Football Crowd Violence

[sensi]

Have you ever been caught in crowd violence at a football match?

I've been caught in quite a few fights and crushing incidents in the early 80s when I travelled with the Villa supporters...you don't hear much about crowd violence these days...has it all died down?

[Geezee]

As a young 11-year-old I saw an Sweden-England WC qualifier game which became relatively infamous - it was the one where Terry Butcher played with a red shirt compared to the white shirts of his teammates. Quite apart from that stream of blood giving me nightmares, I was also stuck right up against the English hooligan contingent - keeping in mind this was at a time when the reputation of the English fans was at an all-time low (1989). They were pressing up against a separating gate, and although it may have been the imagination of a young boy, I could swear they were trying to get through so that they could beat the swedish fans up. There was an enormous brawl and we could almost feel their breaths as they pressed the gate to its limit. I was there with my youth football team and i remember the parents had all been discussing beforehand whether to let their sons watch this game because of the hooligan risk, and there was a fury afterwards when the parents found out that we'd been placed right next to the English contingent. Perhaps I've just been lucky, but in the games i've been to since i've never had even a whiff of bother - and i still go to 3-4 games a year. It's funny, generally speaking i do agree that things are more civilised, but at the same time the average fan also seems to be much more uncivilised.

[the hanging monkey]

Many, many times.

It's not as bad as it used to be, but it still happens, and the violence at lower league matches can be every bit as bad as at bigger fixtures.

I don't go to matches anywhere near as much as I used to, but that's mainly down to where I live these days.

[Thesiger]

I go to Pompey pretty regularly. I've seen almost no proper violence over the last few seasons, save for a bit of vigorous gesticulation between rival elements at the recent Cardiff City match, aggressive racist and homophobic chanting from Tottenham, and some stoning and projectile throwing at visiting fans at last year's away FA cup match in Southampton.

The culprits seem to be in the 16-18 age group, rather than the slighly older casuals of recent memory. Stewards are much better, and nip flashpoints in the bud. Policing is also much improved, with segregation of support, delayed exits for away fans, and escorted walks to and from the stadium for visiting fans. Altogether, the situation is much improved.

[The Red Heifer]

Never anything majorly major, but after one Penrith v Manly game I saw one of the sweetest right hooks I've ever seen collect an abusive Manly fan on the chin,and he dropped like a sack of shit

[Limpin' Jez McKenzie]

Never anything majorly major, but after one Penrith v Manly game I saw one of the sweetest right hooks I've ever seen collect an abusive Manly fan on the chin,and he dropped like a sack of shit

Surely this was ON the pitch, not off it.

[Bungo the Mungo]

one of my earliest experiences at a football match is of standing at highbury with my arsenal supporting uncle while west ham fans took the north bank after some good old fisticuffs. it was all west ham did take from the game. they lost 6-1

[Fireplug]

Bizarrely, no. I've been in some lively atmospheres, home and away, UK and abroad, with Newcastle but never actually in any bother. Even in the 80s, when you'd have expected to see it, I have no memories of seeing violence. Mind you, I used to go with my Grandad and he was a handy pugilist by all accounts so he probably had a decent instinct for when to get his grandson out of there. I've seen fights kick off in stadiums loads of times, especially in the early 90s, but never where I was standing. I've seen fights in pubs pre-and post match of course, but they don't count. That's just pubs.

[Billybob Dylan]

Manchester United's first game at Craven Cottage in 1974, following their relegation from division one the previous season, ended in some pretty bad clashes between both sets of supporters. I remember running hell for leather into Bishops Park to avoid a gang of burly Mancunians who must have been at least 5 years older than me. I was only 14 and I wasn't going to try any heroics!

It was even worse a few months later when one of the Bristol Rovers (or was it Bristol City?) came to south west London. Utter pandemonium.

[sensi]

Our supporters coach was pelted with bricks in Liverpool...after an away game with Everton...we had to go from Liverpool to Walsall, with no coach windows, before we could get a new coach...it was bloody freezing.

On the return leg visit the same happened to the bus I'd got on to take me home...this time I was showered in glass and my face was cut...the bus driver just legged it, with his money box, and the police had to escort us to a new bus.

During a home game against West Ham the Holte End was subjected to a surging crush at half time due to a fight...some West Ham fans had managed to get in the Holte End (claret and blue scarves don't look suspect at Villa Park) as the fight broke out people surged sideways and I was stuck...bent double and unable to breathe, over a barrier...that was scary...we were penned in during the early 80s so there was no escape other than the main exits.

During a home game against West Brom the crowd met, like two tides colliding, outside Villa Park and there was an almighty fight...I managed to get me and my brother to the edge and get behind the line of police to get to the bus stop...the bus was, again, pelted with stones but this time there was no police to escort us to another bus...we had to leg it.

