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    Getting thrown out of football grounds

    The only time this happened to me was on 1 October 1977 at a match between Man Utd and Liverpool. As teenagers at the time living in North Wales we were in the habit of reserving places on official supporters club coaches, or going by train (quite a few trying not to pay) to either Liverpool, Everton or Man Utd. (For some reason, Maine Road was never on our radar.)

    So on this day the group of us had downed the regulatory pints of bitter in some pub in central Manchester where if you looked more or less 16 or older, your age was never asked. Bus to the stadium, and in the Stretford End about an hour and a half before kick-off (does anyone ever do this nowadays?) Any old-school/long-term Man Utd fans here may remember the banter between the three sectors on the Stretford End (left side, right side, tunnel). "Left side left side give us a song, left side, give us a song!" And as the clock moved towards kick-off time, and the terraces became more and more packed, the usual mass tumbling down the steps started to occur. Things like holding a fag and managing to actually smoke it became increasingly difficult.

    One of the ways you could avoid the crowd surges was to stand directly in front of a crash barrier, though the hard lads stood directly behind. I can't remember what the disadvantage was with the former option now, but I do seem to recall that there was one.)

    Anyway, on this particular day I decided in my non-sober state to give a gentle push to the folk in front of me (I wasn't the only one) and enjoy the resulting domino effect. It wasn't aggressive and I'm sure those who were pushed just accepted it as part of the normal matchday craic.

    However a over-zealous steward/a steward doing his professional job had spotted me; he got hold of my arm, marched me off down the stairs at the back of the Stretford End and unceremoniously ejected me from the ground.

    10 minutes later I got a ticket (it was an all-ticket game) at cover price from a desperate tout and managed to see the whole match, albeit from one of the side paddocks.

    #2
    During a particularly torpid New Year's Day Leicester-Arsenal match (2000/01, I think) a friend fell asleep. He was hauled out by a steward, Taken Below, breathalysed* and had his season ticket withdrawn for two games.

    *He'd had 2 or 3 pints but wasn't pissed, and certainly not rowdy. He was asleep.
    Last edited by delicatemoth; 22-09-2018, 07:49.

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      #3
      I've been thrown out of two grounds.

      In 2010 we played Notts County at Meadow Lane in the penultimate game of the season, they were practically champions of the division during the whole Munto thing, and a minibus full of us went up bright and early. There were cans/bottles of alcohol consumed on the way up followed by the traditional trip to Hooters on arrival. I took on a dare to wear some Hooters hotpants to the game (luckily it was very warm) instead of my jeans. In my drunken state I agreed and off to the ground we went.

      About 10 mins into the second half I was stood up near the back of the stand and a steward came to tell me to sit down as I was getting in people's way - I looked behind and pointed out no-one was sat behind me so I couldn't be in anyone's way. He then said it was in the terms and conditions of the ticket so I should read it, I pointed out that I didn't have my ticket as, due to me wearing the aforementioned hot pants, I had nowhere to put said ticket. He said I shouldn't be in the ground without one and I said I must have dropped it in the concourse so let's go look for it - as soon as we stepped in the concourse, my right arm was halfway up my back and his arm was across my throat and out I went. Two of my friends and my brother saw this, so they kicked off and the 4 of us were all chucked out and went back to Hooters. Luckily we missed Cheltenham getting hammered 5-0.

      As a side-note, on the way back my brother fell asleep on the minibus and spewed on a friend's jacket. We stopped at Tamworth services and I, assuming he was pretending to be asleep, punched him to wake him. We ended up fighting in the services and he then refused to get back on the minibus. They left us at the services and we had to walk to nearest train station to complete the journey home. Looking back it was hilarious, but at the time I was bloody livid.


      The other time was at Shrewsbury in 2012. I laughed at a steward who tried to tell a couple of my friends that they were banned from attending the following year and he swore at me. Having had a couple of drinks (I wasn't drunk I hasten to add) I took offence at this and demanded he repeat what he said to his supervisor who came over to see what we were arguing about - being careful not to swear back at him. Naturally he denied all knowledge of swearing at me so we were stood going back and forth for about 10 mins before one of them grabbed me and the two of them threw me out. The strangest thing about this was that it was all after the final whistle and took place whilst we were unhooking our big flag from the empty seating.

      I hold my hands up for the Notts County issue - I was a cocky little shit and got exactly what was coming to me, but the Shrewsbury one still irks now. My right arm hurt for about a week afterwards. The only positive from that game (we lost 2-0) was the fact that at the age of 27, I got in as an under 16.

