At Esendex we thought we’d heard of just about every use for SMS there is, but then found out what our local football club (and two times European Cup winners) Nottingham Forest were up to…
T
he problem? You’re sitting in the stands enjoying the game with your kids when someone behind you starts yelling foul and abusive language, racist chants or causing trouble. You can’t tackle them, for fear of what they might do (especially if they’ve had a few beers). Getting a steward or the police over will draw attention to you and let the yob know that it was you who complained. So you put up with it or you leave early – but either way, you probably won’t want to take your family to the City Ground in a hurry again.
Fortunately, such instances are extremely rare at Forest thanks to the efforts of Safety Officer Alan Bexon and his team. They are extremely proactive and through their meticulous planning and intelligence database, it is safer to watch the Reds now than it’s ever been.
But if the worst happens, Esendex’s Web SMS system is there to help. Alan says;
“we wanted a solution that could quickly help fans tell us of troublemakers in confidence and not have their own safety compromised”.
Fans simply text the keyword ‘Forest’ to 60066 along with the details of the problem, getting an instant acknowledgement back.
“Within seconds our security control centre gets a copy of the text as an email. The video cameras zoom in on the offender and record the incident. Stewards and security are dispatched to monitor the incident and the situation is brought under control – all without anyone knowing who complained”.
The number is printed on the reverse of tickets, in the matchday programme and advertised around the ground. Alan would like to see the 60066 number adopted as the single crowd safety SMS shortcode for every club, so travelling fans would always know the number to text, no matter which ground they are visiting.
Alan’s forward thinking has been recognised by the FA, one of a select team chosen to contribute to the FA’s recently published safety best practices. Alan’s keen that other clubs follow Forest’s example and use this simple and cost effective SMS solution to make football safer and more enjoyable for everyone.
