Yet another moronic 'I Was A Football Hooligan' book

[subversplat]

I knew a couple of blokes who claimed to be from Wycombes firm . Don't know what the fuck they called themselves but they were clueless fuckwits

From: http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Football_hooliganism

Wycombe Wanderers - Liver Damage Firm (now the "Cirhossis Casuals" terrorising the liver diseases ward of Wycombe General Hospital every Saturday)

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Ah, that's nice. Does the crowd cheer louder when there's blood being spilt by the brawlers?

You know it.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

But even though two guys from two different teams are kicking the crap out of each other on the ice, fans of the two teams in the stands, concentrate on the fight on the ice, and refrain from fighting each other.

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

That's alright then....

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

A mass brawl breaks out against Bracknell. All pictures courtesy of the Centreice website


Coventry Blaze must face the Dundee Stars in the Findus Cup semi-final after going down to Guildford on Saturday.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/coventry/sport/clubs/coventry_blaze/reports/2002/10/blaze-extinguished.shtml


The Bracknell Bees??

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Basingstoke Bison. Hull Stingrays. Newcastle Vipers.



Awwww. Ain't it sweet?

http://www.freewebs.com/keenans_tapes/hockeylinks.htm


Notice the fans in that last picture: they're just standing there watching the fight, not hitting each other.

Maybe this is the answer at long last to your problems!

 

[Augie March]

When your life is misery, and the only brief escape you have is watching a bunch of men [I confess I don't recall the exact number on the field during a game is it five per team?] kick a ball around, then you tend to take the matter quite seriously.

Our sports did not develop in a culture of want, so we tend not to attach as much emotional significance to watching a bunch of highly paid men engaging in one spectacle or another.

Woah there Mr Canuck. You're saying that North American sports fans don't attach themselves emotionally to a bunch of highly paid men engaging in one spectacle or another?

Like this Ravens fan...?

He looks like the kind of man who doesn't vest that much emotional interest in whether his side wins or loses eh?

 

[bouncer_the_dog]

It's a genre that's ripe for parody imo.

Thats Football Factory isn't it? It must be the stupidest film I have ever seen ever - I was laughing like a drain.

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

There seems to be themes that publishers pick up on. One random book becomes a surprise bestseller -- about hopeless 20-something single women, child abuse by family/in a religious school, boarding school wizardry, football hooliganism, age old conspiracy theories -- and then the next thing you know, there are a more Bridget Jones, Child Called It, Harry Potter, Football Hooligans R Us (I made that one up!), Da Vinci Code-alikes on the bookshelves than you can shake a stick at.

If something sells, they like to turn it into a formula and repeat it until the next big thing comes along, and they'll regurgitate endless variations on that theme too. Yawn.

 

[souljacker]

I've never heard it, and wouldn't want to pretend that I had. I'm not up on my soccer philosophical quotes.

In any event, if some people actually do think that way, then it isn't a far stretch to imagine them beating the tar out of some other team's fans.

I agree with Johnny here. I hate that quote from Shankly. It's bollocks.

I like to think he wasn't being overly serious. Sadly, there is far too many cunts who think he was spot on.

 

[Augie March]

No response from JC here then.

I guess we can take that as an acceptance from him that those who follow sports in North America, are as just as easily susceptible to becoming emotionally invested in the team that they follow, as are us football supporters in the UK.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

No response from JC here then.

I guess we can take that as an acceptance from him that those who follow sports in North America, are as just as easily susceptible to becoming emotionally invested in the team that they follow, as are us football supporters in the UK.

But the UK and other fans take it a level higher, or have done so in the past.

They attack and beat the fans of other teams. That's a different level of emotional investment. That's overidentification with your team, imo.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Green Bay fan:

Redskins fan:

Steelers fan:

The diff is, there's almost an innocence, at worst a stupidity about this kind of fan behaviour. There's rarely if ever anything violent about it.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Raiders fan.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Man U fan.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Liverpool fan.

