Taken from CUFC forum:
Gerry, please don't misquote me!
Whilst I did mention the issues of alcohol as a general malaise and how it was sensibly managed by stewards at Grimsby (!!!), it was NOT a factor here. The reason being that both the CUSA bus and two Roman coaches arrived so late (2.00pm) due to roadworks on the A14, that nobody had time to get a drink, let alone get drunk, and certainly not any of the boys involved here.
Rigid alcohol consumption restrictions also apply on both bus services (e.g. none). The kids concerned were on the Roman coach (I was on CUSA). It is libelous to suggest that either carrier or the club doesn't properly manage this. Yes, there is another group that travel by minibus (or train) that occasionally do embarrass us under the influence, but nobody involved here had travelled by such routes nor was alcohol a factor. These were just a few stupid kids.
One cannot deny that at times the over exuberance of our youngsters does need curtailing, but it cannot justify the violent assault on them conducted by the Coventry stewards. Gone are the days of capital and corporal punishment. Just as in schools, we can't belt them with a big stick. Hence, there should also be prohibition of private army's in the guise of thug response teams. This could have been far better managed, and it seemed to me that the Coventry response team simply wanted "action". Only when the regular police arrived was any sanity restored.
The steward that got injured has only himself to blame. He attempted to dance across vacant seats that were nowhere near any of these particular U's fans and he fell solely due to his own lack of caution. I can only assume that he was so keen to get involved with a ruck that he had not got the patience to approach this more sensibly. As far as I know, nobody has been charged with any assault on him and as a witness I would willing defend anybody that was. NO U's fans touched him!
I find myself in truly uncomfortable territory standing up for these yobs as I don't approve of ANY misbehaviour, but this matter deserves proper consideration by reasonable minded adults, and not by a brigade that wants to tar and feather them. Violence simply breeds violence and any response to misbehaviour should be in proportion, whilst justice deserves proper consideration. I am confident that nobody will be charged or banned following this incident. Many fans filmed it so the evidence exists. Unsavoury yes; unnecessary yes; unsatisfactory, yes; but it didn't require the disproportionate thug response of the stewards.