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Some Torquay fans really need to lighten up!

What the hell is wrong with fans of opposing sides standing or sitting side by side watching the game together in peace, supporting their respective teams and celebrating their own sides goals, with friendly banter in the good spirit of the game, which is called sportsmanship? That's how it always used to be when I was kid attending games with my father.

Those showing boorish behaviour can be disarmed with a friendly response or ignored or put to shame depending upon the level of miscreance. The truly villainous (who really are a tiny minority) can of course be ejected. The vast majority of fans of both sides are perfectly normal decent people who will not stand for bad behaviour whether it be from opposing fans or from their own.

One almost gets the impression that those in authority encourage division and conflict as it enables them to enjoy a greater degree of control. Not true of course (?!) but the intolerance and uncivilised behaviour of people watching games doesn't help anyone..

A Gas Heads perspective from the Bristows Bench

We sold our allocation within two days for the Torquay away fixture, unfortunately as a season ticket holder I still could not get tickets. This was always going to be a must see fixture, as our last away fixture and the chance to celebrate the fact that we were staying up (quite comfortably) ...... Certainly was not the case at the end of January where we thought we could be heading for non league obscurity, thanks to Mark MCgee and the tw*t Buckle (previous season I.know, but very much to blame for how we started off this season)

Like a number of other Gasheads I went to Torquay ground and bought 10 tickets (yes 10), I was not questioned, asked to produce proof of address, so TUFC were quite happy to take my money.

There were a significant number of seats in BB stand yesterday unoccupied, so surely it would have been far easier to increase the number of away tickets by 400-500 and everyone would have been happy.

I thought the Policing was some of the best I have witnessed in many years of following the Gas, from in and around the Wetherspoons pubs, Devon Arms and the Union pub, near the ground, which were all absolutely rammed with Rovers supporters. It was visible Policing, not aggressive or over the top, and to me they just wanted to let the supporters get on and have a good time. There were probably 400 plus still in Torquay until very late night, and I saw not one incident where the Police had to come to a pub to deal with anything.

My own criticism was of allowing Torquay fans to gather next to the Gas Heads in the home stand, this could have been diffused by moving them apart, it appeared that both sets of fans there goaded each other as the scoreline rapidly changed.

I heard a number of Gas Heads say that Hoteliers had obtained tickets from the club and sold them to supporters as a B&B type package.

I would say in these hard times the boost to the local economy over the weekend was quite significant (500-600 staying in the locality over the weekend), as hotels, pubs, bars, restaurants, fast food and local taxi drivers benefited considerably.

Finally ....... No we did not want you to go down (or Plymouth for that matter) as I know any day I would rather be heading to a West Country away fixture than trekking across or half way up the country. On reflection, yesterday was a day of celebration for both sets of supporters, and despite perhaps some over the top banter was a trouble free day and weekend.

Believe you me on the recent record of our noisy neighbours and their exploits at Cardiff and Bolton, to name just two, you would have not wanted 2000 of them in town for the weekend

Hoping for better times for both clubs next season

tktufc91 wrote:My auntie was sat in Bristows Bench surrounded by Rovers fans who were giving her grief when they scored. They were celebrating their goals and gave her stern glances when she celebrated. The club failed to do what they said what they would do and that is not acceptable. Had we gone down, I am sure there would have been ugly scenes.

I went to a Fulham v spurs game a while ago. I was sat in the Fulham end as a spurs fan and my mum is a Fulham fan. When spurs scored, I respected where I was and didn't celebrate. The majority of rovers fans in our home ends didn't and in my mind should have been ejected.

Still we are safe and we can look forward to next season but I hope the club takes a look at this and realise that trouble could have kicked off had results gone the other way.

Stern glances?

Hanging's too good for them! :whip:

Gullscorer wrote:Some Torquay fans really need to lighten up!

What the hell is wrong with fans of opposing sides standing or sitting side by side watching the game together in peace, supporting their respective teams and celebrating their own sides goals, with friendly banter in the good spirit of the game, which is called sportsmanship? That's how it always used to be when I was kid attending games with my father.

Those showing boorish behaviour can be disarmed with a friendly response or ignored or put to shame depending upon the level of miscreance. The truly villainous (who really are a tiny minority) can of course be ejected. The vast majority of fans of both sides are perfectly normal decent people who will not stand for bad behaviour whether it be from opposing fans or from their own.

One almost gets the impression that those in authority encourage division and conflict as it enables them to enjoy a greater degree of control. Not true of course (?!) but the intolerance and uncivilised behaviour of people watching games doesn't help anyone..

In principle I agree with you, I too remember when it was possible to watch a game in peace together, and it still probably is! However, the reason this was so wrong has been spelled out clearly above:

1 This was a game that could have seen Torquay go out of the League, possibly for a very long time.
2 "Banter" to me does not include chanting at fans sitting next to you in the home section of the ground "You're going down". How on earth can this be described as "banter"? Going down to the Blue Square is a total disaster for a League 2 side, a financial disaster and a disaster for the fans, jokes and banter are not sensible.
3 A number of the Rovers fans were pissed and very lairy, not good humoured at all (and I say this as somebody who lived in Bristol for many years and went to a lot of Rovers games, I know when they are good humoured!). You cannot "disarm" people like this with a friendly gesture, sorry but you can't. As a result some of the regulars in Bristows Bench were scared and upset, theyt had every right to be.

