Women forced to lift up tops before entering football ground.

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http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/we-were-treated-like-animals-11023143?ICID=FBmirrorr_main

Outrageous. I understand that for safety they need to search people, having been to football matches myself in the past and have had my bag searched etc.

Never have I ever been asked to lift up my top though. Surely if they really needed to do this (and I don't believe they did), it should have been done behind a screen for privacy and dignity. Not many women would be comfortable taking their top off in front of a bunch of strangers.

Its not nice, but the situation which calls for such security is not nice, I think you are going to have to get used to it

Interesting. I often don't wear a bra so would I have had to show them my boobs?

This is a town local to me and they're very like this. I've noticed the difference as soon as you step into Stevenage it's like you're not a human anymore because you're a woman. To anyone who said this is for security, it's not. It's about power. You're a woman and you have to do whatever they say.

I'd not pay to see a football game there a second time.

This seems like very much intentional harrassment. We all know who is most likely to commit terrorist attacks, and that's adult males.

Not women, and not 5 year old children!

They manage not to do this at airport security.

I work security at a football stadium and our guidelines for searches have been strengthened since the Manchester attack, but even so we are trained to not humiliate the person being searched, so most people will get patted down or wanded, but if there is reason to suspect anything is being concealed, the person will be taken aside for a personal search. Women should only be searched by women (wanding can be done by a man, but anything involving touching has to be done by a woman) and should be discreetly done. Nobody likes searching other people, but it shouldn't be made more unpleasant for the person being searched.

Its not nice, but the situation which calls for such security is not nice, I think you are going to have to get used to it

You may be prepared to give up your right to privacy but if the airport can handle this while dealing with actual terrorist threats I think these people can comprehend not exposing and touching women in front of a bunch of male football fans. If they're so concerned about fights and people getting in, are they happy to expose those women to those me ?

Its not nice, but the situation which calls for such security is not nice, I think you are going to have to get used to it

And the prize for stupidest comment of the day goes to Copperbeech.

Seriously, if Heathrow can manage to search women without humiliating them in the process, I rather think a league 2 football ground can. (For those not au fait with football, league 2 is the fourth league down, despite its name. It means that it's a really crap football team which is unlikely to be a major target. And even if it was likely to be a major target, as Raingods has just explained there are ways of carrying out searches without humiliating the person being searched).

This seems like very much intentional harrassment. We all know who is most likely to commit terrorist attacks, and that's adult males.

Not women, and not 5 year old children!

that is a stupid thing to say, many women and children have carried out terrorist attacks, mostly I would think they have been forced or tricked, by men, but that doesn't matter if you are on the receiving end.

I read an awful account once of a teenage girl refugee describing how her older brother had persuaded her 9 year old sister to be a suicide bomber. The poor little girl was so weighed down by the vest she had to be driven right up to the door of the target, she couldn't walk upright for any length of time

Its not nice, but the situation which calls for such security is not nice, I think you are going to have to get used to it

Rubbish, this isn't a thing at airports, music concerts or any other football ground to my knowledge.

And even if it was, surely a screen should be provided for these types of searches? I certainly wouldn't want to take my top off in front of a queue of strangers and would find it a very humiliating and degrading experience.

No one enjoys searches or being searched but they are necessary. Having to remove your top however, is not.

I agree it seems to be more about power rather than safety.

And the prize for stupidest comment of the day goes to Copperbeech.

not stupid at all, realistic and pragmatic, this is the world we live in, get used to it.

Seriously, if Heathrow can manage to search women without humiliating them in the process, I rather think a league 2 football ground can. (For those not au fait with football, league 2 is the fourth league down, despite its name. It means that it's a really crap football team which is unlikely to be a major target. And even if it was likely to be a major target, as Raingods has just explained there are ways of carrying out searches without humiliating the person being searched).

firstly, there is no way the resources available to such a football club are in any way comparable to those available to HM border control!

And secondly, with all those resources at their disposal, if you think woman don't find themselves in similarly, or more intrusive investigations at Heathrow all day every day, than you really don't know very much, do you

They manage not to do this at airport security.

