Disturbing incident at 10.40 - Wire v Wigan

[Lowdesert]

 

http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/sport/wolves/15146176.AS_IT_HAPPENED__VOTE_FOR_YOUR_MAN_OF_THE_MATCH__Warrington_Wolves_16_Wigan_Warriors_38/

[Benjamaphone]

Footage and report here

[chuffer]

Yeh I saw social media footage of the Wigan fans berating the wire lot at/after the game and the wire fans not liking it one bit and having to be restrained by stewards so unsurprising that something like this occured. There's also reports on social media of some verbals abuse from one of the wire team to one of his own fans 

[Desert Skipper]

Players shouldn't get involved, but having the seen the video it seems likely that when Atkins and Sims came over to where the incident happened to tell the Wire fans to calm down and stop reacting to the inevitable taunts, they probably got a bit of abuse themselves about the performance from their own fans and reacted with some choice words.   Not professional but understandable.

A bit disappointed in yet another drunk fans incident.

[The British Lion]

If this is true, then truly an embarrassment to our club, Warrington. Individuals need to be indentified and dealt with accordingly.

It's never a good feeling losing to Wigan - badly or otherwise. But we must maintain the culture our great sport is known for, a game for all the family. It needs nipping in the bud immediately.

[Konkrete]

Have we got a growing problem with worsening fan behaviour one wonders.  Cas, Trin, KR, Salford, now the Wolves and Warriors - all in recent times.  The RFL clearly don't give a flying fig about it so where will it end...?

[THE RED ROOSTER]

Warrington have had a fan problem for some years now one Huddersfield fan put it to me that they lacked tradition in Rugby League. Others have stupidly posted quotes such as Warrington being a fighting town. It is something the club needs to address but as Konkrete points out it's not the only club with a problem.

The next potential flashpoint for the neds in the game will e the derby between Leigh and Wigan which was an unpleasant experience in 2005 and in a cup game around that time IIRC. Both clubs need to be a bit careful in how they stoke up this derby. It's not quite at the level of Ronnie the Rhino and Bullman touring the ground with a "We are family" banner before the 2000 cup final but something similar may be appropriate for in this case the fans really are neighbours

[Oxford]

Only once affected by the balloons in the the sport and that was at Wilderspool, seen plenty of incidents though at other grounds. No one is immune, none of us safe and no one should be saying or feeling that it's not us, so it's not our problem.

[Sco77]

8 hours ago, THE RED ROOSTER said:

Warrington have had a fan problem for some years now one Huddersfield fan put it to me that they lacked tradition in Rugby League. Others have stupidly posted quotes such as Warrington being a fighting town. It is something the club needs to address but as Konkrete points out it's not the only club with a problem.

The next potential flashpoint for the neds in the game will e the derby between Leigh and Wigan which was an unpleasant experience in 2005 and in a cup game around that time IIRC. Both clubs need to be a bit careful in how they stoke up this derby. It's not quite at the level of Ronnie the Rhino and Bullman touring the ground with a "We are family" banner before the 2000 cup final but something similar may be appropriate for in this case the fans really are neighbours

I don't agree whatsoever. Obviously there are twerps at every game up and down the land, but please don't taint the club as having a problem with fans for some time!

its very rare that we see any trouble thankfully. Certainly ko more than at any other club. 

[Exiled Wiganer]

These things happen. There are nutters in every big group of people. I have never met a Wire fan I didn't like - and that stretches to meeting them in about 8 different countries. A proper rugby town with knowledgable and fair spectators. That's not to say that Widerspool was anything other than intimidating as a Wigan fan, but that tribalism is part of the reason our game has survived and is now thriving around the world. 

[Dave T]

9 hours ago, Konkrete said:

Have we got a growing problem with worsening fan behaviour one wonders.  Cas, Trin, KR, Salford, now the Wolves and Warriors - all in recent times.  The RFL clearly don't give a flying fig about it so where will it end...?

Yes. We are seeing more and more unsavoury incidents while we blindly go round arrogantly claiming we have no issues.

We have plenty of knobs going to matches.

[Lowdesert]

Yes, we do have idiots at all games and there'll be a boatload of incidents that don't get reported, but the 'bottle' thing (if it was a bottle) can be addressed imo.

KCom stadium, you can buy plastic beer glasses or bottles.  Catalans, you buy the plastic glass, with the Catalans theme imprinted on them, and get the beton or money back at the end.  Can't do a lot of harm with a plastic glass and I can't help feeling this is not only the way to go, but a commercial opportunity for clubs.

[Just Browny]

I don't think we have more or fewer idiots attending games than in the past, except perhaps at clubs with greater attendances than before.

However, I do think there are a couple of factors that might contribute to greater aggro at games.

