JakeB wrote: ↑08 Apr 2019, 09:24
Why would u want to ban your own clubs fans for celebrating a goal?
If the goal is celebrated where it's supposed to be celebrated (in the stands) then nobody needs to get banned. If it gets celebrated by running onto the pitch then without wanting to sound a bit like Alan Partridge and his tete a tete with Ursula Andress, it's contravening a number of laws / regulations and thus a ban should follow.
The majority of fans were able to celebrate happily in the stands and still enjoy the importance of that moment.
TheElk92 wrote: ↑08 Apr 2019, 11:34
Some of the responses to this thread are absolutely incredible. The fans on the pitch were celebrating, the players were running around hugging the fans. Are you really that miserable that the ecstatic celebration of a goal that seemingly seals this club's first proper title, in the 92nd minute, versus our rivals for the title, after the despair of recent years, is an offence so grave that it is deserving of banishment from supporting the club?
I hope you didn't celebrate the club staying up in 1987 and that you've condemned Netflix for seemingly 'glorifying' the terrible scenes that followed the final whistle that day.
Take a day off from sucking the fun out of everything that doesn't fit the rigid, homogenous view you have football fan culture.
It's illegal and against safety regs. I'm not as officious as Keith Lard but the reason why there are problems at matches is that people cannot control themselves. That's why the rules are there and anyone who breaks them should take responsibility for the actions which is the point of the thread.
Anyone who is that excited at a football match that they are unable to stop themselves running onto the pitch should do that if that's what they want to do. Nobody is saying that they don't understand the elation of a special moment that propels people into doing this, what they are saying, and the point being that it shouldn't be done and if it is then those doing it should be banned.
If i want to celebrate a lottery win by going out, buying a new ferrari, getting plastered and driving to Dundee in my bare feet because i'm over the moon then that's fine if that's what i want to do. The problem is i'm breaking laws and i need to accept the consequences of that after the event. Rules and laws apply in the whole of society and not just in football.
Yes, I understand that there are rules and regulations but the very reason why football is unique and the most popular sport on earth, is because it evokes passion, it's colourful and creates iconic moments. If everyone acted in accordance with the rules, sat there and clapped then the spirit of football would be very much diminished. It seems that many on here would like that.
Celebrating by entering the pitch and joining the team for what was a matter of seconds versus deliberately endangering someone's safety are very different kettles of fish. I just don't understand this puritanical, absolutist adherence to rules & regulations that people have on the forum. The social media pages are awash with people buzzing about Saturday and enjoying the scenes, yet on here the Stasi are in full swing.
We're taking regular 1000+ away and are about to win the league but we're here discussing conventions on encroaching the pitch and the war crimes of our own fans.
TheElk92 wrote: ↑08 Apr 2019, 11:58
Yes, I understand that there are rules and regulations but the very reason why football is unique and the most popular sport on earth, is because it evokes passion, it's colourful and creates iconic moments. If everyone acted in accordance with the rules, sat there and clapped then the spirit of football would be very much diminished. It seems that many on here would like that.
Celebrating by entering the pitch and joining the team for what was a matter of seconds versus deliberately endangering someone's safety are very different kettles of fish. I just don't understand this puritanical, absolutist adherence to rules & regulations that people have on the forum. The social media pages are awash with people buzzing about Saturday and enjoying the scenes, yet on here the Stasi are in full swing.
We're taking regular 1000+ away and are about to win the league but we're here discussing conventions on encroaching the pitch and the war crimes of our own fans.
You misunderstand. If you want to join the players and celebrate for a matter of moments then i'm saying if you feel the need then do it. I completely understand the emotion that would lead you to do this. Run onto the pitch, celebrate with the players and have those experiences and memories.
I'm saying that it's against rules / laws to do this so these people need to accept a ban when it comes for breaking those rules / laws. Don't make excuses that it was just over exuberance (which is probably the truth nonetheless) and try to wriggle out of it afterwards.
Also what are the ramifications for the football club? Will the club get fined, points deducted, stands closed etc? Unlikely but it has happened.
It's important to remember that most of the fans who were non pitch invaders at the game are also buzzing and enjoyed the scenes but they aren't as passionate it would seem?
Personally I think banning is harsh, these fans are passionate about the club and have put up with back to back seasons of misery and relegation / relegation battles, doom and gloom. This time last year I was preparing for the death of our club and this site to be kept as a bloody archive to remember the good old days. Who'd have thought we would be back, let alone like this so suddenly? Banning these passionate fans in my opinion is losing crucial support that the club needs. We need all fans behind the team for that final push over the line and I don't condone jumping on the field but it's happened let's keep our cool and get out of this league.
Totally agree with TheElk. This was not the Stone Island Army making trouble. This was true fans getting well and truly immersed in the excitement of a last minute equaliser at the very end of a match against our nearest rivals.
I was right there at the corner, and even I thought about jumping on the pitch in the heat of it. The only thing that stopped me was more about getting my old inflexible body over the barrier and back again!!
I bet there are some on this forum who jumped on the pitch, no harm done, and if some of you moaners were right in the heart of it, when the players ran towards us, and the Woking Steward opened the gate in the corner, you too may even have got excited enough to get carried away and join those on the pitch, once in your life.
Though yourself and others are condoning the (hypothetical) banning of these supporters? I respect that rules are in place. Otherwise you could have complete anarchy. The way the rules are enforced suggests that there is a level of consideration taking into account for the incident in question. Incursions small scale and large happen every single season in every single league, though banning orders do not always following, depending on the specificity of the incident.
