Saracens 'Supporters'

[yellow_balaclava_hunter]

I have taken a couple of days to reflect on my experiences at the semi final before raising it here.

I turned up around 2PM at the Welford Road end of tbe Crumbie terrace to join the usual queue that goes along the fencing next to the car show room, only to find that the queue had been replaced by a large group of Saracens 'supporters' drinking cans of beer and behaving in a very boisterous manner with several continually blowing horns at a volume which meant that you couldn't hear what anyone next to you was saying.

As I tried to work out where the back of the queue should be I saw the people who usually deliver the programs to the booth come out of the big gates only to be chased by a group of around ten bare chested men in red capes or white togas. Those men chased the program sellers and blew their horns loudly and directly into the ears of the program sellers. They then waited for these program sellers to return towards the Crumbie gates and obstructed them as they tried to return to the ground again, stopping the program sellers so that the group in capes could blow their horns in their ears. This continued every time any member of the club left the ground through the gates.

This can only be described as harassment.

Several minutes later when the programs had been delivered, the same group of Saracens 'supporters' (some of whom were stockily built) started to hurl themselves at the gates trying to knock them down. This continued for several minutes after which they tried picking up and throwing each other at the gates.

At no point did the stewards turn up to stop this violence.

As I waited and it got closer to the time when the turnstiles were due to open, the queue was still non existent apart from a group of Tigers supporters who had joined behind me and also a few Tigers supporters at the front near the turnstiles who were getting pushed closer and closer to the doors by the group of Saracens supporters.

When the gates opened, I watched as some of the Saracens 'supporters' tried to push past those Tigers supporters at the front of what was supposed to be the queue.

It took a lot longer to get in than usual and people were having their bags searched including my other half yet I didn't see anyone refused entry to the ground.

I took up a decent spot on the railings halfway up the Crumbie terrace behind the yellow marked walkway and towards the middle of the ground above where the home benches are.

In front of me I could see the same group of 'Supporters' in capes who had been trying to knock the gates down. I had that group in front and behind I had more Saracens 'supporters'.

These supporters both in front and behind me blew their horns every time a Saracens player came onto the pitch for the warm up.

When George Ford came onto the pitch, I saw the group in red capes stick two fingers up towards George. This crowd then started songs which included language that would be censored on this forum and is banned in the ground including making homophobic remarks towards individual Tigers players and also individual supporters.

As the crowd was getting larger, I saw a couple of middle aged female Saracens 'supporters' attempt to push some tigers supporters out of their places in order to stand near the steps where the players come out.

As it got closer to the start of the game, the horns were starting to be blown continuously. I looked behind me as (I was starting to get a head ache) to find that the horns were being blown directly into my ears. I politely asked those behind me to angle their horns away from peoples ears. The response was 'No we won't. You can let us in front of you or we will blow these in your ears all day'. I pointed out that this could be dangerous to the hearing of those in front of them to which I got the response 'So what, why don't you move'. I then had an argument with these 'supporters' about respect for other people in the ground and supporters of other teams to which the response would be censored on here.

When the players came out for the start of the match, the Saracens 'supporters' in front of me were also blowing their horns into the ears of the Tigers supporters near them and I saw what appeared to be several arguments between Tigers supporters and Saracens 'supporters' in my area of the ground.

Then the Saracens 'supporters' got out Klaxon horns with gas canisters on them which were even louder and started blowing them in peoples ears.

At several points during the game I saw a steward come and talk to the Saracens 'supporters' but couldn't hear what it was about yet I didn't see anyone get thrown out.

When George Ford took his first penalty, the Saracens 'supporters' blew their horns. I asked them not to do this and explained about respecting both goal kickers to which I got the following response 'respecting goal kickers, what the hell are you talking about, why should we do that?'. When I explained the virtues of doing this I got a further response that would be censored here and a rant about it every time a kick was taken.

I have never had to have an argument with any supporter of any Rugby club during, before or after a game until the semi final on Saturday.

Never at any time have I felt like my safety was at risk in a Rugby ground until the semi final on Saturday.

Never have I seen such violent, loutish and intimidating behaviour by a group of 'supporters' as I did at the semi final on Saturday.

This was not one or two individuals, this was a group of around fifty Saracens 'supporters' who had clearly come to behave like neanderthals and intimidate Tigers supporters. The behaviour by the Saracens 'supporters' would have been considered bad at a football ground let alone a Rugby ground.

The following questions have to be asked:

What were Saracens thinking allowing people like this to travel as representatives of their club?

Is this normal behaviour by their supporters as it appeared to be organised by the club?

Why did the Welford Road stewards let them in after their behaviour outside the ground?

Why if there were bag searches were the klaxon horns allowed in?

Why were the horns allowed in when there have been discussions on this and the Saracens forum about their plans?

Why were the club not prepared to stop these people from getting in when there have been emails circulating around all week about the plans of the Saracens 'Supporters'? Even Brian Moore had commented on it.

We do not need this behaviour in Rugby and the club need to make sure that these people are not allowed to come back. Our club prides itself on its friendly family atmosphere and respect for away supporters, we should expect the same respect from our guests from other clubs.

[mike]

I presume you have written to both the Tigers and Saracens on this matter . They might be able to do something about it - we sadly cannot .

