[FA Cup 4th Rnd] West Brom 0-2 Wolves: Verdict Thread

[jd1981]

I don't understand this.

The away fans did absolutely nothing wrong, why should they be punished? It'd be more logical to ban the home fans!

Also if Wolves fans were banned, the liklihood of Wolves fans in the Albion end actually increases.

Don’t agree large amounts in the away end creates a very tribal atmosphere amongst both sets of fans and creates mob mentality.
From psychological point of view it would be far more intimidating and far less appealing to sit in the home end knowing there’s not a mass of your own fans a 100 yards from you.
Whether you like it or not only having one set of fans vastly reduces the heat in an atmosphere of a game. Yep away fans weren’t a problem on Sunday but it’s not to say they couldn’t be in the future.

 

[slink]

I don't understand this.

The away fans did absolutely nothing wrong, why should they be punished? It'd be more logical to ban the home fans!

Also if Wolves fans were banned, the liklihood of Wolves fans in the Albion end actually increases.

Totally agree with this. The away end was fantastic on Sunday, why should we be banned from going?
I know why people don’t like the fixture but don’t think the minority should win because they can’t control their emotions.

 

[Alan]

Don’t agree large amounts in the away end creates a very tribal atmosphere amongst both sets of fans and creates mob mentality.
From psychological point of view it would be far more intimidating and far less appealing to sit in the home end knowing there’s not a mass of your own fans a 100 yards from you.
Whether you like it or not only having one set of fans vastly reduces the heat in an atmosphere of a game. Yep away fans weren’t a problem on Sunday but it’s not to say they couldn’t be in the future.

Would it? I think our adventurous ne’er-do-well would have to have been mighty drunk to think the away end was coming to back him up.

 

[jd1981]

Would it? I think our adventurous ne’er-do-well would have to have been mighty drunk to think the away end was coming to back him up.

I never said they would “psychologically” was the term

 

[Alan]

I never said they would “psychologically” was the term

I understand that, I’m saying that I doubt that the effect is that strong with such a distance between the delinquent and our support, with that distance overflowing with “the enemy”.

 

[jd1981]

Totally agree with this. The away end was fantastic on Sunday, why should we be banned from going?
I know why people don’t like the fixture but don’t think the minority should win because they can’t control their emotions.

The authorities won’t care about what’s fair and who wins etc all they care about is public safety.
Also resources policing games like that creates a huge strain on local policing, PSU will have to come from all over the WM region. How many police do you take away from their regular duties?

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Don’t agree large amounts in the away end creates a very tribal atmosphere amongst both sets of fans and creates mob mentality.

Yes, and that is a good thing, it's what makes football different to all other sports, if you think sanitising football even further is the way to go, then fine. But I can't agree with that at all.

 

[AndyWolves]

A much simpler solution is not to have idiotic ticketing policies. Banning away fans, who did nothing wrong, is impacting the wrong people.

It would actually reinforce the point that somehow away fans were responsible for the home fans behaviour.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

It’s not actually a case of whether we agree to it. If the government are wading in with unhelpful uninformed comment the authorities are going to want to be seen to do something and only having one set of fans in attendance might be seen as a possible way of making it easier to police.

It would be very easy to make the ground safety certificate for the match conditional on no away fans.

I don’t think Albion are good enough to get promoted this season so I doubt an immediate decision will be needed but I could see the authorities going down that route as and when the match is on the calendar again.

 

[Tony Towner]

The authorities won’t care about what’s fair and who wins etc all they care about is public safety.
Also resources policing games like that creates a huge strain on local policing, PSU will have to come from all over the WM region. How many police do you take away from their regular duties?

None, they just cancel leave to cover. There's something not quite right about someone who didn't go to the game saying others shouldn't be allowed to in future

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I would like to make it abundantly clear I am not saying that. I am saying the authorities might well think that.

Huge difference.

Lesser of two evils might be bubble matches as at least fans of both clubs are still in the ground, even if it is a pain in the arse.

I think we can guarantee that the ridiculous second ticket offer will never be allowed again.

 

[Lycan]

If you banned away fans entirely, apart from being grossly unfair, that would actually encourage more fans to sneak into home areas. You see it in OF games all the time now, there was one case recently where a Celtic fan gained access to Ibrox by accepting a job as part of the catering staff, hid in a toilet and then came out when the game started.

As that was supposedly the reason for the disorder on Sunday (absolutely nothing to do with them getting beaten 2-0 I'm sure) I'd be stunned if that's the conclusion they came to.

Ban the fans who snuck in, sure. Banning away fans altogether would be ridiculous.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

The authorities can be very good at being ridiculous.

 

[jd1981]

Yes, and that is a good thing, it's what makes football different to all other sports, if you think sanitising football even further is the way to go, then fine. But I can't agree with that at all.

That’s not what I’ve said, I don’t mind a good atmosphere and some needle between both fans go back through the thread and you’ll see in previous comments on this thread.
As paddy has said the Police have to be seen to doing something if something similar or worse happens going forward they’ll be blamed for not taking action. As I said I’d back them doing it, wouldn’t like it but reasons for moaning would be outweighed by numerous counter arguments.
The fact that the away fans didn’t cause the trouble on Sunday is far to black and white way of looking at it and there’s far more to it.

 

[jd1981]

Well having been in the police for 3 years and having worked on regular duties on a big match and in the games themselves I can tell you it does. Cancelled leave needs taking at some point, paying overtime needs funding.
In Wolverhampton alone how many bobbies do you think are on response shift when it’s at a skeleton level ie the ones responding to 999 calls?

 

[Lycan]

What happened on Sunday was not a policing issue. The only thing they could've done differently is perhaps remove another section of supporters to create more of a gap between the away support and the fans to our right.

The only thing to do now is fine West Bromwich Albion for failing to prevent away fans getting into home areas (something which I'm sure was a condition of the safety certificate for the game) and for failing to control their supporters.

 

[Derby Wolf]

Blaming supporters, home away or both wholly for what happened on Sunday is like the idiots who blame Liverpool fans wholly for Heysel.

No doubts there has to be a degree of individual responsibility for anybody involved, be that going in the wrong end or behaving like a moron but the authorities/West Brom provided the conditions for what followed as a result of the lax ticketing policy.

I'm not sure how easily they trace these +1 types is gonna be - I've been to plenty of games where people have crammed in with their mates rather than their designated seat. There would be nothing stopping a +1 entering at the far end of the East Stand and then spending the whole game stood goading Wolves fans/fighting the police at the other end for example.

There can't be any other outcome but sanctions for Albion's negligence.

 

[Wolf Hunting]

It'd be more logical to ban the home fans!

Whatttt!!!!
The outside areas of the ground would be littered with the chewed up bodies of 4,500 Wolves fans as Police got caught out...

 

[Walshes Wolves]

It is not ilegal to buy a ticket for the away end, or celebrate when your team score. It is ilegal to throw punches and attack the police and stewards.
We could all argue that we wouldn't like it if there were West Brom fans in the Wolves end at Molineux, but it is up for stewards to remove them, not for supporters to invade the pitch and attack the police and stewards and to attack a fan for celebrating

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Also, the stewards will be generally Albion fans - so they effectively attacked their own fans.