At an away game with Birmingham Shitty I was whacked in the face by a plank of wood off a stall from the Rag Market...all because my hidden scarf became visible after I gave someone a light for their cigarette...she clocked my badly hidden scarf and a chase began...she was a big lass in a two tone black and white checked mini skirt and as she ran I could here her thighs slapping together...that made me laugh and I couldn't run for laughing...I hid, with my friend Julie, but we were both in hysterics at her slapping together thighs...she heard us and swung a sleeper sized plank of wood at us from a redundant market stall...it hit me full in the face.

Outside the old Stoke ground we were ushered into single file, outside the train station, by some of the biggest horses I've ever seen...no verbal instructions...just put in your place by a horse...a horse trod on one lads foot and broke three of his toes...that was police horse violence more than crowd violence.

Again at an Everton away match a huge group of Liverpool fans decided to pounce on the Everton fans and our police escort ushered us all into a little piece of ground behind a hot dog stand...we were there for 15 minutes and surrounded by the stench of hot dogs and horse manure...a smell that instantly reminds me of football matches to this day.

The worst I've ever seen was the aftermath of a Leeds fan rampage at West Brom...what a bloody mess they made...surrounding houses took the brunt too...Leeds fans scared me stupid...them and Milwall fans.

[trans-chigley express]

Again at an Everton away match a huge group of Liverpool fans decided to pounce on the Everton fans and our police escort ushered us all into a little piece of ground behind a hot dog stand...we were there for 15 minutes and surrounded by the stench of hot dogs and horse manure...

The secret ingredient in Merseyside's hot dogs finally revealed.

[Nolamike]

At an away game with Birmingham Shitty I was whacked in the face by a plank of wood off a stall from the Rag Market...all because my hidden scarf became visible after I gave someone a light for their cigarette...she clocked my badly hidden scarf and a chase began...she was a big lass in a two tone black and white checked mini skirt and as she ran I could here her thighs slapping together...that made me laugh and I couldn't run for laughing...I hid, with my friend Julie, but we were both in hysterics at her slapping together thighs...she heard us and swung a sleeper sized plank of wood at us from a redundant market stall...it hit me full in the face.

Wait, you were nice enough to give her a light, which she accepted, but having seen your (hidden) scarf, she then decided to beat the crap out of you? That's fucked up.

[The Slider]

Fucking loads.

the first game I ever went to as a 7 year old was Crystal Palace vs West Ham in 1970.
It was utter bedlam.
I was bitten by the excitement of it, even at that young an age.

As a 12/13 year old I used to hang about with the Crystal Palace 'crew'.
Not as an integral memner or anything but we used to hang with them and loved chasing away fans.
I only ever once got involed in actual fistcuffs and that was outside Stamford Bridge after a partuiclarly volatile FA Cup quarter final
But I just loved the adrenaline rush of the chase.

As an adult my season ticket at Higbury was on the aisle between home and away fans and I used to love the banter. In ten seasons in the same seat it only ever once got to actual violence - inevitably it was Spurs. They had cheated to go 1-0 up and we tonked them 3-1 and did we let them have it.
A few jumped over to try it on and I smacked the one closest to me full across the face with my crash helmet.
I was protecting my little brother, who was stood next to me, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't actually get any pleasure out of it.

Outside of a footbal ground I have never even cotemplated such a thing.

[sensi]

At an away game with Birmingham Shitty I was whacked in the face by a plank of wood off a stall from the Rag Market...all because my hidden scarf became visible after I gave someone a light for their cigarette...she clocked my badly hidden scarf and a chase began...she was a big lass in a two tone black and white checked mini skirt and as she ran I could here her thighs slapping together...that made me laugh and I couldn't run for laughing...I hid, with my friend Julie, but we were both in hysterics at her slapping together thighs...she heard us and swung a sleeper sized plank of wood at us from a redundant market stall...it hit me full in the face.

Wait, you were nice enough to give her a light, which she accepted, but having seen your (hidden) scarf, she then decided to beat the crap out of you? That's fucked up.

That's football rivalry for you...nothing gets your back up more than the sight of your arch football rival fans...I had a claret and blue scarf on and she was a Birmingham Shitty fan...it was never going to be a polite affair

[Spec]

Yes. Lots.

A few times at Arsenal but given the number of matches I have seen there the ratio is very low. Surprisingly more often at non-league matches including having to lie on the floor of a coach whilst Dartford fans threw bricks through the windows.

I was an Anderlecht supporter for three years and used to go to all the away games (the beauty of Belgium - nothing is ever more than an hour away). Tension at some of those games (Liege, Bruges, Molenbeek) was pretty high. And the police were quick to come in with batons and water cannon.