Here we go...chavs USA!!!!

[InsaneApache]

They like to glamorise European soccer hooligans, but nobody in US sports seems to realise that they've got a homegrown problem of their own

:hide:


That's the wonder of American sports. There are fistfights, showers of beer (and faeces, canned dog food and coins), portable toilets kicked over with opposition fans inside them, knifings, deafening verbal abuse, full-scale riots, cars set alight, disabled fans stripped and their clothing destroyed

here (http://sport.guardian.co.uk/americansports/comment/0,10160,1660848,00.html)

[drone]

Philly fans are, shall we say, unique. The old stadium (Veteran's Stadium, torn down in 2004 for the new one, The Linc (Lincoln Financial Field)) had it's own judge, courthouse, and jail for handling, on-site, violent and drunk fans. I think the new stadium has these as well.

Ticket prices have gone up at the Linc, Veteran's Stadium had the infamous 700 level, nosebleed cheap seats, where most of the rowdy fan stories come from. The "hooligans" are now being priced out, similiar to what has been happening to English football clubs.

Fun fact: Philidelphia is called the "City of Brotherly Love".

At least they have some passion for the home teams. Atlanta and DC (both cities I have lived in) have some of the most apathetic fan bases out there. The Braves can't even sell out their playoff games. ~:confused:

If you want true American sports hooligans, go to children's sports games. Parents tend to take things a little too seriously there. ~D

[Crazed Rabbit]

A great over-exaggeration of the problems here. He presents rare events as though they happen everygame. Basically, trying to buy clemency for English hooligans by lying about American fans.

He also ignores the fact that fans from opposing teams never get into large scale fights-nor do they go looking for fights.

And a really classy ending by that guy too.

Crazed Rabbit

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

Wait.

That's an article in an actual newspaper, with more than 3 copies sold per day?!

With that ending!??!

[Seamus Fermanagh]

I've been a Phillies fan since before many of you were born.

Phila. fans, especially the football crowd, are rowdy and sometimes mean. During one game, they actually booed Santa Claus on his arrival at half time.

During a baseball game, Hall-fo-fame 3rd basemen Mike Schmidt was booed by the crowd for striking out with bases loaded in the 9th inning of a tied ball game -- despite the fact that he had gone 3 for 3 with a home run, a double and a walk in his first 4 plate appearances.

But they don't go to the game to start a riot, they go to the game to get drunk and root for their team -- and the alcohol decerebrates them. Not pretty, but that's how it goes.

[Adrian II]

With that ending!??!Oh my.

But he makes a point I never really heard of before. I always thought U.S. sports fans were very well behaved compared to the disgusting (and profoundly embarrassing) scenes we see over here. But then he quotes this article by American sports journalist Mickey Charles (http://64.246.64.33/default.asp?c=betcris&page=other/misc/charles/fighting.htm) which sounds rather disturbing:


Inebriated fans from the 700 level take target practice at outfielders and there are riots in the streets after a championship comes to town in any sport. Looting, burning cars, terrorizing women and ripping their clothes off as part of the ceremony seems to have reached obscene levels and the hooligans are running the asylum.

[InsaneApache]

During one game, they actually booed Santa Claus on his arrival at half time.

the rotten swine ~:joker: ~D ~:joker:

[Kanamori]

Either way, I'd be even more embarrassed if one of the fans in my country sawed his ****s off.~;)

Or I could just say it won't happen in Wisconsin, possibly because we've nothing to celebrate...

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

Either way, I'd be even more embarrassed if one of the fans in my country sawed his ****s off.

We're ******* hardcore in Wales. ~;)

[Adrian II]

We're ******* hardcore in Wales. ~;)Yes. European soccer fans from Skopje to Eindhoven and from Marseilles to Palermo are so hardcore. That is why I sincerely hope American sports fans will never, ever go the same way.

[Kanamori]

It seems to inspire a contradiction.

How can he have cojones if he cut them off?

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

Yes. European soccer fans from Skopje to Eindhoven and from Marseilles to Palermo are so hardcore. That is why I sincerely hope American sports fans will never, ever go the same way.

