Are we getting a name for ourselves off the pitch? (2 Viewers)

Legia Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
While I accept that reports suggest trouble has been on the up, and don't disagree that it needs to be tackled, this particular video seems to show more people stood around voyeuristically rubber necking than actually taking part in any disorder, so not sure how dangerous this situation was, other than for the loons criss crossing the traffic.
 

Liquid Gold

Well-Known Member
I’m not defending those twats that are having fights after games, but vs Preston at home me and my missus parked our car, walked about 4 yards and received dogs abuse from a group of about 6 or 7 Preston chavs for literally no reason. At a guess I would say they were between 15 and 18. I don’t think it’s just us with the problem.
We're the only ones that have to run a gauntlet of fences, batons and dogs to end up in the trouble anyway though
 

slowpoke

Well-Known Member
Also our little reputation that’s growing has probably influenced our reduction in away tickets.
 

WestEndAgro

Well-Known Member
Needs to be hostile, intimidating inside the ground, but it ends there, I witnessed some shocking behaviour from some of our lot on the train back to Cov station. Also problems after the Sheffield United game on the platform Home and away fans on the same train, with no police on board.
One of these days it's going to go off big style.
 

pusbccfc

Well-Known Member
Needs to be hostile, intimidating inside the ground, but it ends there, I witnessed some shocking behaviour from some of our lot on the train back to Cov station. Also problems after the Sheffield United game on the platform Home and away fans on the same train, with no police on board.
One of these days it's going to go off big style.

It won't. It never does go off big style like it used to.

What's funny, once you put fans together without police and barriers, very few of them actually throw a punch.

Which is why if the fence wasn't there, I doubt much more would happen.
 

djr8369

Well-Known Member
Good point. It’s tens of thousands of pounds we have been paying for increased police presence this season
More than that what does it mean in terms of lost revenue? A large portion of the population would never even consider attending a football match yet they wouldn’t have any reservation about attending most sporting events.

If we want to significantly increase attendance football needs to truly be a family atmosphere.
 

steveo1987

Well-Known Member
I think there is a huge difference between :

hurling (mildish) abuse in the ecstasy of a 99th minute equaliser, in the general direction of their fans from within the stadium (I did that - and it was more as a result of the justice for their time wasting antics)

and

carrying it on outside the stadium, in whatever shape or form. Singing, chanting because you're happy/ whatever, that's fine, but no need to have a go at opposition fans - particularly those just making there way home, and not looking for trouble.
The lad in the ground who got a bit of grief about his green jacket was in a group of about 20 or so giving it the large one from the underpass from Tesco up the steps to the away end. They were looking for a bit of a reaction.Its getting embarrassing as I've seen it on the road down towards the Cherry Tree from the main junction, Preston lads fighting down there before the police piled in with batons and pepper spray,Derby in the same area and a baggie fan in a shirt getting a proper kicking from about six lads..Not great for my lad to see this but it's getting very common now.
 

Sick Boy

Super Moderator
More than that what does it mean in terms of lost revenue? A large portion of the population would never even consider attending a football match yet they wouldn’t have any reservation about attending most sporting events.

If we want to significantly increase attendance football needs to truly be a family atmosphere.
Like the top end of the PL or rugby, you mean?
 

Liquid Gold

Well-Known Member
More than that what does it mean in terms of lost revenue? A large portion of the population would never even consider attending a football match yet they wouldn’t have any reservation about attending most sporting events.

If we want to significantly increase attendance football needs to truly be a family atmosphere.
violence is completely unacceptable and there should definitely be a safe space for families to be away from bad language and rowdy atmosphere but football's edge is a lot of its appeal.

If people want to sit down in a quiet bowl with nothing going on then Wasps have plenty of space.

The difficulty is ensuring the atmosphere is maintained while the trouble is eradicated.
 

The Great Eastern

Well-Known Member
Yes it did, it was after the pre-season tour in Ibiza when it kicked off inside the ground during ‘the final’.
Think Reading was the next fixture after QPR and it kicked off then as well. Some of ours and some of the Reading Youth decided to lock horns outside the stadium while the game was still on. I can remember all those in the top row were staring through the glass and not paying the slightest attention to what was happening on the pitch.
 

Sick Boy

Super Moderator
Think Reading was the next fixture after QPR and it kicked off then as well. Some of ours and some of the Reading Youth decided to lock horns outside the stadium while the game was still on. I can remember all those in the top row were staring through the glass and not paying the slightest attention to what was happening on the pitch.
That definitely happened during the QPR game - think you’re right, I remember some trouble at HR the season before with Reading.
 

tskezz

Well-Known Member
I don't think we're any worst than any other team to be honest, like people have already said in here we are a big day out ground. I think the layout of the site and the general organisation is the main issue. Fightings not right but when you're walking huge amounts of drunk lads past others or sticking poxy fences between people what do you expect.
 

Liquid Gold

Well-Known Member
I don't think we're any worst than any other team to be honest, like people have already said in here we are a big day out ground. I think the layout of the site and the general organisation is the main issue. Fightings not right but when you're walking huge amounts of drunk lads past others or sticking poxy fences between people what do you expect.
I keep going on and on and on about this but it's so basic I can't believe it's still going on.

Lads are more likely to shout and wind each other up if there is something in the way that makes them think they're safe. When that thing comes to an end and they are face to face and all wound up it then kicks off.

Every other ground I've been to the crowds mingle straight outside and there is no bother with it at all.
 

AOM

Well-Known Member
violence is completely unacceptable and there should definitely be a safe space for families to be away from bad language and rowdy atmosphere but football's edge is a lot of its appeal.

