NMH
Banned
Okay so it's wonderful to have personal choices and complete freedom.
So what about football crowds?
First match of the season in Stockholm for Djurgårdens IF was a derby vs AIK; flares, a fire in the home stand (quickly extinguished by a steward), flags and streamers and all kinds of paper to wade through, beer everywhere and drunk fans carrying in trayloads more, everyone HAS to stand, and they don't compete for height because everyone stood on the plastic seats (many are cracked as a result, and don't get fixed), flares in the stands with smoke a constant, stoppages of play if one lands on the pitch. Parents mostly do not bring their kids.
Flagpoles and 'stuff' was flaying from one stand into another over a fence, at one point, loads of youths swarm to that area.
Old bill are everywhere inside and out, horses and vans and helicopters outside and riot gear, everyone running and some fighting after the game.
The match itself was a fix if ever I saw one. Every possibility of a scoring chance saw the ball hit languidly wide, way over the bar, or crossed to the keeper's arms. The players did not look too bothered - and like it was an enactment of a game just to appease all in attendance (threats of punishment have hung over both clubs, closed-door games narrowly avoided at end of previous season).
That was a few weeks back.
Yesterday I was at Sodertalje for Syrianska v AIK - Syrians scored about 15-20 minutes in, then shortly afterwards an AIK player got red carded. A couple of flares burned the astroturf (must be expensive I'd have thought), bomb-like fireworks going off all over - one hits a linesman and he's taken to hospital with hearing damage. Aggression from the AIK stands sets off the Syrians (many fans are, of course, Syrian) and fireworks go off everywhere with mayhem there too. Armed (riot sticks) security all over the show in the main home stand.
Players and officials have left the field already.
AIK get a line of stewards, for which some complain they have been unfairly selected. I got hit by a coin which broke my reading glasses - could have hit me in the eye. Game called off altogether, so loads of decently-behaved (mostly the home support) people, including girls, kids and families paid for about 15 minutes of football and 25 mins watching mayhem and flares.
Outside there were the obligatory running battles with police and horses.
A probable fine for AIK and maybe Syrians, a likelihood of a point deduction (6 points mentioned, though they haven't even accumulated 6 yet).
The Syrians and AIK didn't even have a proper rivalry compared to theirs with Hammarby, and Djurgårdens in Stockholm. Sodertalje is about 30 miles South from the City.
Basically, Swedish fans don't have to provide any info on buying tickets, are allowed to arrive drunk and drink more inside the stadium, don't want any cameras or affect on their personal freedom, and see stewarding and policing as another infringement of that.
The football is becoming ever more crap, kids and families don't want to attend, fans have less chance of seeing the match, and the game is grinding to a horrible screeching halt.
But still, they get to stand and there's definitely an atmosphere.
This is not 'fantasy', just the account from an eyewitness (happily still with 2 eyes). Reading between the lines of the above not required. Some details such as times, are approximate. Anyone refuting the above just because I reported it, is just a twat.
So what about football crowds?
First match of the season in Stockholm for Djurgårdens IF was a derby vs AIK; flares, a fire in the home stand (quickly extinguished by a steward), flags and streamers and all kinds of paper to wade through, beer everywhere and drunk fans carrying in trayloads more, everyone HAS to stand, and they don't compete for height because everyone stood on the plastic seats (many are cracked as a result, and don't get fixed), flares in the stands with smoke a constant, stoppages of play if one lands on the pitch. Parents mostly do not bring their kids.
Flagpoles and 'stuff' was flaying from one stand into another over a fence, at one point, loads of youths swarm to that area.
Old bill are everywhere inside and out, horses and vans and helicopters outside and riot gear, everyone running and some fighting after the game.
The match itself was a fix if ever I saw one. Every possibility of a scoring chance saw the ball hit languidly wide, way over the bar, or crossed to the keeper's arms. The players did not look too bothered - and like it was an enactment of a game just to appease all in attendance (threats of punishment have hung over both clubs, closed-door games narrowly avoided at end of previous season).
That was a few weeks back.
Yesterday I was at Sodertalje for Syrianska v AIK - Syrians scored about 15-20 minutes in, then shortly afterwards an AIK player got red carded. A couple of flares burned the astroturf (must be expensive I'd have thought), bomb-like fireworks going off all over - one hits a linesman and he's taken to hospital with hearing damage. Aggression from the AIK stands sets off the Syrians (many fans are, of course, Syrian) and fireworks go off everywhere with mayhem there too. Armed (riot sticks) security all over the show in the main home stand.
Players and officials have left the field already.
AIK get a line of stewards, for which some complain they have been unfairly selected. I got hit by a coin which broke my reading glasses - could have hit me in the eye. Game called off altogether, so loads of decently-behaved (mostly the home support) people, including girls, kids and families paid for about 15 minutes of football and 25 mins watching mayhem and flares.
Outside there were the obligatory running battles with police and horses.
A probable fine for AIK and maybe Syrians, a likelihood of a point deduction (6 points mentioned, though they haven't even accumulated 6 yet).
The Syrians and AIK didn't even have a proper rivalry compared to theirs with Hammarby, and Djurgårdens in Stockholm. Sodertalje is about 30 miles South from the City.
Basically, Swedish fans don't have to provide any info on buying tickets, are allowed to arrive drunk and drink more inside the stadium, don't want any cameras or affect on their personal freedom, and see stewarding and policing as another infringement of that.
The football is becoming ever more crap, kids and families don't want to attend, fans have less chance of seeing the match, and the game is grinding to a horrible screeching halt.
But still, they get to stand and there's definitely an atmosphere.
This is not 'fantasy', just the account from an eyewitness (happily still with 2 eyes). Reading between the lines of the above not required. Some details such as times, are approximate. Anyone refuting the above just because I reported it, is just a twat.
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