[Football] Are we heading back to the "bad old days"?

[Guinness Boy]

Quite a few videos doing the rounds on Twitter from normal (ish) sites like Football Awaydays of fights kicking off in grounds again. Arsenal fan being turfed out of the family stand at Newcastle for example, Wigan and (IIRC) Reading having a bit of biffo too. Then, last night, browsing on my way home from London a tweet was sent to me of a link for noddy old Bournemouth who've had issues with tickets going to the wrong people, ejections, drugs and pyro to such an extent that they've brought in far more stringent rules than we have for their last aways this season and will ID everyone going.

Are we heading for the 1980s again or is this all a bit of banter and harmless fun?

If the former, what's to blame? Post lockdown exuberance? Gear? An unhealthy obsession with Euro Ultra culture?

 

[The Clamp]

Just a symptom of gaining thousands of new “fans”.

Plus because we are in the PL we will get an hooligan element that aren’t interested in supporting, it’s just an excuse to get into a ground and ruck with top tier supporters.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Quite a few videos doing the rounds on Twitter from normal (ish) sites like Football Awaydays of fights kicking off in grounds again. Arsenal fan being turfed out of the family stand at Newcastle for example, Wigan and (IIRC) Reading having a bit of biffo too. Then, last night, browsing on my way home from London a tweet was sent to me of a link for noddy old Bournemouth who've had issues with tickets going to the wrong people, ejections, drugs and pyro to such an extent that they've brought in far more stringent rules than we have for their last aways this season and will ID everyone going.

Are we heading for the 1980s again or is this all a bit of banter and harmless fun?

If the former, what's to blame? Post lockdown exuberance? Gear? An unhealthy obsession with Euro Ultra culture?

If it is visibly happening more then, by definition, it is getting worse. Intel and surveillance are a million times better than in the 80s so people foolish enough to 'organize' such malarkey will be caught and, if moral outrage has been triggered, the sentencing will be harsh. It will then die down again.

And in 5-10 years it will be rinse and repeat.

It's what (some) people do.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Just a symptom of gaining thousands of new “fans”.

Plus because we are in the PL we will get an hooligan element that aren’t interested in supporting, it’s just an excuse to get into a ground and ruck with top tier supporters.

That accounts for BHA but not Reading, where they have lost thousands of fans by being shit.

 

[Mustafa II]

These are extremely tough times we're living in. People are skint (or worse) and miserable. The issues you describe are not confined to football - but it's obvious why football can be a prime opportunity for poor and miserable people to release these urges of violence and intoxication. Besides, everything that happens in football is more visible than what goes on in every day life.

 

[Chicken Run]

Gear definitely

 

[Lenny Rider]

Quite a few videos doing the rounds on Twitter from normal (ish) sites like Football Awaydays of fights kicking off in grounds again. Arsenal fan being turfed out of the family stand at Newcastle for example, Wigan and (IIRC) Reading having a bit of biffo too. Then, last night, browsing on my way home from London a tweet was sent to me of a link for noddy old Bournemouth who've had issues with tickets going to the wrong people, ejections, drugs and pyro to such an extent that they've brought in far more stringent rules than we have for their last aways this season and will ID everyone going.

Are we heading for the 1980s again or is this all a bit of banter and harmless fun?

If the former, what's to blame? Post lockdown exuberance? Gear? An unhealthy obsession with Euro Ultra culture?

Unfortunately, Colombia didn’t go into lock down, and there is apparently/allegedly a surplus of cocaine in this country, thus bringing the price down.

A vast number of the people misbehaving inside or outside football grounds are probably more likely to be coked up than pissed up!

I saw a stat somewhere from Sussex Police that they nicked more people for drug driving in December than drink driving.

Modern times

 

[Chicken Run]

These are extremely tough times we're living in. People are skint (or worse) and miserable. The issues you describe are not confined to football - but it's obvious why football can be a prime opportunity for poor and miserable people to release these urges of violence and intoxication. Besides, everything that happens in football is more visible than what goes on in every day life.

Yeah those naughty ‘poor people’ dressed in expensive clothes probably spending north of £100 on away days fighting each other….

 

[Mustafa II]

Yeah those naughty ‘poor people’ dressed in expensive clothes probably spending north of £100 on away days fighting each other….

