So who are these 'fan groups'?

[Seasidesage]

Rightfully so? Have you read today's Arsegas? I guess that it quotes from this report, but it includes complaints including the following, 'a player was said to have rubbed his hands up and down his backside in front of Albion fans', and that 'at Blackburn two Albion fans were said to have been attacked although no action was taken'. WTF? Perhaps the player was wiping mud off his hands, probably not, but Jeez we sound a soft bunch of liberal idiots. Fans said to have been attacked but not even officially reported I guess. So no proof of attack but it was linked to homophobia in what way exactly?

Perhaps fans in the Northwest should claim some kind of hate crime when we call them lazy, workshy thieves? Or those fans following Bristol or East Anglican clubs should waste police time by complaining about being stereotyped as country bumpkins?

Personally I am fed up by the likes of Sarah Watts and Liz Costa claiming to speak for the majority of Albion fans. They are living in the past when they were loud voices in a small number, when their views were more representative of a small fan base. Now their friendly supporters group are no longer relevant to the majority of Albion fans who have more important things in life in life to be 'furious' about than a couple of hundred opposition fans singing songs at the other end of the ground in response to our chants about them.

If I get flamed I couldn't care less. Carry on now.

Flamed? I couldn't agree more...

 

[pork pie]

Careful, boys and girls. There is a serious risk that any opinion expressed on this thread might be picked up by the Argus or BBC as "representing the views of Albion fans' group, North Stand Chat".

Would that be so bad? WE THE FANS are expressing our opinions. Hopefully they will also look at the Poll on the subject.

 

[Geriatric Seagull]

How many people actually belong to the supporters club? What percentage of the home support do they represent? Has the supporters club ever sought your opinion about anything?

 

[Brovion]

If we are trying to banish homophobia, there's surely no harm in a public debate about what it is, how prevalent it is at football matches, how affected football fans are when they encounter it, and what should be done about it?

Absolutely agree. I think homophobic chanting is vile and should be stamped out - and I'll let you know when I hear any.

 

[drew]

Rightfully so? Have you read today's Arsegas? I guess that it quotes from this report, but it includes complaints including the following, 'a player was said to have rubbed his hands up and down his backside in front of Albion fans', and that 'at Blackburn two Albion fans were said to have been attacked although no action was taken'. WTF? Perhaps the player was wiping mud off his hands, probably not, but Jeez we sound a soft bunch of liberal idiots. Fans said to have been attacked but not even officially reported I guess. So no proof of attack but it was linked to homophobia in what way exactly?

Perhaps fans in the Northwest should claim some kind of hate crime when we call them lazy, workshy thieves? Or those fans following Bristol or East Anglican clubs should waste police time by complaining about being stereotyped as country bumpkins?

Personally I am fed up by the likes of Sarah Watts and Liz Costa claiming to speak for the majority of Albion fans. They are living in the past when they were loud voices in a small number, when their views were more representative of a small fan base. Now their friendly supporters group are no longer relevant to the majority of Albion fans who have more important things in life in life to be 'furious' about than a couple of hundred opposition fans singing songs at the other end of the ground in response to our chants about them.

If I get flamed I couldn't care less. Carry on now.

Where do they claim to speak for the majority of fans?

 

[Guinness Boy]

Rightfully so? Have you read today's Arsegas? I guess that it quotes from this report, but it includes complaints including the following, 'a player was said to have rubbed his hands up and down his backside in front of Albion fans', and that 'at Blackburn two Albion fans were said to have been attacked although no action was taken'. WTF? Perhaps the player was wiping mud off his hands, probably not, but Jeez we sound a soft bunch of liberal idiots. Fans said to have been attacked but not even officially reported I guess. So no proof of attack but it was linked to homophobia in what way exactly?

Perhaps fans in the Northwest should claim some kind of hate crime when we call them lazy, workshy thieves? Or those fans following Bristol or East Anglican clubs should waste police time by complaining about being stereotyped as country bumpkins?

