Southampton fans arrested for 'homophobic' chanting.....

[Captain Sensible]

to be fair it was me... and i said f...ing c...s, got arrested carted off and charged, totally unbelievable, i thought i would get a caution at worst but charged with section 5. now im also looking at a banning order which is total bollox. no violence or anything just words and now someone said i could be looking at a 3 year banning order, home and away

You poor sod. I think I shouted worse at the computer stream I was watching and probably would have been even worse if I went to the game.
Hope you don't get a banning order. Some common sense needs to be used.

 

[DTES]

Interesting that no-one here has yet mentioned the police's view of it. I'm not a copper, and I obviously have no idea what is true as I didn't see anyone getting arrested, but just for the record, their view is that 2 Albion fans were arrested for "public order and missile throwing".

Well done hope you lot are happy.
You'll start to get a reputation if people get arrested at every away game you go to now for banter.

The Saints fans were both arrested for "homophobic abuse" as suggested above - but given some of the tirades that I saw coming from the home end I can't believe this was just for chanting - it would have been for some of the serious, hate-filled bile; yes, there was plenty - do you really deny that?

 

[Southern Scouse]

Remember Sticks and Stones?
I find it unbelievable that people get so worked up just because someone swears or sings stupid chants about them. It is banter. If it results in violence arrest them.
It would be really nice if all opposing fans were nice to each other would it?
Man up people, being a BHA fan I get called gay at every match I go to. I do not like it. Sorry to say I have (At lest to my knowledge) no gay friends. However, I do not go off on one and start blubbering to all and sundry about it. manure get called plastics, Scousers get called dippers and BHA fans get called whaterver. Who cares?

 

[Mr NFA]

Well done hope you lot are happy.
You'll start to get a reputation if people get arrested at every away game you go to now for banter.

I'd say 1% get pissed off with it.

 

[DTES]

Remember Sticks and Stones? I find it unbelievable that people get so worked up just because someone swears or sings stupid chants about them. It is banter. If it results in violence arrest them.

Do you honestly not see a difference between singing a chant as "banter", and really letting go with a foul tirade of pure abuse? There is NO line if it doesn't end in violence, that's what you're saying?

Sorry, but screaming a mouthful of personal abuse in one person's face isn't "banter" just because that person doesn't hit him in retaliation.

 

[Acker79]

What did they chant?

I see lots of people assuming it's 'does your boyfriend know you're here?' or that sort of thing, but why are you making that assumption? Questions mentions small pockets of actual abuse. Would it not make more sense, since only two people were arrested, that perhaps these two were chanting something else, probably deserving of the attention of police?

 

[Notters]

Interesting that no-one here has yet mentioned the police's view of it. I'm not a copper, and I obviously have no idea what is true as I didn't see anyone getting arrested, but just for the record, their view is that 2 Albion fans were arrested for "public order and missile throwing".

The policeman I spoke to was a Pompey fan and said he was a pissed off as the rest of us

 

[South Coast Eagle]

Southampton fans are morons anyway, warned not to do it but the neandertheals feel that they're above the law.

Living in this shitty part of the south coast I get first hand experience daily.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Anybody who thinks there is a fine line between the 'Does your boyfriend know you`re here' stuff and some of the other disgusting talk that you can unfortunetly hear week in week out must be mad. Its not a fine line at all.
Going to the game saturday our group took some filthy abuse and rightly or wrongly I snapped. Certain things were said to my wife that crossed any line or barrier of common decency. If shouldn`t have had to come to that though. I could have been looking at a possible court appearance if the police had not been so good about the incident but why should that be allowed to develop walking along a road to a football match.
I`ll tell you why, because some people think that walking alongside someone and giving them the worst of abuse just because they are wearing a different colour scarf is banter.

You've more or less hit the nail on the head. I would be 99.9% certain the Saints fans arrested weren't nicked for enquiring whether boyfriends were aware of our presence. I'd be willing to bet money that it was a lot more abusive than that.

So if they ended up getting nicked and having their otherwise winning day ruined...well my reaction is

(not aimed at Dave by the way, just the Saints fans)

 

[Lady Whistledown]

What did they chant?

I see lots of people assuming it's 'does your boyfriend know you're here?' or that sort of thing, but why are you making that assumption? Questions mentions small pockets of actual abuse. Would it not make more sense, since only two people were arrested, that perhaps these two were chanting something else, probably deserving of the attention of police?

Exactement.

 

[Southern Scouse]

Do you honestly not see a difference between singing a chant as "banter", and really letting go with a foul tirade of pure abuse? There is NO line if it doesn't end in violence, that's what you're saying?

Sorry, but screaming a mouthful of personal abuse in one person's face isn't "banter" just because that person doesn't hit him in retaliation.

Having been a serving Police Officer in Sussex I can tell you that you have no idea how much personal abuse as well as physical I have had to put up with "In my face".
However, I cannot understand the why people get so heated when people call each other names. Perhaps I have a broad back, perhaps I am so stupid as not to recognise what is being said and the purpose behind it, but I am able to laugh it off.
We are also talking about it in the context of a football match. We are not toe to toe in the High St. Having traveled to games all over the world, sat with and been close to other supporters I have never met so many moaning , weak livered, girly fans as our lot.
As I said in the beginning, live with it, dish some out and enjoy the game and the atmosphere. It is all part of the package.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Having been a serving Police Officer in Sussex I can tell you that you have no idea how much personal abuse as well as physical I have had to put up with "In my face".
However, I cannot understand the why people get so heated when people call each other names. Perhaps I have a broad back, perhaps I am so stupid as not to recognise what is being said and the purpose behind it, but I am able to laugh it off.
We are also talking about it in the context of a football match. We are not toe to toe in the High St. Having traveled to games all over the world, sat with and been close to other supporters I have never met so many moaning , weak livered, girly fans as our lot.
As I said in the beginning, live with it, dish some out and enjoy the game and the atmosphere. It is all part of the package.

