Alan Brazil is a Tube

Usually the best plan, IME

 

Well, in a large enough group of people, you'll always get a critical mass
of twats.

Last time I was in Twickenham on a match day[1] there were hundreds of
highly pissed-up blokes, and inevitably a few scuffles and bottle throwings
took place.

[1] on Eel Pie island, in a club bar, thinking "thank f*ck I'm not in a pub
with all those pikeys"

 

Sorry to join in the debate at this late hour here but I think the point
is the same as the one oft used with 'football fans'. Are they fans or
are they merely twats drawn to the occasion and an excuse to have a beer
and cause trouble. Traditionally these have followed football but with
the increase in popularity of rugby there's more being attracted to it.
I've certainly witnessed it in recent years going to watch Leicester.

Think back 12 years, how many people on the street at the time could
name say 3 members of the England side which played in the RWC final (at
Twickenham). I bet a lot more could do it with the current side.

Matt Dawson was on Soccer AM on saturday and was saying that the stars
of the England squad are now starting to get mobbed in the same way as
footballers. I can remember drinking in a pub in Bath 8 years ago with
half the team in the bar and not many people even knowing who they were.

There have always been loads of pissed up blokes at rugby matches,
however in the past these have generally been rugby fans who new how to
behave!

IMHO anywa!

 

It's amazing the changes in the game since it went professional, even at
club level you have guys training much harder. I was persuaded back to
pre-season training this year after a 5 or so year layoff and I couldn't
believe how much harder the contact was and how fit everyone now is.
Unsurprisingly I didn't continue my comeback

There's a quote somewhere about Football and Rugby being contact sports
and American Football a collision sport. Having played both I'd say
rugby falls into the latter category now, especially at the top level.

 

Having thought some more, I think that as you state above, you have a
point. Much as I love watching bike racing, I'll concede that it's
merely a sport, much like any other competitive activity from a
spectator's viewpoint. I was more trying to make a differentiation
between watching and doing, but between two wildly differing
activities, which do not bear close comparison. Football's not for
me; biking is. Doesn't make it objectively true for all.

<cue cod-self-analysis excuses>
I am, like I suspect many others, quite an insecure person.
Unfortunately, this can cause me to be quite chauvinistic (general
definition) in my attitudes. The things I like, I throw myself into
100%, not always successfully (which probably explains my -
occasionally comedic - "heavy metal" persona); the things I dislike, I
seem to perceive as a threat to what I do like (which, as I say, I
tend to identify with personally, not always to positive results) and
either ignore completely or attack irrationally, unable or unwilling
to accept another's POV. Believe me when I say I'm not as bad as I
used to be, though.

 

I'd agree, and I think it's largely due to the amount of armour the
professional players wear now. While it may reduce serious injury to an
extent, it also creates a certain feeling of invincibility. It'll be sad if
it leads to a style of play where you just run through the opposition rather
than pass the ball or go round.

 

Personally? Never. But I don't go to footie, or live near a ground.,
so I'm unlikely to . But, one has to admit that, especially with the
national game, it's a problem

Never. And I have been to quite a few rugby matches

Hmm. I don't see much on the telly.

Well, good point. Mebbe I was thinking of more about my second point
(the 'Loaded' generation).

 

. Mind you at least with rugby you can say "oh the game's changed
now". I donned my am footy pads for an "Old Boys" game at uni a couple
of years ago and got levelled after about 3 plays. The cheeky student
tosser had the audacity to call me granddad

 

On Mon, 22 Sep 2003 12:31:56 +0100, Bear

I think it's just spreading. One thing I did notice was that as soon
as they introduced the "team colours" concept into cricket, the level
of drunken tribalism increased. It just never seems to quite reach the
heights that football incites - presumably because it doesn't get so
much media coverage.

Maybe its just a manifestation of the general unhappiness of the
modern male (and female), now that we've lost all those traditional
roles...

 

Both times I went, and several times here in Cheltenham - I used to
live close (enough) to the ground.

Only ever seen old bloke club level rugby. But most of the violence
was GBH done to the players livers after a match.

And cocky women.

 

You're wrong about "often". In 20 years of going to football matches,
I've seen violence once.

Again, that's for the cunts who watch in pubs. At West Ham there's a
definite older generation feel to it.

 

Why are you talking out of your arse? There isn't any violence in the
stands at football matches.

As I said to Champ, in 20 years of going to football matches I've seen
violence once.

You win this week's "Smallest Brain" competition. Well done. I'm sure
your parents are very proud.

 

How many times do I have to say it? There's is very very little
violence in or around football matches.

 

Then there's no sense in trying to rationalise it, as happened earlier
in this thread, and was what I was reacting to.

 

Bear fascinated us all by saying...

That explains it

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I don't suppose a bright chap like you could overlook the little concept
of "media agenda".

 

Bugger you got there half an hour before me . Sadly it's probably
true, certainly was for me on Saturday. This season is the first in
about 10 when I've not had a season ticket and to be honest I don't miss
it. I was 'lucky' enough to be lent someone's on Saturday to be honest I
wish I'd gone out on my bike.

Maybe I just need a break from it!

 

Bear :

I don't think it would have mattered where I grew up, YMMV.

 

I assume you are referring to football matches of your direct personal
experience, in the recent past, Ben?

Because I could paint you some lovely pictures in words about matches
I attended as a yoof in the North-East. Roker Park when Millwall came
to visit, for example - or St James's when the 'Boro popped round.

 

And the return match at Roker Park/Stadium of Light, according to the
security guards at the place I worked at in Sunderland earlier this
year.