Middlesbrough Supporters Forum Raise Concerns Over Away Support

Wonder what exactly has happened?

we do have a share of doyles who use a big location allocation for a **** up. Hull for example. I say **** up but it’s probably more the marching powder. Never known so many blokes wait to go to a football stadium for a 💩.

on the whole I don’t think large majority are spot on and great support
 
@Facefuzz my thoughts exactly.

We have a sizeable number of fans who use away days to get as drunk as possible and as high as a kite.

Supporting the team is well down their list of priorities.
 
I don't think we're alone in this. In fact there is an article on the BBC pages stating the same for the Welsh rugby matches at Cardiff having recently had pitch invaders and a drunk fan being sick all over a child in the stands. They talk of following football and not allowing booze during the game yet football's fan led review wants to reverse that ban.

As ever the small minority spoil it for the well behaved majority.
 
Kids and booze normally. I brought a Huddersfield mate here and he enjoyed the banter, I'm going his way this Saturday and have no worries about any trouble with their fans.
 
Too much booze and cocaine for a bunch of louts for whom the football is secondary.

Last away game I went to was Barnsley under Woodgate and even then there was a minority of d***heads causing bother.
 
What I find embarassing is how many of the comments on the social media posts about it are saying that it's the women complaining about being harassed that are the problem.

Anything rather than acknowledge that some of the fan behaviour at matches is out of order.
 
It's not just away games. Knob heads are knob heads home or away.

Eg The 4 lads who sat in front of us on Saturday in the NW corner ***ed beyond belief and vaping away all match whilst standing up in front of a family of young kids.

A steward was looking at them but said nothing,

I dread to think what it will be like when people are allowed to drink in the seats again.
 
We do have an element, particularly noticeable on the bigger away days, who seem to be hell bent on being antisocial anyway they can. The football is incidental to their day. There was a group of them( not kids , at least in theirlate twenties) at Barnsley pre lockdown who spent half the game on the concourse and time in the seats throwing food at each other/ trying to provoke a response from people around them.
For this reason I prefer to be amongst 800 at Bristol for an early kick off, there to support the Boro, than 4k at Hull or Barnsley.
Getting too old for the aggravation.
It's not just at Boro, by the way, lots of problems reported around games all over the country since the start of this season.
 
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Rob mentioned this in the fanzine after Coventry. Way too many fellas get way too drunk. Don't get it as you could go into town and spend the match money on food and drink.

Hopefully it being raised will start to nip it in the bud.

I reckon a few Boro stewards and coppers in the away end would sort it out. Familiar faces and all that. A stern Teesside glare and the threat of yer Mam finding out would help.
 
I reckon a few Boro stewards and coppers in the away end would sort it out. Familiar faces and all that. A stern Teesside glare and the threat of yer Mam finding out would help.

There were a few at Derby.
 
It was bad at Derby, in that there were loads stood in the aisle, so they must all buy their own tickets independently and then decide to congregate in one area, which meant people clustered together on the steps
 
Hello All

Just to provide a bit of context, the Supporters Forum has received an influx of emails and messages over the last few weeks from Boro fans that are concerned about the behaviour of some supporters at away games progressively getting worse. The feeling is that the that the vibe on the concourse away from home has changed a lot since fans returned to stadiums following the lockdowns.

The actions and attitudes of a minority of others has resulted in regular away day attendees no longer wishing to attend away games. or take their childern.

To give you a flavour of the issues, supporters are fed up with:
- People taking drugs in the toilets
- Male supporters being in the ladies toilets either taking drugs or urinating in sinks
- Female supporters being groped
- Fans being hit on the head by flying pints
- Aggressive behaviour on the concourse.
- Children witnessing fighting and drug taking in the toilets and concourse

That's just to name some of the themes but not specific to one particular game. You may have seen we raised this at the November MSF meeting with MFC and MSF are working with the club and supporters on what we can do to help try and reduce some of this.

Imagine if some of this behaviour was inflicted on your husband, wife, daughter, son, mate etc.

We all know away games are a great day out and the singing on concourse etc is all part of it, but the things mentioned above are not needed.

I think its just a matter of respecting others around you.
 
Hello All

Just to provide a bit of context, the Supporters Forum has received an influx of emails and messages over the last few weeks from Boro fans that are concerned about the behaviour of some supporters at away games progressively getting worse. The feeling is that the that the vibe on the concourse away from home has changed a lot since fans returned to stadiums following the lockdowns.

The actions and attitudes of a minority of others has resulted in regular away day attendees no longer wishing to attend away games. or take their childern.

To give you a flavour of the issues, supporters are fed up with:
- People taking drugs in the toilets
- Male supporters being in the ladies toilets either taking drugs or urinating in sinks
- Female supporters being groped
- Fans being hit on the head by flying pints
- Aggressive behaviour on the concourse.
- Children witnessing fighting and drug taking in the toilets and concourse

That's just to name some of the themes but not specific to one particular game. You may have seen we raised this at the November MSF meeting with MFC and MSF are working with the club and supporters on what we can do to help try and reduce some of this.

Imagine if some of this behaviour was inflicted on your husband, wife, daughter, son, mate etc.

We all know away games are a great day out and the singing on concourse etc is all part of it, but the things mentioned above are not needed.

I think its just a matter of respecting others around you.
Agree with all that but to give it a bit more context how many emails/messages? 10, 100's, 1000's??

Sadly a proportion of society feel the need to act like anti social yobs in all formats of life not just at football matches and have an unbelievable sense of self entitlement that seems to empower them to think they can do what ever they like without any recourse to others.
 
CONCERNS RAISED OVER AWAY MATCH BEHAVIOUR

Middlesbrough Supporters Forum is asking travelling fans, particularly female supporters to report any concerns around anti-social behaviour at away grounds.

Mark Motley, chairman of the Middlesbrough Supporters Forum, said: “The majority of fans are well-behaved and respectful, but we have been alerted to incidents of anti-social behaviour that have seriously impacted on the whole matchday experience for several of our female followers.

“It is total unacceptable that anyone feels unsafe at a football match and as a forum we are committed to both raising awareness of these issues, which we believe are sadly increasing across football as a whole, and working with clubs and other parties to stamp it out.

“We are asking fans to let us know of anything that troubles them and impacts on their enjoyment of games. We are collating information that will help us to better understand the problems and work towards eradicating them.

“Fans can contact the Forum through boro.support – all reports will be kept completely confidential but contact details would be appreciated to allow us to get more information if necessary.”

Middlesbrough Supporters Forum
 
A few serious concerns have been raised by Boro fans following the behaviour of other Boro fans at away games.
This seems to be a post lockdown issue. A change that seems to have happened elsewhere also around the country but that is obviously no excuse. If people have concerns about behaviour at away matches this season then please do get in touch with Middlesbrough Supporters Forum.
 
Without trying to sound like a bell-whiff, what can the MSF do to change anything Mark / Rob?

Is it ammunition for extra stewarding and policing to go to the club with?
 
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