[Albion] Infighting amongst our fans

[Weststander]

It did work though to the extent that it brought the louder, most vociferous fans together for singing. If you didn't want to stand and sing then there was always seats to be had down the front or on the extremities. If everybody sat down in their allocated seats then I'm sure there would be many bemoaning the lack of singing / support / atmosphere.

As we have seen with the North Stand, the atmosphere is not as good as it could be because you have small dispirate groups spread throughout the stand trying to get songs started (often different songs, at the same time). To me, it makes perfect sense for the more vocal support to be grouped together when we are away.

I used to go away a fair bit from mid 70s through to the 90s (but only infrequently in past 20 years) and I've never seen any blue on blue scrapping. The odd row between individuals now and then, but no real scrapping.

Very true, good point.

Unfortunately the 20 year olds who crushed us at Molyneux etc weren’t singers. Just chatting amongst themselves, on their phones, abusing home fans.

 

[rippleman]

I agree. Of course it is. Very badly worded in my case. I’ve never heard a single racist comment at a Brighton game. I really never have. I’d be as appalled as these guys were if the phrase quoted by someone, after my post, was used. Disgusting.

This reminded me of an amusing moment at the York 7-2 game.

I had taken my uncle to his first "soccer" game. He is huge (ex NFL defensive lineman), Texan and black. We were in the North Stand and York had a black winger and it wasn't long before the monkey noises started. My uncle turned his head slowly from left to right. The monkey noises ceased almost immediately and weren't repeated again that game.

Coming from one of the southern States my uncle was of course used to racism but I've never witnessed a better way of dealing with it. I love my Uncle Jeff!

 

[dwayne]

Anyone else there after the game when a policeman on horse turned round and smiled when we were singing ... Palace a sh*t hole I wanna go home.

For some inexplicable reason it incensed one moron in the crowd and I thought he shouted something like shut up you black cvnt. I certainly double taked.

What is wrong with people ! It does seem to be a thing now to shout racist shiz to get a reaction or cause controversy.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

My experiences are currently much the same as they were when I first saw Albion in 1976...most of our fans are fine, get along well as a group and aren't looking for trouble. In the 70s and 80s we did have quite a large beer fueled minority who enjoyed some aggro; these days where we have a big following again there is a minority who are similarly antagonistic, but cocaine is probably a bigger contributor to their rage. However, overall I reckon I see far less trouble these days than during the Goldstone era.

Cocaine definitely a problem home and away. Loads of teenagers queuing for the one cubicle in the East Stand toilets at the Marseilles game. That’s just weird and statistically very unlikely if it’s not drugs. It’s been mentioned quite a few times on here but some stewarding might help in order that subsequent problems are avoided. Re the question I’ve seen unpleasantness caused by drunk or drugged yobs but can’t think of any outright fights. When we played Crawley in the cup at the Goldstone the away end seemed to have constant fights going on between themselves.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

I agree. Of course it is. Very badly worded in my case. I’ve never heard a single racist comment at a Brighton game. I really never have. I’d be as appalled as these guys were if the phrase quoted by someone, after my post, was used. Disgusting.

I have heard racist comments at Brighton games but not for many years. I remember a game against WBA at the Goldstone where their four black forwards lined up on the halfway line for kick off and there was loads of abuse shouted…that was on the East Terrace.

 

[Acker79]

I don't know if I have merged two incidents into one, but I remember them occurring in the same game. That Leyton Orient game where the guy ran on the pitch (to get at the ref, or was he going for an orient player...?) and was stopped by Wilkins(?). I remember that guy, prior to this, getting into an argument with other fans in the north stand because they got fed up with his constant haranguing of our own keeper.

 

[Justice]

I wonder if the racist celebrated Welbecks goal

 

[pb21]

I have heard racist comments at Brighton games but not for many years. I remember a game against WBA at the Goldstone where their four black forwards lined up on the halfway line for kick off and there was loads of abuse shouted…that was on the East Terrace.

Unfortunately I have heard a few racist comments in the last few years at away games, some more insidious than others, including directed at our own players.

 

[Justice]

Following on from my previous post, Amsterdam was quite odd for me because I saw a lot of the old faces but most couldn't get a ticket. The Eurostar over was like a trip back in time on a train to somewhere up North.

There's still a group of my mates that do most of the aways and we've met a group of younger lads who are great fun so away days are still ok, but it took the Dam for me to realise how many had stopped doing aways.

Loads more coke and 'getting the badge in' on social media these days too.

Sounds like fun did the twins make an appearance?

 

[Wardy's twin]

Two of the fights were a few rows in front of me. Seemed to be a combination of pissed up (or coked up) lads mixed with sober left wing guys who didn't like their comments about their lino. Lots of accusations of racism. To be clear I was too far back to hear the original comments, but stewards were called and came and split them up. It started again when we scored as presumably one party or other took the opportunity in the chaos to have a pop at the other. Well that's what it looked like anyway.

How you can ever start on a fellow Brighton fan is beyond me, but maybe they had good reason

If someone is spouting racist, sexist, homophobic comments do you consider them as your brother fan? I don't.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Sounds like fun did the twins make an appearance?

In town somewhere for sure. On the same train back as us.

