March of the Hooligans - Oct 16

No.

 

For Christ's sake, you mugs, this thread's probably contributing to the book's sales at a rate of 2 or 3 per week. If you really give that much of a toss about this book not doing well then stop giving its author free publicity on an English language football website with several thousand readers across the English speaking world.

Unless of course, you're really motivated by an uncontrollable urge to maintain your holier-than-thou image amongst your fellow net nerds which, I suspect, is actually the case.

 

Have you been reading the thread. Of course we don't get it. That is why hooliganism isn't a problem in the states and it won't be.

 

Perhaps a supporter instead of a basher.

 

Well don't leave us hanging. Is dougie full of or not?

 

LOL! So what you're saying is that here is a bloke who has become involved in a 'debate' about a book and is happy to base his contributon on the ill informed opinions of others rather than actually buy the book, read it for himself and then form his own opinion.

I see........ Doesn't that apply to pretty much everyone who posts on this thread? Including you?

Must be the American way. Oh yeah.... it is!

 

Versus the British way, which is to write a book based on a faulty premise that hooliganism is a problem in American soccer, then try to sell that book to a bunch of gullible idiots who think the crap written in the tabloids is based on some semblance of reality.

By the way, Dougie, how many MLS games have you attended, and which "MLS execs" did you interview prior to publishing your piece of yellow journalism trash?

 

The only 'fault' in the premise my boy, is that yours isn't the same as the one I use.

Indeed, if you look back to the very first post in this thread you will see, and I quote:

Written especially for American soccer fans, March of the Hooligans examines the potential problems the hooligan and casual culture pose to Major League Soccer.

The key word there is POTENTIAL because it points toward a possible future problem. This is very different from the current REALITY where there is no serious problem.

That said, some of the posts in this very thread seem to prove that the two are getting closer and closer.

 

You messed up your info Doug.

If you wanted to know where the passionate supporters in New York, you need to look at the largest and oldest supporters group, the ESC. We've been around since '96, and we average anywhere from 200 on smaller days to up to 400-500 on bigger game days. We have a history with Barra, and most importantly our security guards.

Raging Bull nation has 40 people in it, 20 of them are little kids. They've been around for two years.

 

I'd rather be unholier-than-thou

we call that high school sports.

 

Actually, I find that this thread does prove a point that you mention in your book (in the 5 or so pages dedicated to MLS). You say that it'll be up to the fans in the future to make sure that things don't get out of control. You're right and that's what we're doing in this thread. We don't need you publishing a book telling folks what a rush it is to fight at soccer games. We got enough idiots coming to the game these days hoping that it'll be just like Green Street Hooligans. We don't need any more.

MLS is a young league. We have the chance to become a great league WITHOUT making the mistakes that you guys across the pond have made. What we don't need are folks like you telling us how much "fun" those mistakes were. You wonder where your atmosphere has gone these days? Foks like you threw it away. Simple as that.

 

Ah, another one. If you bother to read the book, you will see that it isn't about what a rush it is, it's about how destructive it is.

As for your point about the MLS being a young league, that's EXACTLY the point I make in the book. It's also the point I've made in every interview I've given to the US press and when I spoke with the MLS.

I've said on numerous occassions that the loss of the terraces and the subsequent demise of atmosphere at English games is down to me and people like me and to a certain extent, it was the realisation of that which got me involved not only with writing, but with anti-violence and anti-racism initiatives in the first place.

I would hate to see the MLS suffer from the kind of problems we caused and that's why I felt the time was right to write the book. To let people know that the reality of hooliganism isn't like Green Street, it's a bloody nightmare.

It's a warning, simple is that.

 

you got a funny way of showing it.

 

It's the best and only way.

 

Thread has exceeded its post limit -- and besides, the recent and general hostility level has gotten to be too much. I was bound to close this thread, anyway.

Feel free to open a Part 2 to this thread in this forum -- but please be advised that it will be monitored and moderated very, very tightly.