Today's incident on SportBible

[gpd]

Football fans goading each other.......there's a surprise. There is never any issue, any violence, until the goaded react and respond in the manner hoped for by the fools doing the goading. Unfortunately it is the complete lack of self-discipline, self control and the moronic thinking of those being goaded that turns nasty banter and threats by others into the violence we abhore. It happens all around the world. If someone calls you a name you can choose to ignore it or be riled by it and react with threats and violence. That response places as much blame...if not more so....on the respondant rather than the moronic initiators.

 

[Hawkwell Blue]

Let's not just push the blame onto the Col U fans. We have a problem element which are tarnishing our club's reputation

If there was an "unlike" button....

 

[Shrimper]

Not surprised

 

[Jam_Man]

Let's not just push the blame onto the Col U fans. We have a problem element which are tarnishing our club's reputation

You are correct, blame shouldnt be pushed onto them, we have to accept responsibility for our actions as well.

However they were not innocent parties, if you see the videos on twitter you can see as the southend supporter runs over they are already fighting the stewards.

Both parties were well and truly in the wrong.

 

[RHB]

Ok, let me see if I have got this all right:

• A small minority of the Colchester fans were intent on looking for confrontation with Southend stewards and fans.
• A small minority of Southend fans were looking for confrontation with Colchester fans.
• The stewarding of the area of the ground where the two sets of supporters were close to each other was insufficient to prevent trouble.
• The police were noticeably absent inside the ground when matters were getting a bit tasty.
• The Colchester fans deserved all they got.
• Some Colchester fans and some Southend fans deserve bans ranging from a few matches to life.
• Southend fans let off either a smoke bomb or flare in celebration at our first goal and they shouldn't of done it.
• Nothing wrong with letting off a flare or smoke bomb, it adds to the atmosphere.

I think I have paraphrased (probably badly) most of the posts on here to date. I also think we have all agreed to disagree over most of the stuff above. So perhaps we could draw a line under this now and wait and see what the Club(s), the Police and the FA decide to do next. That way we could close this thread and concentrate a bit more on the actual football that happened today, the good performances from the Southend players and what is in store for the side over the next few games.......Fat chance.

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

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.

I'm not ignoring what the Col U did, at all.

 

[geoffmundo]

Ok, let me see if I have got this all right:

• A small minority of the Colchester fans were intent on looking for confrontation with Southend stewards and fans.
• A small minority of Southend fans were looking for confrontation with Colchester fans.
• The stewarding of the area of the ground where the two sets of supporters were close to each other was insufficient to prevent trouble.
• The police were noticeably absent inside the ground when matters were getting a bit tasty.
• The Colchester fans deserved all they got.
• Some Colchester fans and some Southend fans deserve bans ranging from a few matches to life.
• Southend fans let off either a smoke bomb or flare in celebration at our first goal and they shouldn't of done it.
• Nothing wrong with letting off a flare or smoke bomb, it adds to the atmosphere.

I think I have paraphrased (probably badly) most of the posts on here to date. I also think we have all agreed to disagree over most of the stuff above. So perhaps we could draw a line under this now and wait and see what the Club(s), the Police and the FA decide to do next. That way we could close this thread and concentrate a bit more on the actual football that happened today, the good performances from the Southend players and what is in store for the side over the next few games.......Fat chance.

That seems pretty spot on RHB

 

[AndyT]

Not surprised

Rather than wasting police resources on an investigation, wouldn't it be cheaper to actually have the police in the ground next to the incident, so they would just stretch out the long arm of the law and arrest them there and then.

 

[Jam_Man]

Rather than wasting police resources on an investigation, wouldn't it be cheaper to actually have the police in the ground next to the incident, so they would just stretch out the long arm of the law and arrest them there and then.

Still, what do I know.

Not cheaper for us because we would have to pay police costs for them to be there, we dont pay them to investigate crimes after.

 

[AndyT]

Fair comment.

Just seems a very cack handed way of dealing with criminal activity.

 

[Gt Yarmouth Shrimper]

Rather than wasting police resources on an investigation, wouldn't it be cheaper to actually have the police in the ground next to the incident, so they would just stretch out the long arm of the law and arrest them there and then.

Why the hell should I, as a taxpayer pay for the police to 'police' a private event.

 

[Jam_Man]

I do think having just a couple of policemen close by would have prevented a lot of it. These people are ok pushing and fighting a steward, but I doubt many of them would be as aggressive with a copper.

Why the hell should I, as a taxpayer pay for the police to 'police' a private event.

They are paid for by the club, not taxpayers.

 

[RHB]

I do think having just a couple of policemen close by would have prevented a lot of it. These people are ok pushing and fighting a steward, but I doubt many of them would be as aggressive with a copper.



They are paid for by the club, not taxpayers.

There was a policeman in with the stewards towards the end of the biz.

 

[LCBB72]

I do think having just a couple of policemen close by would have prevented a lot of it. These people are ok pushing and fighting a steward, but I doubt many of them would be as aggressive with a copp



They are paid for by the club, not taxpayers.

Oh for the days of Bill Gosling and PC 92 .

 

[OldBlueLady]

Oh for the days of Bill Gosling and PC 92 .

I don't remember so much bother when Dicky Spooner was about either.

 

[AndyT]

Oh for the days of Bill Gosling and PC 92 .

LOL .. Yep, when you knew if you stepped out of line you'd get nicked or at the very least receive the cold feel of a truncheon on the back of your head.

 

[AndyT]

.......

They are paid for by the club, not taxpayers.

Just what I was going to say.

Also, as a taxpayer, I guess you are now paying for the police investigation being launched.

 

[Lester Bangs]

Rather than wasting police resources on an investigation, wouldn't it be cheaper actually have the police in the ground next to the incident

Having Police in the ground and cheap don't belong in the same sentence.

Football Clubs have to foot the bill for a Police presence in the ground and that runs into the tens of thousands.

 

[SARF]

That guy was a legend.. Properly slapped the col u. And came back for seconds.

 

[AndyT]

Fair enough 'Lester'.

Sounds like a vicious circle.

Club doesn't pay for police presence.

Police aren't in the ground.

Club saves money.

Lack of police presence results in public order incidents.

Club are fined by the Football League.

I guess it's a risk assessment issue, but seems a dangerous path to tread.