I pit some wanker at Sheffield United

The BBQ Pit
1

At a charity auction where he works, a friend of mine bought an executive box at Bramall Lane for Sheffield United vs Charlton Athletic last Saturday. Since he’d got it for a relatively cheap price, he invited a few of us along for free. So we all dressed up smartly as requested and prepared to enjoy a fun day out. Sadly, there was no complimentary food and drink, but we all had a couple of beers with the first half. Since I am completely indifferent to the fortunes of both teams, the match was entertaining but lacked a little punch. Sheffield had nearly all the possession and a hatful of shots (most of them off-target), but Charlton went in to the interval 1-0 up thanks to a good goal on the break (and some ropey Blades defending). To liven things up for the second half, I put £5 on a 1-1 draw at the finish, and £5 on it being 2-1 to Charlton (both at 4-1), on the basis that it seemed likely that Sheffield would score, but given how many of their shots missed it would only be one. Meanwhile Charlton looked solid enough and I fancied them to nick another one.

About 10 minutes into the second 45, United scored, and I stood up and cheered as loudly as any lifelong Blades fan. We were sat outside the box on a row of seats reserved for the box occupants, which meant those in the boxes either side of us sat next to us. Anyway, for the remainder of the half Sheffield continued to press, and I was understandably keen for them not to get a winner. Hence I was quite pleased with Charlton’s defensive attitude and expressed my approval every time the ball approached the centre circle. Had Charlton scored, I wouldn’t have actually cheered, respecting the feelings of the surrounding Sheffield fans, but that was an outcome I was happy with too, of course.

Anyway, as those who follow the Premiership will know, United scored in the 88th minute thanks to a screamer from Keith Gillespie, at which point the stadium went wild with the knowledge that this could take the team out of the relegation zone for the first time since August. As I put my head in my hands, a 50-60 year-old man occupying a seat for the box next to ours behaved very strangely. Rather than acclaiming the goal along with 90% of the rest of the stadium, he turned in his seat and, without warning, grabbed the front of my jacket (ripping off the top button) and intoned: “I bet that’s right up your fucking nose, isn’t it. You’ve been sitting there making stupid comments for the whole of the second half. If I was a younger man I’d hit you.” With that, he released his grip and retreated to the opposite end of the row.

I was so shocked, I don’t think I responded with anything audible, much less coherent. I wasn’t seriously worried for my safety, since he seemed to be the only man in Sheffield (with the exception of the travelling fans) who was in a bad mood and I had about six mates who were looking on in horror and I’m sure would have stepped in if he had indeed been a “younger man”. I just couldn’t believe that anyone would act like that, particularly in a supposedly “executive box”. For one thing, if I had been irritating him for the previous 30 minutes, why didn’t he move down the row - there was plenty of room. I’m not sure what he would have done had Charlton scored.

Anyway, we made a complaint to security at the stadium, who first said that they “don’t expect many away fans in the boxes”. Well firstly, I was not an away fan - as I said, I certainly wouldn’t have cheered a Charlton goal - if I did, I would expect some sort of reaction. Secondly, I would have thought that, after the away end, the boxes would be where they would most expect away fans. Either way, it doesn’t excuse his behaviour (as they admitted). Their next line was: “Do you want to make a complaint?” Well, yes, I thought that’s what I was doing. But apparenly this entailed making a statement to a police officer. He took my details and informed me that a criminal offence had been committed (criminal damage to my suit, apparently) and would I like to press charges? Obviously I declined, since sewing the button on will take a fraction of the time and cost of even doing the paperwork. This means that the stadium will decide what to do with this idiot, which may include banning him. Of course, by the time the police arrived he had left the ground, with the other occupants of the box declining to give his details, but apparently he’s a regular and they will find him.

So, while the day wasn’t ruined (I was more bothered about losing my bet), it was certainly tarnished by this tosser. I don’t know if I hope he gets banned, but I think he definintely should be if he does this sort of thing again.

2

Definitely poor form.

It’s nice to hear that the stadium officials/management took your complaint seriously enough to at least make some sort of an effort to hold the guy accountable and make you feel like they were resolving the issue.

3

In your position I would have simply gone straight to security and reported it there and then.