Erm, I was joking a little bit. The fellow Kanamori was refering to was Welsh.

I don't admire football hooligans in any way.

[Kanamori]

Would I fit in if I became a football hooligan? I'm going to need a different cellphone while I'm over there too... maybe I could get a camera and watch myself stealing one later.~D

[Crazed Rabbit]

the rotten swine

Don't let Pat Robertson know! ~;)

Heck, I bet there are more fights between teams than between fans.

At one recent college rivalry game (a very long rivalry, I mihgt add) fans poured onto the field after the game and even stomped on the other team's logo-but there was no fighting. Yes, there are the occasional riots, but those are very rare events.

Crazed Rabbit

[Proletariat]

I dunno how accurate this is, but I remember reading Irvine Welsh's Marabou Stork Nightmares and the stuff that went on in that book (I think they were called 'cashies' or 'casuals') would never happen here.

That said, Oakland is a close second to Philly for most violent fans.

http://sportsmed.starwave.com/i/magazine/new/raider_fans_1.jpg

[Soulforged]

Hooligans? Americans? HA! Come here if you know what's bad for you.~D

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

AII - I was simply surprised at using that word in a news article-thingy.

We don't really do that often in the US.

Or do we?

Hooligans.

[Gregoshi]

While the article seemed exaggerated and questionable at times, there is a nugget of truth - at least with regards to the Eagles fans. I'm a Green Bay Packers fan since I was about 6-7 years old and an Eagles fan since I moved to the Philadelphia suburbs compliments of what I think is called the "Stockholm syndrome" (kidnap victim develops sympathy for the kidnapper~:joker:). Anyway, thanks to a friend of mine with season tickets, I have been invited to several Eagles/Packers games over the years. I've been in the 700 level at the Vet and upper level seats at the Linc. I've never witnessed any physical violence during the course of about six games, but I have witnessed some rather intense and intimitating verbal abuse that certainly had the potential to go physical. Of course, when I go to a game, I don't wear anything with the Packers on and I don't openly cheer for the Packers either.

Here are some "highlights" of Eagles fans over the years:

During one national broadcast Monday Night Football game, some idiot fan fired off an emergency signal flare inside the stadium.
Snow story #1: snow and Eagles games are a bad combination. During one snow game, Eagles fans were throwing snowballs into the TV broadcast booth. Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw was providing color commentary for the broadcast while dodging snowballs.
Snow story #2: after years of problems with snowballs during games, the Eagles management and the city were anxious to avoid another national embarassment on TV when Philadelphia received about 12 inches (30cm) of snow 24 hours before a playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I was fortunate enough to have been invited to that game. It was amazing. While parking was a nightmare with snow mounds piled everywhere, I literally did not see one flake of snow inside the stadium grounds. Not one. That says a lot about what the city and the team think of the conduct of the Eagles fans.
Radio story #1: Philadelphia's sports radio station, WIP, does its share to whip the Eagles fans into a near riotous frenzy. One week prior to a big game against the Green Bay Packers, chief goon Angelo Cataldi was encouraging listeners to call in with their stories about how they put one over on any Packers fans. One listener owned a shop and a local Green Bay fan came into his shop looking for (mattress) foam in order to make his own "cheesehead" hat. The shop owner went to the rat infested basement and picked some foam covered in rat droppings and gave it to the Packer fan. Yes, the guys on the radio had a good laugh as they considered what kind of nasty scalp conditions this guy was going to get wearing that foam on his head.
Radio story #2: this radio incident I'm about to share is what got me to stop listening to WIP all together. After a game against the hated Dallas Cowboys (Eagles probably lost that game at the time), a listener called up Angelo Cataldi (idiot) and said that his girlfriend had commented that one of the Cowboys players had a nice butt while they were watching the game. He was really pissed that she would say such a thing about a Cowboy but didn't say anything to her at the time. Basically, the guy wanted to break up with his girlfriend over this comment - on the air! Angelo, being the scum he is, was all for this. So, Philadelphia sports fans got to listen to this jerk lay insults into his girlfriend and break up with her while Angelo and his cronies cheered him on. Of course she was taken off guard, stunned and then extremely upset. I was dumbfounded, then I got really pissed about it. I nearly called the station about the classless stunt, and I don't even usually think about doing things like that. Even if the whole thing was staged, to even suggest that a relationship is worth ending over something so trivial is appalling. Philadelphia Eagles fans and media at their finest. ~:cheers:
In a letter to the editors of the Philadelphia Inquirer, a grandmother relates her experience with taking her 10 year old grandson, a New York Giants fan, to an Eagles/Giants game at the Vet. The kid had a great time crying his eyes out as the "adult" Eagles fans around him heaped verbal abuse upon him throughout the game for liking the Giants. Bet they all felt like real men after that display of bravado!As the Guardian article quickly admits near the end and then moves on to that colourful ending, the majority of American fans aren't bad and neither are the Eagles fans. The Eagles just have a larger percentage of idiot fans than most other cities.