Personally I am fed up by the likes of Sarah Watts and Liz Costa claiming to speak for the majority of Albion fans. They are living in the past when they were loud voices in a small number, when their views were more representative of a small fan base. Now their friendly supporters group are no longer relevant to the majority of Albion fans who have more important things in life in life to be 'furious' about than a couple of hundred opposition fans singing songs at the other end of the ground in response to our chants about them.

If I get flamed I couldn't care less. Carry on now.

Spot on

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

How many people actually belong to the supporters club? What percentage of the home support do they represent? Has the supporters club ever sought your opinion about anything?

I've never seen any details on how to join this supporters club to be honest.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Where do they claim to speak for the majority of fans?

In the media mainly. BBC SE led off this morning with 'Brighton fans have been subjected to....". Well I don't feel subjected to the chants. Just bored of their obvious unoriginal repetitiveness.

 

[SurreySeagulls]

I couldn't give a monkeys if some fans call me a bum basher or ask if my noncy partner knows where I am. Perhaps they all think I drink and dance at the Blue Oyster Bar and guess what who give's a toss if they do. For me it is all banter and just as we call Crystal Palace fans Nigels and ask if they came in their caravans do the Giro brigade get all up in arms. Of course they don't (too busy drinking white lightning and nicking handbags from old ladies), so why are we becoming precious about it all. OK, so the majority don't give a monkeys and a few do, get a life. Banter has been part of football for as long as I can remember and Brighton fans have given as much as has been given to us, it just seems to be in vogue these days to moan about homophobia. Anyway pointless rant over and time to go and book myself a rent boy.

 

[Geriatric Seagull]

Just looked at the supporters club website. "The largest organisation representing supporters" has over 350 members! Last updated 2011! Taking 22000 as a reasonable number of regular home supporters at The Amex that's less than 2%!

 

[wellquickwoody]

If we are trying to banish homophobia, there's surely no harm in a public debate about what it is, how prevalent it is at football matches, how affected football fans are when they encounter it, and what should be done about it?

There is no harm in debate, but I believe that these groups will be claiming to speak for the majority of Albion fans, and that the BBC will happy to lap this up as it will fit very nicely with their own liberal left wing agenda.

 

[pork pie]

There is no harm in debate, but I believe that these groups will be claiming to speak for the majority of Albion fans, and that the BBC will happy to lap this up as it will fit very nicely with their own liberal left wing agenda.

Go for it! lol

 

[Dan Gleeballs]

It's now going to get worse before it gets better. Ah poor little Brighton bum bashers can't handle the banter but yet will dish it out about pikeys, northern monkeys, sheep shaggers etc. I think at this point to save going off on one I'll just agree with wellquickwoody & the majority on here who aren't so precious about football banter

 

[soistes]

There's clearly a massive difference between racist chanting or abuse directed at individual black players or fans, and homophobic chanting directed in some general sense towards Brighton's (accurate) reputation as a town with a relatively large population of gay people. However I still have some problems with it for two reasons:
First -- some of it is, actually, directed at individual fans: particularly the kinds of chants (which I've witnessed on several recent occasions -- Palace and Millwall matches come to mind), which is aimed at men with their young children, implying child abuse and paedophilia etc. There's an example in the Argus article
"Following the home game against Millwall on December 18 last year, a father and son were targeted outside the Amex with away fans reportedly asking: “do you pass him around?” "
Second -- even if many (most?) Brighton fans are not generally offended by the homophobic chants, I suspect the knowledge that such abusive chanting continues contributes to maintaining and reinforcing the general culture which makes it difficult for gay footballers to come out, and may well discourage gay fans from attending or discourage gay youngsters from following football. As a middle-aged heterosexual male and long-term fan, I'm not particularly offended by the chants, but my (female) partner, who is now a STH, certainly is offended. Now maybe she's the kind of JCL (also lefty, feminist, middle class... etc) that some people on here think is spoiling the atmosphere at matches and whom we could do without as part of our fanbase. Personally, I think it's a shame, because apart from this kind of thing, she really enjoys the football and the AMEX experience, is becoming an enthusiastic and increasingly knowledgeable supporter.

