Interesting Article

[Simi]

I think, looking back at the 80s and 90s we only have ourselves to blame.

If I was inviting 20 000 people round to my gaff on a saturday afternoon, would I invite among them some people who have been known to get drunk and damage parts of my house, beat up other people and generally cause mayhem? Or would I invite people who bring their children and know how to behave?

The majority of us are victims of a mayhem-causing minority who have only been kept out of the way by managing the binge-drinking culture we have in this country. Sadly, the sort of idiots who are likely to be kicking lumps out of some poor bastard on a Saturday night in the pursuit of drunken entertainment are attracted to going to football matches (sometimes as players - see Joey Barton). Jovial references to them do not help (I have seen some people on this board apparently expressing admiration for the Baby Squad).

The sort of people who go to Rugby matches, are on the whole different from the mauling thugs we see in most town centres when the pubs and clubs empty. Yes, they drink but they tend not to get violent.

So if you want to blame someone for not being able to stand, drink, swear at matches - look toward those 'legends' from the Baby Squad, the Inter City Firm and all the other tossers.

Yes, the clubs and indeed the government have over reacted to make sure the bad old days don't return, but that is what they do.

Obviously true, but anyone with a bit of common sense knows that the percentage has certainly decreased with regards organised violence and the Police are very much on top of things now.

Governing Bodies are to quick to refer back to the dark old days that forced the change in the first place, anyone with a bit of common sense knows times have changed and that the fans that do want to srand, drink and swear have equal rights to the 'new breed' of fan.

[JoeyB]

Interesting article about the demise of football over the years, i think everything he has put in their is the truth, like he said, why should football fans be treated differently to rugby fans in the grounds? outside the grounds yes i agree due to some fans starting fights, but inside why?

[Suffolk_fox]

Interesting article about the demise of football over the years, i think everything he has put in their is the truth, like he said, why should football fans be treated differently to rugby fans in the grounds? outside the grounds yes i agree due to some fans starting fights, but inside why?

Because for every arrest inside the ground at a rugby game, I could show you at least a dozen at a football match. In fact, I think you might struggle to find the Rugby arrest....

[Kilworthfox]

Here

It's a good read. Most of what he says is completely true and highlights many of the things some posters on here have discussed to an extent previously.

Can we make this a sticky?

WOW an encapsulation of how I feel from some one else Paul Jones

Great quotes:

Is the football bubble about to burst? I hope so.

Portsmouth's most famous fan, the bell ringer with the blue hair, or less commonly known as "John", was approached by the ground staff at Fratton Park and asked to keep the noise down. I'm sure it's not only me that's absolutely staggered by that. Asked to stop ringing his bell and keep the noise down, in a football ground! The mind boggles.

When I go to the match, I want to stand with fellow fans, my friends. I want to participate in the game, I want to support the side. I want to shout and I want to sing. I want to do the things that made me fall in love with the game and going to the match

Enjoy modern football. Enjoy scratching your heads in some plush office arguing with each other about who's to blame when the crowds start to stay away. I'll be long past the caring stage. You'll have brought it upon yourselves and destroyed a game loved by millions in the process. I hope it's worth it.

[Simi]

Because for every arrest inside the ground at a rugby game, I could show you at least a dozen at a football match. In fact, I think you might struggle to find the Rugby arrest....

I'm sure I could show you that nothing ever comes of these arrests, nine times out of ten at least.

Police are often on power missions at football, as I've witnessed on many occasions first hand.

Everyone knows they have figures to meet, football is deemed as an easy way to get them numbers up.

[Suffolk_fox]

I'm sure I could show you that nothing ever comes of these arrests, nine times out of ten at least.

Police are often on power missions at football, as I've witnessed on many occasions first hand.

Everyone knows they have figures to meet, football is deemed as an easy way to get them numbers up.

