Pwoper nawty night in East London
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 2:28PM Not sure what people expected last night. Category 5 game. West Ham. Millwall. Mid-week evening kick-off. Plenty of drinking time to be had. Hatred in large doses. A fixture between two sides that doesn't happen too often and when it does, both sets of fans quietly like to remind each other about the unrequited love they share for each other. Because next time might be some time.
It was always going to kick-off. Had Millwall been granted more tickets, there may have not been so many of them outside the ground pushing over horses, chipping bricks off walls and fighting the old bill. Then again, if the original 6,500 allocation had been granted, their fans may well have had more 'courage' (the type of courage a deeply lobotomised Borg Collective would display against the might of the Federation fleet) to invade the pitch rather than remain in the stands watching Hammers 'fans' goad the opposition players and generally mug themselves off in front of the cameras. Then again, it was only 50-60 or so home fans who ran onto the pitch. An excitable minority who seemed to want to re-enact a White Horse cup final moment. Turned out to be more like an infomercial on how to beat the flab. Jogging for the obese.
Not seen much footage of the battles outside the ground (before and after the game) and at the moment all the emphasis is on the pitch invasions and the fighting in the stands, while news filters in on exactly what happened outside in the streets.
The pitch invasions themselves were ridiculous and embarrassing. With every claret and blue goal, fan dodged the outnumbered stewards (who did their very best to stop, and to be fair to them they did great under the circumstances) and various punch-ups broke out near the stands and in them. I couldn't find a decent steam to watch the game and had to make do with Phil Thompson's dramatic re-telling on Sky's Soccer Special, that included a description of a Stanislav goal that suggested the player pulled out a mobile phone and filmed his celebration and the Milwall fan's reactions. Er, no. Not quite. There was a WH fan who was filming footage of the game on his phone, yes. Slight difference there Phil. His nose obviously getting in the way of monitor.
Over on Sky News, they showed various clips of very fat West Ham fan's running onto the pitch including Minty from Eastenders who at first glance looked like he was skipping away from an army of Heather clones who were chasing after his plump meaty body. He even managed the time to turn and gesture to one of the Millwall players. Pwoper nawty that. He'll treasure that moment, along with raising his arms towards the away fans, giving it large. Don't be missing with anyone who knows Phil Mitchell, right? Then Sky cut to a commercial break and showed an advert for the movie re-make of the hooligan classic, 'The Firm'. The irony jumping out of the tv like a scene from Poltergeist. I laughed out loud.
Not that any of this was a laughing matter. Two people stabbed. Whether innocent or people in the midst of it looking for trouble, it's still enough to churn your guts a little.
Small mercies? This wasn't shown live on television, which no doubt would have made matters far worse as it would have served as more of a stage for the trouble-makers. Cue plenty of 'terrible advert for the English game' sound-bites, no doubt. Police will have to answer questions about the operation and planning ahead in perperation. No idea whether tasers are an option for games like this and would assume that the more attack dogs available the better. Dogs. Or bees. Or dogs with bees in their mouths and when they bark they shoot bees at you. As for the obvious effect this may have on our World Cup bid for 2018?
Platini in 3..2..1..
I guess neither sets of fans (the minority who disgrace the majority) deserve the screen-time to re-live the 70's and 80's and would hope their next encounter would be moved to an early kick-off or perhaps played behind closed doors. Although it's unlikely they will meet again for a while. What will the FA do in the aftermath of all this? I'm sure West Ham will attempt to identify and ban the invading fans. Police will do the same to anyone involved in the running battles outside and inside the ground. A fine or two will also be dished out to the clubs (probably) and the usual Daily Mail exaggerations will be with us until something else steals the spot light away from what was an absolute unsurprising inevitable clusterfuck of an evening.
I spoke to a police officer several months back (at Wembley prior to the Carling Cup final) and he mentioned he's at the New Den every other Saturday policing the Millwall home games. Said that their fans always fight, most often with each other. They are constantly up for it and don't care about anything or anyone. Not been to Millwall since we last played them there in a friendly (carnage it was) so I have no idea how much of a generalisation his comments are. No one in football is naïve enough to believe there are not pockets of idiots scattered around at most clubs who look for a bit of trouble against other like-minded individuals. There are plenty of active firms up and down the country and more than a few category A games for the police to sink their teeth into. This was always going to be volatile.
