The first match at Pride Park Stadium was a test for systems and procedures put into place to manage the UK's newest and finest football venue. Everything was put through its paces during the evening. I have never been to a proper football match before, but my 12 year old daughter and I felt comfortable and safe throughout the match.
There were two stewards assigned to each section and a supervisor for every two sections. All highly visible in their yellow jackets. The supervisors were in constant contact with the central control room situated high above the pitch opposite the TV gantry. A comprehensive network of CCTV cameras monitored the inside and outside of the ground, all fed to the central control room. Intelligence gathered there meant that the stewards, police and medical staff were kept aware of situations (or potential situations) enabling early remedial action, thus ensuring safety for everyone.
The authorities need to look at controlling people and traffic leaving the ground. Over 29,000 people wanting to get home at the same time is a problem with no easy solution. One option may be to close Pride Parkway to motorised traffic for 30 minutes following a match to allow pedestrians safe passage, then re-open the Parkway and allow car drivers and buses to leave the stadium car parks.