Today's incident on SportBible

[RHB]

Why exactly do you keep mentioning me?

Infact, I haven't engaged with you once in this thread, but you've tried digging me out a few times. Are u ok Hun?

You geezers from Grays all look the same!!

 

[GBJ]

Thanks for unpacking my thoughts into bite-size pieces. Theyv are good comments and worthy of a thoughtful response and it will have one a bit later...ok? Who ever thought Shrimperzone would get so philosophical...marvellous.

No, I demand one right now, or I shall be forced to challenge you to an old fashioned duel. :winking:

 

[AndyT]

"Pistols at Dawn".

Poor Dawn. She's a victim in all this, as always!

 

[GBJ]

You geezers from Grays all look the same!!

Its not an accident. We planned it that way, so we can rotate covering for each other on those days where we've got to sign on, but are already doing a bit of cash in hand.

 

[Shrimper Neil]

I have to say, this whole thing is getting really boring and with social media has been blown out of proportion. The main incident was over and done with in less than a minute! It was a good old school derby with that rare atmosphere that most fans look forward. Yes the 50 or so Col U fans embarrassed themselves. Yes, some of our fans overstepped the mark. Stewarding wasn't the best, nor was the policing. However to have 30 pages of debate over this is a bit pathetic. I'd rather revel in the way we hammered another nail into the coffin with those three late goals!

In the days before youtube / Facebook / Twitter this would have been over and done with already. Time to move on surely!

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

Roots Hall was a safe environment on Saturday and will continue to be

I totally disagree. I saw a mum walking two young crying children away from X Block. They looked horrified by the scenes. If the Col U supporters had totally broken through I dread to think what might have happened. Innocent people in X Block would have been right in the heat of the battle.

 

[Crawliano]

I totally disagree. I saw a mum walking two young crying children away from X Block. They looked horrified by the scenes. If the Col U supporters had totally broken through I dread to think what might have happened. Innocent people in X Block would have been right in the heat of the battle.

When I was buying my tickets I noticed block X was open and thought balls to that, I want to watch the game, not get involved with Danny Dyer "PROPAAAA NAWWWWTYYY" action. So I changed for another area in the ground and enjoyed my day.

The club could have said maybe that it's going to get a bit rowdy in this block, but have you really got to be that stupid to just book tickets next to the away support of a rival and not expect to hear the odd bad word at minimum?

The coin tossing should have been enough to deploy something officially, but if you've got nobody there to enforce it except a load of 16 year olds wearing fluorescent jackets who expect at most to show people to their seats and help the odd person for their £25 pay packet then something is bound to boil over.

Booze + rivals + a club shaving off every last bit of expenditure equals this. The players should be commended for wading in and doing a sterling job at calming it down so well.

 

[GBJ]

I totally disagree. I saw a mum walking two young crying children away from X Block. They looked horrified by the scenes. If the Col U supporters had totally broken through I dread to think what might have happened. Innocent people in X Block would have been right in the heat of the battle.

It was inevitable that the atmosphere in that section would have been hostile. The club can beg & plead the fans not to be too raucous, but it will never happen. Rightly or wrongly, you won't change it.

IMO, the club had a duty of care to explain & pre-warn people buying tickets in that section, that it may not have been entirely suitable for families or younger visitors. Forget the violence, coin throwing etc etc for a minute, the club, aswell as every single one of us, KNEW, what the atmosphere would be like in that part of the ground. At the very very least, the songs/chants were going to be offensive & aggresive in nature, as they always have been in local derbies, up and down the country for years.

I feel sorry for those people you've mentioned, and I feel sorry for anyone else, who found themselves in a similar situation. But the blame should be laid at the feet of the club over that matter. All they've done, is thought about the money coming through the tills.

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

The club could have said maybe that it's going to get a bit rowdy in this block, but have you really got to be that stupid to just book tickets next to the away support of a rival and not expect to hear the odd bad word at minimum?

I don't think daytrippers would really know where X Block is in relation to the away fans. They just book tickets, and would expect the club to warn them if that particular area was inappropriate for young kids.

What has annoyed me even more is the pathetic Club Statement today. Nothing about the club looking at their own procedures and how it can manage the situation better in the future. Perhaps they are trying to make themselves blameless in the event of an FA investigation.

 

[Silencer]

I totally disagree. I saw a mum walking two young crying children away from X Block. They looked horrified by the scenes. If the Col U supporters had totally broken through I dread to think what might have happened. Innocent people in X Block would have been right in the heat of the battle.

Hence why those Southend fans reacted to the coin throwing, Steward thumping Colchester fans!!! They were the only ones who showed any interest in protecting themselves and everyone associated with our lub....shockingly the police did nothing, the stewards tried.

If the Colchester fans had broken through then I suspect that these fans that people are condemning would have been the only thing stopping innocent fans from being caught up initially let alone in the middle of things....much like when some Southend fans held off the crazed Swansea fans all them years ago.

 

[Rayleigh Weir]

17 years of age is legally an adult fwiw.

In some countries, but not this one.

 

[Rayleigh Weir]

FWIW if you're big enough to throw coins, issue death threats & engage in physical violence against helpless stewards, then you should be treated for what you legally are... A ****. Age shouldn't really have a baring on that.

Agreed - the age of criminal responsibility is 10 in England and Wales (or 12 in Scotland - presumably because there's enough prison overcrowding without jailing all those delinquent 10 and 11 year olds).

 

[gpd]

No, I demand one right now, or I shall be forced to challenge you to an old fashioned duel. :winking:

Sorry...I don't respond to that provocation :smile: You can duel all by yourself...which is a nonsensical comment that reminds me of a letter I read in a newspaper many years ago. A couple were arguing about the time being taken to buy some shoes after visiting many shops. Finally the exasperated woman turns to her husband and says..." If you think this is bad, you should be with me when I'm on my own".