Spending a lot of money doesn't necessarily mean someone isn't poor. It's very easy to spend money that you can't afford. Not sure what your point is here.

 

[Weststander]

Seen lots of videos of what appears to be organised football violence over the last 2 or 3 years.

Examples - Burnley at many away days this season, Leeds home and away, Wolves at home, ManC in the Etihad seem to be getting away with whatever they want attacking all their English opponents and well as all European visitors. Some Everton supporters were convicted last week of attacking a Liverpool pub. Then the Everton attack on Millwall supporters in 2019, one of whom got slashed, apparently revengw for knifings in the 60’s!

The police repeatedly talk about the Cocaine/alcohol cocktail. These thicko’s become brave men in the little minds.

 

[Chicken Run]

Spending a lot of money doesn't necessarily mean someone isn't poor. It's very easy to spend money that you don't have. Not sure what your point is here.

Spending a lot of money doesn't necessarily mean someone isn't poor. It's very easy to spend money that you don't have. Not sure what your point is here.

Mildly tragic that I have to explain to you that my point is I don’t agree with you, surely even you could have worked that out no?

 

[jcdenton08]

I think it’s always about maintaining standards and setting the “new normal”. Unjustified (not in self defence, usually drug or alcohol driven) violence? Lifetime ban. Homophobia? Lifetime ban. Racism? Lifetime ban.

Make the punishments severe. Make it a very uncool thing to do which fans of every club ostracise. Add CCTV and clubs liaise with police proactively to find offenders.

It is unacceptable and the softly softly approach does not work when dealing with drugged up, drunk and violent footbal fans.

 

[Wardy's twin]

the hooliganism element has been present in football for the last 60-70 years so the current situation (last 10 years) has been the anomaly but even then if you care to look for evidence of trouble in that period you would still find it but not in or near the ground. Also more trouble in the lower leagues where the amount of police and cameras is reduced.

Personally pleased that you can generally go to a ground and not have trouble and indeed mix with opposition fans.

 

[Nottseagull]

Spending a lot of money doesn't necessarily mean someone isn't poor. It's very easy to spend money that you can't afford. Not sure what your point is here.

It's obvious what his point is . Next you'll be claiming it's all caused by Government policy.

 

[junior]

Just remember, not everyone is skint, miserable and on drugs.

But in the 80's and 90's 'Football Away Days', Twitter and Instagram didn't exist, so you only saw what went on with your own eyes or read in the papers.

 

[Mustafa II]

It's obvious what his point is . Next you'll be claiming it's all caused by Government policy.

It's not obvious at all. Either he's suggesting that the people involved are not poor (which at least some of them certainly are, if not the overwhelming majority), or it is in fact a wealthier contingent that is now getting involved with this behaviour.

Crime, drug use and violence is in an upward trend across the board in this country, which is clearly as a result of life discontenment drawn from extreme economic difficulty, amongst other instigating factors. It is not a football problem, it is a societal one.

 

[Horses Arse]

Quite a few videos doing the rounds on Twitter from normal (ish) sites like Football Awaydays of fights kicking off in grounds again. Arsenal fan being turfed out of the family stand at Newcastle for example, Wigan and (IIRC) Reading having a bit of biffo too. Then, last night, browsing on my way home from London a tweet was sent to me of a link for noddy old Bournemouth who've had issues with tickets going to the wrong people, ejections, drugs and pyro to such an extent that they've brought in far more stringent rules than we have for their last aways this season and will ID everyone going.

Are we heading for the 1980s again or is this all a bit of banter and harmless fun?

If the former, what's to blame? Post lockdown exuberance? Gear? An unhealthy obsession with Euro Ultra culture?

Wanky look at me fan groups calling themselves ultras to get a bit of attention and moronic TV coverage trying their best to promote it.

Morons the lot of them

 

[SteveU]

Sound like pretty low key and isolated incidents to me. Bit dramatic.

 

[timbha]

More CCTV
Mobile phones to record it
Better intelligence at clubs
More expensive alcohol (fewer people obviously pissed) and cheaper drugs
Immature middle aged men
In summary, the entitled and lazy generation

 

[HangletonGull]

It’s all down to the gear im afraid