Dangerous inflammatory Rugby v Football thread... Read with a low blood pressure

[hotfuzzrj]

I have a confession to make:

I am a rugby fan. I am a rugby player. (I am a girl too; shock horror!) I have closely followed two or three teams and watched hundreds of games at all levels. I don't really like Soccer as much as I grew up in south Wales where rugby is de rigeur and also I was very much turned against football whilst at uni (stupid rugby drinking rules, we weren't allowed to talk to football girls, snog football boys, or look at them when they were getting naked during drinking sessions which was quite unfair as most football lads look a lot better than the hairy bears of the pack).

I have grown to get used to football to the extent that I have watched several live games and watch several games a month on sky sports, without being coerced by my BF.

One thing I just cannot get over is the crowd mentality at a rugby match, and the contrasting mentality at a football match.

I've just watched Chelsea v Shakhtar and after both Shakhtar goals we viewed a small amount of Chelsea supporters behind the scoring player. After goal 1, a little boy is giving him a thumbs down gesture and is clearly booing. After goal 2 several grown men are giving an unmistakeable w@nker gesture. Furthermore one Chelsea fan is clearly seen on TV sat in the front row drinking from a can of lager/cider - looked like Tenants to me - which is a criminal offence and he must have 'smuggled' in to the ground!

In my experience (bearing in mind I've already owned up to being quite biased!) at a rugby match if the team I'm not supporting score points or more impressively a try, me and my friends will still applause and most people around me tend to do the same. I've hardly ever heard booing at rugby. There is a respect for the players, the ref, and the opposing supporters which is not at all mirrored in soccer.

I just wondered why this is, it annoys me and this is the obstacle between me putting up with football for my BFs sake and fully embracing an otherwise entertaining and skilful game.

It doesn't help that as a police officers based until recently in Birmingham city centre surrounded by large football clubs I always come up against drunk football fans, criminals with football tattoos (I've never seen a hardened con with a Harlequins or Bath RFC tatt!!) and have policed numerous games where it normally kicks off at the end...

So my basic question is What is wrong with football supporters?!
(I had put 'some' but I know my BF who is normally a perfectly respectable man is an idiot when it comes to football, he is so one sided and cannot admit when his team deserve to have been beaten, or when an opposing team score a genuinely good goal he cannot admit it!)

P.S. I *did* say I was biased, before I'm blazed too harshly :-)

 

[Monsieur]

I think its always been the case that over the past 100 or more years in Britain football has attracted the more working class genre and all its associated issues - the football 'fan' now has still got the image of the hard drinking, foul-mouthed yob.
Then again I 've seen some hard drinking and hard violence at some rugby games too.

I don't take my teenage son to football games now but he does go with his mates to watch our local team, Lincoln City. The language I hear from many of the fans is appaling - not just the young lads either as many a time I've heard men over the age of 60 swearing loudly at a game. The game tends to bring out the aggression and character change in many young men and it doesn't always need alcohol to help it along.

I would say stick to cricket but the bigger matches have their 'loud' followers also.

 

[Arch]

My Mum and I once spent a London-Leicester train journey in the company of a hoarde of just-defeated-in-the-final Leicester Tigers (rugby) supporters. Mostly quite drunk. It was very entertaining, and not remotely threatening. Can't imagine the same with LCFC (soccer) supporters.

They even raised a dismal cheer when a couple of Bath (the victorious team) supporters walked through the train carriage.

 

[vernon]

There are vast differences of atmosphere/attitude/esprit de corp between soccer and rugby. There's no need for debate or flames it's just the way things are.

 

[neil earley]

Also rugby fan being from Neath [ Thats nr Swansea} Went to watch the Swans at the Liberty staduim , got to say enjoyed the game Chelsea, but the mentality of the fans couldnt believe !! fans segrated as it was like a pack of baying hounds, swearing, the usual W,,,,,,ker signs etc. Very intimidating atmosphere and dont think you could take young children which is a shame as its such a good game to watch. Roll on this saturday Wales v Argentina hopefully business as usual and a good open game.

 

[Noodley]

Why is it that there appears a fascination with Rugby v. Football. Why not Football v. Cricket. Or Rugby v. Spring Classics cycling?

It's a nobber topic.

 

[lukesdad]

Not sure about this, Ive listened to the home fans at the Millenium when an opposing penalty is being lined up !

 

[Night Train]

I remember a conversation overheard at work, in a previous career, between an officer and his new manager.
"You're ok, like, and we can 'ave a drink after work, an all that, but you're a United supporter and I'm City and if I see you out on the street on a match day I'll 'ave to kick your ****ing 'ead in!"

I don't understand it but it summed up the mentality of the bloke really.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Not all football matches attract trouble. I saw my team Accrington Stanley beat Fylde in the FA Cup at their ground last Saturday. There was no segregation with both sets of fans mingling on the small terraces, in the pub before and after the game and in the refreshment areas during the game. The only sign of aggression was when some idiot tried to drive at the fans outside on the nearby pub car park as they waited for transport home. The driver was forced to slow down by fans from both clubs.

 

[on the road]

I have a confession to make:

I am a rugby fan. I am a rugby player. (I am a girl too; shock horror!) I have closely followed two or three teams and watched hundreds of games at all levels. I don't really like Soccer as much as I grew up in south Wales where rugby is de rigeur and also I was very much turned against football whilst at uni (stupid rugby drinking rules, we weren't allowed to talk to football girls, snog football boys, or look at them when they were getting naked during drinking sessions which was quite unfair as most football lads look a lot better than the hairy bears of the pack).

I have grown to get used to football to the extent that I have watched several live games and watch several games a month on sky sports, without being coerced by my BF.

One thing I just cannot get over is the crowd mentality at a rugby match, and the contrasting mentality at a football match.

