Not defending any of our lot that threw punches, but it wasn't showing restraint when I saw one steward repeatedly smacking a lad on the head with what looked like a walkie-talke. That's way out of the remit of a steward, in fact it could be deemed assault.
Agreed mate and I would hope most do. I don’t ever want to see our club become like Millwall where a large portion of their fans actually revel in the notoriety they get. Hate to go back to that Wednesday forum again but I’ll never forget one poster who came out with the usual “just lads letting off steam” arguments with regards to some incident or other. One poster challenged him by saying “why would you be OK with this, it gives the whole club a bad name?” And his reply was something along the lines of “good, I want opposition fans to be afraid to come to us”. Real eye opener for me that. Total opposite for me I want opposition fans to say how loud we were as fans and how much of a credit we were to the town before and after the match. Each and every one of us represents this town and our club. On our day we can be the best fans in the country I believe and I also believe that you won’t get much more down to earth, honest and decent folk than in Barnsley. This isn’t us.
It's a cancer in the game and most fans are appalled by the behaviour of the few who think being the top boys of the fighting / arrest league table is something to be proud of. A lot of them are younger lads who will hopefully grow up and change their behaviour, which isn't defending them, more hoping that they will change their mentality as they mature. The older ones are just mindless cretins. Seeing men in their 40's and 50's goading the police, in stand offs with away fans and just generally behaving like morons is what grinds my gears most - they're an embarrassment to the club.
The Barnsley fans threw the first punches and easily unnumbered the stewards. If I had to defend myself like they did, I would do whatever was necessary. The stewards didn't run into the fans and start hitting them. Absolutely not.
Ten pages on this thread!!! I couldn’t believe it until I found out, from a bit of research , that 2 of the Stewards involved were Katie Hopkins and Tommy Robinson.
100% agree. A lot of our fans go to games for the tribal element as much as, if not more than, the football. You play into their hands if a minor issue is dealt with like it was yesterday. Stewards aren't respected, they are like a red rag to a bull for some. If the police were still handling things inside the stadium, it would have been sorted out with much less fuss.
Agreed. I won’t for any second come out and say that stewards or even police are infallible, (I lived in Rotherham for 14 years I’m well aware of the state of policing for certain ‘issues’) but I think the culture of “our lot can do no wrong” is a dangerous one and can play out in nasty ways under the wrong circumstances. By all means we are all Barnsley fans here and that means I have more in common with any of you than say a Bury fan right off the bat before we even get a chance to know each other. I like that and I think that an us against them mentality during the game and everyday life does have its draws, but it shouldn’t cloud us from seeing people from our in group doing wrong and pointing it out because in the end they aren’t doing our club any good in the long run.
If that was the case then I don’t think they’re would’ve have been any trouble as they are all on the same side anyway.
I'm shocked at this out of character reply. you always came across as such a reasonable person with educated views.
Id rather not be some jumped up **** on a forum on his high horse because someone dares to stand at a football game. Just because your a boring lovely person doesnt mean everyone else should be or face being called scum for it.
I have never been proved wrong on my theory that ALL Keith's and ALL joiners are totally insane. But I don't wish to fall out with you. Quite the opposite. In fact, how much would you charge me to fit a kitchen and hang me a couple of doors?
We all use profanities, i use them a lot in jokes, but swearing in such a manner is only giving others the ammunition they need to ridicule you, and psych em up, prepare yourself for a backlash