Sorry Ched, but that doesn't wash. I have been going to football matches for 28 years, and I have seen more than my fair share of drunken idiots ruining someone else's day. A lot of the arrests on a Friday and Saturday night come to nothing either - they are given breakfast, and read the riot act then sent home. I myself have carried out this duty in a previous career.

I have never seen an 'innocent' bystander arrested and I have never been nicked either, not even on a boozy weekend night when I am totally wankered. Thats not to say it never happens Ched, but I guess you and I must be in different places with different people.

Why do the police never nick Rugby spectators? Surely that would be just as easy - if not more so - they drink, they sing really rude songs, and even stand up!! Difference is, they don't give abuse to individuals or attack other people. Sadly, this happens all to often at football matches.

[Asha]

That article really hit me.

I never really thought about it that much, but I'm starting to see the contrast and how true football fans are a dying breed now. I felt like such a tit for a season in the West Stand 2 years ago, but I expected that. To be continuously told to sit down in the kop really suprised me....expecting to be able to support my team vocally.

Watching MOTD2 now, and when the Sunderland game were on I noticed especially how quiet it was.

Of course I never went to a football match until the early naughties. It sounds like I really missed out there. Not knowing any different, I've always held the perception of the 'match-day' entertainment, especially aligned with the lack of recent entertainment on the pitch. Compared with how the article and many of you have described, the situation today isn't football.

Sort of joint with the Goal Music thread, and I think it was Ched who said something about just hugging random people when we score...well that's never happened to me. Wherever I've sat, everyone else celebrate with the goal music we've had ever since I started watching Leicester (originally PHG).

I'm starting to wish I was born 20 years earlier.

Any comment I made in any goal music thread, arguing 'for' goal music, was only because it's all I knew, I never understood the benefit having no goal music would have...I only had this vision of it being less entertaining.

I think, through all those arguing against, It's been pointed out to me now.

Sorry for being such a twat.

I've never agreed with Game 39, or the massive increase in wages/transfers. But I'd have to agree fans with the vision of football I sort of had and the whole 'match day entertainment' idea that has been put in to me is ruining football.

I think I want to change my mind about it all now. Screw high amounts of money. Screw the authorities. Screw goal music.

I want to experience what I missed out on in the 70s/80s/90s, that you all talk about so passionately.

[Simi]

Sorry Ched, but that doesn't wash. I have been going to football matches for 28 years, and I have seen more than my fair share of drunken idiots ruining someone else's day. A lot of the arrests on a Friday and Saturday night come to nothing either - they are given breakfast, and read the riot act then sent home. I myself have carried out this duty in a previous career.

I have never seen an 'innocent' bystander arrested and I have never been nicked either, not even on a boozy weekend night when I am totally wankered. Thats not to say it never happens Ched, but I guess you and I must be in different places with different people.

Why do the police never nick Rugby spectators? Surely that would be just as easy - if not more so - they drink, they sing really rude songs, and even stand up!! Difference is, they don't give abuse to individuals or attack other people. Sadly, this happens all to often at football matches.

I'm not for one second saying that the average 'drunken idiot' has left the game and needs to be forgotten, beleive me, I see them every week also. It defintley has dropped though in my opinion, but forever will the drunken twat be linked to a football hooligan no matter what the circumstances are.

I myself have seen innocent bystanders arrested, Saturday for example, as you may have read in the LCFC forum. I've not been arrested at football nor have any of my mates, that's even with me being one of those standing types.

Why the police don't nick Rugby supporters is another situation. I could think of many reasons. Football is the country's national sport, the spotlight is forever on it with the massive media interest and you can bet what would make the frontpage in a competition between fighting rugby fans and fighting football fans.

I'm not so sure the correlation exists as strongly as it used to between fighting and attending football matches and it most certainly doesn't reflect the average fan that wants to stand and have a drink at football in my view.

[Tommeh]

That article really hit me.

I never really thought about it that much, but I'm starting to see the contrast and how true football fans are a dying breed now. I felt like such a tit for a season in the West Stand 2 years ago, but I expected that. To be continuously told to sit down in the kop really suprised me....expecting to be able to support my team vocally.