I don't know why people think this, they certainly do NOT manage not to do it at airport security, it happens all the time, and a lot worse.

Its up to the woman anyway, she is perfectly at liberty to request being searched by another woman, and being searched in a screened area

and she is perfectly at liberty to choose not to enter.

And secondly, with all those resources at their disposal, if you think woman don't find themselves in similarly, or more intrusive investigations at Heathrow all day every day, than you really don't know very much, do you

Not in public in view of everyone else.

Searches that involve removing items of clothing should be done in private for a valid reason.

Not just because Stevenage FC in League 2 decide it is necessary.

Interesting. I often don't wear a bra so would I have had to show them my boobs?

unlikely, as it is most likely done to simply confirm that the metal detected is only the bra fastening.

But I suggest you remove your nipple piercings before you set out.....

You seem rather gleeful at the prospect that the (very rare but tragic when it happens) threat of terrorism can be used to defend some sort of descent into the most repressive sort of authoritarian state imaginable, Copperbeech. I wonder why?

I repeat, there is no need to search women by humiliating them. As Raingods has explained (from her professional experience) the need for checks for heightened security can be carried out sensitively and professionally. The stewards on the gate at Stevenage weren't doing this. They were on a nasty misogynistic little power trip. And that's the problem with people like you, Copper - you support these jumped up little sociopaths who see an opportunity to abuse their power to get their jollies.

It's a second division match not a premier league or championship match, there's no reason for that level of security checks, I doubt they would even be a target for any sort of attacks as so few people attend or support that low of a level club.

how stupid to see I am gleeful about terrorist attacks. pathetic and pointless comment.

This is the world we live in. This is the way it is. Lifting your top is no big deal. who cares? My children go to football matches, and as far as I am concerned, the more security the better. You can ask for a woman, you can ask for a screen, but I personally wouldn't bother.

A immense catastrophe was averted in France by security at a football ground, and terrorists not being able to get in.

It's a second division match not a premier league or championship match, there's no reason for that level of security checks, I doubt they would even be a target for any sort of attacks as so few people attend or support that low of a level club.

had you ever heard of Turku?

I don't know why people think this, they certainly do NOT manage not to do it at airport security, it happens all the time, and a lot worse.

Its up to the woman anyway, she is perfectly at liberty to request being searched by another woman, and being searched in a screened area

So there was a screened area and these women just chose to not to use it? 🤔 Missed that bit of the article
Also
In thirty years of frequent flying I have never seen a woman asked to remove her top in view of men. And it's not legal. So please shut the fuck up

and she is perfectly at liberty to choose not to enter.

So it's her fault for.not throwing away the money she spent on a ticket and travel as it's an away game? Those are your option sexual harassment or waste of a day.

Perhaps I've missed it, but was it only women who were searched in this way?

Because women can hide things under their T-shirts, but men - can't????

It's a second division match not a premier league or championship match, there's no reason for that level of security checks, I doubt they would even be a target for any sort of attacks as so few people attend or support that low of a level club.

Average attendances between 3000-5000. That's more than would have been standing around the recent Barcelona Van attack. More than were on London Bridge. More than were on each train/bus in the London bombings.

Lifting your top is no big deal. who cares?

Really? I do. But I hate football [yet another reason to hate it].

So there was a screened area and these women just chose to not to use it?

so ask for one

In thirty years of frequent flying I have never seen a woman asked to remove her top in view of men. And it's not legal. So please shut the fuck up

your ignorance and privilege is not the defining parameters of real life. And swearing does not make you big or clever or know anything

Lifting your top is no big deal. who cares?
If you can't see why some women might feel uncomfortable lifting their top up and exposing their upper body in front of a bunch of strangers then you are an idiot, quite frankly.

A immense catastrophe was averted in France by security at a football ground, and terrorists not being able to get in.
Did the security checks at this particular game involve the removal of women's clothing in front of an audience?

I don't know. Do they ask men to drop their trousers?