Match Goer
@FansHaveRights
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An account giving an overview of the treatment of football fans - including within the criminal justice system
Joined February 2009
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Pinned Tweet
Top Tips If You're Arrested or asked to attend a police station for an interview.
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Alcohol & football seems to have hit the news, so a reminder it is illegal
- to enter a stadium drunk
- to take alcohol into a stadium
- to drink in view of the pitch
- to drink on a coach to/from a game
Be great if these draconian, football exclusive laws got some attention!
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*Engagement with LUFC fans started early
*Match categorisation reduced from B to A
*Fans policed on behaviour not reputation
5641 Away fans
35% less👮♂️ working game compared to last fixture
0 Arrests
0 Pyro
0 Beer throwing
0 Disorder
3 guesses why the fixture was huge success?
Safe journey home to the 5614
#lufc
fans who attended Deepdale tonight......honours even see you on Boxing Day🎄
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A mate at the Rugby League Grand Final at Old Trafford.
Despite the fact it’s a stadium he’s being going to for 40 years, this is the first time he’s legally enjoyed a pint in view of the pitch.
If this was at a football match he’d be committing a criminal offence.
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I’ve just had confirmation that Macauley Negus has been found safe & well.
His family may comment later but in the meantime they’ve asked me to pass on thanks & gratitude to the thousands of people who helped spread the word.
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Guessing that the reason I was completely unaware & I’d not seen this before now is because it didn’t happen at a football stadium, just at one of Londons largest entertainment venues.
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How to not to engage with your local community who very likely live and/or work in Hartlepool. Threaten them with “smiling” police dogs in case they cause disorder.
And no, the first sentence doesn’t negate the second. Classic passive/aggressive language.
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Chief Constable Mark Roberts, national policing lead on football, has his assertions safe standing will lead to cocaine use, racism etc dismissed and is reminded to be careful in his choice of words, given his position.
This is very much worth a watch.
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👋
@richarlison97
if you hear from the police about this and want any advice, my contact details are in my profile.
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Remember this young man away to Bournemouth earlier this season? He was charged with pitch incursion & was in court today. The case collapsed so he left court as he entered it - innocent. Thanks yet again to
@Football_Legal
who represented him.
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Get back? Where to, exactly?
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Litter is litter whoever leaves it behind. After Prince William & Kate got married, Westminster Council deployed 130 road sweepers - 100 more than usual - who moved an estimated 140 tonnes of rubbish
However, I can’t find any pictures of royal wedding rubbish headlined war zone
Scottish football fans leave Leicester Square looking like a war zone before match kicks off.
#ENGSCO
#ENG
#ENGvSCO
#ScotlandvsEngland
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Hey
@edsheeran
if you find yourself banned by
@IpswichTown
or arrested for drinking alcohol in view of the pitch I’d be happy to help.
Contact details in my profile.
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What are the French authorities going to do now they can’t blame late, ticketless English football fans?
(Sarcasm for the avoidance of doubt)
Still significant number of fans trying to get inside the Stade Velodrome here in Marseille with a few minutes until kick off
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“Football fans would be getting torn apart in the media today”
Says a serving police officer elsewhere on here.
Large crowds queuing for Wireless festival in Finsbury Park have stormed the fences resulting in police pushing them back, this comes after reports event organisers were refusing to open the gates.
#WirelessFestival2022
#fyp
#news
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The author of this tweet is 14 years old. Have a read...
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A “seasonal ban” for wearing a “provocative” t-shirt to “deliberately incite the crowd”.
Incite the crowd into what, I wonder? Having honestly held beliefs against the club ownership and how it’s been run?
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Given how the police not only investigate but charge football fans for throwing harmless items w/o any malicious intent this is puzzling.
More so given animal abuse is a red flag for domestic violence & there was a child in the footage who witnessed this = safeguarding concerns?
The Met Police have decided not to investigate a video which showed West Ham defender Kurt Zouma kicking his cat across his kitchen floor.
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The guy going over the barrier - and it looks as though he was pushed - landed adjacent the hoardings, made no attempt to move any further and was immediately apprehended by stewards.
He was then arrested, taken into custody and released at 10.30pm that evening.
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There is no doubt whatsoever that if this had followed a football match it would be all over the media . I've only seen it on here. Funny that. Another example of the behaviour of football fans being held to a higher standard that that of other sports.
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I've just spoken to the mother of one of the
#NUFC
arrested at Bournemouth on Saturday. He was released without charge because CCTV clearly showed a steward pulling him over a barrier and on to the pitch.