First, segregation. When I was a kid at Wilderspool, Central Park or Knowsley Road, you would have stood with your own fans but it was more than likely you would have had a Saints fan or a Wigan fan stood in your immediate vicinity, and that tempered your behaviour. You could cheer your own team and shout a few choice things at the opposite team's players and referee, but unless you were a real hardcase you wouldn't have spent 80 minutes taunting your opponent's fans. Nowadays, even if there isn't 'official' segregation, opposition fans are kept apart in newer grounds and can enjoy an afternoon of eyeballing fans over the shoulders of the stewards, police and protected by fencing. Compare and contrast with the atmosphere at Magic Weekends where incidents are pretty rare.

Second, I wonder if the internet is making us all more confrontational than we would have been in the past. If you translate some of the insults and belligerence people use on social media these days into real life, fuelled by a few beers, it is no wonder you get scraps.

I should say, before the WDL get on my back, that none of these are excuses and Warrington and the police should throw the book at any fans involved in any incidents on Thursday. I felt pretty emotional just sitting in my front room but it doesn't excuse thuggery.

 

[meast]

2 hours ago, Just Browny said:

I don't think we have more or fewer idiots attending games than in the past, except perhaps at clubs with greater attendances than before.

However, I do think there are a couple of factors that might contribute to greater aggro at games.

First, segregation. When I was a kid at Wilderspool, Central Park or Knowsley Road, you would have stood with your own fans but it was more than likely you would have had a Saints fan or a Wigan fan stood in your immediate vicinity, and that tempered your behaviour. You could cheer your own team and shout a few choice things at the opposite team's players and referee, but unless you were a real hardcase you wouldn't have spent 80 minutes taunting your opponent's fans. Nowadays, even if there isn't 'official' segregation, opposition fans are kept apart in newer grounds and can enjoy an afternoon of eyeballing fans over the shoulders of the stewards, police and protected by fencing. Compare and contrast with the atmosphere at Magic Weekends where incidents are pretty rare.

Second, I wonder if the internet is making us all more confrontational than we would have been in the past. If you translate some of the insults and belligerence people use on social media these days into real life, fuelled by a few beers, it is no wonder you get scraps.

I should say, before the WDL get on my back, that none of these are excuses and Warrington and the police should throw the book at any fans involved in any incidents on Thursday. I felt pretty emotional just sitting in my front room but it doesn't excuse thuggery.

 

Spot on, and i feel the reason that there is so much "Trouble" at football, because they can play up all they want behind a line of security and police, they wouldn't dare shout and gesture if there was nothing separating the sets of fans.

[meast]

And anyway, surely it was football fans causing trouble, isn't that the regular RL fans reaction whenever there is trouble?

[Griff9of13]

3 hours ago, Just Browny said:

I don't think we have more or fewer idiots attending games than in the past, except perhaps at clubs with greater attendances than before.

However, I do think there are a couple of factors that might contribute to greater aggro at games.

First, segregation. When I was a kid at Wilderspool, Central Park or Knowsley Road, you would have stood with your own fans but it was more than likely you would have had a Saints fan or a Wigan fan stood in your immediate vicinity, and that tempered your behaviour. You could cheer your own team and shout a few choice things at the opposite team's players and referee, but unless you were a real hardcase you wouldn't have spent 80 minutes taunting your opponent's fans. Nowadays, even if there isn't 'official' segregation, opposition fans are kept apart in newer grounds and can enjoy an afternoon of eyeballing fans over the shoulders of the stewards, police and protected by fencing. Compare and contrast with the atmosphere at Magic Weekends where incidents are pretty rare.

Second, I wonder if the internet is making us all more confrontational than we would have been in the past. If you translate some of the insults and belligerence people use on social media these days into real life, fuelled by a few beers, it is no wonder you get scraps.

I should say, before the WDL get on my back, that none of these are excuses and Warrington and the police should throw the book at any fans involved in any incidents on Thursday. I felt pretty emotional just sitting in my front room but it doesn't excuse thuggery.

 

No need for the last paragraph as it is absolutely clear from your first that you are in no way offering up an excuse for your clubs fans in what you said.

I'd also like to reiterate what EW said; all the Wire fans I've met over the years have been superb. We spent about 4 hours in their company once on the train to Cardiff for the magic weekend in a carriage full of them and they were great company to this Wigganer and is other half.

Playing against Warrington teams in the 80s, now that was another matter all together, as I often remind my mate who played for Crossfields at the time...

 

[redjonn]

11 hours ago, Exiled Wiganer said:

These things happen. There are nutters in every big group of people. I have never met a Wire fan I didn't like - and that stretches to meeting them in about 8 different countries. A proper rugby town with knowledgable and fair spectators. That's not to say that Widerspool was anything other than intimidating as a Wigan fan, but that tribalism is part of the reason our game has survived and is now thriving around the world. 

I agree with your comments. Never-the-less it had me thinking about incidents I have witnessed.