 

[Stat Brother]

If someone is spouting racist, sexist, homophobic comments do you consider them as your brother fan? I don't.

Oddly though a mate of the guy who lost his pooh at the racist comments spent much of the game giving a throat slitting gesture to the palace fans some 50ft away.

He appeared to have next to no interest in the game.

 

[albionalex]

One of the kids in front of me was so pissed he couldn't stand up. And this was before kickoff.

 

[Superphil]

Have to agree with the OP, some fans really can be quite unpleasant towards others these days.

3 instances yesterday.

People in front of us, one young lad, spent periods during the game sitting down looking at his phone, alongside mother and possibly other family members who stood through game. At FT the kid and mother decided they needed to see more and totally unnecessarily stood up on their seats. We asked them, politely, to step off the seats so that we too could see the players coming over to acknowledge us. Reluctantly they got down, only for a few moments later to get back up on their seats. I mentioned that they were out of order, and pushed sideways along our row to try and continue applauding the players. The mother then confronted me and asked me aggressively and repeatedly "did you touch my son?". I told her no, and that all I had done was asked them both to get off their seats, she just kept on an incoherent rant, which I ignored. There was no need for them to stand on their seats, we could all see perfectly clearly.

In the crowd outside waiting for the police to start moving us on. Group of young blokes started bundling past us, physically forcing us to get out of the way, trying to force themselves forward, I pointed out that none of us were going anywhere, and that why didn't they just wait like the rest of us. Got some verbal abuse as they just ignored and carried on pushing past people in front of them. One of their lot, and older person, perhaps mid 40s, then turned and launched more abuse followed by "I'm just trying to get to my Dad who is up there, is that alright with you?" plus plenty more aggressive abuse. His Dad may have been up there, and perhaps the granddad to the other kids, but it's no excuse for insults and threatening behaviour to other fans, how about "Excuse me".

At the station, when the train arrived, some people were getting off, including a pregnant lady, we did our best to form a gap for her to come through, which involved some pushing and shoving. I did try and make space and got a bloke in my face telling me not to push him. I told him I wasn't doing any such thing, just trying to help the lady out, he said "don't f***ing push me, you pushed me, I don't like being f***ing pushed". He didn't seem to care about the pregnant woman, only himself and getting on the train. Perhaps he was anxious in the circumstances, it was quite a crush, but no need for such aggressive confrontational behaviour.

Sadly visits to Selhurst do seem to bring out the worst in people, as indeed it would seem do visits to Athens.

 

[jackalbion]

Following on from my previous post, Amsterdam was quite odd for me because I saw a lot of the old faces but most couldn't get a ticket. The Eurostar over was like a trip back in time on a train to somewhere up North.

There's still a group of my mates that do most of the aways and we've met a group of younger lads who are great fun so away days are still ok, but it took the Dam for me to realise how many had stopped doing aways.

Loads more coke and 'getting the badge in' on social media these days too.

That group of younger lads, sound like really cool guys.

 

[Superphil]

Sounds like some terrible behaviour but I wouldn’t use Palace away as a correct sample of our fans. It has always attracted “fans” that aren’t at other games. You get people who don’t bother with much else throughout the season but hunt out tickets for Palace to purposely cause trouble. Barely recognise anyone at Palace away. God knows how they get tickets with all the new rules.

Indeed, didn't see any ID checks at all as we went through the turnstiles.

 

[Jim in the West]

Indeed, didn't see any ID checks at all as we went through the turnstiles.

Some poor sod has to hand-write 3,000 names on tickets for every single away match (probably more like 4,000 for Stoke). You'd like to think that the club would organise a few more ID checks - if only to give the admin guy some job satisfaction.

 

[Superphil]

Some poor sod has to hand-write 3,000 names on tickets for every single away match (probably more like 4,000 for Stoke). You'd like to think that the club would organise a few more ID checks - if only to give the admin guy some job satisfaction.

Was all digital tickets last night. Last season they were checking, as you say, the handwritten paper tickets, but not last night.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

That group of younger lads, sound like really cool guys.

Maybe you’ll get to meet them one day?

 

[Guinness Boy]

On the train out of dodge I ended up in with a group of lads.
For all I know had I seen any of them in the previous 3 hours, I'd have branded them and their actions as 'pathetic'.

Yet with it all out of their system, they were polite, chatty, funny and a credit to themselves and influences.


The whole situation with 'us and them' is inexplicably ridiculous.

This reminds me of our train trip to Southampton for the game where Maupay shithoused a last minute equaliser.

We got a table seat. Five teenagers then squeezed into the four table seats opposite. From their conversation they were second year A level students at BHASVIC and started off talking about their courses and gently ribbing each other. After a couple of cans of Strongbow Dark Fruit they were on to some scandalous comments about one of their mate's mums. By Fareham they were into a full rendition of 'when Wilfried Zaha dies'.

That wasn't even the funniest thing on that trip though. Pulling out of Cosham we saw on the platform a large dog wearing a bright, luminous orange dog coat with a HOOD and on a matching lead with the word 'NERVOUS' on it. With perfect timing a bloke announced to the whole carriage "I'd be f*"king nervous if someone made me wear that".