Yes, but at least now that the police and the clubs are using CCTV and video evidence, the seriously violent element can be banned. I wonder whether the players are to some extent to blame; all that badge kissing and general disrespect doesn't help. Or maybe footy fans just can't hold their drink?
In answer to the question about why football seems to attract trouble more than other sports such as rugby, demography may have a lot to do with it. Support of any team in an any sport has a tribal element. Football hooliganism came to the fore in the 1970s where some of the more primeval aspects of that tribalism seemed to flourish. Why could be down to many reasons, although my father always reckoned it was because of modern keg beers and lagers having some chemical in them that increased anger in people. Well, it may be circumsatantial, but I have always drunk cask conditioned ale and just get daft when I have too much (those who know me may say more daft than normal). Or perhaps it's the mental capacity of certain people. Football is a simple game, both to watch and understand. OK, some of the finer points of the offside rule are confusing, which is borne out by the tirade of abuse the officials get when they give a decision with which many in the crowd disagree. Rugby, on the other hand, is a complicated game, mostly watched by people who have played it. It does not flow in the same way and it's stop start nature is frustrating to many people. Perhaps it's a 'class' thing. They do say that rugby is a ruffian's game played by gentlemen while football is a gentlemanly game played by ruffians which suggest a demographic divide. I like both codes of football but always preferred to play 'rugger' when I was younger but have always rather watched 'soccer', so I'm not sure what that makes me! In other words, perhaps the hooligan element comes from lager swilling people of poor education and background. All very tongue in cheek and politically incorrect typecasting but offered up for debate!
Hatred is the product of a deeply unhappy mind. It makes no sense to hate another football club or a person you never met. It makes no sense to harm or wish harm to another for such trivial reasons. The minority mentioned earlier are desperate people with nothing to value in their lives. When a man has family, pride, ambition and self respect then he has little time to hate. We all mostly dislike at one time or another, i guess that is just human nature! Now get these scummers off this board.
Leading fish: The way I heard it was "rugby is a game played by hooligans and watched by gentlemen while football is a game played by gentlemen and watched by hooligans" but there is harmony on the south coast - as long as S'oton know their place
As i said on another thread, possibly on 606, is that I am happy to see southern teams having the run of the green at present. As long as PFC are safe in the NPC, then i am more than happy to "support" Saints, Brighton and Bournemouth to come and join us. I use the term "Support" loosely though, I will be egging them on thats for sure! I want some derbies next season - and 6 derby days are too good to turn down!
The Whitely Old fashioned, good time, Barber shop quartet knock out some close harmonies. They do wear red and white striped waistcoats and straw boaters though. And finish on a seventh (major)
If all Pompey and Saints fans who went to derby matches did so with the attitude we [just about] all have on the Pompey and Saints not606 boards we could probably attend in unsegregated grounds and go for a pint after the game
Maybe if club shirts were banned and the grounds had no segregation, then there is so little difference between play/pay up Pompey, that that might just work.........
I think it could be an inferiority complex thing. When I started watching football, Liverpool were the top team and everyone disliked them, including me and I still do to this day. Now its the turn of Man United, who were a mediocre team so I have no malice against them. One day it will be the turn of someone else. Southampton were always above us until recently so looking up to them hasn't been nice. The real rivalry started (in my opinion) when the "crews" came. I also know people who had season tickets for both grounds until the 70s. If I remember correctly, in the early 70s Pompey played at Southampton and thousands of Pompey fans went but couldn't get into the ground so they ran riot round the town centre. The friends gave up their season tickets to Pompey through the shame.
One of real mysteries was why some Pompey fan trashed their own town when they beat us in 2005(?). What!
That happened after the Alan Knight testimonial too. In years gone by, there used to be litter bin burning, in various major thoroughfares, notably Albert Road, following big wins for Pompey. A bit like an ad hoc version of what they get up to over Lewes way. But with bins not beacons.
Generally I do believe that harmony is possible. The vast majority of fans want the same thing. They want good football and entertainment. They want a brilliant atmosphere at the games. They want more than all for their team to win, and also if possible to do it with style. They also want to finish ahead of their local rivals so they have bragging rights. The idiots are outnumbered so perhaps we should bring our preference for peace to the front by either demanding that they cease to offend. Other than that,in places like this we can simply choose to ignore them. At the moment Pompey have the bragging rights thanks to both being above us and the fact that we owe them a mauling or two. Doesn't stop me from looking for their results every time they play though.
That was right outside the stadium, as some of our fans attempted to reach the Pompey fans, who were inexplicably let out of the stadium at the same time. That was after a Highly charged match and we had lost. Personally, I was trying to get away as fast as possible with my son.
