https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...-fans-stag-do-mentality-players-spain-seville This article touches on a few important issues. However, I can't help but sense an overwhelming sneering at working class people attitude. His idea of the players refusing to applaud the fans is ludicrous. As one commentator put it; 'I absolutely agree with and endorse the sentiments expressed in this article. Collective punishment is the only way to deal with people who are not breaking the law but who I do find distasteful, and if innocent people lose out then that's a price worth paying.... I therefore hope Daniel Taylor will happily accept the Guardian being banned from reporting on England matches after bigotted articles about Raheem Sterling appeared in the Daily Mail.' Yes, a minority of England fans misbehave and if identified should be punished but the Guardian should know better than to punish the many for the actions of a few.
Whilst there were nasty incidents around Seville, I thought the England fans inside the stadium were absolutely fantastic and deserved their applause. Also, there's a big difference between singing Ten German Bombers and burning a swastika onto a pitch, so to call England fans the most anti-social in Europe is ridiculous. I'm surprised he doesn't suggest that 'Vardy's On Fire' is a racist attack on Grenfell Tower survivors!
Been to two major tournaments. Gotta be honest, the England fans are often a bit of an embarrassment.
I agree that they can be and it needs to be addressed, but I don't agree with this article. If individuals are found guilty, then by all means punish them but this group collective punishment idea is silly and I'm surprised at The Guardian. The problem for the FA is, how do we rid ourselves of this nasty element whilst also maintaining a decent atmosphere? There are far too many casual fans (especially at Wembley) who seem indifferent to the match and don't add to the atmosphere at all.
JRSG, as you have experience of following England both at home and abroad... What do you think is the best way to improve the behaviour of a section of our fans? Also, how would you improve the atmosphere in the quieter sections during games? I can't help but wonder whether some of the bad behaviour comes from people who aren't members of the supporters club, but just turn up trying to get tickets after they arrived in the host city.
Host some big England games away from Wembley. No stadium is going to create an atmosphere for England v Latvia or whoever. So take them on the road for a couple of the bigger games each year. Pack out a 40/50k stadium, for a game they want to see. Unrealistic to expect an atmosphere for 90% of England home games though. Improving the behaviour of fans abroad has nothing to do with football, it's a social and cultural problem that the country has, not the FA.
I have to say that I enjoyed the atmosphere at King Power far more than the Wembley match last month, even though the former was a friendly. I’m all for playing around the country. Exactly! That’s why the above article’s suggestion of players not applauding fans is ludicrous. The fans inside the stadium behaved pretty well and deserved applause.