 

[Silencer]

Exactly. Lets ignore the ideology that the few hundred Col U fans at the front were inciting violence. Let's not blame Col U for violence toward our stewards. Let's ignore the Col U fans' violence towards OUR OWN PLAYER. And of course, Let's ignore the Col U fans throwing coins at us.

Again, this wasn't innocents or families. This was like-minded, aggressive individuals. F*** em.

Spot on, the club (particularly Jobson and Kavanagh) need to take responsibility towards our lack of hiring of the correctly skilled stewards (these poor sods tried) and ensuring enough Police were present. This would have prevented Southend fans for reacting towards incitement, coin throwing and thuggery towards innocent stewards.

 

[Silencer]

The club made one massive error(yet again) in the search for the big pay out.

Lack of police ,we all know it costs money inside the ground.
Silly kick off time.
Stewards not up to the major task (there are stewards and there are stewards)
Segregation was very limited.

Now I don't know the guy yet if I did then I still would not say anything,because I'm not paid to act as an undercover cop!

Bad view probably but it is what it is.

Fair view if you ask me

 

[rigsby]

Hence why those Southend fans reacted to the coin throwing, Steward thumping Colchester fans!!! They were the only ones who showed any interest in protecting themselves and everyone associated with our lub....shockingly the police did nothing, the stewards tried.

If the Colchester fans had broken through then I suspect that these fans that people are condemning would have been the only thing stopping innocent fans from being caught up initially let alone in the middle of things....much like when some Southend fans held off the crazed Swansea fans all them years ago.

When you listen to the youtube clip from the Col U end, they are all cheering on their 'boys' who are attacking our stewards and about to break through. When our pitch invader runs over and starts thumping a few of them, the same people can be heard squealing at the same stewards for some protection. How embarrassing for Col U.

For the record I have never liked people who gob off at a football match including our own fans. Remember those 2 idiots at Millwall this season. The ones who were in the front row. They spent the whole game standing up and threating Millwall fans from the safety of the second tier. They were ejected once but for some reason were allowed back in.

 

[fbm]

Surely we don't believe mobile phones are the real drama here, do we?

Shock horror - people in their 20's who live their lives on social media are suddenly finding out first hand the dangers of doing something slightly dodgy when every man and a dog has a camera and posts said result on... yep, social media!

It's obvious that it will be picked up. Cameras are everywhere.

I absolutely abhor violence, especially football related. But some of the comments on here... please guys, come on.

I don't want to be involved in anything unsavoury at a game so guess what? I put myself well away from any area likely to become a flashpoint so I can watch the game in peace.

I would never have dreamed of taking my young kids to a "lively" area of the ground, no matter how good the atmosphere might be.

Is it disgusting behaviour? Hardly. I dare say the Colchester yobs were goading and coin throwing, but when they started attacking the stewards that should NOT have been the signal for people to take matters into their own hands. It seems to be that people citing this as a valid reason are only really looking to excuse the violence and for some people, they don't need much of an excuse, do they? The stewards and security personnel are aware of risks, they aren't conscripted, it is their choice as they are paid and I would imagine insured accordingly.

I and any other middle aged football fan will have seen far worse in the past but this isn't really the point; the truth is that football violence has never really gone away. It has just moved - generally - to outside the stadium.

For some teenage boys and men, some form of violence is part of their psyche and it almost becomes a craving that needs to be fulfilled. It's no good giving excuses about goading and egging on... both sides were looking for it and some found it. Unsurprising to me. Yes, it spiced it up, I've not seen one bloke try and take on a stand before but - something I haven't actually seen mentioned on here - I wondered at the time what would have happened if a couple of them had grabbed his coat or legs and dragged him over the wall and into the North Bank. They would, in all probability, have killed him.

So how would we sit with that? His fault for being a knob, or their fault for dragging him in?

Also in all of this, we do actually come back to another reason why "Safe standing" isn't actually all that safe at all, as it is much harder to have a ruck with seats in the way.

Another poster likened it in a way to child abuse - it isn't, but I do know what he means. Violence is violence. If you can't keep your cool against a stranger whose main crime appears to be to support a team wearing a different shirt (I've never been able to understand that to be honest), then what chance of keeping your cool against someone testing you to the limits, either a partner in a difficult relationship or a troubled, hormonal teenager?

It shows a complete lack of discipline and is essentially an accident waiting to happen. People who are trained in combat - boxers, cage fighters, army personnel, those who learn martial arts - also get taught the discipline that goes with it. You generally won't find them lashing out at people unless they are attacked first, and then it is only in self defence. Exactly how it should be, in my opinion.

But that's the way it is and always has been. Boys will be boys etc.

 

[AndyT]

Sorry...I don't respond to that provocation :smile: You can duel all by yourself...which is a nonsensical comment that reminds me of a letter I read in a newspaper many years ago. A couple were arguing about the time being taken to buy some shoes after visiting many shops. Finally the exasperated woman turns to her husband and says..." If you think this is bad, you should be with me when I'm on my own".

ROTFL .. We've all been there! :smile:

"Shoes darling, shoes!"

 

[EastStandBlue]

I've been reading this thread on and off since Saturday and thought about posting something, but fbm's excellently summarised everything I could've said, and then some. Just move his post to the top of the page and we can call it a day.

 

[mrsblue]

I just watched the footage again,the Southend lad was a young big lump,as he went onto the pitch an old man steward possibly aged 60ish tried to stop him but was easily brushed aside!,total mismatch and the old guy being paid not a lot ain't got no chance.

Club pay peanuts then they get monkeys.