Pitch invasions

[Notts78]

I used to quite enjoy running on the pitch at the end of the season in the good old days. But having witnessed the thuggery at Forest this week I'm not sure it's a good idea anymore. Just seems a bit outdated and unecessarily dangerous (particularly to the players) in the modern game.

What do you think? How likely do you think is it to happen on Monday?

It’s just happened at Port Vale where punches allegedly thrown at Swindon players.
It’s been reported that Palace player assaulted at Goodison.

[BCnotts18]

It’s just happened at Port Vale where punches allegedly thrown at Swindon players.
It’s been reported that Palace player assaulted at Goodison.

I watched the scenes at Vale Park and some Port Vale fans completely ignored their own players and went straight up to the Swindon players. Everton fans also goaded Patrick Viera and he ended up kicking out at one of them which I can completely understand.

Its almost like the Covid lockdowns and their subsequent end have propagated a return to some sort of proto-hooliganism in football. We saw it in France earlier in the season and of course with England at the Euros final but now it seems to be seeping down the football pyramid, as we saw first hand against Grimsby in February.

Being reasonably young, the only time I've ever felt unsafe while supporting Notts is crossing the junction of County road and Meadow lane after a match (I've been almost knocked over more times in some seasons than I've seen wins), but unless the FA and EFL/National League pull their respective fingers out and actually do something about the issues facing the game, disorder at football matches is only going to get worse.

I just hope that Monday's fixture isnt marred by disorder too.

[slack_pie]

Its almost like the Covid lockdowns and their subsequent end have propagated a return to some sort of proto-hooliganism in football. We saw it in France earlier in the season and of course with England at the Euros final but now it seems to be seeping down the football pyramid, as we saw first hand against Grimsby in February.

This is what I thought. I remember pitch invasions from when I was a kid, and it was all just a nice celebration or chance to run on the pitch. I don't remember there being any kind of threat to any of the players. Now it's totally different.

It's ridiculous that players should be subject to physical abuse like that, without any police or stewards intervening. They're just doing their job. Half of them will be at a different club next year anyway. I'd hand out lifetime bans for anyone who does stuff like that. No excuses.

[the_anticlough]

I won't consider that cause then, and view protests (and the weak responses) as being another symptom of some deeper causes.

Obviously, these pitch invasions are not protests but 'celebrating' has not stopped some appalling treatment, including assault, of the professionals they've paid to watch. Yes it's a minority, but it's popping up all over the place so can't just be dismissed as isolated incidents.

As I said, it's a terrible reflection on us. We're into the 13th year of Tory government. Is there any sense that there can be a start in steering us in a better direction during this parliament?

[slack_pie]

I won't consider that cause then, and view protests (and the weak responses) as being another symptom of some deeper causes.

Obviously, these pitch invasions are not protests but 'celebrating' has not stopped some appalling treatment, including assault, of the professionals they've paid to watch. Yes it's a minority, but it's popping up all over the place so can't just be dismissed as isolated incidents.

As I said, it's a terrible reflection on us. We're into the 13th year of Tory government. Is there any sense that there can be a start in steering us in a better direction during this parliament?

How about personal responsibility? It doesn't matter who's in government, assaulting a footballer - or anyone for that matter - is unacceptable. We should increase policing at big games and hand out lifetime bans + prison sentences for those that do it.

[upthemaggies]

Before my time, but I have a keen interest in 1960s football and I believe pitch invasions first became an issue when kids started running onto the pitch when their team scored a goal around 1961ish, TV commentator Ken Wolstenholme called it out as a stupid new trend, I think it was at Millwall of all places but probably TV had a lot to do with it, either with people seeing it as an opportunity to get themselves seen on television (a big deal in those days) or TV facilitating a copy cat phenomena. A bit of both probably.

Saturday 2nd December 1967, another televised match (London region) Fulham v Liverpool, a spectator runs onto the pitch and strikes a player, Jimmy Conroy. By the mid 1970s, following the "legitimised" violence, disruption and destruction of 1968 with police brutality as well police being attacked, we've got segregation coming in - that is to say sections being fenced off at the sides rather than perimeter fences - and we've got reports of fans then charging across parts of the pitch to leap into and get involved in fights in other stands.

So we then go to perimeter fences with more and more police, which only helps create a more menacing atmosphere and we climax with 97 dead in one single incident, all of whom would have walked out of that ground alive had those fences not been there.

So where are we going with this?
If we're saying we have to allow people on the pitch to celebrate or protest, then you're going to get everything that goes with it.
If not, what do we do to stop it?

I really don't know. Perhaps we should just play politics with it and blame the other side.

[Old_pie]

Before my time, but I have a keen interest in 1960s football and I believe pitch invasions first became an issue when kids started running onto the pitch when their team scored a goal around 1961ish, TV commentator Ken Wolstenholme called it out as a stupid new trend, I think it was at Millwall of all places but probably TV had a lot to do with it, either with people seeing it as an opportunity to get themselves seen on television (a big deal in those days) or TV facilitating a copy cat phenomena. A bit of both probably.

Famously "There are some people on the pitch, they think it's all over - it is now"

My contribution to vandalism was to jump up then land hard on the wooden framed armchair and broke it when our 3rd went in. Mum was not well pleased.

[the_anticlough]

How about personal responsibility? It doesn't matter who's in government, assaulting a footballer - or anyone for that matter - is unacceptable. We should increase policing at big games and hand out lifetime bans + prison sentences for those that do it.

Yeah good one SP, personal responsibility too, it goes without saying...But if there are problems to address, is that happening? That's what I'm asking.

Assaults by fans (physical or verbally, face-to face) on players at our National Sport's big games, televised across the nation and around the world, is a serious issue - as most seem to agree on this thread.
What are the causes? And what's the Govt doing, are legitimate questions to ask, especially of one that's been in power for 13 years and counting.

[upthemaggies]

And what's the Govt doing, are legitimate questions to ask, especially of one that's been in power for 13 years and counting.

Please don't.

[slack_pie]

Yeah good one SP, personal responsibility too, it goes without saying...But if there are problems to address, is that happening? That's what I'm asking.

Assaults by fans (physical or verbally, face-to face) on players at our National Sport's big games, televised across the nation and around the world, is a serious issue - as most seem to agree on this thread.
What are the causes? And what's the Govt doing, are legitimate questions to ask, especially of one that's been in power for 13 years and counting.

Apologies, I thought you were saying that 13 years of Tory rule had somehow resulted in this kind of behaviour being more prevalent. I agree that more should be done by those in power to stop the type of scenes we've been seeing the last few weeks and protect players on the pitch. Nobody should have to go to work and feel in danger of being assaulted.