Hi all - first time poster here
I traveled over from Worthing for the match on Saturday with a group of friends/family. There were 11 of us in total. We try to get together for the Brighton-Newcastle match each year. Something that started when both teams were in the Championship. Our group was mainly Brighton fans, 3 x Newcastle fans (including myself) plus a couple of neutrals. As a large group with 4 kids, we booked group tickets in the family section (E1H)
It started out as a great day - sun was shining and there was a brilliant atmosphere in and around the ground after the Cardiff result.
Unfortunately, things took a bit of a nasty turn. I don't know what the trigger was - the few Newcastle fans in our group were certainly not vocal. However, a guy in a neighbouring seat overheard a discussion and twigged that a few of our group were Newcastle supporters. From that point on he completely lost it. Started shouting that we were "not eff'ing welcome", should not be there and should get out. We tried to explain that we were just a group of friends there to watch the match together with our kids, but he wouldn't let it go. He continued through the rest of the first half shouting that he had paid good money for his seats and we had "completely ruined his day out"
During half-time it seems there was some plotting because as the game resumed, he had swapped seats with another guy. They seemed to be together - I think they were related - not sure. Anyway this guy had been brought in to emphasise exactly how unwelcome we were. He spent the 2nd half screaming anti-Newcastle chants in our ears. "Go on Brighton, kill them !" that kind of thing. We managed to ignore most of it - but it became a pretty unpleasant atmosphere
It was my daughter's first time at a match, and she really enjoyed it initially. But having having felt the animosity and hearing the abuse hurled by this guy for the whole of the 2nd half, she's really not keen to return. I have to say everyone else we met on the day was great - but our encounter with this guy and his mates / family really soured the experience.
The point of my post is to see if this guy was right ? I always think of the family section as more of a laid-back area - where it would be OK for a mixed group of fans to watch the match together. I could understand such a reaction in one of the other stands - especially at this stage of the season with tensions mounting. But in the family stand with kids … it seemed a bit of an OTT reaction ? But perhaps I'm wrong ? Would be interested to hear other views
PS - really pleased for Brighton. The draw was a fair result after the 2nd half-revival and (fingers-crossed) that point will see the club safe in the PL.
I traveled over from Worthing for the match on Saturday with a group of friends/family. There were 11 of us in total. We try to get together for the Brighton-Newcastle match each year. Something that started when both teams were in the Championship. Our group was mainly Brighton fans, 3 x Newcastle fans (including myself) plus a couple of neutrals. As a large group with 4 kids, we booked group tickets in the family section (E1H)
It started out as a great day - sun was shining and there was a brilliant atmosphere in and around the ground after the Cardiff result.
Unfortunately, things took a bit of a nasty turn. I don't know what the trigger was - the few Newcastle fans in our group were certainly not vocal. However, a guy in a neighbouring seat overheard a discussion and twigged that a few of our group were Newcastle supporters. From that point on he completely lost it. Started shouting that we were "not eff'ing welcome", should not be there and should get out. We tried to explain that we were just a group of friends there to watch the match together with our kids, but he wouldn't let it go. He continued through the rest of the first half shouting that he had paid good money for his seats and we had "completely ruined his day out"
During half-time it seems there was some plotting because as the game resumed, he had swapped seats with another guy. They seemed to be together - I think they were related - not sure. Anyway this guy had been brought in to emphasise exactly how unwelcome we were. He spent the 2nd half screaming anti-Newcastle chants in our ears. "Go on Brighton, kill them !" that kind of thing. We managed to ignore most of it - but it became a pretty unpleasant atmosphere
It was my daughter's first time at a match, and she really enjoyed it initially. But having having felt the animosity and hearing the abuse hurled by this guy for the whole of the 2nd half, she's really not keen to return. I have to say everyone else we met on the day was great - but our encounter with this guy and his mates / family really soured the experience.
The point of my post is to see if this guy was right ? I always think of the family section as more of a laid-back area - where it would be OK for a mixed group of fans to watch the match together. I could understand such a reaction in one of the other stands - especially at this stage of the season with tensions mounting. But in the family stand with kids … it seemed a bit of an OTT reaction ? But perhaps I'm wrong ? Would be interested to hear other views
PS - really pleased for Brighton. The draw was a fair result after the 2nd half-revival and (fingers-crossed) that point will see the club safe in the PL.
