Video on facebook of our fans getting sprayed..

Not sure what went off, can't tell what started it and why etc. But yeah, here's the video.



[video]https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10202002647421271[/video]

 

Fans? The majority of them seem to be morons looking for a fight, not football fans.

 

If you click on the guy who posted it, Tony Frank, the comments to him posting it shed some light on events. Don't get me wrong, looks like a few jebends there as ever, but I was told the police were looking for excuses to 'get stuck in' and some of the comments from respectable reds fans that I know, who were there, well, they back that up.

It's moronic on both sides IMO. And easily thwarted with correct stewarding/policing.

 

Maybe I'm being cynical here, but if you were on trial for mugging an old woman your Mum would still insist "he's a good lad really" - Reds fans misbehave, others stick up for them.

I know you wouldn't mug an old lady though, she'd kick the sh*t of you

 

True dat.

 

The most alarming thing about that for me is that there's obviously a few people in serious distress there but they're just left on the floor without anyone giving them a second look.

 

Never been pepper sprayed, obviously. Glad n all, looks like very little fun.

 

Yup, not the kind of hobby I want to get in to.

 

True. It looks very effective though!

 

Here's a local news article. Five Barnsley men arrested. http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/men-...2958473-detail/story.html#wg00KFhfUrwPmiSJ.01

 

It does, but then I remember reading something a while ago which explained that it was very dangerous when used on certain people. Those with underlying breathing problems, asthma etc I imagine. I do read a lot though, so no idea whether all of it is genuine or bulshit. I do a lot of reading and watching videos, whilst drunk too. Last night I went from watching youtube stuff on Chernobyl and then Hiroshima/Nagasaki, to a video purporting to be that of an half man, half aligator hybrid.

 

If you haven't already, you need to get yourself onto Reddit. Entire days just disappear when I'm on there.

 

I have, indirectly, it's f*cking horrible.

 

I have asthma and some allergy problems, so I would imagine that I'd react badly to pepper spray in my eyes. But I had a cunning plan to avoid getting pepper sprayed. I got on my coach instead of going over to cause trouble. From what I could see there was plenty of warning that things were turning nasty and there were plenty of opportunities for people to get out of the way. There was no reason for the home fans to be there and there was no reason for the majority of Reds fans to be there either. Most walked past the coaches to the area where it all kicked off when they could have just got on the coaches. And any sensible fans who were trying to get out to their cars or the station could have moved back out of the way of the trouble and waited by the coaches until the police got it clear. The police could have done a much better job than they did, but if the trouble causers (from both sides) hadn't gone looking for a fight there would have been no bother.

It was the same in a pub in Leek at lunchtime. There were a load of Stoke fans in there watching the Stoke v QPR match when a large group of Reds fans turned up and thought it a good idea to start cheering for QPR and celebrating QPR's equaliser as if the Reds had scored. This was for no other reason than to provoke the Stoke fans and it soon started to turn nasty. Embarrassing. They all need to grow up.

 

I agree, Gordon. It's not my scene. But I've been caught up in stuff like that myself in the past, without my doing anything but minding my own business. Last season even, I was pushed by a copper at Jumble Lane crossing and nearly fell over, just for having the audacity to be there really. Same day, a bus driver nearly ran into a big group of reds.

They're not always 'good', the police. And yes, we've some jebends 'supporting' us. But trust me, innocent folk do get caught up from time to time in events beyond their control so I can't just say "ar well, they shunt av bin theeear". I've been to many away games and had no idea where I'm going afterwards, often cajoled by police into what are seemingly more hostile surroundings. I don't travel on the coaches, or by car, so we've often been kettled etc, and trust me, I'm not 'that' sort of supporter. But when coppers are in those surroundings, some of em seem to get 'up for it', for all the wrong reasons. But then, this is hardly news. However, it's easier to label football supporters as the bad apples. See Hillsborough.

 

I got a slap from a copper last season after Wednesday match. I was walking from Courthouse to Old No 7 as it kicked off at the bus station, merely walking past and some copper decided to shove his hand in to my face, lovely fella.

 

Happened to me that often I've just accepted I must have one of those faces.

I'm not defending the plastic hooligans. You know, those who pretend they're off Football Factory, but in reality wouldn't fight their way out of a paper bag. The 'real' hooligans don't go after a fight like that. They arrange their dust ups away from watchers. They're morons as well, but each to their own. But it's silly to suggest that anybody there yesterday was 'at fault' if they didn't get on a coach or whatever. As I said, I've often wandered or been cajoled into areas I wouldn't have chosen to had I known where I was etc. **** can happen. And if that photo of the lad who got his head put through a car window is actually of him, then he's not helping himself dressing like one of those plastic hooligans, Burberry'd up etc like a bell. However, no matter how cnutish he is, I don't believe the police should be putting his head through glass. I bet the owner of the car agrees...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-hkrFxztpc

police must have a history of been ***** at port vale matches

 

Sorry mate, but I completely disagree. I wasn't talking about incidents in general, as yes, it can be easy to be caught up in something. I was talking about yesterday specifically. I'd say at least 95% of the Reds fans involved in the bother, if not all, were from the coaches and had walked 40-50 yards beyond their coaches to the perimeter to get involved in the trouble. There were some standing back to get a view of the bother, but they were some way from the trouble and weren't likely to get caught up. The trouble leading to the pepper spray being used built up over a 10-15 minute period, so there was plenty of chance for people not involved to get out of the way. Around 100-150 didn't want to get out of the way though, because they were looking for bother, as can be seen in the video you posted where they charged the police, leading to them responding with the pepper spray.

I agree that the police, in general, are stupid and scared in these situations, which doesn't usually lead to a good outcome. Every football fan is seen as a hooligan in their eyes, so i have always made it my business to avoid them wherever possible (sometimes it is in my interest to put the police between myself and the hooligans!), but similarly I steer clear of any signs of bother, hence leaving the pub in Leek when it was starting to get angry. But we can't bury our heads in the sand and say that yesterday was the fault of the police. The police didn't manage the situation well at all, but the Reds fans from coaches could have boarded them, leaving the police to protect the fans wanting to get to their cars and the train station.

After the initial aggro had died down yesterday and the police finally moved on the Port Vale nobheads who were allowed to lean over the wall provoking the Reds fams, it went on for another 20-30 minutes, as a few dozen Reds fans continued to fromt up to the police instead of just getting back on their coaches.