: Sat Mar 07, 2009 11:41 pm  

The Dons challenge cup game against Queens ARLFC was called off this afternoon due to crowd trouble. Dons CEO Dave Marshall said, "Today was a sad day for the club and the sport. The whole club is disgusted about the behaviour of a certain section of the crowd. Rugby League and the Dons prides itself on being a family sport and we will not stand for this."

Match and incident reports and videos will now be sent to the RFL and the Police. The Dons will comment no further on today's incident until we have received feedback from all parties on this.

from the dons website

: Sat Mar 07, 2009 11:46 pm  

the pictures of the crowd trouble have now been removed i am sorry but i thought it prudent to do so due to possible legal issues.

: Sat Mar 07, 2009 11:47 pm  

fuzzy peanut wrote:

The incident today is disgusting and an embarassment to RL. I would expect that kind of thuggery in football but not rugby. Queens have a reputation and have done for a while. The video link to youtube is ridiculous, thats not even proper boxing and those lads are U17s!!One of my friends was a touchjudge on that game today and have been told he had coins thrown at him and was spat on which is disgusting.

The 'security' sounds like it was ridiculous, the Keepmoat should have provided better than that especially after they had been warned about what to expect.

The Queens players were shocking for clapping their fans after the game!

Queens should be thrown out of the cup for it. It may not necassarily been the players fault, however they didn't help matters and the supporters are disgusting. I'm sure its not all of them, however these days the minority actions seem to speak for the majority...

The security was a joke last year for the complete opposite when keighley went. A lad nearly got thrown out because he didnt have id to buy an ORANGE JUICE.

: Sun Mar 08, 2009 12:44 am  

We still market the game as family friendly! My booty I've seen some terrible behavouire at league games

: Sun Mar 08, 2009 4:00 am  

Not surprised, we saw their thuggery at HKR a few seasons ago in the CC. The players were animals so I can only imagine the standard intellect of the fans!

: Sun Mar 08, 2009 8:21 am  

ian1966 wrote:

i think the ground has cctv so they should get them that way

Bet it was not turned on.

: Sun Mar 08, 2009 9:41 am  

I was at the game yesterday and it was obvious from the beggining that there was a good possibility of this happening. I have to say this wasn't the minority of the Queens fans but was in fact the majority, probably at least 100 - 200.

I have contacted the stadium management company expressing my disgust at their inept management of the situation and await a reply.

: Sun Mar 08, 2009 9:53 am  

I was also at the game yesterday and felt utterly disgusted by the behaveour of the so called fans from Queens ARLC.

When the Dons first moved into the Keepmoat Stadium there were a number of incidents with the stewards who were felt to be too heavy handed on supporters of a family orientated game. It has taken nearly two years for the stadium management team and security/stewards to realise that both sets of fans can sit together, beer can be sold and that verbal banter between fans is just that. I am not so nieve to recognise that there hasn't been any trouble at all, but nothing like the animalistic behaveour of the fans from Queens ARLC, and as for there players who appeared to be applauding such actions beggers belief.

I just hope that thisd debarchal isn't somehow put at the doors of "dirty Donny" as might happen. Also that other visitors to the Keepmoat are not subjected to heavy handed stewarding in the future based on the actions of those yesterday.

The palyers for 40-50 minutes were not out of the game though their fitness began to show when we went in front, but I feel that aside they should be banned from all competitions.

I'm not usually one to rant but what happened yesterday was a disgrace.

: Sun Mar 08, 2009 10:53 am  

I have found the stewards at Donny to be very unapproachable and oft clueless about a game of RL!

This however, does NOT reflect on Donny RL club one bit and should NOT be held against the club.
A risk assessment based on the crowd levels and intelligence would/should have determined the levels of stewards required to police the game.
As it is, I believe that even given what the club knew, they could not have anticipated the force required by the law to calm a situation that appears to have deteriorated rapidly right from the start.

If proven against - and I wasn't there to pass further comment, the guily club could face a long expulsion from the competition. If I just hope Donny don't get penalised in any way if it is proven they weren't the protagonists. The club hardly needs a further load heaping on it's shoulders.

Bon Chance mes amis!

: Sun Mar 08, 2009 11:06 am  

Can the RFL get involved in BARLA decisons?? (National Cup and League)