Yes, it is unlikely that any of those punishments will be enforced. Again, this is something regularly trotted out on here re. points deductions. Hereford fans were throwing rocks at Stockport support on Saturday, to put our game into a little context. I think they're much more likely to see some form of punishment.
I'm not arguing that people who didn't go on the pitch are less passionate or care less. It's like choosing whether to stand on the terrace, or sit in the stand. It's a question of choice and individual expression that has no reflection on how 'big' a supporter you are. Again, football is unique because its fan culture is passionate and expresses itself in different ways. It's a broad church.
I just find it disappointing that often throughout my time following Torquay, we've been very quick to throw our own under the bus in the name of upholding rules and regulations. The club is seeing a rejuvenation in support that is bringing young people through the gates in impressive numbers. Do some of them act up a bit? Yes. That's young people. Do they care about the club and their hometown? Yes. It's important to remember this when accusing people of being criminals, thugs etc.
God knows, not long ago, it looked like TUFC would never be close enough to a football pitch to contemplate invading it.
I have to say that spending most of my weekends doing security at different sporting events around the country and trying to stop smoke bombs and flares etc getting in, it was a strange feeling to be stood on the terraces observing the smoke with the noise etc with a sense of pride in the following of my football club. I can see both sides of the argument and I guess its left me with a question as to which side I agree with. It was pretty impressive to be a part of it all.
Wokingham Gull wrote: ↑08 Apr 2019, 12:18
Totally agree with TheElk. This was not the Stone Island Army making trouble. This was true fans getting well and truly immersed in the excitement of a last minute equaliser at the very end of a match against our nearest rivals.
I was right there at the corner, and even I thought about jumping on the pitch in the heat of it. The only thing that stopped me was more about getting my old inflexible body over the barrier and back again!!
I bet there are some on this forum who jumped on the pitch, no harm done, and if some of you moaners were right in the heart of it, when the players ran towards us, and the Woking Steward opened the gate in the corner, you too may even have got excited enough to get carried away and join those on the pitch, once in your life.
Exactly! It was all in good spirit! I have absolutely no doubt that the players were just as caught up in it with the supporters.
Here we go again... the York City fan telling us all how to behave. It was a crucial goal at a very crucial time. The fans went wild (I certainly did!), some (a small minority of the 1400 there) spilled over on to the pitch to celebrate with the players. It was a bit of fun (yes, which could have got out of hand, but didn't) and the corner area was soon cleared once the celebrations had died down.
Mountains and molehills.
You'd have thought it was Millwall v West Ham after the game though what with drones hovering, police keeping the HOME fans in (you couldn't make it up!) whilst they herded everyone past the waiting buses ... and if you weren't getting on one you had to squeeze past plod who thought that it would be a good idea to virtually block your exit.
Woking fans were, quite rightly, furious at the decision to keep THEM in whilst the Yellow Army headed for coaches, cars, trains, etc.
United62 wrote: ↑08 Apr 2019, 12:30
Here we go again... the York City fan telling us all how to behave. It was a crucial goal at a very crucial time. The fans went wild (I certainly did!), some (a small minority of the 1400 there) spilled over on to the pitch to celebrate with the players. It was a bit of fun (yes, which could have got out of hand, but didn't) and the corner area was soon cleared once the celebrations had died down.
Mountains and molehills.
You'd have thought it was Millwall v West Ham after the game though what with drones hovering, police keeping the HOME fans in (you couldn't make it up!) whilst they herded everyone past the waiting buses ... and if you weren't getting on one you had to squeeze past plod who thought that it would be a good idea to virtually block your exit.
Woking fans were, quite rightly, furious at the decision to keep THEM in whilst the Yellow Army headed for coaches, cars, trains, etc.
It was incredible how overzealous the security for the match was. It seems they were expected a Viking-esque hoard of rampaging fans. I live in London, go to Spurs fixtures and it was almost comparable to that (relative to scale). It was also quite hostile, the Surrey police didn't really seem to try and engage with the fans at all. Just stood there and filmed, looking moody.
Wokingham Gull, nobody knows the intentions of an individual running onto the pitch or not. Whether he / she is wearing ludicrous imitation hoolie clothing or not. To the stewards and the players it's simply a person(s) running onto the pitch who potentially could be a danger. I take Louis' point about the misery endured by Gulls fans in recent years but again, there is no leeway for sentiment when it comes to safety. Although Louis' point makes absolute sense.
All what if's but what if someone had run on with a flare, and let it off and somebody got burned or blinded? What if somebody ran on and attacked an opposing player? What if some lads ran on, ran to the home fans and goaded them into running on the pitch also creating pandemonium?
A whole number of potential scenarios that are easily avoided.
I think Louis does make a valid point though and perhaps after the event a bit of common sense could be applied by say fining individuals instead of banning and perhaps that might make most reconsider doing anything similar in future. After all the vast majority of celebratory pitch invaders do so to do just that - celebrate.
Perhaps i'm being too inflexible with my opinion and perhaps fines would be more appropriate? The point still being though that we can't just allow rules to be broken that are put in place for the safety of players, staff and spectators and not go unpunished. The recent high profile incidents of pitch invaders hasn't helped either.
Whataboutery. None of the above happened? Nor is it likely to happen. The reality is, that the pitch incursion was an isolated incident generated by the specific event. That being a 92nd minute equaliser to place one hand on a title FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY.
I'm assuming from your comment, that you're referring to the Midlands Derby (ie. Jack Grealish incident) between two huge, inner-city clubs with huge fan bases, with a rich history of confrontational fixtures. I don't think TUFC is in any way comparable.
We might as well all stay at home for fear of being burned, blinded or just outright murdered by individuals amongst our own support.
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