Bad form argus and rapids.

Drunk people. Self proclaimed authority on everything.

 

I sit in 108 and I agree that if we have to wait until all the FSL fans are out of Rio Tinto to leave, the FSL fans should have to wait until all Rapids fans are out of the Dick. Up until Saturday, I would have said this strictly on grounds of reciprocity; however, after the game on Saturday my friend, his wife another friend and his nephew along with my wife and myself were angrily accosted by highly intoxicated (and possibly tweaked out) SCU members looking for a fight. They were attracted to the season ticket holder scarves. We tried to extricate from the situation, however these bottom feeders continued to act aggressively until an older gentleman approached, asked the thugs for ID and said he was an off-duty police officer (we learned afterward that he is not, great thanks to him nonetheless) prompting them to take off. My group is fairly unassuming and certainly not looking to get into physical altercations with worthless lowlifes who have nothing to live for/lose. I'm sure that these types of people are in the minority and exist on both sides; however as long as wannabe "hooligans" attend matches (which will probably be always) there need to be contingencies in place to avoid situations like these. I certainly don't want my friends and family to feel unsafe going to a soccer match.

 

I know most of the FSL fans are fed up with SCU too, if the comments on their board after the SCU's comments about the theater shooting are anything to go by.

 

What chaps my hide is the fact that Teddy gets a *lifetime ban* for swearing, whereas scum like SCU is still allowed into the Dick no problem. Now I know not all of SCU is bad (probably), but why can't the Rapids keep tabs on troublemakers and just deny them entry? "Sorry you just sat on a bus for 10 hours, you ain't getting in". If security is incapable of doing that, then what good are they?

This was only the second Rapids game for my buddy's wife and she says she will never go back; she doesn't feel safe. Oh wait, I forgot, her sensitive ears are safe from the danger of Teddy's saucy language. *roll*

 

Had a similar experience with some FSL fans at last year's match. Having been in combat it is funny to watch some jerkheads bow up, cuss up a storm and try to start a fight with people who could care less. I guess 150+ years of inbreeding will make you that stupid.

 

The protocol being followed by Argus / DSGP is generally that you let the losing set of fans leave first as fans who have won are more likely to be happy to stay in the section & celebrate. The decision to hold the terrace home fans in was communicated to us about the 86 minute mark & also took into account that a large majority of the people in the terrace had taken up a position at the east end & would therefore be held at the divide as the players exited the field anyway.

The situaion in Salt Lake is that security want to escort the Rapids fans as an entire group to the bus / light rail. We are the ones held back, regardless of result, as we are simply not ready to go at the full time whistle as we take so many flags, banners, drums, tifo etc. which needs to be collected & cleared up. While planned hold back time is 15 minutes after full time, in practice security have escorted us out earlier than that when we have been ready as the Salt Lake crowds have dissapated sufficiently for the risk of any home / away fan confrontations to be acceptable.

There is no protocol that says home fans should always be allowed to leave first.

 

So the drunk girl wasn't the wise know all she claimed to be? I sir am as shocked as a Utah parent watching a man stuff a shirt down his pants. My world view is forever changed.

 

If you don't rep this you aren't a Rapids fan.

 

Fair point on the lack of stadium announcement, I'll feed that back to them.

Unless I am very much mistaken, a Broncos / Raiders game features a mixed crowd with fans of both teams inter-mingled throughout the stadium. Beacuse of this, the risk is that small scale scuffles break out, usually due to a localized disagreements. Soccer just isn't supported that way as we prefer to have our partisan sections to maximise the passion & energy we can direct towards our teams. Because of this, the biggest risk is a mass brawl between two large groups of hostile fans who, having been baiting each other all game, suddenly find themselves together. So the last thing you want to do is to simply release everyone into the same area right after the game.

You need to see being momentarily inconvenienced on 1 or 2 games a year as the trade off for bringing a true soccer culture & rivalry to the stadium. Now I would love it if nobody ever trash talked, did something stupid while drunk or fully did all the things we know are right as regards respecting the opposing fans & we could all mingle happily after the game. However the reality is that it just doesn't happen. 1% of people do mess up, especially with a couple of drinks inside them.

Any one who has ever been in a supporters meeting with myself, the Rapids & Argus will know that the last thing I do is make excuses for them. I will push back if they ever try to do this when we have a team we don't really care about at home. But Salt Lake are our rivals & a game like this is always going to have a few extra security precautions.

 

We started being escorted out when we were away to RSL because someone threatened us after a game years back..."i put a pipe bomb in your car bitch."

 

I remember that. Good thing you didn't drive to that game, huh?