Authority. Believe me, they have already taken notice and they had a meeting with the Club on Monday morning. I am waiting for their reply to my comments. There were a number of other issues I cannot go into, but suffice it to say that something is already being done.
Walsall were certainly selling tickets to their fans prior to the game, though it is unclear whether they were marketed as an all-ticket game. It does appear that the case comes down to whether Hereford United told Walsall that the game was all-ticket and, if they did, was it marketed as such to their supporters for so many to travel without tickets.
