Just another Monday as a Football Supporters Federation case worker. 🤕
My view ..........
There is a Derby fans song - "Since I was young .................. " 😖
Well - following Leeds 'since I was young' I've made a lot of acquaintances all over the place.One being a jolly nice chap who used to contribute to a football fanzine and is now a match day steward for the Rams,a very polite steward who wears a club tie .......... salt of the earth chap and straight talking type ......
Now and again our paths cross at matches or Internet forums with friendly banter exchanged over footie,politics & music etc and last week an email popped up for my attention relating to what Leeds United DON'T need.So I challenged the author over the email content relating to particular alleged incidents on our travels this season - I've now received THIS ! 😳
Apparently I was being accused of being slightly 'hypocritical' which I'm not - so for fair balance He & Me AGREED to air his forthright (un-edited) opinion about our fans & what is an acceptable behaviour remit with HIS obvious comparisons of my alleged roles involving niche music acts & orchestrated SAFE music crowd control (or lack of it from HIS view point)of which I've no probs within his opinion context may I add as he's a match day steward of many years with vast experience of crowd control procedures and obviously he's also aware that the Sleaford Mods are Forest lads in reality (allegedly). 🤐
I won't comment on the music related contents/comments as it's just 'banter' about PR 'staged shows' with no injuries or damage to property but it was an eye opener of a read for me (and others) which proves as a club Leeds has got a lot of work to do ON & OFF the field still and reiterates how valuable Football Forums candid opinions can be when questions are raised.
I'll look forward to our visit to Pride Park (or whatever it's called) next Feb to personally witness behaviour from both groups of supporters for the record too.
MOT
His view ............
Mrs ORS
So genuine Leeds Utd fans are being picked on then for attending football matches whilst the Leeds Utd minority drunken mob are credited for their intimidating behaviour.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SBuTdAy2evo
Football Mobs are Yobs then but not when part of a music crowd ?
Sorry Mrs O; but your moves do not match the grooves either way.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfRHeySD0Rg
Free Stella was it for the Forza Garibaldi rent a mob at that Nottz promo PR gig ?
Congratulations for getting 22,000 Nottz eyes finally back into Europe musically if not by their football team.How you get tickets sold for your soirée dansettes of East Midland lyrical attacks in such numbers to the Euro Paris revellers should be of a political concern or is it part of Corbyns overall master plan.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AoN-ya0w8es
Back on topic of Leeds Utd Away fans then Mrs O;
1; Fair to say the majority are OK nowadays and it amazes how far your British fan base stretches which all championship clubs do envy;so our only Leeds Utd complaints for what they are worth are the intimidating songs constantly sung are punctuated with obscene profane language which somewhat spoils a tremendous travelling show and not great for your new owner public relation and sponsorship wise surely.
(Karl Dale, 19, was part of a group of fans returning on a Metro train from the Sunderland v Leeds Utd match on 19 August 2017 according to British Transport Police.The train was extremely busy with a number of people who were shocked and intimidated by Dale’s behaviour. “Trains and stations are not extensions of football terraces and fans cannot expect to travel on trains drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, singing and shouting offensive songs and behaving in an anti-social manner without us taking action".)
Its a reminder of the bad old days connection of boots and braces fan culture entwined with music culture;but where to draw line as acceptable behaviour under these days of PC media attention is the issue that needs addressing within Leeds fan bases yet again.This same issue was addressed in 1987 by the Leeds board who published 20,000 letters to the fans ending with "Please 'sing your hearts out for the lads' - but keep it clean.A time when Leeds had NF activists among its ranks despite Bremner signing Vince Hilaire and Noel Blake to appease his board before being fired - facts on record that you stated at a Kick out Racism meeting a while back Mrs O when you also mentioned the effects of earlier 80's crowd abuse to your friend Terry Connor and how Leeds rallied around him at that time and the later 80's initiatives implemented by Howard Wilkinsons club rebuild policies which involved positive crowd involvement.Points that were revisited again recently in the media some thirty years later since Wilkinsons plan of the power that the club has in the city through its grassroots community engagement work to enthuse, inspire and make a difference, especially to the lives of young people of Leeds and surrounding areas all being flagged up.
2; Question is does football want the like of 1980's ugly connections today ? Your music industry obviously still does language and politically wise but Derby County football club certainly does not as its scours the globe for interest from financial backers,no club surely would want such mob associations today.Like Leeds Utd Derby County attracts Premier League attendances unlike Forest; but we don't have the anything goes atmosphere of anarchy thats infiltrated your renegade supporters on their travels this season blasting from the past.
http://www.nottinghampost.com/news/n...tingham-387790
3; Terrific to see a full away end and great for our nearby retail park cash tills but those obscene chants with gestures are out of order and not so good for the next generation of fans that Derby County tries to encourage like Leeds Utd into the stadium;so time to curb those sporadic expletives Leeds and maybe then will you receive the welcome you appear to suggest your team fans visit warrant Mrs O.
4; Remind me whats the Football Supporters Federation stance on acceptable behaviour from clubs support home and away,in your case particularly Leeds ?
5; Great focused letter piece you wrote in The Morning Star a while back on UK Mental Health which was an excellent read that I guess was well received amongst the echelon of the NHS that you strive to change.That spirited venom retracts when you appear to condone offensive language fuelled by drink in congregations whether it be football or music based on the theory that its perfectly acceptable if it financially puts bums on seats and adds to local commerce coffers.Yes,responsible change is required in my opinion particularly with regards to football hence this topic posting; Maybe today only music is the perfect idiom for mob culture to attach its proverbial self to in these uncertain times as its done over previous generations under the music industries auspice banner of the voice for political change.
6; Can Leeds change that uncouth element that is attached to its support root or indeed do Leeds really want to as long as seats are being sold then Mrs O ?
Until that remedy is found Leeds fans will always be treated differently no matter what.As the fact is Leeds do have an intimidating unwelcome rabble on their travels to and from stadia,they fill stadia concourses with obscene songs which offend decent fans and in doing so disrupt well laid security plans as you well know. Which is just not the case with other club followers who attend matches at Derby County.Bad behaviour is worn as a Leeds badge of honour and yet presented as acceptable intimidation which is certainly not the case from our camps view.
Your conduit role should not be to give football fans help and advice but to point out lessons can still be learned and addressed in all aspects of support good,bad and ugly to the powers that be,in your case the Board of Leeds United pronto with these recent gems spouted off on a notorious LUFC site for their immediate attention.
a; Since when have Leeds fans cared about correct social etiquette and political correctness.
b; It will be bad enough when we get back into the Premier League sanitised ****e and we won’t be allowed to swear without Sky or BT apologising. Anfield last season where they were ringing up to complain about our “filthy songs”.
See you at Elland Road Mrs O for the Halloween three pointer with a plate of local grinders later under the full moon of Brasserie ***** for a serious natter then ok ?
TAR