Get the useless prick turfed out

4

I have never understood the assholes who harass, either verbally or physically, the fans of an opposing team at a sporting event. They have come to your venue, paid money to your team for their tickets, are buying items at your concession stands, and you want to give them shit? Do you want your team to take the field/ice/etc. and play with themselves?

I will never make a roadtrip to Knoxville for hockey again after one of their “fans” dumped a full beer over the head of a 12 year old girl because she cheered for her team. And their security taking the drunk’s word that it was an “accident”? Give me a break. He was “accidently” holding the beer over her head when it spilled?

When I see fans wearing opposing teams jerseys at our games, I always make an effort to welcome them and wish them a safe trip home. I am glad the other teams have fans. If they didn’t, there wouldn’t be other teams for us to play and we wouldn’t have hockey. Which would make for one hell of a Pit thread.

5

SnakesCatLady
I’ve watched Baseball in Chicago and Ice Hockey in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Because I don’t fully understand the games I can’t say I enjoyed them but what I can say is that supporters of sports in the USA are much more tolerant of opposing fans than their counterparts here in the UK.

6

I think you must be right. These parts of the OP’s post were real jaw-droppers for me:

:eek: You’re not supposed to cheer for your team (or the team that you happen to be temporarily supporting) if there happen to be fans of the other team around you?!?? And the stadium boxes are the home team fans’ “special territory” where the opposition fans aren’t allowed to cheer, or should expect physical violence and threats if they do?!??

Well, who knows, I haven’t been to a stadium game in the US for quite some time, and maybe things are like that nowadays over here too. But I think it sounds sad and ugly. Sounds as though the football game itself is no longer anything more than the excuse for the football fans to indulge their mutual hostility, and they have to be carefully segregated to keep that hostility from breaking out into open violence.

Huh. I thought the Brits were supposed to be the ones who prided themselves on politeness and good sportsmanship.

7

Apart from private boxes, you simply won’t have opposing fans around you - visiting supporters have a specific allocated section.

The boxes certainly aren’t home territory in this way. Dead Cat can file the following under ‘responses which would’ve been great at the time’: If I was a younger man I’d hit you…If you were a younger man, you’d be able to handle your drink.

In cricket and rugby, yes.

8

{boggle}

{boggle boggle boggle}

:eek:

You wouldn’t just be taking the mickey out of a poor naive Merkin, would you? Are “visiting supporters” really and truly assigned seats in a section of their own? Like, if your buddy from, say, Puddlemere comes to visit you at Wickett-on-Wash the same weekend that Wickett plays a home game against Puddlemere, and you two buddies go to see the game together (but don’t want to buy expensive box tickets), your buddy has to go sit in a different section if he wants to cheer for Puddlemere?!?

I thought I was half-joking about the need to keep the fans separated to prevent open violence from breaking out, but apparently I wasn’t! :eek:

9

My guess is that he probably picked up on your accent not being from Sheffield, or maybe even not Yorkshire, or even worse, Southern.

Doesnt matter who you support when you are stuck with a knucklehead like that.

I think you should have insisted he was charged, it would have hurt him a good deal more for him to recieve the automatic banning order, and be forced to register as a football thug, along with having to turn up at his local nick every time Sheffield play at home.

We get a few such thugs in prison from time to time, its amusing for them to come in as ‘big’ men, only to get whittled down to size by a four foot psychopath who doesn’t actually give a damn, and will quite readily stab him with a broken sweeping brush shaft or the like. Turns out your average football thug isn’t quite so brave when faced with a little bit of genuinely violent criminality.

Anyway, it could be worse, it not great being a Leeds supporter right now, nor does it look like it’ll get better any time soon.

10

At football games visiting supporters are indeed assigned seats in a section of their own.

If my team (Blackpool) ever played my partner’s team (Manchester United) I would have a major problem sitting with her in the MU sections. In fact, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I would want to be sitting among supporters of a common cause.

IIRC the late John Peel (British broadcaster) would always sit at the Liverpool end when his team played his wife’s team. I’m sure the phenomenon is not uncommon.