[Kaiser of Arabia]

I've been a Phillies fan since before many of you were born.

HEATHEN! The NY Mets will slaughter the philies and all her fans and then feast on mead and your women above your corpses!

Never has a baseball team (with the exception of Atlanta) been so horrid as the Phillies! They have an awesome mascot though, but other than that! EVIL EVIL EVIL!

Eagles joke time.

They found an unidentified white power in the Linc. They called in drug squads to test for asbestos and anthrax. It turned out to be the Eagles goal line (i.e. what they go for, not what they defend, I suck with terminology). They decided to let the game continue because they figured no one would get to it this year anyway.

[Crazed Rabbit]

I'm a Green Bay Packers fan since I was about 6-7 years old and an Eagles fan since I moved to the Philadelphia suburbs compliments of what I think is called the "Stockholm syndrome" (kidnap victim develops sympathy for the kidnapper).

Do not stray from the one true path! There is hope yet for the Green Bay Packers! They shall rise to glory once again!

Crazed Rabbit

[Kanamori]

I wish... next year is their last chance for a while.:bow: Good chillin' time anyways.

[InsaneApache]

(I think they were called 'cashies' or 'casuals')

We call them Casuals.

[Proletariat]

We call them Casuals.

Was Irvine Welsh more or less honest in his depiction? Sounded like a group of Scots that go around marauding and pounding anyone who openly roots for a soccer team.

[InsaneApache]

Was Irvine Welsh more or less honest in his depiction? Sounded like a group of Scots that go around marauding and pounding anyone who openly roots for a soccer team.

Well it's been a few years since I last went to a match (Armchair fan these days ~D ) but, yes they do exist. Only a week or so back my team was playing in Portugal in the UEFA cup, at the same time Glasgow Rangers were also playing in Portugal, at Lisbon. Some of the fans (both sets) got together after the match for a couple of bevvys and a sing-song. (we traditionally get on well with Rangers fans as we both have a common enemy...Man Utd. ~;) )...unfortunatley some 'casuals' decided to start a ruck ....and all hell broke loose. So I would say yes, Welsh had it spot on. :knight:

[Proletariat]

Only a week or so back my team was playing in Portugal in the UEFA cup, at the same time Glasgow Rangers were also playing in Portugal, at Lisbon. Some of the fans (both sets) got together after the match for a couple of bevvys and a sing-song.

That's one of a few things I find pretty lacking in American sports. I wish we had better songs to sing and chant to and from the games. All we have here in DC is Hail to the Redskins. Not exactly inspiring.


http://94thinfdiv.com/images/HAILSKINS.wav

[Gregoshi]

That's pretty bad Prol - and I thought "Fly Eagles Fly" was awful. My favourite part of the Eagles fight song is:



Fly Eagles fly, score a touchdown 1-2-3!

Last I checked, a touchdown scores six points.~:rolleyes:

[Crazed Rabbit]

Well if you add 1 and 2 and 3 ...