 

[Brovion]

Just looked at the supporters club website. "The largest organisation representing supporters" has over 350 members! Last updated 2011! Taking 22000 as a reasonable number of regular home supporters at The Amex that's less than 2%!

Exactly. More people voted on the NSC poll and the overwhelming majority (over 70%) thought there was no problem. NSC has spoken and this particular fans' group thinks a period of silence from the Supporters' Club on this issue would be most welcome.

 

[brighton bluenose]

How is it homophobic? the chant "Does your boyfriend know you're here" (mentioned in the BBC report) could be aimed at our female fans (My daughter often replies "Yes, he does actually!"). Likewise "We can see you holding hands", well my wife and I often hold hands. Even the more crude ones about sexual practices aren't necessarily homophobic as heterosexual couples also often partake of those activities. (I won't repeat them here)

WTF?!! The most ridiculous post I've read in this so-called 'debate' - we all know what they are singing about so why are you pretending otherwise?!!

I and I'm sure the majority of sensible fans don't give a monkeys about 'we can see you holding hands' or 'does your bf know you're here' but when some foul-mouthed **** (oops!)
is screaming 'do you take it up the @rse' or worse in the presence of women and kids etc then you clearly think we should all have to put up with that?!

I can see the woman in front of me cringe as her 8-yr old son asks his mum 'What are they singing about?'!!

Where do we draw the line on what's acceptable and not acceptable?

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Homophobia is bad and anything which provokes debate on the subject is a good thing.

But, I do wonder why the supporters groups did not open their research out beyond their own membership. With social networking and sites like NSC, it wouldn't have been too hard to involve a much wider demographic of our support base. An online questionaire or similar would have been useful because, quite simply, the experience of a fan travelling on a coach to and from the stadium is probably different to the many who travel on trains etc. If you want a rounded look at the sorts of abuse encountered by Brighton fans, it probably isn't representative to focus on such a small pool of date.

 

[Common as Mook]

Homophobia is bad and anything which provokes debate on the subject is a good thing.

But, I do wonder why the supporters groups did not open their research out beyond their own membership. With social networking and sites like NSC, it wouldn't have been too hard to involve a much wider demographic of our support base. An online questionaire or similar would have been useful because, quite simply, the experience of a fan travelling on a coach to and from the stadium is probably different to the many who travel on trains etc. If you want a rounded look at the sorts of abuse encountered by Brighton fans, it probably isn't representative to focus on such a small pool of date.

Pretty much this.

 

[Brovion]

WTF?!! The most ridiculous post I've read in this so-called 'debate' - we all know what they are singing about so why are you pretending otherwise?!!

I and I'm sure the majority of sensible fans don't give a monkeys about 'we can see you holding hands' or 'does your bf know you're here' but when some foul-mouthed **** (oops!)
is screaming 'do you take it up the @rse' or worse in the presence of women and kids etc then you clearly think we should all have to put up with that?!

I can see the woman in front of me cringe as her 8-yr old son asks his mum 'What are they singing about?'!!

Where do we draw the line on what's acceptable and not acceptable?

You actually haven't answered the question. No one is denying that it can be unpleasant and when it's one-on-one (such as incidents outside the ground) it can probably be classed as threatening behaviour, but to repeat, why is it specifically 'homophobic'?

And as you say where do you draw the line? If (in terms of homophobia not decency) "we can see you holding hands" or "does your boyfriend know you're here' are deemed to be acceptable, then why isn't "do you take it up the wotsit" or variations thereof? Is homophobia ok so long as it's polite?

 

[daveybgtt]

but when some foul-mouthed **** (oops!)
is screaming 'do you take it up the @rse' or worse in the presence of women and kids etc then you clearly think we should all have to put up with that?!

Tell them no?



Does this supporters group even like football? Or do they go to matches with the sole intention of getting offended?

Mugs!