[Albion] Why no kettling ?

chaileyjem · Sep 28, 2021

Very surprised that for the first time in a decade going to Selhurst then the Albion fans were allowed to walk side by side with Palace fans after the match last night. There was no traditional holding back fans to be escorted back kettle style to Norwood Junction for special trains. I left after about the last 10 minutes or so , went to go to the toilet (shut - "broken by the fans" said a steward) and then walked up the hill at the back of the Arthur Wait expecting to be going nowhere but there was no sign of a police barrier. However the mingling and a few examples of "banter" meant there were already police horses getting a work out . It was pretty intimidating stuff for both sets of fans and certainly for a fair few Palace/Albion fans with their kids anticipating the fringe elements of their support looking for a workout seemed nervous and i'm torn as to whether it was the right decision or not.

That said in the end I didn't really see any incidents on the 10 minute walk back to the station and although there was some safety issues on the train platforms and I witnessed a couple of arrests - it seemed to go off with less issues than Dunk and Sanchez in the tunnel. There was still a hefty police presence nonetheless , with the usual barking dogs, rows of vans lurking in the background and some minimal stewarding/interventions to get fans on their way.

Happy to get home earlier than normal though and the spirit of the Albion fans bouyed by the equaliser perhaps helped the situation but it was strange.
Perhaps new tactics from the police ? Lack of numbers to enforce the kettling ? Forced by the train situation ?.

The Kid Frankie · Sep 28, 2021

Maybe they thought after 4 seasons of playing each other the novelty had worn off and relations had cooled down a bit.

LOL

edna krabappel · Sep 28, 2021

Rest assured there were still plenty of total whoppers out and about from both sides, police escort or not.

Got off a train at Norwood Junction, a train which was probably about 70/30 in terms of the proportion of Albion/ Palace fans at that stage. As we walked up the platform, several glass beer bottles were launched from across the tracks, smashing on the platform in front of us. Cheers guys, I really want to be picking shards of glass out of my shoes, or my eyeballs.

It was Albion fans throwing the bottles. At a crowd made up largely of Albion fans. Absolute twats.

Mellor 3 Ward 4 · Sep 28, 2021

Like the OP I have very mixed feelings about this.

I'm pleased that I wasn't treated like a sheep, but at the same time some fans (both sides) were clearly looking for trouble.

Will the same happen at The Amex - will Palace fans be allowed out with us?

sailor · Sep 28, 2021

I think perhaps the lack of Kettling gets rid of the 'well ards' who only pipe up when they're protected by the police. I suspect the vast majority of those who bounce up and down shouting 'cam on then' fall in that bracket.

With the mixing, most of these types will be quieter because they would actually have to put their dukes up, which I'm sure is never the intention of most supposed football 'lads'.

Dressing for the occasion and looking like they want a fight given the chance, if not for those pesky coppers holding them back is the objective.

Neville's Breakfast · Sep 28, 2021

sailor said:
I think perhaps the lack of Kettling gets rid of the 'well ards' who only pipe up when they're protected by the police. I suspect the vast majority of those who bounce up and down shouting 'cam on then' fall in that bracket.

With the mixing, most of these types will be quieter because they would actually have to put their dukes up, which I'm sure is never the intention of most supposed football 'lads'.

Dressing for the occasion and looking like they want a fight given the chance, if not for those pesky coppers holding them back is the objective.

Yep, this. Our daughter messaged us to say she had wandered away from the BHA fans to get to the station a bit quicker. She ended up walking with a large group of Palace who were making plans for meeting Brighton. Well, turns out they could have done but melted away instead. She didn’t really know the area so ended up back in with BHA.

sailor · Sep 28, 2021

Their a**holes must drop when they realise they might actually have to get stuck in. I suspect the contingency plan is to make a load of noise and hope they get wrapped up by the ob before they have to start swinging those lethal weapons of theirs.

Bry Nylon · Sep 28, 2021

sailor said:
Their a**holes must drop when they realise they might actually have to get stuck in. I suspect the contingency plan is to make a load of noise and hope they get wrapped up by the ob before they have to start swinging those lethal weapons of theirs.

Yup - imagine piling out the ground, all pumped up and ready to give it the full "hold me back" routine - only to find the police are nowhere to be seen so there is, in fact, no-one to hold them back after all:

"Oh. Err, - shall we just go home then?"
"Err, yeah. Let's go home."
"I wudda done 'em though. I wudda. Fackin' cants."
"Yeah - I know mate, I know. C'mon. Let's go home."

Icy Gull · Sep 28, 2021

When did the kettling start?