You can't just dismiss this all as needing to "lighten up", that is quite insulting. To be honest I didn't get too upset at what went on yesterday (I was more worried about what was going on on the pitch and at other games) but a some people were very upset at what went on. You can't just tell them to "lighten up".

I disagree. The points you mention should not make any difference, unless fans allow themselves to be goaded. And, as already stated, those individuals whose behaviour is really bordering on the wrong side of the law can and should be ejected. I think some Torquay fans' reactions to all this have been way over the top, more so than the Rovers fans.

Here's the perspective from their forum: http://www.brfcforum.co.uk/index.php?/t ... -stewards/

Gullscorer wrote:I disagree. The points you mention should not make any difference, unless fans allow themselves to be goaded. And, as already stated, those individuals whose behaviour is really bordering on the wrong side of the law can and should be ejected. I think some Torquay fans' reactions to all this have been way over the top, more so than the Rovers fans.

Here's the perspective from their forum: http://www.brfcforum.co.uk/index.php?/t ... stewards//

There were several of these individuals in Bristows Bench, and they weren't ejected. They were drunk and insulting at a football game, I thought that was illegal but what do I know? Sorry, but we agree to disagree. Things could have been very difficult indeed if we had lost and gone down. What is annoying me now is that comments from you and others are painting me out to be some kind of pompous prat, anybody who knows me would tell you different.

Sorry but some of you are coming across as pompous prats.

So a few inebriated Gasheads dared to have a laugh and take the piss. Grow up, it happens. We've had a response from the Club, move on.

Agreed SG - it was a safe environment and my daughter (15) boyfriend, and my wife did not feel threatened - even walking through the gas heads down the lane. My daughters boyfriend watches A.Villa - he can tell us about REAL trouble! Just a shame that he won't be coming again because he reckons it was a dead atmosphere on our part - esp 1st half.....

Southampton Gull wrote:Sorry but some of you are coming across as pompous prats.

So a few inebriated Gasheads dared to have a laugh and take the piss. Grow up, it happens. We've had a response from the Club, move on.

That's fine, think what you wish. I can have a laugh with the best of them, but yesterday was not a laugh at all. I agree though, the club has made a response and apologised for letting the fans down, so let's move on.

Southampton Gull wrote:Sorry but some of you are coming across as pompous prats.

So a few inebriated Gasheads dared to have a laugh and take the piss. Grow up, it happens. We've had a response from the Club, move on.

Sorry Dave got to disagree the situation in the family stand could have got ugly. People should be able to sit together and have banter but the fact is they can't and the club have a responsability to protect those who wish to sit in "safe areas" ie the family stand. They could have also had a sell out with the amount of Rovers fans that wanted to attend, so those fans without tickets did probably what you and I would have done for an important match, they can not be blamed. The club allowed the situation to happen.

We did exactly the same ouselves though Dave.

Dagenham & Redbridge anyone?
Salisbury?
Exeter before that.

People in glass houses etc.

I can understand where you are coming from Dave but this was one of the most important fixtures in our history and I really think it could have turned ugly if we ended up getting relegated.

If I had to sit or stand in the oppositions home end when away, I would respect where I was and keep myself anonymous. I would have hoped those in the home ends yesterday would have done the same.

Oh what a cardinal sin to chant "You're going down". Does this really deserve to be escorted from the ground? Have some of you ever seen trouble at football grounds? I think the stewarding and Policing at the match yesterday and around the ground was excellent and I don't think some of you realise just how often trouble is caused at football matches by overzealous stewarding and policing. The only way that things would have turned nasty yesterday would have been if the police had become heavy handed and it is only at those times that what starts as a handful of troublemakers suddenly turns to hundreds being involved.

best he sticks to watching villa then, the atmosphere was great from where we stood, as for rovers fans who think we dont get a full away end and arent used to seeing it full, then you dont know what your on about, its been full against plymouth, exeter, leicester in the cup, now there is a big club! they showed respect, and yes we have had problems with cardiff and swansea in the past, its nothing new they do come to small clubs like us aswell you know. so get off your we are a big club horse and take a look at yourselves, yes the majority of your fans are well behaved and behave, but as for the morons that were there yesterday, disgusting. :na:

friendlygas wrote:Oh what a cardinal sin to chant "You're going down". Does this really deserve to be escorted from the ground? Have some of you ever seen trouble at football grounds? I think the stewarding and Policing at the match yesterday and around the ground was excellent and I don't think some of you realise just how often trouble is caused at football matches by overzealous stewarding and policing. The only way that things would have turned nasty yesterday would have been if the police had become heavy handed and it is only at those times that what starts as a handful of troublemakers suddenly turns to hundreds being involved.

Come on, just turn the tables around. Rovers are playing Torquay at the Mem, last game of the season and Rovers need a result to be safe from going down to the horrible, awful, dreadful Blue Square Premier. Torquay have nothing to play for, but take lots of fans up to Bristol for the weekend. We have fans in your home end who start chanting "You're Going Down!" after we take the lead. So it will be all jolly fun and laughter from the Rovers fans? Don't even bother to lie, you know what would happen.