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Scroll down near the end and it mentions the Swindon V Gills rivalry

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/the-last-word-three-strikes-and-out-for-red-nev-not-with-our-spineless-fa-1877183.html (http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/the-last-word-three-strikes-and-out-for-red-nev-not-with-our-spineless-fa-1877183.html)

The Last Word: Three strikes and out for Red Nev? Not with our spineless FA

By James Corrigan

Sunday, 24 January 2010
       
Gary Neville was warned by the FA for baiting Liverpool fans and taunting City supporters, but was still let off the hook for his gesture at Carlos Tevez (above)

Never has the moniker of "shop steward" seemed so apt for Gary Neville. He is doing little of the graft but making most of the noise and the bosses upstairs appear powerless to bring him into line. Perhaps they're worried if they dare punish Red Nev he will drop stud-keys and scream: "Everybody out!"

What other explanation is there for the Football Association's decision to warn the Manchester United defender "as to his future conduct"? Nevile was "warned as to his future conduct" last September, just as he had been "warned as to his future conduct" in 2006. If Neville doesn't change his ways, the FA will have no option but to warn him as to his future conduct. That'll teach the blighter.

When are they actually going to do something about this trouble-maker? Since they started issuing their open-ended ultimatums, the FA have actually got softer with Neville, not tougher. Four years ago they also fined him £5,000 for baiting the Liverpool supporters. Now only the wholly ineffective threat remains.

But then, I do know how the FA feel. I have a similar problem with my two-year-old son. I tell him to stop bashing the telly with his toy hammer or he's going straight to bed. He does it again. I tell him to stop it or he's really going to bed. He does it again. I tell him to stop it or he's really, really going to bed. He does it again. And so it goes on until it is genuinely bed time and he is put down with a kiss and a "what a wonderful little boy you are". Rather like Neville will be if and when he retires at the end of the season.

Yes, all the sycophants will dust off their plaudits when Gary says goodbye and one will sparkle above all others – "a model professional". But he is nothing of the sort. Model professionals do not raise middle fingers to rivals. Even if they are being taunted.

Apparently, despite the photograph which shows Neville making his obscene gesture to Carlos Tevez, the FA do not believe they have enough evidence to prove he made an obscene gesture. The question has also been posed whether Tevez deserved Neville's response? Sorry, but is that really the point? And even if it is, isn't aggressive retaliation a red-card offence in football nowadays? No doubt Tevez is as culpable as Neville in this spat which I hesitate to label childish, but the fact is the Argentinian wasn't under warning. Therefore a warning could suffice. For Neville it plainly does not. On any level.

Here is a man who truly believes such loutish behaviour should be tolerated. After storming towards the Manchester City fans – from the bench – four months ago to celebrate United's match-winner, Neville excused his actions thus: "In football we have become too sensitive. Fans give you loads of stick. You give them a bit back. That is football."

That may be football to Neville and some of the other banter-merchants in attendance. But I'll tell you what football is to other members of society. It's grabbing your kids and cowering by a wall as hundreds of yobs barge their way to the ground; it is watching your shop windows being smashed as the yobs make their way back down the high street; it is being an innocent bystander and being physically threatened by a yob; it is hating people you don't even know enough to shove darts in your pocket. That's what football is. All that happened in Manchester last Wednesday and the city will doubtless receive a reprise in three days' time

Of course, Neville and his apologists would consider it ridiculous to track hooliganism directly back to a split-second gesticulation. But don't they understand the mentality of the mob and don't they understand that this mob leaps on every flashpoint between their so-called heroes to justify acting on their hatred?

Any players who fail to see a link between their conduct and the fans' conduct need only have been at the County Ground last Saturday. At least one missile was thrown and arrests were made, just as they always are at this fixture. The reason? Because of a fracas in a tunnel between Swindon and Gillingham players 31 years ago. For mindless morons these hooligans do possess impressive memories. Particularly as few of them were even born in 1979.

This enmity exists between two clubs with no geographical rivalry. They need an excuse for their reciprocal loathing. Alas, United and City have no such requirement. Manchester has long been a tinderbox and probably the only reason why it has all not gone off in recent years is because of City being such an inferior side. Now they are a threat and the risk of the antagonism escalating should really not need saying. Shamefully it does.

The police felt compelled to talk to the players before the first leg and will do so again on Wednesday to remind them of their responsibilities. Yet when the officers hear Garry Cook, the City chief executive, stoking it up with his "we'll be the best club in the world" nonsense, they'll think "why bother?" Just as they might well wonder "what the hell?" when they discover Neville has escaped punishment – again.