 

[sleaterkinney]

I would have said it's because America is such an individualistic society, they don't value communal things like football, plus their sports are franchises that move around, they don't build up any attachment to them.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

I would have said it's because America is such an individualistic society, they don't value communal things like football, plus their sports are franchises that move around, they don't build up any attachment to them.

Some franchises move, some have been in the same place for decades, like the Red Sox, the Canadiens, etc.

 

[editor]

Liverpool fan.

Yes? And? What's your point?

 

[rekil]

Yes? And? What's your point?

"USA! USA! USA! Europeons suck!"

That's his "point."

 

[Maggot]

I've read quite a few of these. The best, IMO, is Amongst the Thugs by Bill Buford. Its excellent.

I'd agree with that. He's an outsider who starts following a group of (Man Utd) hooligans, and almost becomes one of them. Interesting, analytical and funny.

 

[Augie March]

The diff is, there's almost an innocence, at worst a stupidity about this kind of fan behaviour.There's rarely if ever anything violent about it.

Yep, some examples of 'innocent' fan behaviour can be found in this American article.

When the Chargers beat the Jacksonville Jaguars at Qualcomm Stadium on Oct. 10, three Chargers fans beat a Jaguars fan unconscious in front of dozens of people.

Some perfectly innocent fans there, just being a bit stupid is all.

In June 2003, after a Padres game at Qualcomm Stadium, 22-year-old Jeremy Lindsay was beaten into a coma in the parking lot. The cable installer from Mission Valley died seven weeks later.

Now that's just probably the innocent result of a friendly after-game discussion between fans.

After a Dodgers-Giants baseball game last season, a dispute over team loyalties left one man dead in the Dodgers Stadium parking lot. The year before, a man was stabbed to death at Anaheim's ballpark after the Angels won the World Series.

Pah, just an over-heated, innocent argument over team's loyalties. Nothing more than a bit of friendly fan banter.

In September 2002, a shirtless father and son ran from the stands at Chicago's Comiskey Park and attacked Kansas City Royals first base coach Tom Gamboa. The coach suffered a cut forehead.

Some innocent fans, enjoying some innocent father-and-son quality time at a ball game here.

In 2000, a Raiders fan stabbed Chargers ticket holder Daniel Napier of La Mesa in his lip, head and rib cage as Napier left Qualcomm Stadium. According to court records, the man convicted of the stabbing verbally harassed and threatened Napier through most of the game, which Oakland won 15-13.

And once again, proof of innocent North American sports fans who never invest so much emotion into a game, that it leads to them being violent.

San Diego police arrest hundreds of fans at Qualcomm Stadium and Petco Park every year. But the department's records don't distinguish between assaults, public drunkenness or simple misdemeanors, so there is no way to track fan violence over the years. Team and ballpark officials also said they do not keep track of such records.
In fact, despite beatings, stabbings and shootings at ball fields across the country, it appears that nobody in the United States tracks violent incidents at major sporting events.

Or perhaps Johnny, your perception here is blinkered by the fact that fan violence is just not recorded by the authorities in the US as being anything to do with sports. Whereas, in the UK such violence will always be linked to football, especially by the media, and always has been in the past.


Game, set and match I think sir.

 

[Harold Hill]

Basingstoke Bison. Hull Stingrays. Newcastle Vipers.



Awwww. Ain't it sweet?

http://www.freewebs.com/keenans_tapes/hockeylinks.htm


Notice the fans in that last picture: they're just standing there watching the fight, not hitting each other.

Maybe this is the answer at long last to your problems!

I'd rather have hooligans over the fake passion you get from North American sports thanks.

 

[Psychonaut]

That's a great film.. A real blast from the 80's circa 1983 loved the Fila, Sergio Tachini & Diadora.

thanks - d/led this yesterday & had a great evening in

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Yes? And? What's your point?

It was a response to post 67.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Yep, some examples of 'innocent' fan behaviour can be found in this American article.