That doesn't excuse what happened, but surely the police could have considered the worst possible scenario and tripled their numbers, gone all out in riot gear from the tube stations all the way up to the ground, police dogs all over the shop and a general 'this is a war zone, fuck with us and you're fucked' attitude. Might be intimidating for the innocents, but chances are you won't lose control of the situation. It just seems like they underestimated what could have potentially happened which everyone seemed to guess would.
It's unfortunate. But before the mountain engulfs the mole hill - just remember there is a massive difference between the running weekly battles outside/inside grounds and on the tubes from yesteryear and one isolated major scrap. Football in England is pretty much in safe hands. All the organised meet-ups and scuffles that do still occur at one or two grounds is pretty inconsequential in comparison to anything experienced in past decades.
However, one isolated incident (in this case) still equates to a massive riot and several pitch invasions. This wasn't 20 lads in Burberry arranging to meet in a car park to throw a few punches.
Best for the FA to be harsh on the guilty. Throw the book at them. Rather than taking another brick in the face.
Reader Comments (44)
i blame danny dyer
I have a rumor no more than 10 mins old that Pav is going to Chelscum and a fat austailian is coming from the north..Please someone tell me this a'int true
Am I the only one who found the pitch invasion to be quite smug and almost like a parody? It it was proper norty the WH fans would have grouped and charged towards the away end rather than skip and smile around and jump up and down celebrating like they were on the stands.
1980s? I think not. Maybe outside and maybe in the stands, but on the pitch was borderline pathetic. Not saying I would have liked to see a full on pitch battle. Just don't quite grasp the the concept of risking a ground ban just to celebrate goals.
"Look a me I'm on the pitch well hard, but won't be getting into any scraps this evening"
So does this mean West Ham actually hate another club more than Spurs?
The fact that Millwall and West Ham hardly ever play each other (26 times in history I think) make these games, games to cherish. Sadly it's all about what happens off the pitch rather than off it. Football is secondary to the hooligan element.
Nice article on last night's cokerney-gimp-fest-flare-up. Here's another http://newsarse.com/2009/08/cockney-violence-marred-by-footballing-outbreak/
Police look like they ballsed it up.
Football is always secondary to these two teams, simply because they rarely have players who can actually play the game to a decent standard.
Chuck them both out of the Fa Cup and throw the Spanners out of the League Cup too.
Will that happen? Of course not. I fully expect a slap on the wrist. Remember, this is West ham who can break as many rules as they like to without getting any just punishment. Trevor Brooking sucking his way to the top in the FA is the key. he is their inside agent.
Most involved in the rucks looked like dinosaurs to me.
They've made themselves look like cunts on national tv, as if we needed more ammunition to look down at those pikey twats
Thought last nights 'action' was disgraceful. Yes, we have the odd idiot fan (remember the bloke who tried to lamp Frank?) but 100 odd fans invading the pitch and goading the Millwall fans? The punch-ups in the stands? To me it looks like WH started the trouble inside the ground. No idea about outside. Guess the blame there will be with the travelling fans with no tickets.
Long forgotten hatred that has been replaced with nothing more than hunger for violence. Both clubs starved of any true rivalry.
'Minty from Eastenders'
Ha!!!
Every West Ham fan should be hanging their head in shame today; the jokers who were on the pitch were the most embarrassing fans I've ever seen. Gesturing, chest pumping, skipping (WTF?), omega males.
Has anyone actually seen footage of a WH fan throwing a punch in anger?
What a good old laugh! I'm trying to get video clips of these idiots having a go at each other - YouTube have gone all holier than thou and blocked them. I'd love to see them all kicking off, I couldn't give a toss about either support getting hurt. It's like watching those old war scenes on Lord of the Rings or Braveheart. I love it! Like a shot of heroin up the vein. "Let these retards fuck each other up good!" Bill Hicks
West Ham fan here.
I'm embarrassed.
