Moronic "supporters"

[diamondgirl]

Austrian. As Bixie has said, it is Paul's real name. The reason that his surname has been typed the way it has, on my post, is because the word sensor, on this forum, bleeped it out when I put it in first time. The only way I could get it to not *** the word B A S T A R D out, was to leave a space between each letter. Made me laff. You can actually get a few "hits" if you google Paul.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Is this is surname by birth or his he truly THAT eccentric that he would change his name to this?!!! Either way its mental! ( in a respectful way of course ).

[gullsflyinghigh]

You talk as if we're starting to form a hooligan firm 'diamondgirl'.

Okay, so we've got a few younger supporters who sing a few crappy songs and aren't mature enough to realise that taking the piss out of an opposition player or fan for a long period of time is annoying for the rest of the support.

In reality, they're quite loyal and as AlexGulls said are probably decent lads. We could be a lot worse, get over it. At least they're singing and trying to create an atmosphere!

[Dave]

I am lucky if i get to two away games a season, so will not make a comment about Saturday or what goes on in general with our support at away match's.

However are we talkng about the self styled "yellow army " lads ? If so I have to be honest , this is not me knocking anyone's opinion, but i must say i have no problem with this group of lad's, i do not stand with them at every home game, do sometimes , and for the most part they are very loyal and sing mostly songs in support of there club, yes some of there chants can be a little miss-guided but they are young lad's...we have all been there remember

Stood with them home to Plymouth there support of the team that day was fantastic, and the banter they got going with the Plymouth was applauded by the Plymouth on a number of occasions.

Anyway enough of that , i think it is important to balance this up, it would appear from the O/S that our club as a whole including the fan's have left a very good impression on Sheffield United , i think it's fair to say our club has won another friend in them.

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[Gullscorer]

chants at other players or demeaning the opposition are part and parcel of football, always has been always will be, its still about the only place that you can scream and shout without getting locked up.

Just move away from them if you dont like it, at least they were making some noise, i'm normally a very mild mannered, law abiding citizen but at the match i can shout and swear along with the best of them, its a good release after a long day at work and i'd hate to see that diluted.

the ched evans incident is easily googleable, but i believe he was accused of some sort of sexual misconduct, they sang 'she said no evans, she said no' which, me and my gang of 40 somethings actually found quite amusing at the time, full of beer! if hes in the public eye then he needs to learn to behave himself, i never feel sorry for any celebs, be them a list, or further down the pecking order, if they misbehave then they get slammed for it, end of.

i dont know these kids that were chanting, and i imagine they probably are annoying little chavs, by the sound of it on the coach they certainly were, throwing sweets about etc! but at the end of the day football is all about the atmosphere, and at least they were singing tufc songs most of the time, mind you i was about as far away from them at the very far left of our end so probably missed their smaller misdemeanours

AlexGulls wrote: "You do realise that none of these are actually louts? They dont go looking for trouble. As I said if you spoke to any of them in
the Pub before the game or even during the game (in a normal way not a way where your having a go at them) you'd realise
they're all good lads just they sometimes get carried away with their chants.

If they were trouble makers I wouldnt be anywhere near them. I'm sure the others on here that know them will back me up on this aswell."


Sorry Bixie but you're totally wrong. I too am a mild-mannered law-abiding citizen, but why should I move away from somewhere I'm entitled to be, simply to avoid being offended by unacceptable behaviour by mindless idiots? Most normal folks would agree that it is most definitely not amusing. Shout and swear all you want if it gives you release, but do it somewhere private please. In a public place people must learn to behave themselves and to have some consideration for others.

It is possible to shout, sing, chant, and create an atmosphere without being offensive to others. Alexgull, this is something that even good lads who don't go looking for trouble, but sometimes get carried away, need to learn.

And it is not good enough for people to say this is just the way things are these days and there's nothing to be done about it. It's time for decent law-abiding people to put a stop to such appalling unacceptable disgraceful behaviour.

[bengull]

I think a part of the problem at Sheffield was a group on 15/16 year old Chesterfield fans who decided they would come along and show their hatred towards the Blades. In fact it was them who devised and started the Ched Evans chant in question, so its not a case of our fans deciding to set out to have a go at Ched, infact most of the fans around me were pretty oblivious to his misdemeanours untill the Chesterfield mob explained. This isn't to defend the continual singing of said chant however, and although I like to stand in and around the singers for most away games, I don't join in any chant i find insulting, offensive or above and beyond the call of banter.

