Away Days

[ilkleyram]

As an older person who still enjoys standing and singing and supporting I'm in the happy position of being able to go to a good percentage of away games because there's a fair few games in this neck of the woods, because I'm now retired and have the time and because I want to.  And I still want to after Saturday even though it wasn't one of the better away days from a football point of view, nor one of the better days from a 'support' point of view and one of worst days from a seat in the back of the head point of view.

I don't think it's an age thing. I see as much what I would call questionable behaviour from older people as I do younger ones and also good/fun behaviour from people of all ages too - people of all ages out for a Derby win, a sing and an afternoon of we're all in this together that football fandom brings better, in my view, than any other sport.

I do though think that this is not exclusive to Derby. Football fans reflect society more generally and despite CCTV cameras all over the place, despite heavy stewarding and gate searches there is a more significant element of the population of all ages, who no longer care very much about the consequences of their anti-social actions, nor appear to have enough brain cells to work out what the possible consequences might be.  I don't even think it's a gender thing any more - the drunkest/loudest/foulest mouthed person I saw on Saturday was female and after 20 minutes she had to sit down because she could no longer stand up.

There might be all sorts of reasons why, from bad parenting to social media, from poor education to dull lives, from a celebrity culture to a lack of positive role models, but without generalising too much from one bad afternoon it's a wider problem than the away end at Rotherham (which, is incidentally, a town wracked with its own social problems).

As a final random thought, I walked back after the game following a young (8/10 ish) Rams fan in his Derby shirt accompanied by what looked to be his mum and me 10 paces behind with scarf showing.  We walked through hordes of Rotherham fans coming the other way, young and old, without a single word or chant or worry.  I'm not so sure that would have happened 40 years ago.

[jimbobram]

3 hours ago, angieram said:

I agree. I find the best awaydays are those where there are a smaller number of us (sorry, that does sound a bit "We're better than you"!)

Oldham and Hull away in cup were great atmospheres - Hull in league was much worse for us - larger numbers and surrounded by drunks. Also a lot of nasty chants at the opposition, whereas on the Tuesday we were having a laugh with each other. 

 

Disagree with you there. Awful atmosphere :)

[B4ev6is]

I think what means is we were smaller in number but made more suppotive noise staying behind the lads.

[Spanish]

32 minutes ago, ilkleyram said:

 

As a final random thought, I walked back after the game following a young (8/10 ish) Rams fan in his Derby shirt accompanied by what looked to be his mum and me 10 paces behind with scarf showing.  We walked through hordes of Rotherham fans coming the other way, young and old, without a single word or chant or worry.  I'm not so sure that would have happened 40 years ago.

That is my overriding impression on the very few chances i get to go to PP.  Away fans wearing team shirts never mind scarves!  I still go to games in neutral attire, those lessons are imprinted I suppose

[Coneheadjohn]

38 minutes ago, ilkleyram said:

one of worst days from a seat in the back of the head point of view.

Made me smile.

Your post was good and balanced.

My original post was biased and bitter and I should be better than that.

I like posts like yours which make me think and reconsider a bit.

[TuffLuff]

56 minutes ago, jimbobram said:

Absolutely. Talk about it, they need banning. My point was I don't want that to stop people going to watch the club they support because of this. Saturday was an extreme case.

Aye its an extreme but It’s an extreme that manifests in the different longer term problems put forward by the likes of Angie and Boycie imo.

My point is that if people are noticing a problem, of which the Saturday incident has now potentially brought to the forefront, then what can be done to make it better. It might be a case that we as a fan base need to try and make the experience more about being conscious of the football element and getting behind the team and making it enjoyable that way, or it might be that the club need to take charge in employing someone who acts as a liaison on matchday between fans and stewards so people who’ve had too much or are causing trouble can be identified and have an active memes of the club that they can make aware of it. I don’t know, as I said this morning it’s been a while since I’ve been but I’ve not really enjoyed the last few times I had gone away. I just think if we can make the matchday more inclusive for away fans whether it be big groups of mates, families or whatever then surely that’s better.

[Coneheadjohn]

1 hour ago, Angry Ram said:

Love an awayday.. Nothing has changed... 

I do mate and I get it,perhaps I’m being mardy because I got beaten up by the bigga boys.

[Philmycock]

I can't remember ever having so much to drink that my feet have gone numb, what are you doing with your lager, injecting in your toes?

[Angry Ram]

7 minutes ago, coneheadjohn said:

I do mate and I get it,perhaps I’m being mardy because I got beaten up by the bigga boys.

Away days, back in the day were more of a hostile experience. You can go to a match now and unless you want to get involved, in the main, you are fine. Obviously there are still situations where you get caught up in things, like you have and the poor girl that got hit by a seat.. Not making excuses for those instances but it was worse before. I go back to the 70s where you could easily get caught up in trouble without wanting to. Wear a scarf and get beaten up and it nicked.. There seemed to be less rules then.. Everyone was fair game. 

In the 80s and more of the casual culture, again it could be intimidating on a terrace and I took more than one slap just for being there. Much more of the norm.

Lets be honest here, the main issues I read on here , on a weekly basis are people standing and beer being thrown. Again I am not saying these things are right and innocents do get caught, it is certainly better now., not worse. 

