How many times did the northstand get run by other fans?

[life on mars 73]

Mellotron, I think we have to be honest here.

There's no doubt that for many thousands of young blokes, the whole football hooliganism thing WAS glamourous and impressive. The excitement, the buzz, the feeling of being part of a fearsome gang.....all of this exerted an irresistible appeal.

It's a bit like military glory - the uniforms, the bands, the music, the high-tech weaponry. Clearly, lots of blokes are fascinated by this.

What I'm saying is, don't talk about military glory without thinking about the Somme in 1916, or Dresden in 1945.

Equally, let's not discuss football fights without thinking about Heysel and Hillsborough.

Btw, I did mean zenith, not nadir. I was being ironic.

 

[daveinprague]

It happened and its part of British football history..whether now, we think its right or wrong is neither here nor there...

 

[Mellotron]

Mellotron, I think we have to be honest here.

There's no doubt that for many thousands of young blokes, the whole football hooliganism thing WAS glamourous and impressive. The excitement, the buzz, the feeling of being part of a fearsome gang.....all of this exerted an irresistible appeal.

It's a bit like military glory - the uniforms, the bands, the music, the high-tech weaponry. Clearly, lots of blokes are fascinated by this.

What I'm saying is, don't talk about military glory without thinking about the Somme in 1916, or Dresden in 1945.

Equally, let's not discuss football fights without thinking about Heysel and Hillsborough.

Btw, I did mean zenith, not nadir. I was being ironic.

I think you're getting confused. You want to be responding to Pot Noodles for Everyone?

All I said was, let's not pretend any of this violence has ANYTHING to do with the sport of football. Because it has nothing (zero, nil, 0.00%) to do with it.

 

[Mellotron]

Anyway, I'm not looking to make this a binfest about the rights and wrongs of organised hitting-each-other, so you nawty types carry on.

*Lights spark and runs off*

 

[matt]

Anyone remember THREE Blackpool fans trying to cause a reaction at the front of the North Stand around 1987?

 

[daveinprague]

stamps on spark..

 

[The Wookiee]

Anyone remember THREE Blackpool fans trying to cause a reaction at the front of the North Stand around 1987?

Yes, they stabbed somebody in the pub called the Nellie Peck before the game.

Kicked off after the game near the church at the end of Goldstone Lane. Also down West Street late that night

 

[Commander]

I think you're getting confused. You want to be responding to Pot Noodles for Everyone?

All I said was, let's not pretend any of this violence has ANYTHING to do with the sport of football. Because it has nothing (zero, nil, 0.00%) to do with it.

Nope, nothing at all. Apart from it happened in and around football grounds and involved supporters from different football teams who had come along to football matches. Apart from that, nothing at all to do with football.

 

[life on mars 73]

You can argue that violence shouldn't have anything to do with football, but like Commander says, the whole football violence thing is/was inextricably linked with the whole culture of English football - a direct extension of the sense of tribalism/pride in local identity that makes us supporters in the first place.

Now, why that sense of identity/local pride should have turned into a culture of violence is a very interesting question.

 

[User removed 4]

Nope, nothing at all. Apart from it happened in and around football grounds and involved supporters from different football teams who had come along to football matches. Apart from that, nothing at all to do with football.

 

[Everlast]

I always seem to remember Palace having the upper hand on their visits to the coast but Brighton doing the same when they came to Selhurst.

I think thats just the nature of the beast. When at home, the police know all the places they need to go, they know where it normally would flare up and make sure those places are covered. As for away support you get a higher concentration of people who 'have the same objective' coming together in one place and travelling en masse, whereas the 'we're all in it together' thing goes slightly out the window when you're at home, people drink in separate places, turn up at different times, sit in different parts of the ground, etc.

Or at least thats how I see it.

 

[Commander]

I always seem to remember Palace having the upper hand on their visits to the coast but Brighton doing the same when they came to Selhurst.