I don't know many of them personally, but as Alex says, in smaller numbers at various away games this season I have stood near some, more or few of them and they all seem like decent chaps, perhaps a little bit too impressionable and easily encouraged by a group of Chesterfield fans who invented a 'funny chant' towards someone they 'hate'. It should be noted that they did indeed try and arrange a fitting tribute for Gary Speed, and up untill the Evans chant had created a really positive atmosphere ; like they try to at most games.

It is a shame that this has happened, and I too was cringing at some of the behaviour which towards the end was inexcusable, but in their defence, they are the first people in the ground to try and create a decent atmosphere. Creating plenty of chants that we all enjoy singing along to and joining in with,If they can see that they went too far at certain times on Saturday, and can gradually focus their passion on getting behind our team for 90 minutes then I think they should be applauded. At certain times on Saturday they were very vocal in support of our boys and thats credit to them.

I think a bit of good natured banter should always be encouraged, it does create a better atmosphere, as long as it stays on the right side of the line. Had the Blades fans bothered to sing for their team at any other point apart from when they were winning I am sure the 'chant banter' would have stopped.

Overall it is a shame we have to be discussing this topic, and I agree the chants were beyond the pale, but they were initiated by a group of Chesterfield fans. Doesn't excuse the continual singing of it at all, but also shouldn't be held against a group of young fans who all have a passion for our club and for the most part do a good job in creating a decent atmosphere.

[AlexGulls]

Completley agree with Ben on his post. Spot on. Aside from the Ched Evans chant being sung abit too often and a couple moaning about a home fan clapping and jumping around in the home end who they took offence too for whatever reason they did create a good atmosphere especially when it was getting behind the sides. It's not very often in recent times people have had a reason to complain about them because they are all passionate about the team we all love and surport. As said sometimes they just need to be kept on track and not distracted to one thing they find amusing and derails them from songs getting behind the team to something that doesnt need to be used as much as the Ched Evans Chant was!

[Trojan 67]

Yes Austrian. Thats our Paul B a s t a r d. (Or" Where's Wally" as he has been referred to by non Torquay supporters) He has supported TUFC for many years. He is local, and his Mum, who still lives in the Babbacombe (I believe) area of Torquay, sometimes comes with him to home games (She's lovely). All of the players know and respect him for his dedication and passion for all things TUFC. He attended Torquay boys Grammar school, and one of the guys that I travel to away games with tells me that Paul, even then, was consumed by TUFC. He was apparantly, always compiling stats.

He actually lives in the Manchester area now. He is the chief wine buyer for the Co-Op group of supermarkets. He is a great guy and his passion for Torquay is there for all to see.

As the saying goes, "Never judge a book by it's cover" Paul is an inteligent, inoffensive man and it's an experience spending time with him at a Torquay United football match...home or away.

I was at Ellacombe Primary school with Paul B'stard (Bixie is correct in the pronounciation "bus-tarred" or "bu-starred" like in the former Reading goalkeeper Steve Death . . . "de-ath" or d-ath).

Although death is a b*stard, it happens.

Paul was in the same Ellacombe year as current Torquay director Ian Hayman and behind the scenes office worker John Foster. I say behind the scenes, but whenever I go into reception at Plainmoor, John is front of office. In his day, John was an accomplished footballer who could play anywhere in the back four and turned out for STC (Paignton) and Babbacombe Rangers among others.

[Gazzableedsgull]

well how about some of you start standing with us and chanting instead of having a go at us for singing 'inappropriate' songs .. really don't understand the problem .. so frustrating being called a 'moron' for chanting a song aimed at a player to try put him off his game .. it wasn't racist, nor was it sexist so cant see why some people feel it was out of order ..

[AustrianAndyGull]

well how about some of you start standing with us and chanting instead of having a go at us for singing 'inappropriate' songs .. really don't understand the problem .. so frustrating being called a 'moron' for chanting a song aimed at a player to try put him off his game .. it wasn't racist, nor was it sexist so cant see why some people feel it was out of order ..