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by delicatemoth View Post
        During a particularly torpid New Year's Day Leicester-Arsenal match (2000/01, I think) a friend fell asleep. He was hauled out by a steward, Taken Below, breathalysed* and had his season ticket withdrawn for two games.

        *He'd had 2 or 3 pints but wasn't pissed, and certainly not rowdy. He was asleep.
        Have fallen asleep at two games, Huddersfield Town in 2007, and then Southampton away in the 2nd round of the FA Cup in 2010. That Southampton game was during the bitter winter of that year and afterwards trains home were being cancelled left, right and centre. The sight of about 3-400 Cheltenham fans running through the town to the station must have looked bloody hilarious.

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          #5
          I’ve never been thrown out of a ground but I get a great view of away fans being chucked out of Gigg and into the cemetery. A Grimsby fan was ejected the other week, face down with a steward holding each limb. It looked like a form of medieval torture.

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            #6
            Bohemians v Dundee United,UEFA cup September 1986.
            Any time Irish and UK sides meet it's a big occasion and after the full scale riot at Bohs v Rangers two years previously there was a heavy security presence,therefore it probably wasn't a great idea to get involved in a row with a group of local Celtic twats who were throwing coins at the United keeper. No punches were thrown but fingers were pointed an "fuck offs " loudly exchanged.
            For some reason I was identified as the ringleader and grabbed by a large Garda,I was marched along the front of the stand to my embarrassment and much tut tutting and promptly given the bums rush. Even worse it was my first game as a member and was terrified that my sponsor or someone off the committee saw me and I'd be barred.
            I went for a pint around the corner and snuck back in when they opened the gates in the last 20 minutes,if I was seen nobody said anything and my membership remains unbroken 32 years later

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              #7
              Originally posted by elguapo4 View Post
              Any time [Southern] Irish and UK sides meet it's a big occasion
              Really? Doesn't it happen every week during the season?

              Gonzo owns this thread.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Simon G View Post
                I've been thrown out of two grounds.

                In 2010 we played Notts County at Meadow Lane in the penultimate game of the season, they were practically champions of the division during the whole Munto thing, and a minibus full of us went up bright and early. There were cans/bottles of alcohol consumed on the way up followed by the traditional trip to Hooters on arrival. I took on a dare to wear some Hooters hotpants to the game (luckily it was very warm) instead of my jeans. In my drunken state I agreed and off to the ground we went.

                About 10 mins into the second half I was stood up near the back of the stand and a steward came to tell me to sit down as I was getting in people's way - I looked behind and pointed out no-one was sat behind me so I couldn't be in anyone's way. He then said it was in the terms and conditions of the ticket so I should read it, I pointed out that I didn't have my ticket as, due to me wearing the aforementioned hot pants, I had nowhere to put said ticket. He said I shouldn't be in the ground without one and I said I must have dropped it in the concourse so let's go look for it - as soon as we stepped in the concourse, my right arm was halfway up my back and his arm was across my throat and out I went. Two of my friends and my brother saw this, so they kicked off and the 4 of us were all chucked out and went back to Hooters. Luckily we missed Cheltenham getting hammered 5-0.

                As a side-note, on the way back my brother fell asleep on the minibus and spewed on a friend's jacket. We stopped at Tamworth services and I, assuming he was pretending to be asleep, punched him to wake him. We ended up fighting in the services and he then refused to get back on the minibus. They left us at the services and we had to walk to nearest train station to complete the journey home. Looking back it was hilarious, but at the time I was bloody livid.


                The other time was at Shrewsbury in 2012. I laughed at a steward who tried to tell a couple of my friends that they were banned from attending the following year and he swore at me. Having had a couple of drinks (I wasn't drunk I hasten to add) I took offence at this and demanded he repeat what he said to his supervisor who came over to see what we were arguing about - being careful not to swear back at him. Naturally he denied all knowledge of swearing at me so we were stood going back and forth for about 10 mins before one of them grabbed me and the two of them threw me out. The strangest thing about this was that it was all after the final whistle and took place whilst we were unhooking our big flag from the empty seating.

                I hold my hands up for the Notts County issue - I was a cocky little shit and got exactly what was coming to me, but the Shrewsbury one still irks now. My right arm hurt for about a week afterwards. The only positive from that game (we lost 2-0) was the fact that at the age of 27, I got in as an under 16.
                Jesus man. Have some self-respect.

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by Giggler View Post
                  I get a great view of away fans being chucked out of Gigg and into the cemetery.
                  Christ, I didn't realise the sanctions were quite so extreme at Bury.

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                    #10
                    I suppose the clue's in the name, mind.

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                      #11
                      VG

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