Torquay United v Bradford City - 1/4/13

[Dave]

Prefectly calm dear, never said it was mississppi burning, actually more annoyned about the lack of support for our own team than anything else.

Oh B,T,W what is so funny about wacist chanting ?

[brucie]

This thread is absolutely ridiculous. Modgull is absolutely right with his post. We were truly dire and we are looking like we will go down. I do think that Knill made a mistake by not bringing back Downes today. Macdonald is a trier but he isn't in the same class as Downes.
Devastated by todays peformance - we just seemd to leave our legs in Northampton.
I just don't think we are good enough to stay up.

[nickbrod]

Having driven a round trip of nearly 400 miles with over 6 hours on motorways yes it was a depressing afternoon. However I really feel the negative atmosphere on here and at the ground does not help the team.
I have been to Southend and Northampton in recent weeks when the support has been both positive and vocal and the team have performed. For example why is it that Oastler plays better away than at home? Seems to me that many home 'supporters' have a death (relegation) wish in order to say 'told you so'. Why is everyone so much cleverer than those running the club? Those who are have put their money where their mouths are.
For the record Chapell didn't start because he has an ankle injury and Poke is carrying a rib injury after Friday- probably after being clattered when the Northampton player wasn't booked (yet when Rene did similar later he was).
Ok today was poor but did anyone really think we would beat Bradford? Yet having said that I wouldn't be surprised if we got something from Gillingham as we seem to play better away from Plainmoor.
There are four matches to play so it is still possible to survive. Yes you can accuse me of being rose-tinted but if none of us are then that is really depressing.
A supporter is meant to be a supporter through thick and thin and when did Torquay ever do anything the easy way?

[chardie]

Prefectly calm dear, never said it was mississppi burning, actually more annoyned about the lack of support for our own team than anything else.

Oh B,T,W what is so funny about wacist chanting ?

Strange you were more annoyed about the lack of support but only tweeted about what you perceived as wacist chanting.

It wasn't BTW, it's what is known as banter between fans. Rascist chanting in England is virtually disappearing from grounds and good job too, No a fact but my perception.

I believe there are enough Asians in Bradford that had there been any wacist chanting they would have complained by now, there are so numerous in fact they have their own football teams and leagues for Asians only.........Hang on....

[AustrianAndyGull]

Credit to you Nick for the dedication. When i go to Plainmoor it's a near 600 mile round trip the same day or an overnight stay so i know what it's like as do the regulars at away games who travel these sorts of distances on a regular basis. Shame the lazy tw*ts in the bay couldn't be arsed to get their arses down to Plainmoor when it's needed, they're all waiting until we come good again and then they'll be back. Losers.

We have only played better away from Plainmoor under Knill and it's a new phenomenon. As for the pressure at home games, the players are close to the crowd and it must be intimidating for them but they have to deal with it impeccably two more times or we're screwed.

As for the negativity on here i have to disagree and say it's a forum and people can post whatever they like within reason. The players should be spared any audible criticism whilst on the pitch as it doesn't achieve anything and makes them perform worse IMO but anyone is more than entitled to use this site for concerns, rants, criticisms and what not otherwise the players are not accountable. I'm sure the players know they've been sh*t this season and they wouldn't be surprised to visit this site and read about them being sh*t. The players deserve our full support at games but on here there is no way they should be immune from criticism they also deserve.

[SuperNickyWroe]

may i try and put this chant thing to bed.

bradford is one of the largest asian communities in the UK.

if you may remember there was a riot there a few years ago, big time.
the thing was that although there were racial tensions, the rioting asians - and they were all asians targeted all businesses including indian and bangladeshi restuarants..........and also BMW and vauxhall (german) car showrooms.....

so what does that say.

anyway, with regard to the alleged chanting - dont see it as a problem as less than 1% of the asian community actually follow bradford city.
the club is always trying to encourage them to follow the team without any success.

[Dave]

Ok had enough of this now, so this is the end, I had a point to make and made which was about the utter nonsense chanting from the lads in the middle, I know many of them personaly and those I know will be told personaly.

And no, I am not on twitter can barely be bothered with Facebook, so any tweets you have seen, have not come from me , also I am not a paid up memeber of the p/c brigade, however there are some things which are funny, some things which are not, trying pass off chanting England and god save the queen at a Torquay match against Bradford, which I know for a fact were refered as Bradistan, which i never been heard before and I have being going since 1981, as banter is well wide of the mark.

We can thank our lucky stars that the Bradford fans more than likey did not hear it, as the Barlow chants were louder, as said the real issue for me was the lack of psoitive support for our team.

Now please feel free to move on, I now have, the end.

[Bitchie Renault]

may i try and put this chant thing to bed.

bradford is one of the largest asian communities in the UK.

if you may remember there was a riot there a few years ago, big time.
the thing was that although there were racial tensions, the rioting asians - and they were all asians targeted all businesses including indian and bangladeshi restuarants..........and also BMW and vauxhall (german) car showrooms.....

so what does that say.

anyway, with regard to the alleged chanting - dont see it as a problem as less than 1% of the asain community actually follow bradford city.
the club is always trying to encourage them to follow the team without any success.

Maybe you're on an April Fool's wind up, but you haven't put anything to bed or even made any relevent points at all. Riots? Asian Community? Car showrooms? Can you quantify what you're trying to say with fathomable facts that relate to today's incident.

