Luck is a combination of preparation and opportunity
Just to avoid confusion Starbug is the username of Steven Pike
SOMEBODY SAID that it couldn’t be done But he with a chuckle replied That “maybe it couldn’t,” but he would be one Who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried. So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin On his face. If he worried he hid it. He started to sing as he tackled the thing That couldn’t be done, and he did it!
There were more films/photographs taken last night of the violence I cannot believe there will be no evidence to support convictions for public order offences at the very least. I am aware people were handcuffed by the police and taken away. I am aware that prosecutions are likely. The bones will be picked over when the dust has settled. There were so many factors from last night to consider and many to act upon - NOW!! I am heartily fed up of sheeite like this. Last night was a right spectacle of rugby for the neutral and fax fans. We ought to be discussing that - not this sheeite. I am seriously hacked off today - well down in the dumps - and NOT for the result either. I've seen Fev lose afoore and will do again. But this stuff sickens me.
The thing is Robin , the actual action by Fev [ club ] has probably backfired , we need integration , not segregation , when this draw was made I suggested that Fev and Fax should have got together and done all they could to guarantee a large following from Fax [ even what we did with Widnes and put on free transport ]
Only by totally outnumbering the probably dozen or so idiots that are bringing disrepute to the Featherstone Rovers name will they eventually get bored and stop attending , that along with a joint statement from both clubs stating that any violence , intimidation or general aggressive behaviour from ANY fans of any club will not be tolerated and will result in banning and prosecution
Back in 2004 there had been a little bother from a small number of HKR fans and the next game for them was at Leigh , their then CEO , Nick Halafii and my self met up outside Hilton park and basically just wandered round in club suits/blazers , pre match you could see that both sets of fans knew they were being watched , , Nick then watched the game stood with the Rovers fans , I did similar with ours , just the presence of a ' Suit ' can make a huge difference , this is what should have happened last night , 2/3 director/admin people stood on the terracing has more affect than any number of stewards , that and maybe a couple of police officers stood in the corner [ paid for if neccessary ] would have stopped any trouble
The only people who can stop this sort of behaviour is the fans themselves , it is ultimatly they who will suffer , in any group of troublemakers there will only be a small number of ' starters ' with usually 3/4 times as many followers , get rid of the starters and the followers will not continue , however the longer this goes on the more ' starters ' you end up with
It is a bloody shame as it was a cracking match and a superb advertisement for our competition
I decided not to post this before the match as emotions were running high as it was but for the Fev fans that feel there is no issue with their "supporters" or that it is not intimidating I would like to tell a short story through the eyes of a 9 year old girl and the effect Fev games have had on her with the sport we love.
2009 league game at home there was a man stood near the drummer (not wearing Fev colours though) looking really angry because his team had just gone behind so i smiled and said cheer up son. He tried to come round and hit me even though I had my child with me and luckily a fax fan saw what was happening and stopped him. My child was upset so we moved straight away and went in the seats when you could transfer.
2009 semi playoff - as a result my child asks for the only time that season if we could sit down for this game so that she "felt safe"
2010 - went away but she was teary throughout the game thinking something would happen especially when we changed ends
2010 final - had to convince my child to go to the final because it was Fev even though she goes home and away promising her there would be no trouble. We get evacuated as you know and she says why are the Fev fans acting like animals trying to get on the pitch to start trouble. She then hears that one of my friends has been punched after the game by a Fev fan who then just ran off (yes it was reported as part of the Dave Singer incident) and then sees Dave on the floor as we return and hears the news.
2011 home - she refuses to go to her first home game for 4 years without good reason only changing her mind when she hears that Fev fans are not allowed in our stand.
2011 away - says for the first time in 4 years she does not want to go to an away game and ask me also to not go as she fears for my safety which I agree to.
2011 semi - i agree not to go myself after she again pleads with me not to go as she fears for my safety so I agree and watch it on TV with her.
Just think this might put it in to perspective for some people on how this can effect the game we love.
Its like trying to pisss into the bleedin wind here, for the umpteenth time no fka is saying Fev havent a problem, but were telling you so have you, your the ones blind to the problem, i saw 2 gangs knocking 7 bells out of each other yesterday, both as bad as each other
The Clubs board have sent out a clear message on the Clubs site re` after the Fev game clearly condemning any Halifax fans who entered the field of play at the end of the game or who were involved in violence even in retaliation. Anyone identified with the violence will be banned from the club. A clear message to all thankfully our board will show Featherstone how to react to bad behaviour at rugby matches. I did not go last night as I have witnessed Fev fans on previous occasions and also know other clubs have had problems down there, however on reading Matt Callands call for everyone to go I nearly relented.I am so glad that reflecting on it we decided against as on the day we knew we would not get on a coach and we have a FAX number plate making our car a sitting duck. Plus having to rely on Fev to keep us safe did not seem a good option , how right we were . I will never again enter that ground and if all opposing fans did that they would just be left with themselves to fight over. Anyone still deciding to go till it gets sorted out has every right to follow their team but at what cost.
