Edward G

Hi Orph,
In answer to your questions..
I am now in Ireland but spent most of my life in England. Behaviour witnessed at various grounds (swearing loudly at the players or opposing fans was so commonplace as to be almost completely ignored and I see or hear of little evidence that this has changed).
On both of my visits to football's showpiece venue of Wembley entering through the famous tunnels into the ground, we were treated all the way in to an unbelievable procession of men urinating against the sides of the tunnel like they were in the jacks at the local pub! Similar stuff at football grounds elsewhere in the country.
Cricket not being a contact sport. Try telling that to anyone who has to stand in the way of a delivery from the likes of Shoab Aktar (100 mph +) or Brett Lee...Fans mixing amicably outside Highbury sounds fine, but it is just not typical of the game, either in the Premiership or the Championship and down through the Leagues - or are all those extra policemen, security cameras and stewards etc. all there for decoration? The lack of loyalty and flimsy commitment is an issue that many fans are quite concerned about. Many players move around like brickies or labourers going from one job to another! You might see nothing wrong with that but construction workers don't have the honour of representing the dreams and passions of club and it's supporters. They are not part of the history of a club - it is (or should be) different. On the subject of Darryl Hare he made a big hole for himself by causing the mother of all umpiring controversies and then offering to go quietly and retire for a cash payment of $500,000 ! As to soccer's governing body backing up their officials tell that to Anders Frisk who had to retire after receiving death threats from disgruntled Chelsea fans. His story, alas is not the only one in that scenario. As to 60,000 at the Emirates - that doesn't make the game any more noble or any less a shadow of the former spectacle than it used to be. Just means a lot more prawn sandwiches for sale!

I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!

batman

Is that the team mate battering Shoab Aktar? The Anders Frisk episode was shameful (and I am a Chelsea fan), but cricket is rife with gamesmanship, match fixing and illegal gambling, so that is not such a noble game as it used to be either. Security cameras and extra policing are the norm for any event likely to attract large crowds, whether it be sport, music or a country show.

Bats.

Don't miss out on a chance to win a rare film in Bat-Quiz 13 closing date - 31/8/8.

Edward G

The Bat wades in.
Time to get the pads on!
I would agree that gamemanship and fixing is not unknown in cricket but the level of "simulation" and barracking of referees in soccer has reached an epidemic level. It's just embarassing. The amount of cheating by the players is shameful and has reduced much of football to the level of farce. You only have to compare video footage of games in the past compared to now to see the futile job that is now the lonely domain of the referee. I know policing is the norm at many large events but it is surely more geared to smooth crowd flow rather than seperating warring factions. When did you last see regular clashes between rival fans at a sporting or other event other than soccer? Not at a country and western show! I know the nutters are a minority but they are tolerated and influential and the clubs for years have taken the money and looked the other way, aside from paying for few extra bobbies. The same is true of racist chanting from the terraces - it hasn't changed much since the infamous picture of John Barnes kicking away a banana skin all those years ago. I am speaking as a fan. I have a large collection of video/DVD and printed subject matter on the game but I have to say the level of hype and shite has just about done it for me. It's like the passing of an age. You cannot ignore it.

I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!

batman

We have had this discussion on the forum before so I am not going into in all again. There are a lot of problems in football but the authorities have done a lot to put their house in order. I stopped going to games in the 80s for many of the reasons you state, but I would have no problems with taking my boy to a game now. I have experienced no trouble at any football game I have attended over the past two or three years. The sort of problems you highlight are the norm abroad I believe, but here, they are few and far between. Football is hyped to death these days and some of the media coverage gets on my tits. I too long for the days of the Football League and 'real' cup ties but those days have gone, just as the 'golden age' of cinema has gone. I enjoy watching football and will continue to do so .... after all it's only a game!

Bats.

Don't miss out on a chance to win a rare film in Bat-Quiz 13 closing date - 31/8/8.

Edward G

Well said Bats.
You show the balance and poise of a catch at the boundary.
Pulling up stumps....for now!
Edward G

I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!

Fellwanderer

Funny that those who say that always seem to be supporting the teams at the top.

All the best
FELL

A signature is no substitute for a life

batman

I said it when Chelski were in the old Division 2 as well.

Bats.

Don't miss out on a chance to win a rare film in Bat-Quiz 13 closing date - 31/8/8.

Marky B

Morning in Steve McLaren's house. To Mrs McLaren:"Can you help me with this jigsaw,love. It's supposed to be a tiger."
"For goodness sake,Steve,put the Frosties back in their box."
Ta Ta
Marky B

I once shot an elephant in my pyjamas - how he got in my pyjamas,I'll never know

David Brent

I read that there is a push in the UK to bring back standing room only areas into football stadiums.
It is speculated that special designated areas devoted to standing would be very popular with a lot of football fans. The argument is that all seater stadiums have taken away the atmosphere at football matches. Standing areas would also offer reduced admission charges.