I have a friend who is a millwall fan and member of one of these "firms" who was involved in the brawling
Lovely guy. I don't know why he gets involved. I really don't.
I said to him, "why don't you just go home and make love to your girlfriend instead? and that all this fighting fat bald men seems a little homoerotic"
He just laughed it off, "it's what we do". Much like what spooky was told by that cop. Depressing
Disgraceful, yeah... Mind you, do anyone go to Spurs 1 Arsenal 1, 17th Nov 2001, midweek when Vieira equalised last minute.
It proper went off before the game down Park Lane, and then there were riots down the High Road with bricks (paving stones, really) and bottles thrown at the Arse.
We went into a pub, and then came out an hour later, and the police were still trying to walk the Arsenal home.
Policing at NLD and the Chelsea games is immense. Copters, tons of riot police, horses, dogs. It's almost impossible to start trouble. Mid-week games are a different animal altogether. Quite rare to see trouble at Spurs/Arsenal games, no in the full scale way. Pockets of violence, sure, but running battles seem to be a thing of the past with them and our lot. Not that I've ever really considered Arsenal to have a strong firm.
It kicked off outside the Torch at Wembley '93 - I shit myself! :D
Hearing that some West Ham fans described the atmosphere as amazing, not so much the violence and pitch invasions but the general feeling of overcoming Millwall and beating them gave them amazing satisfaction.
Park Lane Marc - who gives a sh** what West Ham fans feel?
I remember Cardiff coming to WHL a few years ago. Their reputation was pretty bad and the police presence was incredible. Cardiff fans were sheparded from the stations to the ground with temporary fencing everywhere.
There was a helicopter presence buzzing overhead and generally the atmosphere was pretty oppresive.
there was some trouble outside the ground but generally the police snuffed it out, and in the ground, everyone was well behaved. Surely it doesn't take a gnius that West Ham v Milwall has the potential for trouble and than an increased police presence was required.
Next time they play, I'd like to see five times as many police, all in riot gear with batons. The police given no restrictions on what they can do to contain the fans. Trucks with hoses, and police with tear gas. Like you see going on in South America on the tele. Only way to stop this lot.
I was trying to draw parallels to club rivalry.They want us to acknowledge them as rivals but they seem to have have proven to all their true rivals are a team who play in a lower division.
I could not give a monkeys what the fuck went down at Spam central
Millwall would have battered em anyway..I wanna know if Viduka is coming to the lane..I fucking hope not..This is a Spurs blog not some to bit Spammers site..Dock the wankers 9 points for failing to control the fans..Its not worth fining them..
Park Lane Marc - you are getting two very different things confused. True WH fans talk of rivalry based on geographic placements and competition in the Prem. They see us (or want us) to be up against them and on their level in competing for a higher place in the league and winning silverware (even though they fail to grasp that they can't attract the players of quality we can). Historically, Millwall are their 'rivals' much like you can argue Liverpool and Man Utd share a deep rivalry. Both sets of rivalries here go back to the docks and employment. But Millwall have never hang out in the top flight long enough for a pure footballing rivalry to truly develop.
West Ham hate them. They hate West Ham. Not even sure football has anything to do with it.
With us, its more to do with the close proximity of Spurs/West Ham fans growing up together.
James - you are a fascist. I bet you phone up your local council demanding more CCTV cameras. Go and read George Orwell's "1984", and don't write another word until you've read it.
HOT SPURS - I remember that game v Cardiff. Loads of coppers there. No chance of anything happening. Same goes with Chelsea home games. The 'fighting' is always organised and away from the ground, and between people who want to fight. You do get some punch ups occur outside of the organised firms influence, but can't say I've ever walked into one.
I think with WH and Millwall, a lot of it is pent-up anger and frustration and a call to the past. Deluded thugs that haven't quite grasped the dominating force of CCTV.
If the police can lock down a NLD or Spurs v Chelsea game then surely they can lock down a game between WH and Millwall? They failed.
Why?
It's the same as when I played for Athletico Beijing. Our main rivals were the Drifters, but then we got promoted and it was more about beating Beijing Celtics. Then we got promoted to the top flight and the main rivalry was against Sexy FC. But then we got Beijing Drifters in the cup - and there were some right old meaty tackles!