If people want to sit down in a quiet bowl with nothing going on then Wasps have plenty of space.

The difficulty is ensuring the atmosphere is maintained while the trouble is eradicated.

Exactly. Sitting next to the away fans, chanting/singing and winding each other up for 90 minutes and then having a pint and a chat with each other afterwards is half the live stadium experience.
Actual abuse and violence shouldn't even be in consideration
 

Tommo1993

Well-Known Member
Thugs will be that belligerent at games that they’re totally oblivious to the fact that they’re actually harming fellow fans in the same stand. Throwing their weight around just so they can swear at the opposition. When it’s pointed out and challenged, they’ll turn on you, as happened to us at Reading. Which is why I haven’t been away since.
 

djr8369

Well-Known Member
violence is completely unacceptable and there should definitely be a safe space for families to be away from bad language and rowdy atmosphere but football's edge is a lot of its appeal.

If people want to sit down in a quiet bowl with nothing going on then Wasps have plenty of space.

The difficulty is ensuring the atmosphere is maintained while the trouble is eradicated.
Plenty of people enjoy the atmosphere and add to it without feeling the need to be violent as well.

I don’t accept the premise the two go hand in hand.
 

djr8369

Well-Known Member
Like the top end of the PL or rugby, you mean?
Yeah. There are huge demographics that are almost completely excluded from live football (except perhaps at the highest level, as you point out). It’s money on the table that could be invested.

Of course, there are plenty of other reasons, besides financial, for violence not to be condoned or hand waved away.
 

Sick Boy

Super Moderator
Yeah. There are huge demographics that are almost completely excluded from live football (except perhaps at the highest level, as you point out). It’s money on the table that could be invested.

Of course, there are plenty of other reasons, besides financial, for violence not to be condoned or hand waved away.
It would just kill off what’s left of the traditional game even more. Football has always had an edge to it, that’s not going to go away any time soon.
 

Liquid Gold

Well-Known Member
Plenty of people enjoy the atmosphere and add to it without feeling the need to be violent as well.

I don’t accept the premise the two go hand in hand.
I didn't suggest the two go hand in hand. Quite the opposite.

What I did say is that it shouldn't be an entirely family friendly experience. There should be a space for that but there should also be a space for a bit of rowdiness that doesn't cross the line.
 

SkyBlueMatt

Well-Known Member
Maybe 'the new Millwall' is a tad too far, but its most weeks now theres trouble up there in one form or another.

Are we aware of any other club thats having that level of shite?

In the chavs defence it does seem that we get a large away following of mongs come here
I have a mate who works for a League One side and we were talking about this a few weeks back. He said they've seen a big increase in trouble these last couple of years from both home and away fans.

We are definitely not on our own with this.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
 

Sky_Blue_Dreamer

Well-Known Member
I didn't suggest the two go hand in hand. Quite the opposite.

What I did say is that it shouldn't be an entirely family friendly experience. There should be a space for that but there should also be a space for a bit of rowdiness that doesn't cross the line.
I accept your point - part of the enjoyment for me is that slight rowdiness (though it feels increasingly like it's crossing the line of acceptableness with many behaviour), but I have a slight issue with the priority.

The priority should be making it inclusive of everyone, allowing those that want to get a bit rowdy a space to do so (i.e. Singer's Corner). How much space is allocated to that would depend on demand for it. I think if things like Safe Standing were introduced that would help differentiate, although there will be those unable to stand that still want to be in that atmosphere. It's a shame because it's not the rowdiness that is the problem, it's those that don't know when it's too far. The twats who want to snort, get absolutely pissed and try and start a fight can fuck off as far as I'm concerned as they're the ones putting a lot of people off and stopping youngsters enjoying it.

But of course we seem to have a bigger issue outside the ground afterwards which , though I think a lot of that is down to two absolutely ridiculous safety decisions:
1. The positioning of the away fans in the stadium so that there's an increased chance of home and away fans paths crossing
2. The stupid fucking fence that entices twats to goad opposition fans for a significant time and then just mixes them together once it's off the stadium footprint.
 

Hobo

Well-Known Member
Some of the fans that follow us are absolute selfish dickheads who run away when you confront them about their behaviour.

But the sad thing is it is putting some fans off going and others returning.
 

djr8369

Well-Known Member
I didn't suggest the two go hand in hand. Quite the opposite.

What I did say is that it shouldn't be an entirely family friendly experience. There should be a space for that but there should also be a space for a bit of rowdiness that doesn't cross the line.
You suggested that without the rowdiness and the “edge” we’d just be sat in a quiet bowl? That seems to imply they go hand in hand?

It’s not that I don’t want a good atmosphere, or even some “edge”. But to my mind it should be a family friendly experience. Why on Earth wouldn’t it be?
 

djr8369

Well-Known Member
It would just kill off what’s left of the traditional game even more. Football has always had an edge to it, that’s not going to go away any time soon.
Well it’s not going to go away if we accept the premise that a good atmosphere isn’t possible without it, no.
And why are we beholden to the “traditional game”? What other aspects have been lost that you regret?
 

djr8369

Well-Known Member
As a thought experiment, thinking of the rowdiness people are willing to accept in football stadiums, whatever it is that gives it the “edge”, is there any other place in society where you are willing to accept that, or is it just at the football?
 

shmmeee

Well-Known Member
More than that what does it mean in terms of lost revenue? A large portion of the population would never even consider attending a football match yet they wouldn’t have any reservation about attending most sporting events.

If we want to significantly increase attendance football needs to truly be a family atmosphere.

Isn’t football the most attended sport?
 

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