Watching MOTD2 now, and when the Sunderland game were on I noticed especially how quiet it was.

Of course I never went to a football match until the early naughties. It sounds like I really missed out there. Not knowing any different, I've always held the perception of the 'match-day' entertainment, especially aligned with the lack of recent entertainment on the pitch. Compared with how the article and many of you have described, the situation today isn't football.

Sort of joint with the Goal Music thread, and I think it was Ched who said something about just hugging random people when we score...well that's never happened to me. Wherever I've sat, everyone else celebrate with the goal music we've had ever since I started watching Leicester (originally PHG).

I'm starting to wish I was born 20 years earlier.

Any comment I made in any goal music thread, arguing 'for' goal music, was only because it's all I knew, I never understood the benefit having no goal music would have...I only had this vision of it being less entertaining.

I think, through all those arguing against, It's been pointed out to me now.

Sorry for being such a twat.

I've never agreed with Game 39, or the massive increase in wages/transfers. But I'd have to agree fans with the vision of football I sort of had and the whole 'match day entertainment' idea that has been put in to me is ruining football.

I think I want to change my mind about it all now. Screw high amounts of money. Screw the authorities. Screw goal music.

I want to experience what I missed out on in the 70s/80s/90s, that you all talk about so passionately.

You need to get to the aways for that, Fulham was excellant but nights like that are probably once maybe twice a season.

It has been such a relief the past 2 games (cheltenham and fulham) to actually celebrate goals properly i.e. no goal music and people jumping around like salmons. The goals at fulham were madness and even though they were more subdued at cheltenham it was great knowing no music was coming to kill the joy.

[Lovejoy]

It's all very well talking about it, but how are we really going to make a difference.

People we need to take action !

[Simi]

It's all very well talking about it, but how are we really going to make a difference.

People we need to take action !

You a member of Standupsitdown?

[JakeShingler]

haha

[Asha]

haha

[Lovejoy]

You a member of Standupsitdown?

Yup, and have wrote to my MP (not for the first time either).

[davieG]

Sorry Ched, but that doesn't wash. I have been going to football matches for 28 years, and I have seen more than my fair share of drunken idiots ruining someone else's day. A lot of the arrests on a Friday and Saturday night come to nothing either - they are given breakfast, and read the riot act then sent home. I myself have carried out this duty in a previous career.

I have never seen an 'innocent' bystander arrested and I have never been nicked either, not even on a boozy weekend night when I am totally wankered. Thats not to say it never happens Ched, but I guess you and I must be in different places with different people.

Why do the police never nick Rugby spectators? Surely that would be just as easy - if not more so - they drink, they sing really rude songs, and even stand up!! Difference is, they don't give abuse to individuals or attack other people. Sadly, this happens all to often at football matches.

Although I agree with you on the cause of a lot of the 'policing activities' I have to say I've seen and know of 'innocent' people being arrested/ejected from outside and inside football grounds. Many of the stewards/police are over zealous in their actions and can cause more friction than they solve.

There seems to be on many an occasion a total lack of a common sense conciliatory approach. You talk of abusive fans but I've seen abusive stewards and police, not swearing but extremely aggressive.

In the late 90's I was on a course with several policemen and they were decent fun guys but they loved the prospect of going to football matches, not just for the overtime but they relished the opportunity to get 'stuck in' it was their way of letting off steam as is going to a football match for many fans.

I do feel that we're still paying a hefty price for all the hooligan who attached themselves to football in the past and I suspect there is a genuine fear by the authorities that if they relax their approach, i.e standing etc this behaviour could return. That's still no excuse for the aggressive approach that I've witnessed.

[Teeno]

How long before Jobber gets his drum taken away, or is asked to tone it down? It's always the loyal, lifelong supporters that get hit, not the JCL's.

Hey Jobbers drum was something the club originally supported. I'm sure it was them who asked him to do it.