I have noticed in certain televised games that quite a few supporters (mostly behind the goals) do tend to stand more times during a game rather than sit down in their seats. I suppose if you're sitting behind a bloke who decides to remain standing then eventually you'd have to stand up as well to see the action.

Any comments on the subject?

Dave.

Harleybloke

I was in The San Siro in Milan a few years ago, watching my beloved Inter, stuff Sampdoria 2-0. all they have is sculputured 'Bum shaped' bits bolted to the concrete terrace. When Inter scored 10 million eyeties come pouring down from on high, no one sits.('cept the dumb Brit!) Mind you, I was squashed against the most gorgerous Italian girl for about 30 seconds........better than Inter winning actually but really scary as you get pushed to the front of a 90 ft drop!!

Sampdoria away was Verrrryy scary - when they do footy violence, they do it big time!

.....You couldn't hear it, if they were shooting at me with howitzers!

lordtednfs

There can't be many games that don't have fixing in them, golf for one, the rewards are too high for winning a championship. Not unless when Tigger is playing, maybe everyone else is bribed to play badly?

___________________
Hooked off the line

Fareham_Bee

Sorry Edward but you are talking absolute Daily Mail style rubbish. The game of FOOTBALL (hate that S word) HAS cleaned up in a major style. The vast majority of fans will not tolerate racist chanting or comments and bananas are a thing of the past thankfully. There is racism in all walks of life so let's not think it doesn't exist but it is no longer no more prevelant than it is at any major event, among the many attending there is going to be an idiot with brainless views, but believe me, the days of photos like the one you mention are long gone, and things have changed a great deal.
As for the violence, that is nowhere near as busy as it was either. Football is a safe event to take your family to, YES there will be the odd outbreak, but please dont' think it is just a football problem. I used to live on the council estate next to Twickenham and saw a fight on the roundabout outside Tescos there (I mention the places because I have no doubt some on here will have been there). I also witnessed two rival sets of fans on opposite sides of the road chucking glasses at each other from outside their respective pubs. My brother's van was kicked and dented in many places by "rugger fans getting excited" as the police that were informed called it whilst they watched someone else peeing in a shop doorway. The way they used to park all over the grass on our estate in their four by fours churning up the grass was also something football fans wouldn't get away with but hey it's only a council estate so what does it matter?
I have seen rioting between fans on the tele between BASEBALL fans, big time rioting too, more than you see at your average Chelsea Totthenham game even in the bad old days. There was also a special feature on a notorious group of fans of a gridiron team. They wear black and have skull and crossbones as their badge, can't remember who they are but they were big and violent.
Football has cleaned itself up, and gone to big troubles to do so. I speak from experience. It's only media stirring it up to get their freebies (like the time they reported a mass riot in Sweden I think it was, whilst they were all in a hotel bar getting pissed and the streets were empty. There was no riot but it made good reading at home and justified their jolly abroad didn't it?) and people who don't go but like to perpetuate the myth.
If fans are so fed up with football losing its' soul by the way, and I don't blame them for one minute, why don't they drop down the leagues to where you can still stand at some grounds and the game is more like it used to be. We need a few more bums through the turnstiles at Griffin Park, so if you're in London again I'll gladly take you down there and buy you a drink in a pub (any one of many) where the home fans will happily chat and mingle with visiting fans of all races).

Fareham_Bee

Think standing areas are a great idea David. We still have them at Griffin Park and many of the grounds we visit.
They still have standing areas at many major grounds abroad and the team in Germany that play in those garish dayglo colours (forgetting a lot today, getting old!)have one of the biggest terraces in the world. I seem to remember they can turn it into a seating area for international and European games.
Bring it back but drop the price to stand there too.

batman

Some of my best football memories have been while standing in the middle of a huge crowd at a variety of grounds over the years, especially under floodlights. However, since the emergence of the all seater stadiums I have grown to prefer sitting. You tend to get a better view and the atmosphere is still great. I go to watch Wroxham FC in the Anglian Combination now and again and it is great to watch a match from the terraces there, but I don't think I'd enjoy standing in the middle of a huge crowd any more. I like the idea, though, of all grounds having terracing and seating again, it would give fans the choice of how they want to watch the game.

Bats.

Don't miss out on a chance to win a rare film in Bat-Quiz 13 closing date - 31/8/8.

Merton Park

To David Brent

How quick we forget.

The reason for all seater was that 96 people lost their lives inside the ground at Hillsborough, no one has lost their life in an English football ground since. I was brought up standing at games, but if the price of saving a life is all seater, surely there is no argument.