The young man was held for approximately 20 hours.
The inability to differentiate between jubilation resulting in fans ending up (feasibly due to a surge) on the pitch and those very rare individuals who enter the field of play with criminal intent makes me absolutely despair. Indicative of biased & sadly prevailing narrative
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Cocaine use is a cross societal issue and yet it is only football fans singled out for prosecution and banning orders (including passport surrender) rather than a caution, as they would be if caught with cocaine in a nightclub, pub, theatre, cricket ground….
🚨Currently there’s a ‘blanket policy’ to Prosecute & Ban ANYONE caught with cocaine at football
🚨This applies even to 1st time offenders, who previously would’ve been given a FPN or Caution
In 1 week I’ve been in Court with 3 people for this, none had ever been in trouble b4
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Watching Football Is Not A Crime
@OfficialBWFC
fans travelling to
@OfficialPVFC
tomorrow:
⛔️No pubs in Burslem for away fans
🍻 Please arrange a stop outside 10 miles of the stadium if required
🏟Turnstiles open at 1330hrs
🚙Car parking can be booked at
🚍Coach parking at the ground £25.
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A text book example of what rail seating would prevent.
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What an interesting take! Similar to saying all kids need to stay behind for detention because of the naughty boy who sits at the back of the class.
Also interesting coming from a rep of a force about which I've had several complaints about heavy handedness this season.
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A club safety officer wrote to a fan giving him a “banning order”. I took a fair bit of satisfaction drafting a response for him, given just how much the safety officer had got wrong.
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All good things come to an end and after 15 years I'll be leaving
@WeAreTheFSA
this Friday.
I'll miss the job and all it entails hugely but most of all I'll miss the people I work with, for and alongside.
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- There is no actual evidence drug use has fuelled disorder
- Ten year ban orders are exceptionally rare and accompany lengthy custodial sentences
- A FBO is NOT automatic
- FBOs used to be to prevent disorder but now used as punishments
- Drug use in football mirrors society
Home Office announces that from next week anyone caught taking, dealing or in possession of Class A drugs at games will be handed a Banning Order from attending games for 3-10 years. Govt says “Class A drug use has fuelled some of the shameful behaviour we have seen at games”.
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Seized because it's illegal to drink on a coach if you're a football fan but not if you're off to rugby, cricket, a concert, hen or stag do
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Officers have to justify use of force. I’d love to see how this push was thought proportionate and appropriate.
@gmpolice
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The sheer nerve of people buying a train ticket to travel to an event. Absolute disgrace. Should be laws against it.
“We’re sorry about the overcrowding on this train, which is due to fans travelling to football matches.”
Like we didn’t buy a ticket and the fixtures aren’t published well in advance. Wonder if they’d have made the same announcement about people going to the theatre.
@FairCop_
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No apologies for tweeting this again. Please, please, please RT the petition and sign it. Just over 70,000 signatures away from a Safe Standing debate in Parliament. If twitter & football fans work their magic, we could do this overnight!
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Good morning
@SkyNews
Please can you clarify what possible, conceivable connection there is between a handful of people “clashing” with police in one country and the death of an English man who was in police custody over 1200km away, in another country and 48 hours later?
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Say 500,000 people went to a match today.
Taking into account nearly all of them would have returned home without breaking the law - even if they did have a drink - how on earth would banning alcohol be in any way proportionate?
Oh, and isn’t societal violence a bigger issue?
We still have a problem when it comes to football violence.
The glorification of violence fuelled by alcohol, drugs & imitation of footage seen online is HUGE.
Drugs checks are on the increase, it’s long been an offence to enter drunk, is it time to ban alcohol all together? 🤷🏼♂️🚨
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Players celebrate with fans, sensible stewards don’t interfere; everybody enjoys the moment and the games goes on. Why can’t we see more of this?
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Raheem Sterling “celebrated rather controversially” according to whoever is interviewing Garreth Southgate.
Am I missing something here?
Raheem Sterling is absolutely entitled to respond in whatever way he sees fit, to suggest otherwise is astoundingly ignorant.
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“I’ve got a ticket for the next train, where are you sending us?”
It would seen completely the opposite direction to where they want to go and if they don’t like it, tough, the police will just get hands on and push them on the train.
This really is shocking.
@NottsPolMagpies
@LincsPolice
forcing people onto the wrong trains, how do i make a formal complaint about this?
