Blades fans Fighting each other......

[yorkshirecoast]

Have a look at the annual stats released by the Police concerning Football Violence. You will see that a) we're a pretty well behaved and moderate support and b) every club has idiots. In all my years of going to BDT I can maybe think of , off the top of my head, three games (none Pig) where's there's been some proper disorder walking down Bramall Lane towards town, but pretty much by contrast it's there every time we play Them.

The only other times I see problems with our support is Wembley.

Conclusion - Idiots get pumped up for the big occasions and won't be seen until the next one.

In regards of Wembley specifically, I have to say I witnessed none of the events so can't/won't comment on the whys and wherefores, but on the last two Challenge Cup Finals I've been to (easy wins for Warrington Maiders)I've seen plenty those sainted sensible family friendly RL fans wading into each other in the stadium.

Conclusion - Idiots don't just watch football.

And finally, the way Wembley Stadium sells it's tickets doesn't help. Our support base is very defined by where it sits on matchday with each of our stands containing a different demographic with differing ways of enjoying themselves. For the big occasions, they're thrown together cheek by jowl and the cocktail can be noxious.For me, a lot of the problems can be eliminated if they sold blocks tailored to our stand by stand requirements rather than meeting the needs of looking good on TV for the sponsors. For example, release Blocks 1-50 for JSS, Blocks 50-100 Kop, 100-150 South Stand so that our U shaped section of the ground replicates the layout of our stadium,.

Conclusion - You won't stop the idiots, but you'll stop them spoiling the day out of most others.

I agree that the behaviour of our fans is no worse than most - and better than some. It's fair to say I've seen trouble a lot more than 3 times though - even excluding games against the pigs - but in the vast majority of cases it's trouble between like-minded people and easy to avoid.

I do think this forum seems to overplay any problems with our fans - even trivial things like kids running on the pitch to celebrate a big win create a massive over-reaction in my opinion.

As for Wembley, the vast majority of our support was brilliant - passionate and good natured. There are bound to be some idiots in a crowd that big - you get similar trouble every Fri & Sat night in towns and cities up and down the country. It is awful if innocent fans are affected - and fans fighting amongst themselves is madness - but I think you just have to get over it in the knowledge that it doesn't happen very often.

Personally, I like the rivalry and intensity you get at football matches - the important thing is not to take it too far.

 

[JohnDenver]

I went to watch Saracens at Wembley t'other week.There were 10,000 more there than at our semi, all fans mixed in together, drinking in the stands, and not a whiff of trouble.

Yeah but you had to watch a rugby union match. Swings and roundabouts.

 

[itsinyerblood]

Have a look at the annual stats released by the Police concerning Football Violence. You will see that a) we're a pretty well behaved and moderate support and b) every club has idiots. In all my years of going to BDT I can maybe think of , off the top of my head, three games (none Pig) where's there's been some proper disorder walking down Bramall Lane towards town, but pretty much by contrast it's there every time we play Them.

The only other times I see problems with our support is Wembley.

Conclusion - Idiots get pumped up for the big occasions and won't be seen until the next one.

In regards of Wembley specifically, I have to say I witnessed none of the events so can't/won't comment on the whys and wherefores, but on the last two Challenge Cup Finals I've been to (easy wins for Warrington Maiders)I've seen plenty those sainted sensible family friendly RL fans wading into each other in the stadium.

Conclusion - Idiots don't just watch football.

And finally, the way Wembley Stadium sells it's tickets doesn't help. Our support base is very defined by where it sits on matchday with each of our stands containing a different demographic with differing ways of enjoying themselves. For the big occasions, they're thrown together cheek by jowl and the cocktail can be noxious.For me, a lot of the problems can be eliminated if they sold blocks tailored to our stand by stand requirements rather than meeting the needs of looking good on TV for the sponsors. For example, release Blocks 1-50 for JSS, Blocks 50-100 Kop, 100-150 South Stand so that our U shaped section of the ground replicates the layout of our stadium,.

Conclusion - You won't stop the idiots, but you'll stop them spoiling the day out of most others.

Good post mate and all points worth bearing in mind. As you say, in relative terms the type of violence that's under the spotlight doesn't happen too often, it's just that when it does, as described by several people on here, it has dreadful potential.

Annexing potential troublemakers seems a perfectly reasonable idea, unless some idiot talks about their rights being infringed.

Yes, this level of trouble extends far and wide, football is just one example of what happens on most high streets on a Saturday night, or other examples that are far too numerous to mention here. But it doesn't mean we need to turn a blind eye to it when it happens.

As I said, well considered post raul

 

[LSF]

I went to watch Saracens at Wembley t'other week.There were 10,000 more there than at our semi, all fans mixed in together, drinking in the stands, and not a whiff of trouble.

Oh bloody 'eck, a sensible post from our erstwhile comedian at last!

 

[felix]

Annexing potential troublemakers seems a perfectly reasonable idea, unless some idiot talks about their rights being infringed.

Excuse me? Apart from by not going to the match how do you guarantee that you yourself won't become identified as a potential troublemaker and consequently kettled by the police? After years of us complaining about fans being treated by default as thugs I am pretty surprised to find someone on this board proclaiming that anyone who objects to such treatment is an idiot.