[SuperNickyWroe]

Maybe you're on an April Fool's wind up, but you haven't put anything to bed or even made any relevent points at all. Riots? Asian Community? Car showrooms? Can you quantify what you're trying to say with fathomable facts that relate to today's incident.

cant you read?

or maybe your the fool?

i think the last two lines sum it up.

[stargull]

Well, that was throughly depressing.

The performance on the pitch was thoroughly depressing. Bradford looked like they were fitter, and more awake, from the start, and our early lead felt like an unexpected gift - which is why it didn't last too long. It seemed inevitable they'd score from the free kick, and they did, and the second and third were no surprise either. We were second to almost every ball all day, and if you'd been tempted to put that down to playing against a vicious wind in the first half things didn't get much better in the second, and with the possible exception of Macklin who looked at least willing to run about a bit none of the subs changed anything. On this performance we're already down, so let's hope it was just one of those days - Bradford certainly looked a lot better than their league position merits.

In order to distract me, a few on the pop side decided to sing 'England, England', God Save the Queen and Vindaloo just before half time. I've never heard anything like this at Plainmoor - ever - and this sudden outbreak of national feeling seemed to me clearly racist. For the hard of thinking: singing England songs at a league two game isn't a claim of patriotism (you're excused the day after we win the World Cup), it's an attempt to say that your opponents aren't English. I don't get to many games these days as work prevents it - certainly not as many as those who I went and confronted about what they were singing - but I've been to many, many games but never before come across such nonsense; when we can abuse opponents for being northern we've never needed it. I was ashamed to be a Torquay fan today, but not ashamed enough to let a few idiots take my club away from me, which is why I went and said something. For the record, I didn't get the police involved - when on someone else's say-so they came and asked I told them it was taken care of, and in the second half it mostly was. It's for us as fans, not them, to decide what's allowed - and today we needed more support for the team and less abuse of the opposition.

Back to the football - how on Earth do we cope without Poke? Let's hope he's back for Gillingham.

Chris Lintott

[Gazzableedsgull]

I'm sure the Bradistan comments and anything to do with chants about England were not said in a racist manor. I know all of the lads in that particular group and they were probably just making light of a bad performance .. Leave them too it, if you don't want to listen to them don't stand near them, it's simple really. Living in Leeds the term Bradistan comes up a lot, it's not racist, it's a joke, I have many Asian friends at work who come from that area and they're as lighthearted about it as we are. If it was as serious as some of you are making out then I'm sure they'll be an investigation and a clamp down by the club.

Until then, I don't see why every other week these boys get stick when more often that not they're the ones making the atmosphere home and away .. I'm proud that they're so loyal cos they are the next generation that will keep this club alive, but if we get on there backs they might decide not to bother coming any more, which will mean their future kids won't come .. And so on .. If you don't like them stand a bit further away .. Or sit in the bench and create your own atmosphere .. If not ten leave them too it unless something happens that is seriously wrong.

[Jerry]

Sounds like Chris Lintott is an idiot

Couldn't be further from the truth!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Lintott

[AustrianAndyGull]

I'm sure the Bradistan comments and anything to do with chants about England were not said in a racist manor. I know all of the lads in that particular group and they were probably just making light of a bad performance .. Leave them too it, if you don't want to listen to them don't stand near them, it's simple really. Living in Leeds the term Bradistan comes up a lot, it's not racist, it's a joke, I have many Asian friends at work who come from that area and they're as lighthearted about it as we are. If it was as serious as some of you are making out then I'm sure they'll be an investigation and a clamp down by the club.

Until then, I don't see why every other week these boys get stick when more often that not they're the ones making the atmosphere home and away .. I'm proud that they're so loyal cos they are the next generation that will keep this club alive, but if we get on there backs they might decide not to bother coming any more, which will mean their future kids won't come .. And so on .. If you don't like them stand a bit further away .. Or sit in the bench and create your own atmosphere .. If not ten leave them too it unless something happens that is seriously wrong.

That term is very widely used up north Gaz and i also know that many asians aren't offended by it and ideed there are certain terms used by white people towards black people in a derogatory manner which many black people even use with each other and aren't offended by it. However, whether someone is offended by it or not is purely subjective and IMO it sounds like the songs being sung were borne out of some racist viewpoints towards Bradford's asian community and whether the Bradfordians found them acceptable or not is irrelevant, they shouldn't have been sung.

I know a lot of them are young lads and i've stuck up for them before especially when we had the debate about negative chanting and goading the away end but i've been a youth on the terraces of northern grounds and sung some unsavoury rubbish (never racist) and you just get roped in because you are young. That's how it is generally with lads in these big groups at football matches and older people should be able to let things go and let them get on with it within reason. Most things are ok Gaz but singing songs about England to other people that are actually English too is childish and i can't defend that. Generally speaking though you are right, these lads ( along with many other youngsters who go with parents and relatives too but who DON'T choose to sing about such things ) are the future of TUFC and we don't want to be getting on their backs every 5 minutes like some kind of self policing terrace culture but they need to take a little bit of responsibility for what they are doing on occasion that's all.

Cheers Gaz

[PhilGull]

some kind of self policing terrace culture

This is exactly what we need. We are grown ups and should be able to sort this crap out. Better that than something awful is said and the club gets fined - or worse.

[divingbboy]

Couldn't be further from the truth!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Lintott

His book written with the late Sir Patrick Moore and Dr. Brian May is brilliant. Beautiful to look at, too.