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Unless being u25 & having the temerity to wear designer clothes is now a crime, there’s no evidence of actual “hooliganism”
This narrative is so boring. Which isn’t to deny some fans, who ultimately reflect society, aren’t problematic but less sensationalism would be good.
Drunk, drugged up on cocaine, under 25 and clad in designer gear, there's a new breed of hooligan following the England team… the Stag-Do Brigade |
@ianherbs
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If you’re planning on organising or attending a football related protest, then the attached is for you.
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Yep, because the very act of standing on two feet in a football stadium turns young male football fans into rabid racists where all of those who sit aren't. One of those where you're not sure whether to laugh or bang your head against a wall in frustration.
Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman told the Commons today he has 'reservations' about
#safestanding
because there could be a 'real danger of racist abuse'
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Missile Throwing, a thread.
Earlier this week a MUFC fan was ejected from Old Trafford & threatened with a three year ban for throwing a scarf towards Luke Shaw.
In law the scarf is deemed a missile.
Thankfully, common sense prevailed & the fan won’t face further action.
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The inability to differentiate between jubilation resulting in fans ending up (feasibly due to a surge) on the pitch and those very rare individuals who enter the field of play with criminal intent makes me absolutely despair. Indicative of biased & sadly prevailing narrative
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Sentencing comparisons aren’t helpful but I can’t resist this one. This man got a two year suspended sentence & will be on a tag between 7pm/7am for 9 months. Compare that to FBO restrictions, inc passport surrender, that’ll last at least two years for non violent pitch incursion
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A whiff of hypocrisy by
@btsportfootball
who highlight atmospheres that make for great viewing yet won’t have discussions with supporter reps re the impact broadcast scheduling has on match goers.
Due to this
@THSTOfficial
declined to assist them with content for this fixture 👏
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“....people should treat short videos with care as they don’t always show the full context or the events leading up to the incident in question...”
Hypothetically, I’m genuinely interested what events leading to an incident could justify the striking on the head with a baton?
The South Yorkshire Police Federation is calling for caution over a video showing a police officer using a baton on a teenage football fan
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Coach travelling Sheffield Utd fans effectively banned from Cardiff this Saturday. While they can go to the match v CCFC that’s all they can do
Any freedom of movement and association they were looking forward to has been severely curtailed by police
A thread 🧵1.
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Never mind Glen Hoddle’s dodgy heart, Rio nearly pushed him out the bloody window!!
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FYI
@footballitalia
@ukhomeoffice
figures show that at the end of last season
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#LFC
fans arrested 9 home/12 away
0 arrests for weapons
5 arrests for violent disorder & 2 for public disorder
53 fans on FBOs
0 arrests in Europe this season
Maybe look again at your figures?
Rome police told to expect 5,000
#LFC
fans for
#UCL
semi-final, up to 1,000 of them known to be dangerous
#ASRoma
#RomaLiverpool
#ASRLIV
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@AdamMcKola
Will do my best! Already suggested Shaun speak to me tomorrow. Thanks for recommending me, Adam.
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Keeping it really simple: The Government don’t want 10’000s of people standing in safe, purpose built accommodation & would rather they continue standing in seating areas. Unfathomable, isn’t it?
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Football or not, I’m uncomfortable at the influence the police have over what is ultimately a private event.
🗓️ South Yorkshire Police have informed
@BarnsleyFC
, the EFL and
#pnefc
that they will not authorise a 3pm kick-off for our fixture at Oakwell.
Despite the best efforts of both clubs and the EFL, we have had no option other than to bring forward the kick-off time to 12.30pm.👇
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This is remarkable. I’ve never seen a player put their head above the parapet in this way for a supporter. 👏👏👏 Luke Shaw!
Hopefully Luke’s intervention will mean common sense will prevail & the supporter (who I’ve spoken to) will get no more than a warning for his actions.
@shaunlogan10
@SimonPeach
I understand completely, first match back at old Trafford , emotions are high. I know there was nothing aggressive towards what you did. I will try my best to speak with someone and sort it out 👍🏽
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Not seen tasers drawn at football before, has anyone else?
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“When I have been burgled I’ve been told there are no officers to investigate... yet at least ten officers confronted my son & his friends after they gave directions to away fans”. A letter of complaint reproduced with the senders consent.
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Doing this job I can never say “I’ve heard it all now”.
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What incident do you mean? Disorder between fans or the actions of your officer?
Will the outcome of your investigation be made public?