We all detest bullies who ruin a day out for reasonable people but if you imagine any group of 70,000 people altogether, football followers or not, there will be some unsavoury folk about. 70,000 is not far off the population of Chesterfield; try a Friday night in the town centre and I think you'll find a lot of fighting going off and a lot of people pissed and stoned as well.

There's no need to punish the innocent along with the guilty, unless you are of the Mail/Express frame of mind that thinks the swinish multitude deserve all we get, surely?

 

[Hamburg Blade]

But it's not a Friday night on the lash, which is also out of hand in Britain, it's a sporting event. What other sport has this level of trouble - even accepting it's a small minority of fans? It should be zero and the police should number no more than a handful. We're a long way from that.

 

[JohnDenver]

Investigations are ongoing it seems.

http://www.sufc.co.uk/news/article/20140419-fa-cup-semi-final-support-1382487.aspx

The support shown to the team at Wembley last Sunday was illustrative of the pride that Unitedites had in becoming only the ninth side from the third tier of English football to appear at an FA Cup semi-final.


Even as the final whistle was being blown, the supporters were on their feet and applauding the efforts of both teams. Unfortunately, such support was marred by the behaviour of a minority of so-called Blades.


This behaviour has been brought to our attention by the authorities who have asked for the Club's assistance and co-operation in identifying those individuals, who during the course of the game, intimidated and threatened fellow fans and their families, which is unacceptable.


If any supporter has any information that could assist us in looking into this more closely could they please contact [email protected] or alternatively [email protected]


Any communication will be treated in the strictest of confidence.


Read more at http://www.sufc.co.uk/news/article/...inal-support-1382487.aspx#JLRBekfR4ZT3c4R1.99

 

[stringjunior]

I went to watch Saracens at Wembley t'other week.There were 10,000 more there than at our semi, all fans mixed in together, drinking in the stands, and not a whiff of trouble.

One of the differences between rugby and football is the greater frequency of scores in rugby, meaning there is less tension amongst fans, unlike in football. It contributes to a wholly different atmosphere

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

One of the differences between rugby and football is the greater frequency of scores in rugby, meaning there is less tension amongst fans, unlike in football. It contributes to a wholly different atmosphere

I've no idea why things are different but having been in test match crowds and international rugby crowds I seem to have been surrounded by similar people to football games (more so at a test match) but there is no desire to be a knobhead but the same people are dickheads at a game of Footie.

One of my theories is that the behaviour is lead by a culture of verbal abuse whether that is aimed at the opposition or the officials.
You never see the umpire getting some stick even when snicko proves they are wrong.

Is it the mind set?

 

[kingston RAWW]

One of the differences between rugby and football is the greater frequency of scores in rugby, meaning there is less tension amongst fans, unlike in football. It contributes to a wholly different atmosphere

I watch lot of rugby Union. It is self fulfilling, there is a civilised atmosphere, so families go, so people behave, so families go etc…if there is zero tolerance..it is getting better in football, so hopefully it will disperse.

 

[JohnDenver]

One of the differences between rugby and football is the greater frequency of scores in rugby, meaning there is less tension amongst fans, unlike in football. It contributes to a wholly different atmosphere

Rugby Union is also a complete mystery whereby the ref gives decisions for technical offences that 90% of the crowd cannot see, and 50% probably wouldn't understand even if it was shown to them.

It really is a different beast.

 

[shorehamview]

In rugby they like to drink to excess them shag the first one to become comatose. .

Whereas in football there's none of that.

 

[Greenwich Blade]

Well, I can report that I saw no trouble in Block 550 although someone close by had terrible BO.

I am relieved though that my nephew wasn't there to be traumatised for life by my explanation when he would have turned to me and asked, "Uncle Greenwich, what is a wanker?"

(Oh no, I'll be in trouble now for trivialising a serious subject.)

 

[JJ Sefton]

Rugby Union is also a complete mystery whereby the ref gives decisions for technical offences that 90% of the crowd cannot see, and 50% probably wouldn't understand even if it was shown to them.

It really is a different beast.

I disagree. Even from the top of Twickenham you can tell if someone is coming in from the side or knocking it forward.

 

[JohnDenver]

I disagree. Even from the top of Twickenham you can tell if someone is coming in from the side or knocking it forward.

Pfft. They're the easy ones.

 

[felix]

Well, I went to a Twenty20 match a few years ago (never again) at Queens Park between Derbyshire and Yorkshire and the same morons who show off at Spireites' games were getting pissed up and abusing young families from Sheffield who had just gone to see some cricket. It was dreadful. The game itself was like watching circus clowns perform and even the ice cream tasted vile.

This might suggest, I suppose, that the instant-thrills of T20 attract the same sort of thrill-seekers with short attention spans who go to football matches and spoil them, but I am not sure it proves anything at all, really. Another possibility is that in both Rugby codes there is so much violence on the pitch that fighting off it seems superfluous.

Once saw a football match and also an ice-hockey game in Sweden. The football was played in a sleepy atmosphere even though it was a clash between two of the better sides in the Allsvenskan. There was no fighting but then again there was no atmosphere. Goodness, it was dull. The ice hockey, on the other hand, was very un-Swedish. There were Nazi salutes before the game and it was all very boisterous. Still boring, but unlike the football it was nasty as well. All in all, the Blades/Hull semi-final was not only a hell of a lot better and more exciting to watch but far less oppressive too.