[Hull Fan]

Luckily Yellow, you where the type of person who could try and deal with the situation without resorting to aggression, which due to the provocation may well have escalated into something worse.
There is no place for this behaviour in society as a whole let alone at a rugby match!

[Crumblies]

I and my family arrived a short time after the gates had opened. By this time the 50 or so Sarries supporters had already congregated on the terrace. Whilst I did not directly observe any obscene or violent behaviour I saw enough to suggest if I remained in my usual spot (which was about 10 feet away from them) I might so as much as I resented doing so I quickly moved myself and my family a further 10 yards away. As I have pointed out on another thread I felt that if I had remained where I was I might not have been responsible for my actions.

I am convinced that that group were not true supporters, everything about them and their behaviour suggested to me they were effectively 'a rent a mob'.

As people always point, there were many true Sarries rugby supporters at the game whose behaviour was exemplary, and a credit to their club and I'm equally sure there was bad behaviour by some so called Tigers supporters as well. There are always going to be odd bad apples in any barrel.

The point is if this is restricted to individuals or small groups then it can be contained. This was a group of about 50, and for me it went beyond what is acceptable. What is dissappointing is that this group seems to have been
co-ordinated by Saracens, probably supplied with free tickets, and issued with those blasted air horns for free.

My understanding is that this is not the first time Saracens have been associated with a rent a mob who have caused problems, in particular I refer to a game at Gloucester when a similar group infiltrated the Shed.

The behaviour described above needs bringing to the attention of both Tigers and Saracens. It also needs to be brought to the attention of Premiership rugby and the RFU, and they need to act before it gets out of hand. Suppose that group had not been 50 but 100.

[Jeremy Anderson]

No need to say how appalling your experience was but you must email Tigers your experience.
I am not sure who at Sarries you could email - perhaps Farrell but Ventner would most likely applaud their behaviour.

[loretta]

This group were shown on many occasions on the tv footage. Identification of individuals wouldn't be hard.

[Brianf]

I think some of the Tigers players may have been party to the mob as well...I noticed Geoff Parling (very understandably) looking irritated when, coming back to the dressing room from an initial warm up, a 'Saracens fan' pushed a flag into his face. Geoff firmly pushed it away. I use the words 'Saracens fan' very loosely, as rumours of a 'rent a mob' being rounded up to descend upon Welford Road were rife prior to the game.

Neither player nor fan should have to put up with this form of intimidation and agression. I am all for high spirited banter and engagaement with opposing fans. It is what sets us rugby fans apart from the 'football fan' mentality, who have to be segregated to avoid fear of potential incident (and I am not casting aspertions on any particular football fan here...it is just a necessary evil of that game). I do not believe these were true fans of Sarecens, as most I spoke with were generous and good natured. The players, after the game, were also charm personified... Brits even commenting that we deserved to win the game.

But the Club must stamp out offensive and homophobic chanting from anyone who walks out hallowed field.

[Rizzo]

As mentioned above, I would suggest that anyone with such comments and observations should write or email the club directly and report all information, include where you were standing/sitting, where the actions took place etc.

[Skin_and_Muscle]

I am not sure who at Sarries you could email - perhaps Farrell but Ventner would most likely applaud their behaviour.

And if that turns out to be the case, get the response to Brian Moore and the RFU!!!

[Pam.B]

Try their CEO Edward Griffiths. He's apparently a reasonable man

[bluntiger]

Try their CEO Edward Griffiths. He's apparently a reasonable man

I am not sure that would do any good since it seems that he (and Saracens as a club) were the ones who organised this 'rent-a-mob', gave them tickets, fuelled them with beer and kitted them out with horns.

The many Saracens supporters in other areas of the ground were very well behaved (particularly in the Cat Stand) but it did seem to be a coachload of yobs, who did not appear to understand how to behave at a rugby match (probably because they had never been to one before!).

Other Sarries supporters there on the day must have seen these idiots and would know if they were regular supporters.

[Jeremy Anderson]

I spoke with a very reasonable Sarries fan after the match who is going to Twickers and will be supporting Tigers over his London rivals.
If rent-a-crowd was instigated by Sarries then I imagine it must put off their true supporters from following the club in the future. I could not imagine supporting a club doing so much to undermine the game of rugby.

[sam16111986]

On another forum a regular Sarries poster apologised for the lot with the horns and described them as an 'embarrassment', think that says it all really. Sadly the small moronic element always try to ruin things for other people.

[g]

And Saracens as a club wonder why they are disliked so much. With people like Venter and Griffiths associated with the club is it any surprise to anyone that nobody likes them they are hardly setting an example,especially if it was Griffiths who encouraged this group of yobs to cause trouble.

[Kinoulton]

Well all threads like this result in soccer comparisons, so I'll try to inject something constructive along those lines.

If Saracens say "these are not true Saracens supporters" then you are into a deep downward spiral. In football, we've had it from Liverpool, Leeds, Millwall, England etc where men in suits conveniently say "these are not our supporters, they are just thugs".

A far better approach is for a club to take responsibility for its followers, share their information with the opposing club, have the two police forces collaberate, and operate zero tolerance.

Soccer allowed things to get way out of hand before they started to get to grips, and hence have had to work immensely hard over 40 years to make football a more pleasurable experience.

I run a tiny business which has 26 CCTV cameras scanning what's going on with the yard (the customers approve) so I'm certain that an enterprise the size of Tigers can afford to have the crowds monitored and arrests made.