O/T: Scumbag... : Fri Oct 19, 2012 9:30 pm
Okay, not a RL topic but I'd argue it's loosely related (read on) and it is, after all, the off season...Tonight I made the most of my telly subscription and watched Sheff Wed v Leeds on Sky. For those who didn't, Weds were winning 1-0 until Leeds equalised midway through the second half, at which point a scumbag (I think I'm legally and morally safe there - he really IS a scumbag) came on to the pitch and physically assaulted the Weds keeper. He then managed to get off the pitch and back into the crowd who, to my mind, seemed to close ranks and attempt to hide the moronic f**kwit.
Still nowt to do with Cas but bear with me...
Now, I admit I've had my own moments at the side of a RL pitch. I've been frustrated by decisions both Darn t'Lane and away, and at times I've maybe overstepped my own self imposed boundaries - shouted the odd obscenity at a ref or an away player - stuff I'm not proud of. But I do know I've never invaded a pitch and physically assaulted a player. I'll hazard nobody in RL has, because on balance it's likely a Rugby League player faced with what happened tonight would have kicked the s*** out of the supposed fan rather than gone down holding his face.
But I mention this because of three things. Firstly it's the offseason and thus a time for navel gazing, but also it's clear that there's a significant number of Cas fans who would be equally proud to call themselves Leeds United fans (or "Whites" as they seemingly prefer to be called). Plus, Cas seems to be a club singled out for 'special' treatment when it comes to crowd disorder by the RFL. As a fan home and away I've seen unsavoury incidents on both sides of the fence, yet I've never heard 'THAT Message' played anywhere other than at Cas, irrespective of how racist or homophobic or just plain nasty a home crowd chant has become.
So my 'off-season' question is this: "Has Leeds Utd made any strides at all in combating the negative image it's fans had/have, and if not is my rugby club either a) rife with, or b) becoming affected by, the sort of behaviour Leeds Utd is famous for"...?
I have my own views, but I would be interested to hear those of other Cas fans.