[Football] Are we heading back to the "bad old days"?

[Deleted member 37369]

Seems that no part of the country is safe from these feral scallywags now

Too much testosterone!!

Just like male cats that are aggressive towards other males until they're neutered ... now there's a thought!!

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

I’m not sure it ever really went away. There were some pretty unpleasant scenes at the end of Chester v Brackley last weekend.

 

[Weststander]

Is there really a link with economic causes when it comes to football violence?

It was a constant from the 60’s to 80’s, through recessions, high employment and booms. Lots of middle age blokes here are quite nostalgic about taking part …. did you do it because Harold Wilson or James Callaghan had left you behind? Or because you loved the buzz?

Convicted blokes are often in good jobs, this was certainly true of Chelsea and Millwall thugs in recent years. Many times tw@ts in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, even some father and sons, so not victims of not being able to get on the property ladder.

In recent years I’ve known two who still fight/attack rival fans. A 55 year old plasterer Albion fan, who does the Brighton Station pubs thing when there are hated clubs in town, taking weekdays off special. The other a qualified accountant Spuds fan (Sussex born n bred), a big bloke, his hobby hurting Arsenal fans before their derby.

Imho just that age old thing, of intoxicated males who want to beat senseless anyone from another city. Tribalism makes it sound glamorous.

 

[Papak]

MSN

www.msn.com

 

[carlzeiss]

MSN

www.msn.com

Sounds like a proper cock nee to me

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

These are extremely tough times we're living in. People are skint (or worse) and miserable. The issues you describe are not confined to football - but it's obvious why football can be a prime opportunity for poor and miserable people to release these urges of violence and intoxication.

Ay, Up, here’s Mr Cheerybollox…

Although I’m pleased to learn something new, that it seems you have to be poor & miserable to be into football violence.
Morrissey is loaded, miserable and as far as I know is not part of a “firm” you might have a point.

 

[Eaglesplat]

These are extremely tough times we're living in. People are skint (or worse) and miserable. The issues you describe are not confined to football - but it's obvious why football can be a prime opportunity for poor and miserable people to release these urges of violence and intoxication. Besides, everything that happens in football is more visible than what goes on in every day life.

Very true, it sort of holds up a societal microscope to the 30k odd people condensed into these spaces.

 

[heathgate]

Quite a few videos doing the rounds on Twitter from normal (ish) sites like Football Awaydays of fights kicking off in grounds again. Arsenal fan being turfed out of the family stand at Newcastle for example, Wigan and (IIRC) Reading having a bit of biffo too. Then, last night, browsing on my way home from London a tweet was sent to me of a link for noddy old Bournemouth who've had issues with tickets going to the wrong people, ejections, drugs and pyro to such an extent that they've brought in far more stringent rules than we have for their last aways this season and will ID everyone going.

Are we heading for the 1980s again or is this all a bit of banter and harmless fun?

If the former, what's to blame? Post lockdown exuberance? Gear? An unhealthy obsession with Euro Ultra culture?

I don't know if you are old enough to have experienced the real bad old days.... but I can tell you this.... a dozen spotty oiks doing an arm raising dancing competition in front of a few camera phone waving sidekicks does not constitute a bad old day... a 15 year old with a firework stuffed in his sock is not a bad old day, a pissed up pitch invader wobbling his way into the hands of stewards isn't a bad old day.....
.... if you experience 500 West Ham fans ambushing you at Mile End, if you are showered with darts and coins, if the pub you are in pre match is trashed, if every window on one side of your train is smashed as you arrive at your destination, if you see a pitch battle in the park behind the stadium involving a thousand hooligans....... then you know you have returned to the bad old days.

 

[veuve]

No,CCTV .

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I’m not sure it ever really went away. There were some pretty unpleasant scenes at the end of Chester v Brackley last weekend.

You should of seen me and Mrs T in a recent row about the washing up.

 

[BN9 BHA]

If football hooligans started dressing like this again it definitely will be a return to the bad old days

 

[NorthstandRacoon]

Yeah those naughty ‘poor people’ dressed in expensive clothes probably spending north of £100 on away days fighting each other….

Delusional.

 

[NorthstandRacoon]

Lots of comments on here from people who genuinely do not have a monkeys as to why.

