Sorry like, but they are.

The behaviour of these fuckwits at footballmatches recently makes me despair.

West ham fans, smashingthe team bus.

Hull fans assaulting derby players in the play off.

Hibs fans doing the same on much grander(wrong choice of words) scale.

50 odd year old Pools fans kicking off on the coach home cos someone was sat in their seat.

Thousands of fucking idiots that shouldnt be allowed oxygen.

But worse, are the ones that defend them on radio talk shows.

jesus wept.

What is it with grown blokes, usually in their 40/50s with their fat guts and baggy jeans running onto the pitch at the end of a game. Are they fucking retarded?

Are they incapable of just standing there celebrating?

You know, like most do?

Football is heading back slowly to its dark and miserable past.

Yet many seem to support this behaviour.

Fuckwits

Alcohol is usually the answer, drinking on the coach to away games, drinking when they get there and then half time, what do you expect!

I think it's the last spasm of a dying breed.

I wish that was right. I suspect its not.

I must be getting old as I feel the same as The Colonel on this

dont think its an age thing.

the age of some of the "fans" on the pitches assaulting the players, looked older than me.

I just think they simple fuckwits that shouldnt be outside on their own.

Younger generations don't seem to be involved in the same numbers, it looks like banning orders and different policing styles, together with the way stadiums are built mean it is evolving out. I wonder what age some of them will pack it in, reminds me of the documentary on traveller fights I watched, that had two blokes in their 60s trying to knack each other.

Part of me wants to see severe punishments imposed on teams when their fans invade the pitch. Like playing behind closed doors for a few games or points deductions but it's the genuine fans that suffer. Maybe it's what is needed though.

This raises a serious question.

Does the Colonel REALLY listen to radio talk shows?

Yes yes he does.

Talksport mainly.

I suppose I should be shot.

Oh and stations that have phone ins about Politics. I particularly like them.

Cant beat a good political debate. Not sure I have ever heard a good one mind.

Unless hearing MP's basically saying my dad is bigger than your dad, is classed as debate.

A good political debate on Talksport? That's an oxymoron, surely?

whoa man. Who are you calling a moron?

I do the political debates on 5 live though.

Unless its Mike Parry.

Gordon.

There are a minority of fans who are wankers but unfortunately the media/red top newspapers blow it out of proportion.
In Scootland when Rangers played Celtic there were hundreds of arrests not for fighting but being drunk but the media failed to mention that

A bit like immigration? Funny how it's 'out of proportion' in one context, but a real problem in another?

Spot on. And I am happy to have a bet with anyone that football hooliganism is a bigger issue now in the UK than immigration.

Its never gone away. Even on a very smallscale at Pools.

For example:

Why do pools fans want to stand uncovered in the NW corner? Rather than be covered in the town end creating proper noise?

I dont suppose its to get as close as possible to visiting fans?

No. Of course not.

But not too close.

Oh no, that would never do. These fans have every right to expect to have numerous stewards to proect them, as well asa couple of walls/fences.

The hotbed of football violence that is the North West corner. Swearing. Gesturing. Quite surprised they don't have to sign one of those playground 'contracts'

1) I will not engage in banter
2) I will not go wooooohhaaaayyyy when the opponent makes a mistake

The only thing I disagree with in the whole of that area of the ground is the designated area for the disabled away fans. Couldn't have give them a worse view and permantly caught between piss taking. Hardly fair.

I remember a few years ago when the Pools fans swopped ends at half time, walking round the perimeter of the pitch to be behind the oppositions goal, never any bother then, there didn't appear to be a hooligan element in Millhouse then ?

There was always chew back then. Crystal Palace, leeds, Forest (In a bloody testimonial), Darlo frequently, Sheff Utd, Wolves were particulalry notable, or infamous.

I just think some still seem to think its OK to behave like that. And others across the country, are trying to recreate it.

Apart from the criminal aspect, what must it be like to have friends who don't accept you unless you behave in a belligerent, arsey way and agree to have a common enemy who has to be challenged at every opportunity. Your whole way of life must get warped.

Every football hooligan should be detached from his mates and sat next to an old lady in a Miss Marple suit and hat, in the family enclosure. The hooligan wouldn't be so clever without his mates, and if he did start acting up the lady could bat him over the head with a furled up umbrella. These bizarre couplings would be more interesting to watch than the football, come to think of it.

With logic like that you must be a woman.

Watch it,Pirlo. You could be the first to feel the sting of my furled up umbrella.

I must be a owman too as I agree with her.

You missed off Aberdeen in a bloody friendly

Most of the 'violence' we see nowadays is 'hold me back let me at em' shadow boxing with a touch pouting and posturing footwork thrown in for effect. More mating ritual than confrontation. Bit sad really.

There will be some proper violence in a few weeks when the french Police start swinging there batons about.
Probably at the Wales v England game.

Hope you're wrong but I think you're probably right about that. Lens is too small for the numbers who will turn up, the gendarmes will be overwhelmed and the at the first hint of trouble the CRS will lay into everybody. People in France understand how they operate so unless you actually want to fight them, which they sometimes do on demonstrations or at football, you scatter and get out of the area as soon as they start looking even more aggressive than usual.

Many fans from the UK are used to their 'never run' posturing being tolerated by the police so they won't leg it. The CRS will take this as a threat and get stuck in with tear gas, batons, water cannon and rubber bullets.

Marseille fans love a spliff and a scrap but they mostly save their energy for PSG matches so that could go either way

My advice to anybody travelling over would be to keep away from big groups in town squares if you don't enjoy random baton charges and don't bother arguing with coppers in black military style clothes with a shield on the arm - they like attacking people who disagree with them.

If this happens, I sincerely hope the authorities give our Top Boys, top lads, and good lads the kicking the deserve and lock the twats up and throw away the keys.

Apologies if I have missed any ranks from the orders there.

Don't forget the Yoof