Question for you Brits

[Olaf]

I'm reading a book written by an expat in which she chronicles her last trip to England before receiving her green card. She hadn't lived in England for over 20 years and was there filling out the forms and interviewing at the embassy in her bid to make her stay in the states official.

She devotes a chapter in this book to her observations of a British football game between Arsenal and Manchester. She talks about the huge level of security and the horrible behavior of the some of the fans. They had separate entrances and exits for the fans, and they siphoned them through the tubes at different times. Very weird. This book was written about ten years ago. Have things changed any? Is it really that bad?

We've had similiar type situations in Chicago & LA when the Bulls/Lakers win or lose a championship.

 

[Goofyish]

I think things have improved a lot at football matches in the UK. Although I think there is still segregation within the stadiums and a big police presence outside the ground to keep rival supporters apart.
Alcohol is also banned within the grounds.

 

[UKDEB]

Unfortunately, football still very much attracts a hooligan element. I can't get into football at all, but I imagine it's very upsetting for true fans.

We were at a sell out (75000 crowd) rugby cup final at Twickenham (home of British Rugby/huge stadium/to rugby what Wembley is to football and Rose Bowl is to American football) last Saturday. The fans of the two teams were mingling, joking <i>and</i> drinking together before, during and after the match. We took the train home and all the banter was good-natured.

The walk from the stadium to the train station is through a residential part of town and, although there were thousands of people, everyone was very considerate of the local population - no whooping and hollering! There was a big police presence, but I'm sure it must almost be a day off for them.

 

[Astrid]

As far as I'm aware alcohol isn't barred in football grounds - well not at the ones I've been to recently anyway!

When I went to St Mary's fans were separated when watching the game but not outside the ground - that would have been an impossibility. Maybe it's the games I've been to but apart from minor scuffles I've never seen any nastiness.

Astrid

 

[kazzie]

The 'heyday' of football hooliganism was the 70's and 80's. 'Fans' (term used loosely) are segregated and when there is a grudge match the segregation includes not selling a wide row of seats to keep the idiots further apart,with stewards/police also bridging this divide.

When the match is over one set of fans (usually the visiting fans) are held back for quite a while.It is contemptuos (sp!) that a few mindless thugs mean that people who support diffferent teams cannot walk down a road together.

There is also the flip side that genuine fans like my brother who supports Chelsea and followed them all over this Country and Europe for years,was treated on countless occasions by the police force (in this country and abroad) like an animal.Sometimes, possibly, if you treat people in a subhuman way,you end up with what you were trying to avoid

 

[SpottyDog]

Steph, footy (soccer to you,Pet) is a very emotive sport over here with fierce rivalries and loyalties within the game - some geographical ,some historical. We do have a growing hooligan trend but also have growing overall attendences with higher than ever numbers of families and couples - so it can't be that bad.

The thugs are better organised now , arranging to meet and fight rivals over the internet and by mobile phone. Daft as it may seem, this is better for the rest of us as the innocent bystanders, regularly involved and victims of the 70s violence, are now largely able to avoid anything other than witnessing any disorder from a distance.
I take my two to games home and away, without fear for their safety as it's relatively easy to anticipate likely flash points and possible danger areas. I'm not sayin no-one is ever incently hurt but that it's much easier to avoid than in days gone by.

Sounds barbaric doesn't it? The game is the thing and it's not as bad overall as it sounds - honest.

Oh, and there are bars in most grounds nowadays as the effective segregation and policing allows us to enjoy a drink in the ground without fear of drunken brawls. Though we drink from plastic glasses, just in case.

 

[carene]

As a huge footie fan (Manchester Utd supporter all my life) I have to agree with everything that Spotty said is true.

OLAF :Footie / soccer just doesnt have the same appeal in the states as it does over here!
people basically live and breathe footie!

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

Some people live and breathe footie, for many it is an obsession bordering on insanity (one of my firends has just finished visiting every football league ground in the country)! But others, me included, just can't see what all the fuss us about...

Regards

Rob

 

[Kilted_Yank]

Mind you don't say footie in Australia... it means something else there.

 

[kazzie]

Thats a coincidence Rb,

That was my brothers ambition,he has a ticket from a match in every stadium in the Country!