Those nutters I guess get away with it maybe because we as in the general well behaved just accept it.  I tend to ignore and comment negatively to whomever I'm attending the game with. Maybe we should all do more reporting on the various club contact lines/text address that one can report to for the security at the grounds to deal with.  If we always did it then those nutters would be identified and if repeat offenders eventually disappear from the grounds and hence the positive family orientated environment would more likely grow suiting even more families to attend.

Too be honest I think at all grounds I attend away and at a high percentage of games I attend their have been incidents that are more than tut tut type incidents. I have no doubt they happen at home games with some of home fans guilty but I guess because one tends to be more cocooned in amongst friends one tends to not notice. 

Love the banter but some fans or using your words the few nutters do seem to have a real anger problems. 

Maybe drink is part of the problem but wouldn't want to spoil others enjoyment because some allow their behaviour to go down hill.

The last time I interfered was a regular nutter in front swearing at the ref to a greater extent than he normally does that I couldn't hold back in shouting at him that his behaviour was out of order.  He hasn't done it since.  But on Friday I ignored another fan berating the ref with non family friendly comments at the ref who had given loads of penalties against Leeds. Every penalty was justified I thought as a fellow Leeds.   supporter. I failed to point this out for which now the thinking about the behaviors issue maybe I should not have just ignored.

I guess the point is... we as the hopefully sensible fans condone it by doing nothing about it... we should at least use the clubs security help lines as a minimum.  

[Leeds Wire]

On 3/11/2017 at 0:19 AM, THE RED ROOSTER said:

 they lacked tradition in Rugby League.

That is possibly the most ignorant thing I have ever read in my 13 years on this forum. Congratulations.

[Desert Skipper]

I'm not sure whether it was supposed to be an ignorant comment by a hudds fan, but there is a half-truth in that statement.   Unlike most Rugby League clubs based on the M62 corridor with a staunch core of traditional RL fans that stretches back generations, Warrington's core is only small and was the 6000 or so Wilderspool regulars.   A big portion of the town, especially south of the River on the Cheshire side has seen many people and families from non-RL heartlands move in over the past 30 years or so.   Warrington as a club have done relatively well to tap into this demographic.

However, the odd bit of bad behaviour has nothing to do with the 'new' fans and is purely down to the age old problem of drink combined with tribalism.   And if you think this is only a problem for Soccer or RL, try a trip to Gloucester RU and stand with a load of their drunks for an hour or so.

[Leeds Wire]

20 minutes ago, Desert Skipper said:

I'm not sure whether it was supposed to be an ignorant comment by a hudds fan, but there is a half-truth in that statement.   Unlike most Rugby League clubs based on the M62 corridor with a staunch core of traditional RL fans that stretches back generations, Warrington's core is only small and was the 6000 or so Wilderspool regulars.  

At what point do you think Warrington started playing?  What does the year 1876 mean?  Ever heard of Brian Bevan? What was the crowd at the 1954 Challenge Cup Final replay?  What year was Warrington's first 20,000+ home crowd?

Do some research and pop back here to let us know how you got on.

[Dave T]

8 minutes ago, Leeds Wire said:

At what point do you think Warrington started playing?  What does the year 1876 mean?  Ever heard of Brian Bevan? What was the crowd at the 1954 Challenge Cup Final replay?  What year was Warrington's first 20,000+ home crowd?

Do some research and pop back here to let us know how you got on.

I think DS is a Wire fan but i genuinely didnt follow his logic. So we used to get 6k at Wilderspool - in RL terms thats pretty healthy.

Warrington is as traditional an RL town as you get.

[Konkrete]

3 hours ago, Leeds Wire said:

At what point do you think Warrington started playing?  What does the year 1876 mean?  Ever heard of Brian Bevan? What was the crowd at the 1954 Challenge Cup Final replay?  What year was Warrington's first 20,000+ home crowd?

Do some research and pop back here to let us know how you got on.

I know this one...!  Err... is it:

102,000.  Not sure where it was played though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB_lG2XLSaY

How many do you reckon were there from Warrington by the way?

[Tre Cool]

Warrington have a problem, it may be small but it's significant and the club would do well to come out and deal with it like Hull did.  It won't go away on it's own. 

[Leeds Wire]

8 hours ago, Konkrete said:

How many do you reckon were there from Warrington by the way?

At least six, unless my parents and Grandparents lied to me.  Apparently people had to abandon their cars many miles from the stadium due to congestion. 

Great video Konkrete thank you, I hadn't seen that before.  

Such a shame The Wire have no tradition.

[Lowdesert]

8 hours ago, Tre Cool said:

Warrington have a problem, it may be small but it's significant and the club would do well to come out and deal with it like Hull did.  It won't go away on it's own. 

They all have problem people mate.  We can try to stop them, but know they'll always pop up when the beers flowing or they're over excited.  

I once saw two women fighting outside Crown on Holderness Road in Hull after a derby at the old Craven Park.  The cops came, got half scratched to death, uniforms ripped and then the women walked back into the pub, grabbed their husbands and walked off.  The called it East Hull foreplay.