What is wrong with football 'fans'?

[Randomchat]

Invading the pitch after yesterday's game? First full allocations away fans in ages and that's how they behave? What is wrong with these people? Fans of both sides involved.
I just don't understand them.

One of my work colleagues is a Celtic ultra/ member of the Green Brigade/ football hooligan. He'll come into work today all full of himself and we'll all have to listen. I saw him on the tv footage with his hood up, all threatening looking.
He's usually a fairly normal, respectable type but when there's a football match, especially an Old Firm game, it's like a total personality transplant.

They're an absolute disgrace to football and to Scotland. I wonder if the police will ask for names of anyone on the pitch. I honestly might give them his name.

Rant over. Sorry. I just hate this behaviour around football so much.

your colleague is an absolute disgrace.

is it the general atmosphere in the world at the moment?

The behaviour of the fans is the reason I hate football. I used to live 100 yards from a very well known footlball club and match days were horrific. I believe that there should be zero tolerance and that they should be suspended from playing for x matches after such an incident. At least then there might be some impetus from the club to do something about it.

It was fans from both sides tbf but Celtic should be thrown out of the Scottish Cup. They really should. It's the only way to make clubs take this seriously. Or both teams should not be allowed to compete next season.

Bloody disgrace. Totally rubbish responses from the clubs as well so far. Martin O'Neil is euphoric so can't think about yet and the Rangers fella was in the tunnel so he didn't see anything.

it baffles me. You simply don’t get this behaviour with other sports. I live near a major rugby ground and I have never seen trouble, even when there has been big local rival games

Yes, very scary. I agree there should be consequences for the club. Then if they care so much about the club they wouldn’t do stuff like this.

When my mum was a girl she lived in a house near-ish a football stadium. Her mother used to gather the kids and take them to a friend’s top floor tenement on the days Rangers and Celtic were in town.

@Randomchatwhy is it that just Celtic should be thrown out? The footage I saw showed rangers fans on the pitch letting off the first ‘missile’ or whatever they’re called into the stand with Celtic fans and a Celtic coach being attacked.

there’s idiots in both sides.

Because Rangers are already out.

Maybe banning both teams from entering the Scorrrish Cup at all next year would be fairer.

Any club who can't control their fans should not be entered into the competition.

Of course that won't happen. Nothing will happen. It will just carry on as it is.

I agree with you that yesterday's behaviour was disgraceful and stain on Scottish football. No excuse for it.

But Ultras aren’t synonyms with hooligans. They are organised fan groups focused on atmosphere tifos, displays, chants etc. Usually the younger, vocal crowd. Loads of clubs in Scotland have ultra groups and most are just about supporting their team. They raise a huge amount of funds for my local club (not the green or blue one). Hooliganism is about violence not supporting their club, it's a guise for disorder and violence. Like any large fan culture there will be individuals who cross the line, but the idea that ultras = hooligans is a harmful stereotype.

I think away fans just won’t be able to go to matches.

This is why I am a bit cheesed off by the world cup football holiday. The constant deification of a sport that brings out the worst men in Scotland to behave shamefully - remember the increase in alcohol fuelled yobbery and domestic violence against women and children after every match. I think we encourage it as a nation by giving the game special status.

The “ultras” on both sides have been vandalising various structures in and around the city with their team colours and flags of choice and putting stickers everywhere. I have no time for idiots like that or for football or religion and I’m tired of so much in Glasgow having to revolve around the two teams.

What I'm saying is there are ultra groups across the country for most teams and they do not behave like this. To tar every ultra fan group with the same brush is not fair. Football hooligans/casuals and ultras are not the same thing.

I agree that Celtic should be thrown out to send a strong message. They'd given the fans the benefit of the doubt with a full ticket allocation and they abused it.

What was with all the clones dressed all in black with something blue on their heads? I'm not from Glasgow so have no idea about football stuff down there.

How much does it cost to police these matches? I think the teams should be charged in full every time. My hobbies don't cause any public disruption or violence, I resent any of my taxes going on policing sports.

I’m pretty sure it used to be the case that the clubs paid for policing inside the ground but not outside, I don’t know if that’s still the case.

The old firm are an utter embarrassment to Scotland.

Some people treat football as a matter of life or death. It’s far more important than that.
Bill Shankley.
Liverpool manager.

It’s a strange psychology you’re dealing with here. The tribe. A perfectly reasonable person can get carried away by what the tribe wants them to do and does it, unquestionably even though it’s madness. A family man with a respectable job suddenly singing offensive songs and being violent because that’s what the tribe expects. All form of control outsourced to a peer group. I really hope they chuck Celtic out of the competition and relegate both clubs. They need to understand how unacceptable their bovine headed knuckle dragging actions are.

I think.it was Angela Rayner who suggested for water companies polluting, fine them a fine that really impacts them. Several fines, they are financially crippled. Tough. With water companies they get nationalised.
Football clubs, massive fines for violence, disorder etc. "aw bu' it'l cripple guid clubs an' heri'age ain't at". Should control your fans then.

Celtic fans were on the pitch first, which is why Rangers fans went on the pitch.

Make the OF games next season behind closed doors.

Why is it only football fans who cause this sort of trouble though? I was at Murrayfield 2 weeks ago. Scotland v England. Supportes of both sides all mixed in together. No violence, nobody felt threatening. Same at loads of other sports, yet for some reason football fans seem to take pride in behaving like yobs.

My colleague has been arrested. Apparently he threw a bottle at police. He didn't even have his face covered so he was easily recognised. Stupid fucker.

@OnlyReplyToIdiotsits not uncommon for the winning teams fans/ background staff come into the pitch at the end of a big game. Unusual for the losing team to do that also that though unless they’re looking for trouble.

I agree close the games to only allow home fans.

Some of the cost is picked up by the clubs. But regardless; Football puts way more money into tax coffers than it takes out.

If you identified your colleague it's possible his manager did too. Many work places would take a dim view of taking part in that kind of behaviour due to the association of the person to their business

There is not a chance of both sides being relegated
Or of Celtic being thrown out the cup