Gooner Corner

[check_bin_krap]

Wearing colours can get you into problems many places if you don't go with organized bus or somewhat. I don't recall any riot stories between Arsenal and Leeds fans. There is always some when Man.U. comes to visit and the other way.

 

Myself, I got whacked by a group in Liverpool but managed to get away. Everton "supporters". After that, I dropped my colours.

 

Maybe I am wrong though Gunneruk, do you feel the same going to Manchester, Sunderland or L'pool? Interesting discussion.

[sayjann]

maybe i have been lucky but never hd any trouble when visiting away grounds(in England and abroad) and wearing my colours.

only time i felt intimidated was at Wembley.

 

went to a Charity Shield game against Chelsea and had no ticket.

bought 1 from a Chelsea Fan and as soon as i was in the ground i approached a Steward and made it clear i was in the wrong end.

to his credit he took me through the Chelsea Fans along the entire length of Wembley to the MU end.

 

i was jostled,spat at,punched and sworn at the entire length of the walk.......it was scary.

[Guest]

Good idea for a thread,i do not wear colours to certain grounds,and also depends on where i am sitting,i do get the odd invatation to the directors box,so i pay the club the respect of not wearing colours,and i sit on my hands if we score.

The grounds i would never wear colours to are:-

Tottenham,Chelsea,West Ham,Milwall,(i wouldn't even wear colours to a home game against Milwall) Leeds,i might not wear it to Villa,and most Arsenal fans will not wear colours to Middlesbrough,is one of the few grounds i have not been to,so i can not judge how the fans are,but the fanzines are full of bad reports.

I like to think fans can wear the colours without fear to Arsenal,i have not seen any trouble at Highbury for a very long time,but i am sure that certain fans do feel they can not wear colours to the Arse.

I always wear colours against Moaners,as i refuse to allow their so called fans to stop me,,,its simply a matter of principle,not because i feel safe wearing them.

I think its sad,that no matter who you support,that you can't wear the colours at certain grounds,but every club has a few idiots looking for trouble,including The Arsenal

[check_bin_krap]

Its indeed sad that one has to even consider safety when going to a match in England. Its a huge contrast to Norway. You never even consider the situation, you do wear colours and have friendly arguements with opposing supporters.

 

I am not saying Norway is safe, but that going to a football match is.

[Steve]

CBK, when you're the top side you are not liked. Respected maybe but certainly not liked and wasn't that the case with the Revie sides in the early '70s? Of course Leeds isn't hated by Arsenal fans as Spurs but they are not ambivalent about them either. You mention 'Boro or Ipswich to older Arse fans and you get a 'could care less', mention Leeds and you hear 'ruffians, dirty, hard and the like'. And wouldn't beating us in a cup final cause some enmity against you guys? Early 90s it seemed like one of our sides was vying to be the club to take over after Liverpool's dominance (until you couldn't keep Cantona happy and manc scum got him! ...lol)

 

By and large though, there are some clubs you hate much more than others and you really don't like any club in your league. Only degrees of dislike. You love your own and to hell with the rest. You respect some fans though for how arduous they are in support (Pompey comes to mind) and perhaps some managers their ability (Curbishley comes to mind, grudgingly fat ass Sam at Bolton) to get results with limited resources.

 

I saw some clips about a year ago of some of old Leeds sides. Once in a while there will be someone who will send a link on one of the forums. We have a Leeds supporter who comes on one of the Arsenal forums from time to time and he sent me a link once (which I could find it and post it here, you'd like it CBK). Once I get my region free DVD player I can buy all the videos I've been wanting to see.

 

As far as wearing shirts, I was keenly aware of my wearing an Arsenal shirt when I was at King's Cross on a Saturday and there was a Chelsea game as well as West Ham game going on and seeing a lot of people in groups and all of a sudden sensing my stupidity and being a bit fearful. But one of the greatest feelings was walking toward the gate at Highbury with thousands wearing the same shirt. Unlike American stadiums, I didn't see the Liverpool fans till after I was inside. I knew support didn't sit together but actually seeing it and growing up in the states where everyone sits together was still a very strange experience. We all share the same pub here as well so you'll see all kinds of shirts in the pub here to watch games, even though our support sits to one side and who ever we are playing, their supports sits on the other side of the pub to watch their game.