@caitlindenton01
Following the Barnsley V Sheffield Wednesday match today (Saturday 8), our officers responded to disorder between fans outside of the Interchange.
An investigation is underway into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
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This doesn't make sense as those on Football Banning Orders would have surrendered their passports so how on earth could they be in Tenerife? Plus the idea all fans on FBOs have them for violence is simply not true! In fact comparatively few of them do have them for disorder.
🔴 UK police fear people prevented from travelling to Qatar for the World Cup because of football banning orders may be behind clashes between England and Wales supporters in Tenerife
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Stewards at a sporting event or paramilitaries ready for action?
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If they don’t already then perhaps football clubs should be instilling into their players from a young age that however entitled they are - and let’s face it, I bet the more famous ones don’t hear the word no very often - they’re absolutely not entitled to womens bodies.
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An apology from Emery for kicking a bottle in frustration today ends the matter. It’s a shame an apology hasn’t ended the matter for several fans this season who’ve instead rec’d criminal convictions & bans for throwing empty plastic bottles also in frustration & harming nobody.
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I’m off over Christmas but will happily deal with anything urgent. So, please try & not...
Get caught with booze on your coach
Use pyro
Go on the pitch
Make obscene gestures
Be searched by a steward who wants to check your bra
Be a dick on the concourse... I’d appreciate it 👍
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A Football Banning Order for drinking in view of the pitch?
If the application is successful the supporter will have to surrender his passport every time England play overseas and face match day restrictions
That somebody, somewhere thinks this is proportionate is frightening
Father and son (a youth with ADHD and no convictions), both in Court today facing charge of “drinking in view of the pitch”. 🍺🍺👀👀⚽️⚽️
Youth referred back for an out of Court disposal and CPS confirm applying for an FBO for dad (to the apparent exasperation of the Judge)
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Ok, son, just going to hold you by your arm at a weird angle, place my other arm across your chest and give you a sly little slap on the chops for good measure. And by all accounts this ejection was down to mistaken identity.
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Absolutely vital and necessary precautions to ensure the no drinking alcohol in view of the pitch law isn’t broken which would surely mean The End Of Civilisation As We Know It.
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An eagle eyed viewer of MoTD is offended at the sight of a supporter making a masturbatory gesture at an opposing player taking a corner & writes to the home club to complain. Fan contacted by his club & asked to explain his actions & is expecting to be banned.
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I understand the Met had some concerns about this game including the risk of ticketless fans. I fail to see why people coming to the Capital without a ticket for an event is such a cause for concern.
That the Met are unwilling to police 3000 fans says more about them than fans
Chelsea v MUFC confirmed for Saturday 5.30pm
Police have disgracefully cut away allocation to 2350 despite United having sold the tickets
Met Police originally tried to cut to 1500
They can handle a state funeral with millions of people but not 3000 away fans - what a joke
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That a football fanzine
#cpfc
‘s
@FYPFanzine
was able to, in the space of an afternoon, uncover significant errors in a police statement that the mainstream media quoted verbatim & without question, AND get a swift apology is to be applauded.
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Dealt with a number of fans banned by their clubs due to using smoke bombs away or on the club footprint but not in the stadium.
They’re banned because police take their details and pass them on to the club or the club ID them.
Just saying!
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Quite why one officer makes a futile attempt to stop one fan, removing his top in the process and kicking him is beyond me...
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England fan charged with BoP Racial Prejudice for singing that Strachan is a Sad Scottish Bastard at Scot v Eng has case dismissed in court
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Target hit and exceeded by £1,471 (at the time of tweeting). Hats off to
@TheMillwallFans
Millwall fans fundraise to repair ambulance damaged during World Cup celebrations
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Football fans are members of the public, not a different species.
Members of the public and fans attending the game are encouraged to approach our officers for any advice or reassurance that they may need ⚽️
@Boro
@LUFC
@ClePolFootball
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*VERY IMPORTANT THREAD*
1. Imagine this:
- arriving in a town for an away game
- being met by police & told you’re going no where other than back home
- then being held by police for 6 hours & denied access to water/toilets
- & then escorted by police back to the station
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We're not tetchy, Lee. We just don't like being lumped in with a small minority of dickheads.
Also, and this is worth considering, we are in the main, ordinary, decent law abiding people who happen to attend football matches.
Ultimately, we represent the society you serve.
