| A Good Scrap ? TWTD, NOT. 19:33 - Mar 28 with 534 views | KBsSocks |
When I first came to Portman Road in the early seventies, I remember the vast difference in the atmosphere compared to the First Division grounds I had been to "Oop North" - the main complaint from the tannoy was "Could you please take your banners off the advertising hoardings ?". Sleepy Suffolk.
Travelling Liverpool and Man U fans were the most intimidating, until the MUFC ones acting aggravatingly saw my Dad, who was their teacher, and moderated their behaviour.
We did have darts thrown, fights inside and outside the ground, and so on.
Then cages, and we all know why they were taken down.
Unfortunately, things don't fundamentally change.
Last game I went to I could have been brained or even killed: it wasn't at Portman Road, but at a playoff match for a Non-league club after the League season had ended.
League supporters had come to this Non-league club, and the crowd was perhaps 3-4x the usual size. I was photographing from the Away supporters' end, but a local supporter.
A full can of beer glanced off my side onto the terrace, thrown from maybe 30 yards away from one of the Home end sides of the ground.
Two feet higher and a little bit to the left, and I might not be writing this.
Not enough stewards in the ground to follow up, not enough cameras, etc.
The point I am making is, football is a fundamentally tribalistic game, and if you are seen to be in the wrong tribe, you can become a valid target.
In the higher echelons of the game, the League, steps have long been taken to ensure safety and enjoyment are the outcome.
I am sorry, but if a divided fanbase implodes on itself - if even one punch is thrown from somebody on one ITFC "side" to somebody on the other ITFC "side" (that is, within "our" sections of the ground) this will be noted. And jumped upon, in many ways no doubt.
Hints in this direction have appeared in the comments sections of this TWTD site, and probably in other areas of social media. Some of them in jest ... but what we don't need is "wind up" merchants and "bantz" in our sections. We are not Rugby followers, we are soccer fans, and not really to be trusted in the same way as Oval-ballers, even these seemingly-enlightened days.
I remember "Ipswich Aggro" calls in the seventies. Please let's not have physical retort to this divide within the Home crowd. And can we have extra Policing / Stewarding to nip it in the bud ?
This is not a "Please don't invade the pitch at the end of the game" thing. It is far more serious.
I am concerned. |  |
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| A Good Scrap ? TWTD, NOT. on 19:45 - Mar 28 with 458 views | jasondozzell |
I just know that the absolute dregs who have suddenly appeared on away days, who you didn't see when we were struggling under Evans, and who have been singing the Fashanu song and behaving like idiots, calling KM and the players c**@s when things didn't go our way, are going to inevitably think this is a win. There'll be chants of 'Farage in attack' etc. Needs challenging and stamping out. |  | | |
| A Good Scrap ? TWTD, NOT. on 19:46 - Mar 28 with 442 views | Plums |
Sadly you are correct to be concerned.
Which is why hate preachers who serve only to create division for their own gain have no place at Portman Road. This didn't need to happen and you had no need to be concerned. It's very, very sad and unnecessary. |  |
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| A Good Scrap ? TWTD, NOT. on 19:58 - Mar 28 with 362 views | KBsSocks |
As an example, in case it is removed or you missed it:
"Punch Ups next home game on the cards?"
02:39 - Mar 28 with 1393 views quirkie
"Between the Wet Wipe Left Wing Woke Looney Tunes Comrades and the Right Wing Farage Supporting Fascist Racist Misogynistic Send Them Back Brigade?
One lot singing "There is only one Nigel Farage", the other lot singing "The Red Flag"
Or will it just be much ado about nothing?" | |
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| A Good Scrap ? TWTD, NOT. on 20:15 - Mar 28 with 297 views | armchaircritic59 |
There is I believe another side to this too. I remember the 70's well and for my sins, a good bit of the 60's too. There have always been this very small minority of so called supporters of football clubs who have earned the tag " football hooligans ". It was rife in the 70's and for a time after that. The reality in fact was that many weren't " football " hooligans at all, just nasty no marks who attached themselves to foootball clubs as an easy way to express their " filth ". Things most definitely improved after that, but I'm afraid, come what may, it's very difficult to put a complete stop to these wasters activities. 99%+ of people just want to enjoy a game of football at whatever level. We mustn't let the tiny minority of morons dissuade anyone from doing so. |  | | |
| A Good Scrap ? TWTD, NOT. on 20:27 - Mar 28 with 232 views | KBsSocks |
"... There have always been this very small minority of so called supporters of football clubs who have earned the tag " football hooligans ". It was rife in the 70's and for a time after that. The reality in fact was that many weren't " football " hooligans at all ... 99%+ of people just want to enjoy a game of football at whatever level. We mustn't let the tiny minority of morons dissuade anyone from doing so. "
Let's say 20,000 people at a game, 1% is 200. We don't want misbevaviour from 2 people, which is 0.01%.
I question your 99%+, but even accepting it, I am still concerned. | |
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