By Adam Franc
The Football Association and Nottinghamshire County Council have commended Wycombe Wanderers' stewarding team, for their excellent work in maintaining security at the Blues FA Cup 2nd round tie at Eastwood Town.
FA Crowd Control Advisor, David Beaumont, was at the game and was extremely impressed by the high level of professionalism displayed by Wycombe's security team, reporting that their work was vital to the successful staging of the game.
With a much larger crowd attending the game than the home staff had previously dealt with, Wanderers' Safety Officer Richard Stanford was drafted in to take charge of the pre-match planning.
There were 25 Wycombe stewards also in attendance at the ground, to ensure that the match was staged without a hitch, and that the safety of everyone present was maintained.
Stanford or Stan, as he likes to be known, had also performed the same role when the Blues travelled to AFC Wimbledon in the first round of the competition.
Eastwood Town chose to ask Stan and his team to manage the game, when they could have chosen local League Two side Notts County or Nottingham Forrest of the Championship.
Stan's stewarding team had already been named 'Customer Service Team of the Year' back in October, having had one of the lowest arrest records in the Football League last season.
Chris Whalley, Head of Stadia, Safety and Security for the FA, stated that: "The FA's thanks go out to Richard Stanford and to the 25 stewards who performed so well at Eastwood Town, to let them know that their efforts have not gone unnoticed."
This is another piece of national recognition for a group, who consistently provide a high level of safety for all fans at Adams Park all season long.