He is the captain of the club for goodness sake and although the last captain to spend this long among the subs was Nemo, Neville should need no reminding of his responsibilities as a player. Or as a 34-year-old, or as a figure who children look up to. Or even, for that matter, as a shop steward.

:o

That article is absolutely ridiculous. Yes, Neville has beena  naughty boy and perhaps the FA do need to actually do something. But the rest of it is a load of crap. I've never had to cower by a wall at a football match. I've never seen anybody smash a shop window either. And as for claiming that there's reciprocal loathing between us and Gills... us and WHO? They mean nothing to me or any other right-minded town fan.

I love the phrase 'missile thrown' onto pitch. That would be some story that, if a fan could sneak a scud into The Town End and launch it at the Leeds keeper on Tuesday.

Perfect grammar, spelling, long words and a load of bollocks.

Fact is, like him or loathe him, Gary Neville is a Man United fan and he plays a bit like one, I guess thats a bit too scary for some people? Most footballers dont give a fuck, why criticise one who does?

What a load of fucking cobblers

Exactly...and they wonder why hardly anyone buys the Independent !!

The "missiles" that were thrown were 2p coins from the Gills at the Town fans in the Arkells. 2p coins! cheap cunts

Whilst the behaviour of players on the pitch can cause the supporters to react, that article is blowing the incidents in references out of context somewhat. Man City / Man Utd is a battle that has been going on since time began and trying to blame any trouble the other day on Neville is ridiculous, plenty of people (including Fergusson) have been stoking that fire all season.

I'm obviously thick, but I still can't get my head round the Gillingham thing.

They were throwing ball bearings as well. Fuck knows how the police managed to let them get away with it, unless they didn't, as they were getting some distance on them.

Fuck knows what the police were up to? When the missiles came flying over the police lined up on the Swindon side of the barrier. Then the video camera came out and started filming the town fans, all a bit wierd considering we were the ones getting hit. We moved after that, im not getting in trouble for being hit with a coin or ball bearing.

I saw that and couldn't understand it, unless our fans were giving some back as well that I wasn't aware of. I was a bit shocked by it, throwing stuff in to a family section is pretty fucking low.

For any "high profile" games like that I don't know why they don't just put the away fans on the Stratton Bank, far easier to control and little chance of it kicking off. Unless they need the extra seats.

I was throwing bricks and flicking used condoms i picked up pre-match around Manny Rd.

They'd been saving up for months especially.

I like the fact that the pikeys hate us. When we play them it gives the game an extra edge.

The rest of the time though, I don't think about them at all.

Agreed, he makes out every game is the equalivant of Cardiif v Millwall.  I think the Gills rivalry is viewed by most younger fans like the one with Reading - They hate us a lot more than we do them.

I like the fact we've got a rivalry with the pikeys. Lighten up guys. With Oxford unlikely to be troubling us any time soon we ought to cherish the fact they've got this grievance with us. Long may it live!

The Gills game was one of the poorest attendances of the season, and the south stand was even more quiet than usual.

I think most fans are a bit embaressed by it, and dont know what to make of Gills.

When the fixtures came out in 2006, our first meeting with Gills for 20 years, they went on and on in chat forums. I genuinely thought they would bring 2000 fans to the CG from the interest it seemed to be generating. They brought about 300 fans.

Gills seem to live in some sort of teenage fantasy world.

I gotta admit, that reverse fixture when we went there for the first time in ages SW, was probably in the top 3 of away games I was looking forward too

 I weird lot, no mistake....just after the infamous match when their players got their collars felt, they would get just over 4000 for a visit of STFC and bring no more than the present 250 to the CG.  Yet, they seemed to think, it was like Celtic v Rangers.

Dont get me wrong Dave. Ive enjoyed all 3 away days to Gills in one way or another. Its great to see Swindon get fired up for a third rate club, who have never done anything or won anything with third rate fans and no real hooligan following. Because Il go to these games against shit teams anyway, so its great to have everyone along getting excited. But even the nutjobs who were there back in the 80s are getting tired of Gills' hall of mirrors rivalry. We know what a rivalry is, I mean Oxford hate us, if you hang around in a small group in Oxford on the day of a Swindon game then they will try and pan your fucking head in. Last time we played them there was literally about a thousand of them after the game running to attack our buses.

Reg, Ive been to Medway a few times and I think they like calling each other 'Mugs' a lot. Thats about the only thing Ive heard from them that they have ever got right.

You should have gone there the year after it kicked off at Swindon - great fun. We lost 1-0 but the game was pretty incidental. The hatred the Gills have for us now though reminds me of Denis Healey's comment about Geoffrey Howe - ie being savaged by a sheep.

Can charge more for Arkells.