I've just watched Chelsea v Shakhtar and after both Shakhtar goals we viewed a small amount of Chelsea supporters behind the scoring player. After goal 1, a little boy is giving him a thumbs down gesture and is clearly booing. After goal 2 several grown men are giving an unmistakeable w@nker gesture. Furthermore one Chelsea fan is clearly seen on TV sat in the front row drinking from a can of lager/cider - looked like Tenants to me - which is a criminal offence and he must have 'smuggled' in to the ground!

In my experience (bearing in mind I've already owned up to being quite biased!) at a rugby match if the team I'm not supporting score points or more impressively a try, me and my friends will still applause and most people around me tend to do the same. I've hardly ever heard booing at rugby. There is a respect for the players, the ref, and the opposing supporters which is not at all mirrored in soccer.

I just wondered why this is, it annoys me and this is the obstacle between me putting up with football for my BFs sake and fully embracing an otherwise entertaining and skilful game.

It doesn't help that as a police officers based until recently in Birmingham city centre surrounded by large football clubs I always come up against drunk football fans, criminals with football tattoos (I've never seen a hardened con with a Harlequins or Bath RFC tatt!!) and have policed numerous games where it normally kicks off at the end...

So my basic question is What is wrong with football supporters?!
(I had put 'some' but I know my BF who is normally a perfectly respectable man is an idiot when it comes to football, he is so one sided and cannot admit when his team deserve to have been beaten, or when an opposing team score a genuinely good goal he cannot admit it!)

P.S. I *did* say I was biased, before I'm blazed too harshly :-)

I could turn the question around and ask what's wrong with rugby supporters. Where is their competitive spirit? There's nothing wrong with giving the thumbs down or booing the opposition if they score, although that very rarely happens, they just tend to be quiet.

 

[defy-one]

Football .... A game for the masses. you get neanderthals to scholers playing and watching. Players cheat and fall over from the slightest touch. players disrespect the rules and the refs,so the fans turn into neanderthals.

Rugby ... A game that has inherent force and contact within it's game. played in grammar and private schools,so older players are generally more educated and better behaved. Refs decision is final,and is accepted. This is the key difference. the players influence the crowd. They show sportmanship .... So does the crowd

 

[asterix]

Not all football matches attract trouble. I saw my team Accrington Stanley beat Fylde in the FA Cup at their ground last Saturday. There was no segregation with both sets of fans mingling on the small terraces, in the pub before and after the game and in the refreshment areas during the game. The only sign of aggression was when some idiot tried to drive at the fans outside on the nearby pub car park as they waited for transport home. The driver was forced to slow down by fans from both clubs.

Used to watch Ipswich Town in the 70's.

You might suggest this wasn't actually football, but it should be borne in mind that at the time, the Late Great Bobby Robson was in charge and I saw some excellent games played.

One match with Newcastle I couldn't get in to the Ipswich end so I went behind the Newcastle goal. Had a great time; IIRC the score was 5-4 and my Newcastle neighbours gave me no hassle at all when I celebrated Ispwich's goal scoring. In fact the only time there was any real trouble at home games was when Millwall fans came up.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

A long time ago I, as an away fan, was assaulted by an opposition home fan on touchline of a community level rugby game. Sutton & Epsom RFC iirc. Now fair play his attempted head butts were ineffective because he was a foot shorter than me, and he only fancied his chances because I was wearing a neck brace and had an arm in a sling, and I was being a barracking heckling gobshite but still.... he did stop when half the home team pack came off the pitch and buried him.

I've also seen, heard, and shouted down, outrageous anti-semitic/racist/sexist remarks from Barbour clad England fans at Paris Gard-du-Nord station after two France v England games. A large bomb in the west car park at Twickenham on match days would put the crypto-fascist wing of the tory party back by about 50 years.

and on tour.... well what happens on tour stays on tour but low level anti-social behaviour and petty crime is rife.

Both are beautiful games. Both have beautiful fans and 'ugly' ones alike. I'm just glad that generally at all levels of the oval ball game the authorities see no need to segregate fans because there will be no problems. Once we rocked up at Murrayfield for a Heinekin Cup Final as neutral fans (we go every year; the most exciting thing was the raffle at half time) As we entered the ground we were stopped by a steward for a bag search. "You can't bring those in" he said, pointing to the three glass bottles of red wine, a few cans of beer and half bottle of scotch amongst our M&S picnics. "Why not" I replied "we aren't football fans, we are going to drink that lot and share it not hit anyone with it". He looked at me, the lovely Helen and the two other couples with us thought for a few seconds "Sorry" he said "on you go" and let us in.

 

[byegad]

As a Rugby Union player at school and fan for life, and having been married to a football fan, though briefly, I can say that I feel the key is this:-

In Rugby Union if the ref gives a free kick and the opposition only goes back 9m rather than the 10m that the rules dictate he will re-award the kick from the point the opposition retreated to and they have to go back another 10m.I've seen stupid teams lose 20m this way!

In football this does not seem to apply the opposition routinely does not go back the requisite distance and the ref will try to persuade them to move a little further. They grudgingly shift a little and the ref seems to have to put up with this.

This attitude pervades football both on the field and on the terraces as far as I've seen. Admittedly I haven't watched a football match in years, another benefit of divorce! However from the clips aired on News programmes I think things haven't changed.

 

[Sprocker]

Football .... A game for the masses. you get neanderthals to scholers playing and watching. Players cheat and fall over from the slightest touch. players disrespect the rules and the refs,so the fans turn into neanderthals.

Rugby ... A game that has inherent force and contact within it's game. played in grammar and private schools,so older players are generally more educated and better behaved. Refs decision is final,and is accepted. This is the key difference. the players influence the crowd. They show sportmanship .... So does the crowd

What an excellent post sir.