Could be interesting... Dispatches C4 tomoorrow - Albion to be heavily featured

[Lord Bracknell]

You are having a laugh surely? You could not ask for a more gentler atmosphere than the Amex!! How an earth can the odd chant of 'we can see you holding hands' constitute an 'intimidatory atmosphere?'

That wasn't the experience that led to the conclusion I reported.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Having watched the programme it's beginning to feel like my club is being used as a pawn in a game of politically correct chess. The reality is that for the vast majority of Albion fans the subject of homophobia never ever crops up in matchday conversation, and for most of us the best way to deal with the anti-gay chanting is to retort "1-0 to the Nancy Boys". That usually shuts them up.

Only now, thanks to the do-gooders, even that option is denied us.

 

[Dan Aitch]

Only now, thanks to the do-gooders, even that option is denied us.

Unenlightenment and sarcasm all at once. Brilliant.

The irony is that if you remove the sarcasm, you've found the truth.

thanks to the do-gooders

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Having watched the programme it's beginning to feel like my club is being used as a pawn in a game of politically correct chess. The reality is that for the vast majority of Albion fans the subject of homophobia never ever crops up in matchday conversation, and for most of us the best way to deal with the anti-gay chanting is to retort "1-0 to the Nancy Boys". That usually shuts them up.

Only now, thanks to the do-gooders, even that option is denied us.

That is only effective if we are winning 1-0 though.

 

[hybrid_x]

man takes 10 year old girl to millwall away and then moans at the language and abuse witnessed?

Millwall away is like a tin of paint.

Tin of Paint: "has paint, can be used to paint walls, is wet but soon dries."

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I think the fact that the Police do nothing about it, even when screamed infront of their faces shows that this issue will not go away for a long time.

 

[janee]

man takes 10 year old girl to millwall away and then moans at the language and abuse witnessed?

Millwall away is like a tin of paint.

Tin of Paint: "has paint, can be used to paint walls, is wet but soon dries."

Man didn't take ten year old girl to Millwall - her "mother" did!

We are both used to the abusive language but my daughter felt that fans might turn on her when she was older and felt scared of that. She plays Sunday league football and loves the Albion - you think she should stop?

As I said in another thread - was not expecting that haven't heard it since the 1980s directed at Koo Stark so could hardly have anticipated it.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

I think the fact that the Police do nothing about it, even when screamed infront of their faces shows that this issue will not go away for a long time.

I believe it all comes down to statistics. If an incident isn't recorded it doesn't show up as a statistic.

 

[The Large One]

One thing that struck me about that 'documentary' was that Channel 4 wanted to broadcast footage of various clubs' football fans' behaviour BEFORE they handed it on to the police. If they feel a crime has been committed, why not hand the footage to them straight away...? Yes, I do know the answer, but it smacks of sensationalising an inherent problem in some parts of football.

FWIW - Darren Balkham is coming on to the Albion Roar this Friday to clarify his (and probably the club's) policies on this matter; he wasn't given a right of reply by Channel 4. If you have a question for him, let us know here.

 

[Buzzer]

FWIW - Darren Balkham is coming on to the Albion Roar this Friday to clarify his (and probably the club's) policies on this matter; he wasn't given a right of reply by Channel 4. If you have a question for him, let us know here.

Yes. Has he ever policed West Street on a Saturday night and if so has there ever been a bit of shoving and fisticuffs that he intervened in subsequently get dealt with at a Crown Court and the offenders marched to prison?

You can see where I'm going with this, I hope. The draconian laws that police have at their disposal to deal with trouble involving football fans is completely out of kilter with equivalent disturbances elsewhere. It's not fair, it's not right and the fact that the police so frequently use these draconian laws shows how willing they are to discriminate against football fans.

 

[Napper]

Yes. Has he ever policed West Street on a Saturday night and if so has there ever been a bit of shoving and fisticuffs that he intervened in subsequently get dealt with at a Crown Court and the offenders marched to prison?

or marched the people in the immeadiate vicintiy to crown court as well !

 

[Guinness Boy]

Can't say I bothered with the documentary. My position is, and always will be, that we need to focus on the targeting of individual fans and players and not a few pissed up kids in Super Dry singing "we can see you holding hands". As usual the establishment has to be seen to be doing something and so they focus on the obvious and petty instead of the real problem.

When I first started going away we had far fewer going and most away fans knew the others. Stories would abound of who got nicked and it was usually silly, i.e. one pint too many, mouthing off to a copper, having a wee up a wall etc. Now it seems this extends to singing one too many versus of a silly and unoriginal song to a fanbase that are unbothered and cynically tired of it rather than offended.

 

[Mellotron]

Always find it bizarre that people use the phrase "do-gooder" as an INSULT. Eh?! So doing GOOD is BAD. Right.

 

[Guinness Boy]

One thing that struck me about that 'documentary' was that Channel 4 wanted to broadcast footage of various clubs' football fans' behaviour BEFORE they handed it on to the police. If they feel a crime has been committed, why not hand the footage to them straight away...? Yes, I do know the answer, but it smacks of sensationalising an inherent problem in some parts of football.

FWIW - Darren Balkham is coming on to the Albion Roar this Friday to clarify his (and probably the club's) policies on this matter; he wasn't given a right of reply by Channel 4. If you have a question for him, let us know here.

In fact you could ask P.C. Balkham if he and the matchday stewards prioritise homophobic chanting or individual attacks outside the ground?

 

[Geriatric Seagull]

That is only effective if we are winning 1-0 though.

Based on this season it's not likely to be 2-0!

 

[Triggaaar]

Personally I prefer a bit of an edge at a match, them against us, rivalry banter (although I cringe at that word) rather than applaud each other leave and shake hands. If there is a bit of taking the piss or a few insults it just adds to the atmosphere.

I agree with all that. I just prefer it when the banter (your word, not mine) isn't racist or homophobic. Do you think banter only exists at football games we play in - because when other teams play each other, there's no homophobic chanting - so they must all just applaud each other and shake hands.

 

[User removed 4]

Yes. Has he ever policed West Street on a Saturday night and if so has there ever been a bit of shoving and fisticuffs that he intervened in subsequently get dealt with at a Crown Court and the offenders marched to prison?

You can see where I'm going with this, I hope. The draconian laws that police have at their disposal to deal with trouble involving football fans is completely out of kilter with equivalent disturbances elsewhere. It's not fair, it's not right and the fact that the police so frequently use these draconian laws shows how willing they are to discriminate against football fans.

spot on.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Always find it bizarre that people use the phrase "do-gooder" as an INSULT. Eh?! So doing GOOD is BAD. Right.

But it's normally used in an ironic context, i.e. the do-gooder thinks they're doing good when for the majority they're doing bad, i.e. protecting the human rights of hook-handed cleric Abu Hamza so it was impossible to deport him, officious use of health and safety to shut down all manner of social events.

 

[keaton]

But it's normally used in an ironic context, i.e. the do-gooder thinks they're doing good when for the majority they're doing bad, i.e. protecting the human rights of hook-handed cleric Abu Hamza so it was impossible to deport him, officious use of health and safety to shut down all manner of social events.

Bloody do-gooders and they're lack of support for torture

 

[Guinness Boy]

Bloody do-gooders and they're lack of support for torture

Agreed. Far better to blow people up instantly. It's the only humane way to terrorize.