[Belem]

Barcelona is playing a very entertaining attacking style of football at the moment. I hope they play Arsenal and Chelsea in the Champions League.

[kman]

Yeah .. Good discusion ..

 

Agree with your comments about Leeds, never felt safe there although never had any problems. Man City wasn't pleasant either. As far as OT no problems at all, I guess coz none of their lot actually come from Manchester. Never went to the North East so can't comment, but a Chelsea mate of mine did get done over at Sunderland .. by some Chelsea boys so I guess that doesn't count. You mentioned Villa, the only problems we had there was getting spat on from above. Millwall, now there was something special .. What a place with that scrap yard on the left with the bloody dogs going mad and then going through that old Victorian style tunnel into the pen. I remember when we came out cops told us to keep on the left, we asked why and was told that the Millwall boys would chuck lumps of concrete down from a block of flats on the right. Only ever went there the once that was enough. Apart from the derbies everywhere else I went was pretty much ok.

 

I've got to disagree with CBK's comment about wearing colours and going on organised transport. The football specials were a fuckin' nightmare and I hardly ever went on them. You might have to run the gauntlet from West Ham, Chelsea or Millwall before even getting on the train. Getting marched to and from the ground invariably involved getting some bricks thrown at you. Then when you got back to town it was the same as the morning. It didn't help that our nutters went on the train as well.

 

We mostly drove, had a far better day and from memory no real trouble, but we never took any scarves or anything. Mainly because we'd never have got served in a pub if we'd pulled up with scarves hanging out of the windows tho'. With a few exceptions away days were more fun and it was nearly always a good crack.

 

Cheers

K.

[check_bin_krap]

kman said:

 

I've got to disagree with CBK's comment about wearing colours and going on organised transport. The football specials were a fuckin' nightmare and I hardly ever went on them. You might have to run the gauntlet from West Ham, Chelsea or Millwall before even getting on the train. Getting marched to and from the ground invariably involved getting some bricks thrown at you. Then when you got back to town it was the same as the morning. It didn't help that our nutters went on the train as well.

I am no expert on organised transport, I have always gone by myself (or with Thai ex on a few occasions) as I am based in Norway. So I guess you are right.

 

Ex got to do some shopping, liked to watch the games and came with some sensible comments about the play. When she went we wore colours at home matches, not away.

 

Cheers!

[Steve]

One of the bartenders at the pub I go to is Scottish and a 'Gers fan. He has some crazy stories about the old firm derbies. They would organise a fight before the game, try to fight during the game and meet up with the Celtic fans to fight after the game. It was rite of passage to be considered old enough to join the fighting (13 or 14 y.o.).

 

 

Speaking of Millwall, my relatives in London said no black person in London there would ever support them because of their reputation for bigotry amongst the fans. Even black gooners wouldn't support them against Man Utd in the FA Cup final. I did encounter a very drunk Millwall supporter in a bar in Pattaya once. I was wearing my Arsenal shirt (no surprise there, eh? haha) He wasn't looking for a fight or anything but was very drunk and it almost became a fight because he was trying to drag me on the dance floor and he knew the girl that was with my friend and tried to 'chat her up' is the phrase I think. We left the bar. He looked like the type that has been in a bar bust up or two...and didn't lose many of those!!

 

I didn't see the Liverpool fans enter the Highbury when I went to the game this past April. Was it because they were brought in separately? Did they come in a special transport? I didn't see them after the game as well, I saw them in the stadium and that's it. I took the tube back and didn't see any on the train.

[check_bin_krap]

The rivalry between Celtic and Rangers is also mixed up with religion, and probably more serious than anything in England.

 

Seperate gates Steve? Thats why you didn't see them? Or the juice of the barley? Did you meet FJ?

 

I have never been to Highbury yet, hope you can be a guide for wife, son and me later... Would be something my friend. Let me add, I would enjoy the same in Manchester with Sayjann.

 

Oops, first my team has to get promoted... Can take some time!!!!

 

Cheers!