I haven’t been to Palace since the 5-0 and don’t recall if we were kettled or not, I do know that I couldn’t leave early though, which I wanted to do!

I went to most of the Mullery/Venables Selhurst games and I am pretty sure it was definitely not a thing back then?

BN9 BHA · Sep 28, 2021

Bry Nylon said:
Yup - imagine piling out the ground, all pumped up and ready to give it the full "hold me back" routine - only to find the police are nowhere to be seen so there is, in fact, no-one to hold them back after all:

"Oh. Err, - shall we just go home then?"
"Err, yeah. Let's go home."
"I wudda done 'em though. I wudda. Fackin' cants."
"Yeah - I know mate, I know. C'mon. Let's go home."

https://youtu.be/Kn-mSHceYYQ

BN9 BHA · Sep 28, 2021

Icy Gull said:
When did the kettling start?

I haven’t been to Palace since the 5-0 and don’t recall if we were kettled or not, I do know that I couldn’t leave early though, which I wanted to do!

There was after the 5-0 match, I definitely remember being held back by the police at the end.

Official Old Man · Sep 28, 2021

Guy, no kid, in front of me at the ground was giving it large all game to anyone over no-mans-land that would hurl abuse back. Not sure he saw any of the game at all. But I got the feeling that had one of the loons made a dash for him he'd be the first out the back door.
Noticed as I left CP fans walking past our exit and thought it strange.

AZ Gull · Sep 28, 2021

bn9 bha said:
https://youtu.be/Kn-mSHceYYQ

edna krabappel · Sep 28, 2021

bn9 bha said:
There was after the 5-0 match, I definitely remember being held back by the police at the end.

They announced over the tannoy that we would be kept behind for thirty minutes after the game ended, and then in the same announcement, declared that the bars in the home areas had been restocked and would be open for business following the final whistle.

1066familyman · Sep 28, 2021

bn9 bha said:
https://youtu.be/Kn-mSHceYYQ

That's absolutely brilliant! :lolol:

blockhseagull · Sep 28, 2021

Still plenty of twats smashing mirrors off car doors on the walk back to the station though

Giraffe · Sep 28, 2021

I got the impression that the police messed up. Looked like they got their timings wrong. There was definitely a bit of panic there.

jackalbion · Sep 29, 2021

There was plenty of mingling, a personal highlight (or non highlight because it was just sad to be honest) was a palace fan tearing through the Brighton crowd screaming “do you take it up the arse” all the while holding a child’s hand, imagine the amount of bigotry the child is hearing at home if he was doing that in public. Sad. I did just laugh at him though very audibly in his face, before he was escorted off by police.

Psychobilly freakout · Sep 29, 2021

jackalbion said:
There was plenty of mingling, a personal highlight (or non highlight because it was just sad to be honest) was a palace fan tearing through the Brighton crowd screaming “do you take it up the arse” all the while holding a child’s hand, imagine the amount of bigotry the child is hearing at home if he was doing that in public. Sad. I did just laugh at him though very audibly in his face, before he was escorted off by police.

Sadly somethings never change, on leaving Selhurst Park after our 1-0 back in the day, we were kept behind for a short while, only to face the same abuse, I will never forget a fat 50 odd year old being “held back” by police who was holding his hand young sons hand screaming homophobic abuse at me and my wife, and no doubt people before and after me, it made no sense, and was really sad to be honest. It was my wife’s first trip to Selhurst and she loved the atmosphere, excitement and air of danger surrounding the game, but thought the homophobic abuse was shocking especially in front of impressionable children. I wonder if the Holmesdale Fanatic Ultras & others who follow Palace who clap the taking of the knee, actually believe in the whole message…..

Probably not….

bhafc99 · Sep 29, 2021

Icy Gull said:
I haven’t been to Palace since the 5-0 and don’t recall if we were kettled or not, I do know that I couldn’t leave early though, which I wanted to do!

You don’t remember being kettled after the 5-0?!

Blimey. Still remember it to this day.

Held in the ground for 30 minutes, then slowly slowly escorted en masse to one train station for trains back to Brighton. Dogs and horses blocking every street, helicopter overheard, hundreds of coppers. Took at least another 45 minutes.

Didn’t matter if you’d driven and had a car parked nearby, you weren’t allowed out the kettle. Didn’t matter if you lived somewhere other than Brighton and needed a different station, you weren’t allowed out the kettle. (I lived in Ealing at the time, so was being forced to go in a completely wrong direction).

It was the most over-the-top policing I’ve ever experienced at a football game.

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