You're making the assumption that someone did actually make a complaint. They may not have done. The two individuals in question may have been overheard by a copper. Or even been complained about by another Saints fan? If someone's being particularly filthy, why shouldn't a home supporter complain, particularly if they had kids with them?

Either way: I'm not going to lose sleep for a second of my life if a couple of Saints fans get bans. Who cares?

 

[_mark_]

to be fair it was me... and i said f...ing c...s, got arrested carted off and charged, totally unbelievable, i thought i would get a caution at worst but charged with section 5. now im also looking at a banning order which is total bollox. no violence or anything just words and now someone said i could be looking at a 3 year banning order, home and away

Were you sitting in Block 47/48 (left hand side)? If so we couldn't work out why you got bundled off in the first place. The bloke sitting behind me was giving it large throughout the whole game and i'm sure said much worse.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I saw at least three or four bottles lobbed after the first penalty was scored, so there's a few lucky boys out there if only one person got arrested for chucking stuff.

 

[DTES]

Having been a serving Police Officer in Sussex I can tell you that you have no idea how much personal abuse as well as physical I have had to put up with "In my face".
However, I cannot understand the why people get so heated when people call each other names. Perhaps I have a broad back, perhaps I am so stupid as not to recognise what is being said and the purpose behind it, but I am able to laugh it off.
We are also talking about it in the context of a football match. We are not toe to toe in the High St. Having traveled to games all over the world, sat with and been close to other supporters I have never met so many moaning , weak livered, girly fans as our lot.
As I said in the beginning, live with it, dish some out and enjoy the game and the atmosphere. It is all part of the package.

At what point does it stop being banter and "part of the package"? Only when the person being abused throws a punch back at the person giving the abuse "in their face"?

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

Having been a serving Police Officer in Sussex

live with it, dish some out and enjoy the game and the atmosphere. It is all part of the package.

I'm pretty sure the vast majority of officers wouldn't take kindly if I used that excuse after calling them whatever I liked.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

I really do miss the old days. Not the racism, homophobic taunts or fighting, but times were you could have a brilliant day out at football. Saying more or less what you liked. Nowadays it seems you will be charged with a public order offence for saying bollocks when the sausage slips out of your hotdog.

It ain't really bollocks though mate. In the 'old days', some say Neanderthal days, it was testosterone charged thugs a lot of the time saying what they like and getting away with it... I am pointing generally towards the 70's and to a lesser extent the 80's. The game wasn't pushed as a family day out and it was rare to see families going to spend a day watching their football team. That has changed and watching football can now be generally be tagged as a family thing nowadays. Rules have to change in order to attract families and offensive/illegal chants should be stamped out. I still personally would be dubious about taking a son or daughter to a game if they are going to listen to abuse, not only from away fans but home fans too. It doesn't really make it conducive. Although the gay chanting doesn't upset or affect the majority of adults, it isn't really the type of atmosphere you would want to take a kid too. If the chanting isn't checked than everything carries on. So I personally find this a point on which you would or would not take kids too.

Gay chanting just leaves me a little bored of the same old, same old scenario. It bothers me not one bit.

 

[e77]

As we don't know what the two of them said it is hard to comment.

When it comes to the C bomb, if you stand up and scream it at the top of your voice during a quiet spell then you are probably going to get in trouble (which is not to say that is what happened here).

I find the 'banter' defence for anything someone might shout or chant a bit tiresome to be honest. While I agree people in the main shouldn't take things personally, it isn't a get out of jail card for everything.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

Eh? It's illegal you twat. It's a hate crime. The police made it clear that they would have zero tolerance on it and a few bigots still weren't smart enough to figure it out.

Re-wind 20 odd years ago when people were starting to get arrested for racial hate and there were fuckwits like you moaning about it all just being banter then. Would you chant racially motivated chants at Bradford? If not, why not? If the police carry on arresting people for bigotry then even neanderthals like you might just be dragged kicking and screaming in to the 21st Century.

Excellent post. The "it's only banter/fun/trivial" defence has been good enough down the ages to legitimise all sorts of despicable attitudes and behaviour. The people who are astute, and motivated, enough to make a stand and force change are to be commended and thanked on behalf of the rest of us...

 

[Seagull Steve]

It ain't really bollocks though mate. In the 'old days', some say Neanderthal days, it was testosterone charged thugs a lot of the time saying what they like and getting away with it... I am pointing generally towards the 70's and to a lesser extent the 80's. The game wasn't pushed as a family day out and it was rare to see families going to spend a day watching their football team. That has changed and watching football can now be generally be tagged as a family thing nowadays. Rules have to change in order to attract families and offensive/illegal chants should be stamped out. I still personally would be dubious about taking a son or daughter to a game if they are going to listen to abuse, not only from away fans but home fans too. It doesn't really make it conducive. Although the gay chanting doesn't upset or affect the majority of adults, it isn't really the type of atmosphere you would want to take a kid too. If the chanting isn't checked than everything carries on. So I personally find this a point on which you would or would not take kids too.

Gay chanting just leaves me a little bored of the same old, same old scenario. It bothers me not one bit.

That is why I said NOT homophobic, racist comments and fighting. But yeah I get what you are saying fella.