Crazed Rabbit

[Adrian II]

The Eagles just have a larger percentage of idiot fans than most other cities.Thanks for sharing those stories with us, it kinda reassures me that they are so 'innocent'. I mean it was tough for the kid, but he will grow over it. It was tough on the girlfriend, but she should be grateful she found out early what a jerk that guy was. But it's a far cry from breaking up entire trains, buses and even air-planes, throwing bananas at black players in the field, pointing serious fireworks at the opposition and clubbing fans of the other side to death as happened in The Ned about eight years back. Soulforged was probably right about Argentina, for all I know. It is deeply embarrassing what passes for 'sports audiences' in Europe as well, albeit that this is almost uniquely confined to soccer. There is generally no problem around hockey rinks, tennis courts or rugby fields.

[Kaiser of Arabia]

That's pretty bad Prol - and I thought "Fly Eagles Fly" was awful. My favourite part of the Eagles fight song is:


Last I checked, a touchdown scores six points.~:rolleyes:
Die Eagles Die
On the road to firey hell
Die Eagles Die
get hit by a flak gun 1 2 3
2 3
Get hit low
Get hit high
And watch the eagles die
Die eagles die
You all ****ing suck!
Suck...suck...

NY JETS! NY JETS! NY JETS! NY JETS!

[Tribesman]

Was Irvine Welsh more or less honest in his depiction?
Yes , pretty much so , slightly dated but not much. Plus in Scotland there is more of the sectarian crap from this side of the water than there is among English "fans" .
As with all of his books that one builds up to a really good ending .
Have you read the one featuring the ICF and the Thalidomide terrorists ?

[The Blind King of Bohemia]

To be honest if grown men dressed out in Burberry, Stone Island and Tacchini want to batter the hell out of one another and don't hurt the innocents i can't really be bothered to judge them. The majority of footie frims just want to fight the opposing hooligans and it is now all pre-arranged away from the police eyes.

The casual scene kicked off in the early eighties with the big beer monster fights slowly edged out for smart casual clothes and tennis/sportswear (an important time in a fashion sense) and a much more organised hooligan element travelling the four corners of Britain (using the cheaper train travel) to knock the bag out of other likewise young men who worked hard in the week and let their aggressions go by fighting on the terraces.

Read the milo series of hooligan books, they are very insightful on the subject. The ICF and Soul Crew ones are good. You have to admire some of the lads who took some horredous beatings, getting stabbed, and various other things and then said respect and i'll see your lot when you come to our place. Its insane to be honest but nearly all of the violence is directed towards opposing hooliagn elements not on families and bystanders.

Alot of the time many believe that most are not real supportersn and maybe a few just love the violence but the majority love football. If you read about how dedicated they were to going to some of the worse holes in Englands acres you can see that is wasn't just the fights we drew then there.

Its not just in England that violence at football was strong but in Italy, Spain, Scotland, Holland and others all have strong hooligan elements, this footage of a mass brawl in Russia that was posted at TW Center shows how insane it can be:

http://www.tooshocking.com/index.php?ns=view_vid&id=798

[t1master]

all the boys i know from filly love to fight and drink.

[Proletariat]

Have you read the one featuring the ICF and the Thalidomide terrorists ?

I don't think so. Was that Glue or Acid House?

[Tribesman]

Was that Glue or Acid House?
It was Ecstacy (I think) .

[Kaiser of Arabia]

Giants beat the Eagles by a field goal! Damn birds! Almost losing the Giants their game. Time to fry some endangered eagles! IN THE LINC! Muwhahaha.

Sorry.

[English assassin]

You have to admire some of the lads who took some horredous beatings, getting stabbed, and various other things and then said respect and i'll see your lot when you come to our place.

No, you don't.

[The Blind King of Bohemia]

Well thats your view i suppose. The violence though isn't directed at normal fans and maybe admire was a strong word, maybe bit of respect then, for me anyway.

I honestly think when i see hooligans getting jailed for fighting( My father knows a lad who ran with the Villa mob and by all accounts he worked in a good job, well educated and an nice guy but had been put away for fighting with Chelsea fans and will do a 2 stretch). Then i see paedophiles, rapists and other lowlifes get off with things scot free it does make you think abit. The lads are having an old fashioned free for all while these nonces get away with it.