Fans Behaviour

Bruce Hornby-Trainset · Mon Apr 14, 2008 4:22 pm

Shock horror! I can't believe what I've just read!! Drunken, loutish behaviour??!! Well, well, who would have thought it?

Get used to the idea that Rugby these days is marketed as a sport accompanied by beer drinking. Modern booze companies have seized upon the "traditional" association between rugby (players) and beer and taken it up a few notches. No serious attempts to encourage sensible drinking, mainly just the message that Rugby = Beer (lots of). Given this, even the most sensible, tolerant fans will risk falling into drunken slob mode.

You should also consider another sport where the incidence of drunken behaviour has increased alarmingly in recent years - Cricket. Lots of beer sponsorship there

Please feel free to add to the "list of shame" (some sponsorship deals may have lapsed, but have been around in the last few years)

1. Guinness
2. Heineken
3. Dry Blackthorn (Bulmers?)
4. Everards
5. Tetleys
6. Bass
7. Brains
8. Magners
9. Worthingtons
10.Whyte & Mackay, & Famous Grouse (not beer I know, but you get the idea)
11.Greene King
12.Kronenborg (S&N?)
13.Courage (!!)

I know that some might claim that wider social behaviour plays a part, and you would be right. But the current image of rugby for fans especially embraces booze on a massive scale. I rest my case

timlewis · Post by **timlewis** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 4:45 pm

Have to say I didn't see any bad behaviour and wanted to thank all Tigers Fans I meet for their sporting attitude and generosity for our win.

Budster · Post by **Budster** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 5:23 pm

What do you people expect.
Just because someone likes Rugby they are going to be perfect gentlemen, WAKE UP!!!!!!
Where do you people live or what world do you inhabit.
If I go anywhere with more than 20/30 people I EXPECT a small percentage to be door handles.
Welcome to the real world but I expect your already back with Alice in wonderland.

Tom_Naz the Tiger · Post by **Tom_Naz the Tiger** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 6:00 pm

Budster wrote:What do you people expect.
Just because someone likes Rugby they are going to be perfect gentlemen, WAKE UP!!!!!!
Where do you people live or what world do you inhabit.
If I go anywhere with more than 20/30 people I EXPECT a small percentage to be door handles.
Welcome to the real world but I expect your already back with Alice in wonderland.

So going back to my original post, as a member of the public on a train you should EXPECT to be verbally abused to the point of tears? I don't think so. I don't know where you inhabit but I certainly wouldn't want to live somewhere where you expect abuse. A bit of drunken banter maybe yes (with other like minded rugby fans), but down right thugishness towards innocent people no.

welshy3 · Post by **welshy3** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 6:06 pm

I kinda like the fact that rugby is being de-bayingrupertised..but you can get :censored: walking down the street these days..why should a rugby match be any different? It isn't the army..a overpriced replica rugby top does not a gentleman make.

WhitecapTiger · Post by **WhitecapTiger** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:31 pm

Welshy3 Wrote:

de-bayingrupertised

Took me ages to read that and get my mind to compute it

I agree that a replica shirt does not a gentleman make, but, I would argue however, that nor does the Army

leicesterboy123 · Post by **leicesterboy123** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 10:48 pm

as i was driving home i passed a bus full of saints fans separated with the parents at the front and the kids at the back. the kids and im talking about 12 years old if that were taunting me and my family because i had a tigers car flag out the window. they were swearing and making all sort of rude gesture out the bus window. it obviously isn't just the older drunk "fans" who are giving clubs a bad name it seems it is rubbing off on the younger fans too which is exactly what we don't want

Bill W · Post by **Bill W** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 11:03 pm

leicesterboy123 wrote:as i was driving home i passed a bus full of saints fans separated with the parents at the front and the kids at the back. the kids and im talking about 12 years old if that were taunting me and my family because i had a tigers car flag out the window. they were swearing and making all sort of rude gesture out the bus window. it obviously isn't just the older drunk "fans" who are giving clubs a bad name it seems it is rubbing off on the younger fans too which is exactly what we don't want

Absolutely. This must be stamped out- it is not acceptable.

I was at the Hong Kong Sevens a week or so ago. There were many young people there. Who, yes, "smuggled" beer into the stands, and smoked where they should not have! But they had a great time and dressed up for the occasion. And they were most polite - I was called "Sir"!

From these experiences I am optimistic. I hope the Saints bus was a mere blip in the greater good of things.

Pickle-Jim · Post by **Pickle-Jim** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 5:46 pm

As a Saints fan I can't in anyway condone the kind of behaviour you're talking about, BUT, like you said these kind of events always bring out the part time fairweather fans.
We sold around 15,000 tickets through the club plus any sold via ticketmaster. Our ground capacity is only 13,400 so it stands to reason that some of these people were not regular supporters.
As for behaviour at rugby grounds in general, until he died a couple of years ago my Dad was a Tigers season ticket holder in the disabled area of the Alliance and Leicester, when Saints were away and you were at home I would take him to the match, I would always wear my Saints shirt and cheer the opposition (apart from Leeds), I was never subjected to anything more than good natured banter and long may it continue. Yes, there does appear to be a football element creeping in, but it is up to the regular supporters to stand up and be counted whatever club they support.

Kinoulton · Post by **Kinoulton** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 5:59 pm

As a football (i.e soccer) fan of 45 years, I can say that once this behaviour creeps in, you can NEVER get rid of it.

Now would be a pretty good time for clubs to nip it in the bud.

As a young teenager in the early 60's I was watching football standing shoulder to shoulder with opposition fans, and there was just a load of banter and nothing unpleasant.

Then bad behaviour caught the clubs unaware and within literally months we had mass brawls in the Trent End, grown men taking knives to games, police everywhere, and street fights involving mindless goons.

40 years on we have better policing in football but the thuggery remains.

captain_insaino · Post by **captain_insaino** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 7:08 pm

its just the miority that gets notices. i bet 97% of all supporters were well mannered throughout the day but its the minority of beer louts that let the general side down, causing the public to overgeneralise and believe all rugby fans are beer louts.at least rugby supporters will (hopefully) never get as bad as football fans.