Drunks who think they are the dogs bollocks

[dell boy]

Is anyone ever going to review the Taylor report or are we condemned to sitting down at football forever? There doesn't even seem to be any momentum behind the safe standing campaign any more. In the old days singing fans and sitting fans self-selected themselves into their respective areas, but what can you do now? You can no more chant sitting down than you can dance. When they stopped fans standing up they tore the heart out of the matchday experience.

Great days standing on the terraces, but they have gone.

In what was once a very male audience singing themselves hoarse, farting, having a piss on the terraces through a thin programme, swearing and fighting - its yesterday. Football in all tiers of the game is now geard towards the family experience

Times have changed: the facilities and food have definitely improved, but for most games that deafining atmosphere has gone - so if you want to sing, then sing and enjoy yourselves - but dont force others especially by intimidating them to follow you. You use to stand and the price you paid to enter reflected. Now you pay flipping fortunes to sit, you can understand why people get annoyed when others do not respect this and stand up limiting their view and shouting abuse at them, when they have paid so much for that football experience.

[Simon Pieman]

Dell you moan about people getting drunk and behaving in a certain way like they moaned about you not behaving in a certain way. Neither one of you is 100% right.

[dell boy]

Dell you moan about people getting drunk and behaving in a certain way like they moaned about you not behaving in a certain way. Neither one of you is 100% right.

I dont understand that.

[Simon Pieman]

Well you said they were pleading at people to get them to sing. So they wanted people to sing.
You wanted them to be sober, clean up their language and sit down.

I can see both sides of the argument, but clearly there needs to be a compromise. As you rightly point out the days of the terraces are over. But if the 'family stadium' thing is the way football will go - sitting in sterile conditions and only clapping/cheering when the ball is near the goal then why bother going at all.

As others have said, turning up is not supporting. That's spectating. (the last couple of paragraphs are not aimed at you Dell, general observations about fans).

[The_Plagiarist]

I can see if someone had paid £55 for a seat and had me stood infront of them they'd be a bit miffed. But they should have done their research, and they shouldn't have bought a ticket behind the goal, least of all in the back row.  

Plastic fans who sit down and make no noise whatsoever bring nothing to the table other than money. The quest for money is what has fucked this game up beyond recognition. Football will eventually go full circle and return to the masses, because when all is said and done, the plastics will get bored of it.


Abusing people for not singing is out of order, but its no more out of order than abusing people for getting pissed up at the biggest game in 17years, because you think football has moved on now.

[dell boy]

Well you said they were pleading at people to get them to sing. So they wanted people to sing.
You wanted them to be sober, clean up their language and sit down.

I can see both sides of the argument, but clearly there needs to be a compromise. As you rightly point out the days of the terraces are over. But if the 'family stadium' thing is the way football will go - sitting in sterile conditions and only clapping/cheering when the ball is near the goal then why bother going at all.

As others have said, turning up is not supporting. That's spectating. (the last couple of paragraphs are not aimed at you Dell, general observations about fans).

Nothing wrong with people getting drunk:
In the same block we had two drunks who sang, danced and stood up on occasions (at the exciting bit) but also respected those around them, they were asked to sit down two or three times by a family behind them and immediately did.
The drunk who is so drunk that he doesn't really know what is going on at the football game except we are 1 down, doesn't watch the game but screws his ugly shit of face up pleading with others to stand up and sing, if you do not, then verbally abuses, is not acceptable.

[Red Frog]

Great days standing on the terraces, but they have gone.

In what was once a very male audience singing themselves hoarse, farting, having a piss on the terraces through a thin programme, swearing and fighting - its yesterday. Football in all tiers of the game is now geard towards the family experience

Times have changed: the facilities and food have definitely improved, but for most games that deafining atmosphere has gone - so if you want to sing, then sing and enjoy yourselves - but dont force others especially by intimidating them to follow you. You use to stand and the price you paid to enter reflected. Now you pay flipping fortunes to sit, you can understand why people get annoyed when others do not respect this and stand up limiting their view and shouting abuse at them, when they have paid so much for that football experience.

I can't believe you're right, and all fans now share your sanitised view of the matchday experience. But I'm quite happy to let you have your day out - why can't I have mine? There's at least a big minority who want to stand up. These pages and pages of complaints from both the standers and sitters would be irrelevant if both camps were provided for. The problem comes when everyone's forced together.

Terracing with rails across every row or two is perfectly safe, cheaper than seats and allows a larger capacity. And a damn sight safer than standing in seated rows incidentally, which is what happens now. What chance we ever see a terrace built again?

[Simon Pieman]

To be fair Dell, you've posted a bit of a rant on here and I think you really hoped it was someone from the TEF just so you could have a go at the them. Really this should have been done at the time, I don't know if you asked them to tone down the language, consider the fact they were blocking the view etc.

[dell boy]

To be fair Dell, you've posted a bit of a rant on here and I think you really hoped it was someone from the TEF just so you could have a go at the them. Really this should have been done at the time, I don't know if you asked them to tone down the language, consider the fact they were blocking the view etc.

I was sort of hoping they might come out and give it some.

I did have a word, but the main culprit was too much in a trance to understand mine or anyone elses objections.


PS Red Frog - I am no Plastic, I go to most games and if I was given the choice I would stand on the terrace. Trouble is I dont have that chance anymore especially at new stadiums. Roll on Dagenham and Redbridge next season.

[jonny72]

The problem with those who want to stand at games is the way they go about it. The majority have the attitude that they're going to stand and fuck all those around them who want to sit, all this does is reinforce the authorities views that they're all arseholes who shouldn't be tolerated.

We'll hopefully be seeing our ground redeveloped soon, so why not try a campaign to get some safe standing sections? I'm sure there is at least a chance the authorities would allow some grounds to trial it and we might even get some financial help to pay for it. All of which is exactly the kind of thing I can see Fitton and the board supporting - lots of free press, some money to help pay for it and the club looks better all round.

[Simon Pieman]

Safe seating?

[jonny72]

My bad. Corrected.

[Red Frog]

As you rightly point out the days of the terraces are over.

Why do so many people still stand up then? Dortmund built a fantastic safe terrace within the last ten years. Maybe it's just apathetic Britain that accepts what it was told to do 20 years ago.

[Red Frog]

PS Red Frog - I am no Plastic, I go to most games and if I was given the choice I would stand on the terrace. Trouble is I dont have that chance anymore especially at new stadiums. Roll on Dagenham and Redbridge next season.

I know you're not and didn't imply as much. Like you say, it's the absence of choice that has created this problem. I just wish football authorities would respect the wish of all those fans who want to stand up.