TOUGH MEASURES ADDRESSING FAN BEHAVIOUR AT MATCHES

newyddion

newyddion

Well-known member
❌ Entering the pitch
❌ Carrying or using smokebombs or pyros
❌Throwing objects
❌ Discrimatory behaviour
❌ Taking Drugs
#LoveFootball #ProtectTheGame

as far as I was aware none of these were ever accepted or allowed and a meaningless tweet or #poster will address the reasons or root causes of these behaviours.

❌ Entering the pitch - extortionate prices leave fans feeling that they are owed much more, games have been made less assessable financially so the threat of a ban etc is no longer as much of a deterrent. fans feel that they are entitled to more from their matchday experience.

❌ Carrying or using smokebombs or pyros - again directly related to the match day experience. as much as the club might think that treating fans like cattle, herding them into a grey concrete concourse to slurp overpriced pish larger out of plastic cups will satisfy the diehard fans.. it clearly does not! Even after hearing pigbag forced through a tinny PA interspersed with monotone announcements.. it just doesn't cut the mustard. Hence: Red Faction and other smaller Boro 'Ultra' groups.

❌Throwing objects - poor officials leave fans feeling short changed, frustrated and cheated. whilst I would never condone the behaviour, I can understand where frustrations build up from. wagging a finger wont stop it.. but addressing the root causes very well might.

❌ Discrimatory behaviour - not supporting anti racist gestures empowers racist attitudes, I've seen the tribalistic booing of teams that do take the knee and heard some of the comments resulting. this is the big elephant in the room for me. anti racist, anti sexist, anti homophobic message should be much stronger

❌ Taking Drugs - what happens when you daub you clubs shirts with gambling company logos, illuminated signs in the ground, giant flat screens in the concourse, gambling kiosks in the concourse, selling replica shirts to our u18 fans with the very same. it encourages gambling, it encourages risk taking behaviours, the two are intrinsically linked. lets not pretend that the drinking and gambling culture does not have a direct link with the increase in drug usage.. specifically cocaine.

For me there are a few things that could be done that would improve the matchday experience and help alleviate some of the issues that football clubs seem to be taking no responsibility for.

⚽ 'Twenty is Plenty' would be a great start, sign up to it right away. I've mentioned payment structures & membership cards before, even selfie zones pre match..

⚽ Football Culture needs to be acknowledged in this country. Criminalising fans is not the way forward. 'Ultra Zones' would be an idea worthy of a trial.

⚽ VAR/Goal Like technology? Far too much money in the game to be missing stuff out like throw ins!

⚽ Increase the visibility of anti racist gestures, prioritise that over the waggy finger posters that will not make one bit of difference.

⚽ Ban on gambling sponsorship on football shirts ASAP as a bare minimum for U18s - this is beyond the joke now.
 
I think the bigger picture is why is football trying to move away from its working class roots and turn itself into a middle class family day out, similar to going to the cinema, or the zoo. After the womens final I am waiting for the chorus sanctamonious wind bags asking " why cant fans at the mens game behave nicely like the womens game". The sachrine match day experience these days is awful, we dont need more finger pointing and tutting by authorities.
 
Frozen Horse said:
What is an "ultra zone" and what would you envisage being allowed in there that isn't allowed outside of it?
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Maybe an acknowledgment that these fans might stand and shout and sing and chant and possibly drink beer. Then you won’t have a family buying tickets in that area expecting everyone to be sat down quiet sipping hot chocolate.
 
I noticed the Portland Timbers in the MLS release large amounts green smoke after they score from mock up tree trunks. This is done by the Club or with their approval. The trunks are slightly away from the crowd.

They also seem to have a dressed up lumberjack who periodically gets out a real chainsaw and saws through a tree trunk which appears to be broadcast on the stadium sound system.

Interesting how attitudes vary with the UK.

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Glover_elbow said:
I think the bigger picture is why is football trying to move away from its working class roots and turn itself into a middle class family day out, similar to going to the cinema, or the zoo. After the womens final I am waiting for the chorus sanctamonious wind bags asking " why cant fans at the mens game behave nicely like the womens game". The sachrine match day experience these days is awful, we dont need more finger pointing and tutting by authorities.
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A family day out in a concrete pub with thousands drinking larger out of plastic cups surrounded by gambling adverts and kiosks.

Imagine taking the family out to a Wetherspoons Warehouse with an in-house bookies. Just wouldn’t happen!
 
just a thought but maybe if they had more than a few stewards on minimum wage they could "Get Tougher" on criminal behaviour without posters
 
London_Boro said:
Feels like you're making excuses for people who don't know how to behave themselves with your statements in bold. They're utter pratts (putting it mildly), pure and simple.
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I’m not making excuses for anyone. I’m just saying certain contributory factors needs to be acknowledged and addressed before football clubs get on their high horses and pointing the finger at fans when they themselves foster and profit from toxic environments.
 
newyddion said:
Maybe an acknowledgment that these fans might stand and shout and sing and chant and possibly drink beer. Then you won’t have a family buying tickets in that area expecting everyone to be sat down quiet sipping hot chocolate.
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But surely the vast majority of fans know the South / North stands are where the ruffians go - so if you are family you would avoid these areas? I wouldn't take my 8 yr old in either of these ends, but there are plenty of "safer" places in the ground 🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️
 
Glover_elbow said:
just a thought but maybe if they had more than a few stewards on minimum wage they could "Get Tougher" on criminal behaviour without posters
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That’s not their job tbf

If that starts being their jobs, folks will leaves in their droves! They are simply not up to it.

We already struggle with bar staff pulling pints and adding up!
 
h_m_boro said:
But surely the vast majority of fans know the South / North stands are where the ruffians go - so if you are family you would avoid these areas? I wouldn't take my 8 yr old in either of these ends, but there are plenty of "safer" places in the ground 🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️
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Not all do. A number of mates and family members have asked me where is best to sit in the ground when they take their kids.. and obviously that does not apply to away games.

The issue with flares could be dealt with in a better way imo - if there wasn’t such a harsh response from stewards and police we wouldn’t have had flares going off in the concourse at a few away games.

A different approach is needed on all of the issues mentioned above.
 
I`m not entirely convinced that the use of flares or smokes that have been let off recently have all been about the "Matchday experience"

It used to mean something, now it`s just a badge to get more likes, nothing more than that

I`m also pretty sure there is no appetite to push any more usage than the current level in the name of increasing the "Matchday experience"
 
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