Maybe someone who has themselves been subjected to a sexual assault or similar would have p****d themselves with laughter at the lighthearted quips eh?

[Gullscorer]

well how about some of you start standing with us and chanting instead of having a go at us for singing 'inappropriate' songs .. really don't understand the problem .. so frustrating being called a 'moron' for chanting a song aimed at a player to try put him off his game .. it wasn't racist, nor was it sexist so cant see why some people feel it was out of order ..

While it's something of a relief to know the offensive chants were initiated by Chesterfield fans rather than our own lads, it's sad that some people still don't understand the problem. You think that bad behaviour can only be offensive if it's racist or sexist? Well, it's like the baying of a mob for whom the little matter of being innocent until proved guilty is of no consequence, the incessant use of foul and inappropriate language, aggressive and threatening body language, and so on.. There are so many ways of being offensive, of behaving badly. You really don't understand the problem? Really?

[Gazzableedsgull]

don't insult me by thinking you're more intelligent than me, i know what's offensive and what isn't .. are you really that sad that you're bothered about what songs are sung? honestly its ridiculous .. its funny how for the most part of the Chesterfield and Sheffield United games AND most other games its only us that bothers singing through out, yet when we sing something that you don't agree with then you decide to have your voice heard .. what's that about? .. and you're going too far to call us a mob and to think we're all young.

[Kernowgull]

well how about some of you start standing with us and chanting instead of having a go at us for singing 'inappropriate' songs .. really don't understand the problem .. so frustrating being called a 'moron' for chanting a song aimed at a player to try put him off his game .. it wasn't racist, nor was it sexist so cant see why some people feel it was out of order ..

I think you've just justified why people are calling you a moron. There were a lot of people sat with me just in front of the singing section, who were joining in with all the yellow army and Torquay related songs. In the second half, I spent a good ten minutes with another lad behind me trying to keep yellow army going everytime it went a little quiet. However, I was put off joining in as soon as I heard the subject matter and was quite embarrased by it. Who knows if there was anyone there who had been subject to either rape themselves or been falsely accused, which for all we know, Evans has been. If he hasn't been, he will be punished, but all that singing songs about him is going to achieve is to put a bee in his bonnet and inspire him to work harder. Oh look, he scored twice in the second half. Great work!

[HRG]

well how about some of you start standing with us and chanting instead of having a go at us for singing 'inappropriate' songs .. really don't understand the problem .. so frustrating being called a 'moron' for chanting a song aimed at a player to try put him off his game .. it wasn't racist, nor was it sexist so cant see why some people feel it was out of order ..

Because it was about an alleged rape! What if the guy is innocent? Or maybe I've got it all completely wrong, lets forget innocent until proven guilty and use an allegation of a VERY serious crime for the trivial purpose of putting a player 'off his game'. I fail to see what isn't out of order about it.

Also, by your standards, anything that isn't rascist or sexist is fair game? I'm also feeling frustrated, but only by your supreme ignorance.

don't insult me by thinking you're more intelligent than me, i know what's offensive and what isn't .. are you really that sad that you're bothered about what songs are sung? honestly its ridiculous .. its funny how for the most part of the Chesterfield and Sheffield United games AND most other games its only us that bothers singing through out, yet when we sing something that you don't agree with then you decide to have your voice heard .. what's that about? .. and you're going too far to call us a mob and to think we're all young.

1) What someone finds offensive and what they don't is purely a matter of opinion. You only know what is offensive to you, you most certainly do not know what is offensive to me.

2) I'm that sad, yes.

3) Being young is a poor excuse. Being older leaves no excuse.

My goat has most certainly been got. Chocolate may be in order.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Gazza, i understand where you're coming from, i most of the time get in with the singers and i can be quite aggressive at times borne out of frustartion and the heat of the moment but there are certain aspects of football chants that i just can't get involved in, such as the Ched Evans thing. And i would think most like minded fans would think the same if they have any moral compass at all. Yes you can sing about Sheffield being a dump and the ground being to big, even calling someone a w****r and flagging them off. You can't sing about rape, death or illness directly at a player ( my ONLY exception is Lee Hughes - he deserves the death penalty in my book ) but generally its not acceptable and you're gonna get slagged off if you do it.