11

Nope, not kidding. OK, if there’s no huge rivalry between Wickett & Puddlemere, then you’d probably be fine with your mate (and as a Wickett fan, you’d know where in the stadium are the quieter areas and which it would be sensible to avoid in this situation). And your friend would be an idiot to show his loyalty too visibly or vocally. On the other hand, if they’re big rivals, there’d be no way you’d jeopardise either your friend’s safety nor your friendship by going to the match together.

The ticket allocation for visiting supporters is provided to the visiting club, for them to sell through their own shop (where necessary with a priority system for their season ticket holders etc.) Here’s one stadium plan chosen at random :wink: , with the visitor’s section shown.

12

{catatonic boggle}

Thanks for the info! Omg, I am so never going to a football match in the UK. I would just sit there terrified that even if I meant to root for Wickett, I might forget myself on seeing a good play and exclaim “Woo! Nice one, Puddlemere!” and the surrounding Wickett fans would turn on me and rend me limb from limb.

In fact, I think I will probably even try to avoid seeing British football matches on TV here in the US, just to be on the safe side. I had no idea it was such a dangerous sport! :eek:

13

Don’t worry - there’s no way you’d be able to forget which team you’re supposed to be supporting!

14

Some places in the US are bad for that - I went to a few games on the 700 level at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, and opposing fans, especially Dallas ones, were not well treated. Then again, I have been to Lambeau and seen Bears fans mocked but no trouble ensuing.

I think the main difference is that there isn’t generally the same idea of a travelling fanbase in the US, presumably because of the huge distances involved. Sporting events in the US are also packaged differently, sold as a day out, and something meant to be enjoyed, rather than the agonizing trauma that made up my weekly trips to Villa Park.

No justification whatsoever for the idiot’s actions, of course. I am intrigued, though, by what he meant by “making stupid comments all of the second half.” If someone was sitting behind me making comments along the lines of “I hope the away team score, not because I like them, but because I will win twenty quid if they do” I might be tempted to turn round and make a comment if the home team scored and thus screwed the bet. I wouldn’t do it in a physical way of course, and I hope I would make clear it was jokingly based. But I think I would be more likely to respond to the misfortune of someone who was discussing their bet than I would of someone vociferously supporting the away team. Notice again I don’t think the guy’s reaction was in any way justified - in fact I am amazed Dead Cat didn’t burst out laughing at him.

15

You wore a suit to the footy?

I bet you eat prawn sandwiches too. :wink:

16

Fortunately for the OP, he wasn’t at a Celtic / Rangers match. Or worse, a Millwall one. :smiley:

17

Heh, I’ve done that before. But only because I was late finishing work and didn’t have a chance to change. Thankfully it was winter, so I could get away with it in the non-prawn-eating crowd by hiding under a coat and scarf.

18

About twenty years ago, I was staying, along with three others, in student accomodation on the top floor of a bed & breakfast place in Edinburgh. One time the regular guests consisted of three women physical education teachers from Houston*, who were staying in Edinburgh for a week. Naturally we all got talking and they were keen to go to a football match. We got tickets for a midweek Hearts v Celtic** game. Back then there was no allocated seating so we were just in amongst the Hearts fans wherever we could get sat together on the old benches.

They were understandably a bit apprehensive, asking if it would be safe for women to be there and stuff. They had a great time - singing along with the various Hearts songs and getting a bit worked up over some shoddy refereeing. By half-time they were chatting away with the die-hard fans (men and women) near us who were surprised and pleased that three American women were in with them.

They told us later that the atmosphere was much more raucous than they were used to at home, but they found it exhilirating. So, I think you’d have a good time if you were ever in a similar situation.

We never of course explained some of the songs that were being sung by both sets of supporters, because that would have perhaps taken the edge of the enjoyment for them.

  • Yes, I know this sounds like the start of a letter to Penthouse Forum

**There’s no love lost between Hearts and Celtic, but the real grudge matches are city rivals Rangers v Celtic in Glasgow and Hearts v Hibs in Edinburgh. Unfortunately, these rivalries have a religious component.

19

Benches? You were lucky! Oh, we used to dream of sitting on benches…

20

Not these ones, more like sitting on a series of unfriendly spikes. I’m a bit hazy about the timeline, but I think the Jambo’s must have hastily installed some old railway sleepers, post hastily-implemented-legislation.