I think thats just the nature of the beast. When at home, the police know all the places they need to go, they know where it normally would flare up and make sure those places are covered. As for away support you get a higher concentration of people who 'have the same objective' coming together in one place and travelling en masse, whereas the 'we're all in it together' thing goes slightly out the window when you're at home, people drink in separate places, turn up at different times, sit in different parts of the ground, etc.

Or at least thats how I see it.

And away fans tend to have been drinking since about 9am, instead of midday like the home fans.

 

[Mellotron]

a direct extension of the sense of tribalism/pride in local identity that makes us supporters in the first place.

I'm sorry but this bit is bollocks. People fighting other people "in defence of BHAFC" are misguided. The players and management (ie the club we're supposed to support) would think they were utter pricks. In NO way are they fighting in the club's name.

Supporters/Hooligans = a million miles apart.

 

[Mellotron]

Nope, nothing at all. Apart from it happened in and around football grounds and involved supporters from different football teams who had come along to football matches. Apart from that, nothing at all to do with football.

Right....I'll explain it slower.

Question: What does men hitting each other have to do with the ACT of kicking a ball around a green field?

Answer: Nothing at all.

The use of different clubs is purely an excuse to make it "tribal".

All I'm saying is why not leave the football element out of it, have it as fight clubs (it can still be linked to where you are from), everyone will leave you to get on with it and you won't have "snobs/tedious middle class bores" etc telling you how uncivilised it is. Leave football out of it.

 

[User removed 4]

I'm sorry but this bit is bollocks. People fighting other people "in defence of BHAFC" are misguided. The players and management (ie the club we're supposed to support) would think they were utter pricks. In NO way are you fighting in their name.

Supporters/Hooligans = a million miles apart.

Actually mate you're wrong about the players bit, i've known a few players at brighton and chelsea who've enjoyed seeing their fans 'in action' as it were.

 

[The Spanish]

Question: What does men hitting each other have to do with the ACT of kicking a ball around a green field?

Answer: they are both pretty f***ing pointless when you think about it.

but people enjoy watching both. sometimes at the same time.

 

[Commander]

Right....I'll explain it slower.

Question: What does men hitting each other have to do with the ACT of kicking a ball around a green field?

Answer: Nothing at all.

The use of different clubs is purely an excuse to make it "tribal".

All I'm saying is why not leave the football element out of it, have it as fight clubs (it can still be linked to where you are from), everyone will leave you to get on with it and you won't have "snobs/tedious middle class bores" etc telling you how uncivilised it is. Leave football out of it.

What does men standing or sitting in a stand singing songs have to do with the ACT of kicking a ball around a green field?

Answer: Nothing at all

If you had it as fight clubs it would never have been nearly as big. You cannot deny that the football was part of it. No group of football hooligans would get up at 5am and travel 200 miles on a train to go to a fight club. A lot of them wouldn't have actually wanted a proper fight anyway, being part of the whole thing travelling and drinking etc would have been just as important. Saying it has nothing to do with football is complete rubbish, if that is the case then why did it not happen with cricket, rugby, snooker, tennis etc?

And also, you seem to be under the impression that everyone on this thread is a football hooligan, which is also complete rubbish.

 

[xenophon]

Don't want to be sanctimonious, but can we bear in mind that the culture of English football hooliganism reached its zenith in the mayhem of Heysel in 1985, and led indirectly to the slaughter at Hillsborough four years later ?

No hooligan involvement at Hillsborough, indirectly (how do you work that out anyway?) or not, the official line:

http://www.fsf.org.uk/uploaded/publications/pdfs/interim report hillsborough.pdf

http://www.fsf.org.uk/uploaded/publications/pdfs/hillsborough stadium disaster final report.pdf

Do your homework before talking rubbish

 

[Elvis]

Anyone remember THREE Blackpool fans trying to cause a reaction at the front of the North Stand around 1987?

I do remember that and also remember a few blackpool trying to cause in the Cliftinville before the game!

 

[Lenny Rider]

Pompey on an Easter match in the early 70's (Harty's 1st game, as in ian not OGH).

April 23rd 1973, as an 8 year old a mixture of excitement and fear, stood by the South West corner flag, wondering if everyone else was going to start fighting each other.