The Beijing Drifters are pussy-o's
I'm amazed Spurs haven't been targetted more by the hooligan firms, cos in both Green Street and Football Factory, our fans get a dusting up.
Still, West Ham should clearly stick to fighting Millwall and not pretending like we're their rivals. I still consider there to be two tiers of London club with regards to rivalries. The Arsenal/Chelsea/Spurs axis and then the lower, less important West Ham/Charlton/Crystal Palace/Millwall axis. Fulham are neutrals.
Coys.
(I feel less embarrassed now about the guy who tried to punch fat Frank and missed)
I thought it was under control in England? We had this kind of stuff over here 2 and when i was a lot younger , drunk and stupid i used to indulge a little bit ... "Steven bows his head in shame"
Nowadays we still have violence outside and sometimes inside our grounds but not as it was in the 90's , i ve seen it happen in France , Holland, Portugal and Belgium but when i go to see English games it seems to be safer then on the continent ... probably because of the lifetime bans , over here they give you a few months up till a year or two ...
Ah well, as long as the ones that are injured are also guilty of inciting the riots i could'nt care less , it is the fact that innocent men, women and children get caught up in this mess that i find disgusting. Btw if this is what millwall and west ham fans look like in general ... what a bunch of ugly fat blokes , seemed to me that there were a lot of older hools there and not a lot of young ones ?
fat bloke with tattoos doing a bit of ballet on the pitch.....!!....nice!
kids running around like stupid twats.......
emotions out of control.........
stewards doing there best.............
pathetic.............
they should have stopped the game
sorted all the crowd to go home in sections etc...........
fat bloke still dancing!..........we are spam we spam.............
thankfully none was killed ......questions all round
obese blokes needing their dummys
Arry - I'm not a fascist. Not in the slightest. I read that book and it's shit.
As is rightly said above, every club has a small minority (in every direction). Take a cross section of 36,000 odd londoners who go to WHL, and aside from exhibiting excellent taste in footballing clubs you'd be bound to find a few people who you would consider oxygen theives.
However, the question is not what has happened, but how do you stop this happening in the future?
Because FIFA are itching to find a reason not to give the UK the 2018 world cup? (conveniently forgetting the italian and spanish 'issues' along the way).
Pull WH from the Cup? Introduce a higher degree of self policing? or maybe go down the italian route of crowd segregation to an extreme? Massive fines to cripple the club (ironicly sending them closer to thier 'opponents' back yard more often)?
Doesn't matter to an extent what we think. the shitheads will still exist, let's just make sure it's not our lot in the future. Maybe that's more important, self policing and ensuring that trher eare enough of us to stand up and be counted in doing the right thing when the media circus comes to our gaff. Us vs goons. rivallry for sure, but the violence, to coin an expression from a recent visiting spammer, can 'jog on'.
Police Have Raided A House in east ham
going into A room with a fan bending over to hide
shocked by seeing
2 Tons Of Crack !
Disappointed in the lack of diagrams in this article, i feel it is missing a few squares , circles and very sophisticated bendy arrows connecting it all up !! you must have seen them before, you know the ones i mean, i love them.!!
Sexyspurs to win 6 nil tonight..
Hey, the future aint what it used to be !
swtl, Orange? If so I'll get my bet on now for next year's WC. I already missed out when a fellow spur predicted the 5-1 scoreline against Hull and defoe first scorer correctly, he was so confident he put a whole £7.50 at 200-1. Who says that spurs aren't always wise with money, eh?
no thanks tricky, but i am partial to a nice pair !!
5-1 :)
The pond life on display last night are best summed up by the fact that both sets of fans were racially abusing each others players. Morally bankrupt, nihilistic nastiness. And just really, really thick.
Aaaaaaanyway, good win tonight. Judging by the highlights Carlo had a blinder and young Mr Bentley seems to have had an excellent game without fuss or a star jump in sight. Good for him.
I reckon the article got it spot on. I'm embarrassed to be English at the moment.
What upsets me is that the Spanish can be obviously racist live on TV, the Italians can kill a copper, but we'll lose the world cup because of a fat spammers that can't dance.
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