Its like trying to pisss into the bleedin wind here, for the umpteenth time no fka is saying Fev havent a problem, but were telling you so have you, your the ones blind to the problem, i saw 2 gangs knocking 7 bells out of each other yesterday, both as bad as each other
You are more blind than Roy Orbison in a cave. Fax fans were celebrating a great win and reaching our 1st NRC Final. Fev fans felt the need to still be in the ground a FULL 5 mins after the hooter had gone and to gather at the end Fax were gathered, Why not leave?, Why the need to gather a collective group of 30+ fans together after the game? We have our share of idiots but I'm incensed by your blindness to some of your "so called" fans inability to accept defeat instead choosing to incite trouble? When provoked nature is to attack back.......Wrong in itself but its human nature, animal instinct if you like. Yet again though your fans choose to push, prod, abuse and intimadate.
What were the fax fans supposed to do, stand their and get belted. That mob of Fev fans were intent on causing trouble, the stewards were bloody useless, half of them couldnt even get over the pitch barrier. It was like a scene from The Football Factory, tell you what if I had been smacked by a fev fan I'd have smacked them back as I was minding my own business watching a game, not trying to cause trouble or start, so I'd be in my rights to defend myself.
I'm sure there were some fax fans who were glad for the confrontation and the chance to kick off but not half as many as the fev fans and you didnt see our lot walking round to the fev fans and starting.
We won, we cheered then wanted to leave, we were then confronted by a large party of fev fans intent on causing trouble.
Lastly and it's been mentioned on here already, why wasnt there 1 member of the police at the ground, common sense surely, a semi, the history, surely it ticks all the boxes and then some for potential trouble. Some folk who work at Fev rugby need to take a common sense course.
Instead of bleatin on an internet forum - speak to the police. State your case - give them the info you know!!!!!
FYI - I have spoken to the police and told them what i know/saw. Which was a group of young men I identified as being part of the Fev group (due to flat caps being warn) some tops off, some t-shirts etc (No Fev shirts) hurling abuse, intimidating people, threatening violence etc, etc. Like many that evening I have a loose recollection of their "physical" appearance but gave the police what I know in terms of their vacinity to the scene, coach etc, etc. If it was my brother, friend, family member etc that had committed the crime I would shop them FULL STOP. A senior police officer told me a confession of this sort (with statement) would be enough to bring a charge to those involved. So don't tell me they have been "shopped as they haven't. There were up to a dozen in that group who were involved in David's incident yet only 2/3 were actually involved in the assault. Giving a name is very different to someone coming forward and admitting to being at the incident and given a statement. Someone is protecting these cowards hence why no conviction is forthcoming and the reason the police is unable to act. All they need is a statement from one of the "crowd" involved. That's where my anger comes from so please stop preaching to me about this and that.
The Clubs board have sent out a clear message on the Clubs site re` after the Fev game clearly condemning any Halifax fans who entered the field of play at the end of the game or who were involved in violence even in retaliation. Anyone identified with the violence will be banned from the club. A clear message to all thankfully our board will show Featherstone how to react to bad behaviour at rugby matches. I did not go last night as I have witnessed Fev fans on previous occasions and also know other clubs have had problems down there, however on reading Matt Callands call for everyone to go I nearly relented.I am so glad that reflecting on it we decided against as on the day we knew we would not get on a coach and we have a FAX number plate making our car a sitting duck. Plus having to rely on Fev to keep us safe did not seem a good option , how right we were . I will never again enter that ground and if all opposing fans did that they would just be left with themselves to fight over. Anyone still deciding to go till it gets sorted out has every right to follow their team but at what cost.
I agree this is a decisive message from our club and I think this is the best way to approach this.
I also respect your decision never to go to POR again, that is entirely your choice,
But.
Never is a long time. This sends a message that no matter how Featherstone deal with it you will never go back. I am not sure that this is the correct way to approach this. I personally will not be deterred from going to watch my team in any ground and I have never had to suffer any personal abuse from any Featherstone fans (I am not saying that it doesnt go on), in fact I have had some good banter with their fans. Yes, I have complained about the level of the language from their fans and that has made me stop taking my granddaughter, but it does not deter me from going.
My mind is cast back to the Hull problems and that club took the problem by the horns, and the next time I went to the Boulevard I was met by Hull fans who welcomed me to the ground, yes the banter was as vicious as previous, but it was just that, banter and once the game was done it was done.
I personally hope that the Featherstone club do get a grip of it, because if away fans stop going it will just send them on a downward spiral, and will also probably hurt all championship clubs, as once they see the crowds dwindle they will also stop travelling, hurting our takings. Its a lose-lose situation, which is no good for anyone.
I hope we have the opportunity to play them in the play offs this year, and I hope it is a daytime match that Dave Singer can go to. His attitude towards the Featherstone club is an absolute inspiration and it would be good to see him at Post Office Road.
Last edited by spanishbob on Fri Jun 17, 2011 12:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."― Albert Einstein "Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense." ― Gertrude Stein "Don't believe everything you read on the internet" ― Abraham Lincoln
A clear case from both clubs of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted if you ask me. I cant believe both clubs didnt see this coming and do something about it a long time ago.
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