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Fan called me in Jan having been charged w a football offence & sounded, literally, a broken man. He's just rung to let me know of the successful outcome to his case & that he'll be back supporting his team soon. He sounded so happy I very nearly shed a tear.
#JobSatisfaction
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How refreshing to see Spanish police wade in and not start battering people.
Can’t quite put my finger on why…
Footage of Atletico Madrid and Manchester City players in the tunnel after... 😳
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This image shows how mainstream pyro use is becoming and highlights why football needs to think beyond just telling fans it’s illegal/dangerous if they want to eradicate it.
I’m sure the team involved in this pic have no idea that a fan doing this in a stadium faces arrest etc
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This doesn’t look an overly safe way to restrain somebody….
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I just received this DM and it’s no surprise whatsoever because everybody knows you’re only a bona fide hooligan if you wear Stone Island and Adidas.
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If Southampton get through, the off peak train fare from there is £130.10 return & fans would have to get the 6.00am or 7.00am train which takes 5 hours 11 mins, to make KO.
📺| Accrington Stanley's
@EmiratesFACup
Fourth Round tie will be broadcast live on
@btsport
. The Reds will host either
@dcfcofficial
or
@SouthamptonFC
on Saturday 26 January. Kick-off now at 12.30pm.
Ticket details to be announced in due course.
#ASFC
#OnStanleyOn
🔴
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Is the steward grabbing hold of the shirt of several million pounds worth of player the same one with his arm round the throat of a fan?
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I dunno, maybe I have a chip on my shoulder, but seeing a police force thank fans (who had no intention of misbehaving) for their good sportsmanship, for being well behaved and “making sure their actions didn’t ruin the match for anyone” feels a tad patronising.
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#MUFC
fans - GMP releasing images of individuals they want to speak to
If you see your image contact
@Football_Legal
asap. She will (a) arrange for you to attend the police station with a solicitor FOC & (b) get your image removed.
Legal rep at the police station vital!
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The absolute carnage that this could cause if taken into a football stadium is beyond imagination. It really is. 🥴
@elltells79
@afcbournemouth
Hi Elliot, sun cream will not be permitted on entry into the Stadium. We advise supporters to apply this before coming and to bring a hat and water.
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People can travel around the country freely with or without a ticket to a football match.
The
@bcfctweets
@LUFC
game on Sat 21 Oct is ticket-only for visiting Leeds fans. Don't come if you haven't got a ticket
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I've just watched an Instagram story that showed BBC footage of two men at Wimbledon
One of them appears to take something from a bag, then appears to drop/sprinkle something held between his fingers into his friend's glass of Veuve Clicquot
No doubt they're football fans
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Crime is not being investigated because police lack resources.Yet football cops travel to away games inc to Europe. Football offences are thoroughly investigated & info efficiently shared w FCs. It’s not unheard of for cops to train stewards Priorities need questioning/reviewing
My front door in Salford was painted over a week ago with this abhorrent racist graffiti - after reporting it to
@gmpolice
they still haven't been here to investigate. How do I assure my traumatised 10 year old that he is safe in his home?
@BBCBreaking
@RLong_Bailey
@guardian
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Steward Drags Player To Safety As He Celebrates With His Own Fans!
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Hey Harvey Elliot... my contact details are in my profile if you need any help or advice about this.
The FA have written to Harvey Elliot for his observations after he was seen handling a red smoke flare at the Carabao Cup final.
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I was a participant in a call ahead of this game with GMP and others. This isn't what we were told would happen.
If
#LFC
fan has any feedback about policing last night, I'll take it to GMP for their comment.
@spiritofshankly
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I love these generic media sound bites that mean absolutely nothing.
How on earth does “seizing” a few cans of beer keep the “wider community” safe. Safe from what, exactly?
And why “football supporters” why not people attending a football match?
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I hope your Christmas is immense
And not mucked up by a Criminal Offence
Hide the festive booze on your coach
Should you see the police approach
Pyrotechnics are not clever
They could get you banned forever
Stay off the pitch & off the gear
And you’ll have a happier New Year 😘
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Excellent letter to
#PAFC
from a fan banned for standing.
“...My standing was good enough for the club when there was a rallying cry v Scunthorpe...It was also good enough when I was putting money into the club during Administration, watching us get beat on a cricket pitch...”
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Two fans plead guilty for going on the pitch are fined but no Football Banning Orders as
“It was a very short incident, no aggression was witnessed, and they returned over the barrier promptly”
How on earth was this prosecution deemed to be in the public interest? What a waste.
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