[TuffLuff]

19 minutes ago, coneheadjohn said:

I do mate and I get it,perhaps I’m being mardy because I got beaten up by the bigga boys.

I think every point you raised in the OP was spot on mate. I think what others who say it doesn’t matter have a point too but I’d side personally with what you brought up first

For what it’s worth

 

8 hours ago, coneheadjohn said:

For us it’s always been the highlight as a Derby/Football fan.

What the hell has happened?

Miserable transport,roads/trains etc.

Its only once you start going away, that you realise how good PP is for transport (aside if you park directly outside the ground). Saturday games can tend to mean delays, roadworks and queues. But I don’t think this really puts me off although could be run better. Being on a train back with a load of boro fans last season with only two police to moderate it was not overly fun.

Generally high prices and poor facilities.

This is my biggest gripe as it’s not just your match ticket, it’s travel and all your expenses. The £20 is plenty initiative should be put in place. Maybe I’d like to give bigger allocations because sometimes I see a game I’m interested in and I just think ‘we’ll ive got no chance and don’t bother’. That’s more a league thing though.

 

Quote

The awful behaviour of some fans.

Yep but as many say it tends to be a minority, being discussed elsewhere though.

The awful behave and generally poor standard of some stewards and security.

Boycie’s point was very good about this and needs to be addressed too. Aggression by stewards should always be a last resort.

Am I just getting old and grumpy and I know it’s a generalisation but this needs looking at.

im 28, so hope that’s puts some perspective into it

And I’m happy to get involved taking some responsibility with our own lot.

Agree think a bit of self managing should be encouraged, a bit of ‘Oi lads, steady down will ya’. Also groups of different fans conversing and meeting up with each other may not be the worst idea in the world. Get involved and encourage the good things and sniff out the bad ones.

Not sure why it’s quoted you so many times!

[Van der MoodHoover]

1 hour ago, B4ev6is said:

I like to drink but not to a point you dont know what you are doing.

These days, anything more than a cup of tea on a cold afternoon and I'll be spending more time in the lavs than watching the game. Age catches up with us all I guess.......?

although Mrs Hants would say I don't need to be drinking to not know what I'm doing!

[eddie]

2 hours ago, B4ev6is said:

I like to drink but not to a point you dont know what you are doing.

I've never understood this need for people to get drunk in order to 'enjoy themselves'. It seems to be a uniquely British trait - I have never witnessed the type of behaviour that seems commonplace in any British city every Friday or Saturday night anywhere in Belgium, Holland, Germany or pretty well anywhere else - unless it involved British people, of course.

[Boycie]

1 hour ago, B4ev6is said:

If say in stern enough voice they will listen in my time I have had to deal with seat throwing but I have found stern enough talking too is a good tool to have. But they need to see you mean it. And not just a false warning.

Jesus wept, I thought your job was at the cinema in Derby, not the blummin bronx mate?

When have you had to deal with seat throwing?

[Carnero]

2 minutes ago, Boycie said:

Jesus wept, I thought your job was at the cinema in Derby, not the blummin bronx mate?

When have you had to deal with seat throwing?

I believe he meant "popcorn".

[Boycie]

1 minute ago, Carnero said:

I believe he meant "popcorn".

Must have been a crap film, something like Police Academy 6 or something?

[Coneheadjohn]

47 minutes ago, TuffLuff said:

I think every point you raised in the OP was spot on mate. I think what others who say it doesn’t matter have a point too but I’d side personally with what you brought up first

For what it’s worth

 

 

Not sure why it’s quoted you so many times!

Cheers...good post.

Yeah and yours @Boycie,well put.

[Coneheadjohn]

36 minutes ago, HantsRam said:

These days, anything more than a cup of tea on a cold afternoon and I'll be spending more time in the lavs than watching the game. Age catches up with us all I guess.......?

although Mrs Hants would say I don't need to be drinking to not know what I'm doing!

I’ll lend you some nappies mate.

[Bald Eagle's Barmy Army]

3 hours ago, ram59 said:

How does that work at half time??

Dont serve Alcohol to under 30s or anybody with their shirt buttoned at the top.

[B4ev6is]

39 minutes ago, Boycie said:

Jesus wept, I thought your job was at the cinema in Derby, not the blummin bronx mate?

When have you had to deal with seat throwing?

That came out wrong

What I meant was apart from that bit but do sometimes I have to deal with little git bags.

[ilkleyram]

2 hours ago, coneheadjohn said:

Made me smile.

Your post was good and balanced.

My original post was biased and bitter and I should be better than that.

I like posts like yours which make me think and reconsider a bit.

If I made you smile for a second Conehead then that'll do me.  If there's anyone on this forum entitled to be a grumpy old man then it's you especially given yours and Joel's experience on Saturday and no doubt the growing realisation for you both that this wasn't going to be one of the enjoyable away days after all.

I don't know whether we football fans reap what we sow but in its own way your description of how you were treated makes me as annoyed as the seat throwing (though perhaps not the seat landing). Why does putting on a high viz jacket often stop people from assessing a situation and then helping a fellow human being rather than not?