Some perfectly innocent fans there, just being a bit stupid is all.



Now that's just probably the innocent result of a friendly after-game discussion between fans.



Pah, just an over-heated, innocent argument over team's loyalties. Nothing more than a bit of friendly fan banter.



Some innocent fans, enjoying some innocent father-and-son quality time at a ball game here.



And once again, proof of innocent North American sports fans who never invest so much emotion into a game, that it leads to them being violent.





Or perhaps Johnny, your perception here is blinkered by the fact that fan violence is just not recorded by the authorities in the US as being anything to do with sports. Whereas, in the UK such violence will always be linked to football, especially by the media, and always has been in the past.


Game, set and match I think sir.

You cite five incidents over a course of years. During that same time period, millions of fans will have attended sports events in the US.

Of course fan violence has happened and will happen. However, it is not nor has been a common occurrence, as it has been in britain.

If you intend to say that it isn't or hasn't been a common occurence in UK, then you'll have to answer why the govt saw fit to pass specific legislation to deal with it.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

I'd rather have hooligans over the fake passion you get from North American sports thanks.

I'd rather have fake passion instead of a head injury because I'm wearing the wrong football jersey.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

You cite five incidents over a course of years. During that same time period, millions of fans will have attended sports events in the US.

Of course fan violence has happened and will happen. However, it is not nor has been a common occurrence, as it has been in britain.

If you intend to say that it isn't or hasn't been a common occurence in UK, then you'll have to answer why the govt saw fit to pass specific legislation to deal with it.

I bet if we tracked serious incidents at UK football matches over the last 5 years - stabbings etc - it wouldn't be any greater a number.

The last stabbing I can remember offhand was a Gillingham-Fulham match, in about 2000

Sure - nobody has denied that hooliganism was a big problem in the UK a good 25 years or so ago, it's now we're talking about. I don't know why you find that so difficult to grasp.

As to legislation, UK governments tend to be extremely kneejerk in their reaction to just about everything ever.

 

[Andy the Don]

You cite five incidents over a course of years. During that same time period, millions of fans will have attended sports events in the US.

Of course fan violence has happened and will happen. However, it is not nor has been a common occurrence, as it has been in britain.

If you intend to say that it isn't or hasn't been a common occurence in UK, then you'll have to answer why the govt saw fit to pass specific legislation to deal with it.

Johnny I would be pushed to remember the last time a fan was murdered by another fan at a British sporting event. As mentioned I think it was a Fulham fan at Gillingham about 2000 or the two Leeds lads murdered by Turks in Turkey before a UEFA cup match.

What you should know is the penalties for football hooliganism are very strong. As well as unlimited bans recently after a fight between Charlton Athletic & Southampton supporters jail sentences of seven years were handed down. A Charlton supporting maths teacher who was not even involved in the fight got something like five years for setting it up on his website.

 

[Augie March]

You cite five incidents over a course of years. During that same time period, millions of fans will have attended sports events in the US.

Of course fan violence has happened and will happen. However, it is not nor has been a common occurrence, as it has been in britain.

If you intend to say that it isn't or hasn't been a common occurence in UK, then you'll have to answer why the govt saw fit to pass specific legislation to deal with it.

Let me repeat this quote from the article. I've highlighted the points you seem to be missing here.

San Diego police arrest hundreds of fans at Qualcomm Stadium and Petco Park every year. But the department's records don't distinguish between assaults, public drunkenness or simple misdemeanors, so there is no way to track fan violence over the years. Team and ballpark officials also said they do not keep track of such records.
In fact, despite beatings, stabbings and shootings at ball fields across the country, it appears that nobody in the United States tracks violent incidents at major sporting events.

There is no data that the authorites use in the States to track fan violence, so 5 incidents may only be the tip of the iceberg here. There could've been numerous cases that are not reported as being in relation to a sporting event, which is unlike such cases in the UK where football is involved.