 

[Silverhatch]

If football hooligans started dressing like this again it definitely will be a return to the bad old days

View attachment 160813

Teardrop cheesecloth shirt, Ravel platforms and at least 28 inch flairs.

 

[wellquickwoody]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/60056492

It’s like a charity telling us all that hunger in Africa is less of a problem now, and then complaining that donations are have fallen. They have to use specific, almost uncheckable figures to somehow highlight that the problem is worse than ever, and then they get our attention and more money.

If the Police tell us that there are actually less hooligans than in the 80’s, meeting less frequently, doing less damage and that the game is safer than it has ever been then we all look the other way. Alternatively they can tell us that arrests are up (could be pitch encroachment whilst celebrating, or carrying of a flare without throwing punches), ejections are up (arguing with stewards over bottle tops) and that longer banning orders are more common than ever (increased intolerance of any offence with the word football in it). If the latter is their mantra they get more of a sympathetic ear when asking for more resources from football itself, and a better chance of more laws being passed to further curtail behaviour that was once seen as not being a major problem, but does use up police time and resources.

Football is safer than it has been for 50 years, unless you choose to go looking for danger.

 

[wellquickwoody]

Seems that no part of the country is safe from these feral scallywags now

Not a real hooligan in sight, just youths hiding behind lines of police protection, whilst ordinary members of the public cross those lines without hindrance . Maybe remove the Police and a couple of slaps would occur before one group chases the other away in a much shorter space of time?

 

[sydney]

Is it happening more, or is it just being filmed more as everyone now has a camera phone?

Always been a decent amounts of twats at football, seems to just be highlighted more.

Saying that, there seems to be more violence in general, London seems to become more of a no go area every week.

if you guys think its confined to British football you couldn't be more wrong , hundreds of cities all over the world are decending into chaos , total lack of respect for authority , social media sites and groups glamourising violence and fighting , alcohol and sniff using patrons packed in to pubs to watch UFC and MMA events , huge brawls at NFL and horse racing meetings , the French are just having it in general , the Americans and Brazilians are having it , Britain is giving long range missiles to Ukraine to be used against Russian positions but are " definitely not supplied with the intent of being fired into Russia".......the world is a pretty toxic place at the moment , from top to bottom.

 

[Chicken Run]

If football hooligans started dressing like this again it definitely will be a return to the bad old days

View attachment 160813

I know, just look at those poor impoverished soul’s letting their anger out…..

 

[BN41Albion]

Is it happening more, or is it just being filmed more as everyone now has a camera phone?

Always been a decent amounts of twats at football, seems to just be highlighted more.

Saying that, there seems to be more violence in general, London seems to become more of a no go area every week.

London is a pretty big place! Seems to be more violence in general? Don't agree with that - same as it ever was. Every generation since time began believes the next generation is more depraved than theirs. Only have to look at tabloid headlines going back centuries to see that.

Agree with your other point though - just highlighted more now, plus the fact crowds are booming so you're always going to get a few twats unfortunately.

When these threads pop up a lot of people seem to repeat tabloid or hyperbolic headlines without thinking of their own experiences. Personally I can't remember the last time I saw violence at football bar verbals v palace, far more the opposite really with fans mingling freely in a friendly manner, and can't remember the last time I saw violence on the street either (granted I'm not out and about much on a Saturday night now but if/when I am it is very much how it always has been imo)

 

[Guinness Boy]

I don't know if you are old enough to have experienced the real bad old days.... but I can tell you this.... a dozen spotty oiks doing an arm raising dancing competition in front of a few camera phone waving sidekicks does not constitute a bad old day... a 15 year old with a firework stuffed in his sock is not a bad old day, a pissed up pitch invader wobbling his way into the hands of stewards isn't a bad old day.....
.... if you experience 500 West Ham fans ambushing you at Mile End, if you are showered with darts and coins, if the pub you are in pre match is trashed, if every window on one side of your train is smashed as you arrive at your destination, if you see a pitch battle in the park behind the stadium involving a thousand hooligans....... then you know you have returned to the bad old days.

I was around in the 80s.

I said “heading back to” not “returned to” and asked a question rather than answering it.

Two recent incidents have been Millwall bricking out a Blackburn coach and a Blackpool fan dying in fighting.