Ah yes, because I'm a rugby fan as well I obviously must condone that sort of behaviour! Its good that our City 'lads' are just posturing, stone island clad, angst ridden teenagers, otherwise we'd have to put up with instances like the one you've mentioned, which of course we can do without.
Obviously the atmosphere is brilliant there, no denying that, but at 8:30 onwards, there's that much smoke people in the stand can't possibly see the game that's going on in front of them, surely you can see why that would piss a lot of people off, its not dangerous would just be annoying, the chanting alone is enough to create an atmosphere and there's no restrictions stopping us doing that here in England.
If our lads are just posturing, angst ridden teenagers who don't do things like that does that mean rugby fans who do are real men, grown ups who despise Wendy ball and love the real men's game of it's rough, it's tough... Yes, I'm being sarcastic. though there is a serious issue in the way the police find any excuse to inflate the slightest trouble even remotely connected with City matches but ignore or play down worse instances at football matches. Most fans are posers. Look at the Millwall debacle. The older fans of theirs must have been shaking their heads at the younger ones, especially the couple who got to the top of the exit between North and East Stands and realised they could actually jump in amongst City fans due to the ineptness of stewards and plod so launched themselves back into their own side. I was sat in West Upper and it was the most entertaining part of the day.
I have to agree with you there, more needs to be made of these instances at rugby games (granted they are few and far between), but the fact its happened more than once and that no one has been caught or punished has in impact on the number of visiting fans and the reputation of the city, Wigan in particular barely bring any fans now after its happened to them on more than one occasion.
A Wakefield fan I know who lives over here was hit by a golf ball thrown from the East Stand, told a nearby steward who wasn't interested. Wrote to the RFL and got a reply the gist of which was "surely not? Rugby league is a family game where this sort of thing doesn't happen". I have made the point before that on RL fans forums fans of other clubs are reluctant to come to Hull to both clubs. The normal reaction of rugby fans is to claim it is nonsense and dismiss it. But it is true and even more galling when the police treat football matches as potential bloodbaths. Not to mention the different approach to that wonderful, friendly day, Ladies Day which each year sees more arrests out of 14,000 attending than are arrested in the over 400,000 at City games all season.
Thing is it doesn't bother them. And the smoke will soon clear. This clip shows even more how ridiculous is the fuss in this country about the dangers of a single smoke flare in an open space. Same club, different sport. Notice what happens at the actual,start of the game and their equivalent of Roary. Then imagine the reaction of stewards and police here. But it carries on, everyone enjoys themselves. Must work as I doubt if we will scenes like that in any arena in Hull or Hull Wasps or Hornets getting crowds and support like that.
That ladies day thing is a bit of a myth now, there used to be loads of arrests, but there were only six this year and only 4 the year before, there were 21 City fans arrested in the 12/13 season(last official figures), though I don't know how many were at home and how many away. Ironically, other than the Millwall game that led to multiple arrests, the most arrests at a recent event at the KC weren't at a football match... http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/arrests-Hull-derby-KC-Stadium/story-18578150-detail/story.html
Funny. Arrests, bottles thrown, flares going off at the derby match. Yet I don't recall any court cases or banning orders. Did I miss them? As for Ladies Day I thought there were 14 the year before. The highest being over 50 a few years back. Is the 21 arrests for City fans hone and away? Whatever, the arrest rates per 1,000 attending are far higher for Ladies ?Day than City. Even with only 4 arrests at Ladies Day City would have to about 7 per game or nearly 140 at the KC for a season.
Banning orders are actually Football Banning Orders, they don't apply to any other sport, rugby clubs can ban people from attending their own stadium, but not others. I remember Hull KR banning a couple a while back, I'm not sure if FC have banned anyone from the KC, I assume they probably have at some point. I think it was actually 18 arrests the year before and it's always going to be higher per 1,000 than City, it's just an almighty piss-up that lasts all day.
Has the issue regarding home fans in the North Stand being held back after games, instead of away supporters (like every other ground in the country) been discussed yet? Quite a few I've spoken to (including the 3 mates I go with) have added it to the 'being treated like sh*t by their own club' list of reasons to not renew passes for next season. The football matchday experience under Allam is becoming more like a chore. They're more bothered about making the away fans comfortable, that they're not bothered about pissing off their own fans - it's ridiculous.
They stop City supporters walking around the East Stand to get into town. Away supporters are allowed out though.
Not really held back, but I understand the annoyance It's also completely pointless. The away fans simply go to the right and mingle back in with the home fans anyway Mind you we are hooligans of course
So they're not actually held back in the stand, they're just held back at the away gates? Is there anything stopping fans coming out the North from walking around the West Stand, or walking straight across to Walton Street?
No, I presume its frustrating that away fans can walk through you but you cannot walk through them. Personally I walk through Walton Street but last season had to wait until the stewards and police opened the gates to let us through.
Cannot think of too many away grounds where this kind of segregation still happens; at most you are let out at the same time and mingle with home fans- treated as law abiding adults in other words.
The fence has been a source of many complaints since it was erected. Part of the problem is the away fans are directed around it, but not given proper instructions on where to go, so they pass the exit they need to use to get on the walkway and end up having to climb over the fence into the departing home fans. I've pushed a few back over to stop them landing on kids. The Police on the walkway do nothing but get in the way. Home fans leaving the east stand to get through West Park bump into those leaving the west heading for town, and have to negotiate those leaving the south east corner. It's been discussed on forums since it was built. I thought it was common knowledge that it was a **** up before the stand move, which has made it worse. It's an accident waiting to happen, and is hardly in the spirit of the green book guidance.
