There is a very reasonal point here that would not be out of place on a social sciences billboard. The fact is, and fact it is, the instances of misbehaviour by thr boys in blue are manifold. In the aspects pertaining to this thread, police do seem to go for 'easy' targets. The bloke with a few grams of whatever, the black bloke in the fairly flash car, chanting crowds of sporty types (usually football, instances where there isn't anything particularly illegal, but may be conceived as unsettling, usually for Mr average Daily Mail reader. The Police wade in and 'select' a victim. Acting in a 'robust' manner the police kind of treat this 'suspect' in a way that's disrespecful. When the victim complains in any way other than calmly, then the police have a 'nick', not for anything that may have been deduced from whats the police is going on, but because of the way the victim is behaving. So charges of ressisting arrest, and other charges that seem irrelevant are seemingly concocted. This happwens so often it defies belief that some can not see and accept this. So denial, as mentioned on this thread, is a very apt accusation. More exactly, why is such a common occurence denied?
And the real point so well put is, as football supporters we need to get wise to protect ourselves because it really is becoming a situation of guilty by association. When it happens abroad even our government step in to protect British citizens affected.

The one thing I will say again is that those FEW idiots who throw stuff, fight up town, run on the pitch, smash up seats, interfere with stewards, light bangers or whatever, even that odd person with the knife etc etc, they don't exactly do the rest of us any favours do they!? Unfortunately unless these things stop, however minor some people may regard them, I don't think things are going to change much.

As for the HF, well I generally feel a bit sorry for them. They do a good job, but again a few idiots (members, non members, tag alongs, people in the same block, whatever you want to call them), keep letting them and the club down with their stupid behaviour.

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Can't argue with that Johnny, people in glass houses. But I would also say that bung 25k people off the streets together anywhere and you will have a proportion who are d*cks. And in fact it seems to me that football supporters are generally reasonably self-regulating, they don't appear worse to me that any other group. So that brings us back to the question - why are they picked on?

The answer given here, with which I totally agree, is that is because they are an easy target that those in authority have been able to demonize. And if we do nothing about that it is likely to get worse not better until we are all sitting throughout every match, probably with seat belts and crash helmets on. Look at how long it's taking to get safe standing ffs. You can stand at a concert, you can stand in some theatres but you can't stand at football which is where you really want to. Just make sure tickets apply to specific sections and control access, job done. But of course, fans can't be trusted....

Edited by Mapletree (27 Feb 2014 12.47pm)

The way some people go on in these types of threads I almost like nobody is allowed to enjoy themselves. No beer, No banter, No standing and if you say you like to do all this the best response the bellends that we have on here can conjure up is. "f*** off and support Millwall" and please don't read my post looking for spelling mistakes or missing punctuation seeing as I think people who do that are snobs and expect everyone else to be as intellectual as them.

The point has been made enough times before, but pissed up lads in Croydon (or any other) town centre cause alot more havoc than Palace fans ever do, yet there's never more than a van of coppers sat outside Tiger Tiger and they never do anything until AFTER it's kicked off

When I was at school there were prolonged battles between large groups of lads with little or no police presence ever deemed neccessary.

Yet at Palace there has been:

a lad taken to court for throwing a flare at Police with no CCTV evidence and no witnesses except 2 coppers, despite there being over 20000 people in attendance

A lad arrested at a train station and mauled by a dog whilst being pinned to the ground, then denied medication for 9 hrs. The case was dropped because the CCTV was missing.

Police attempting to revoke the licence of a pub because "hooligans have marked it as their own" despite there being no one Piece of evidnece that football violence has happened in the pub or with anyone associated with it.

Police TSG holding the HF on Holmesdale road for 1HR before a game under the anti terror act and then not allowing them entry unless they submitted to a search and gave their name and details. Other Palace fans were allowed to make their way freely to the game. Nothing was found on any HF member. Police claimed (if I remember rightly) that they do not identify or target specific groups of fans.

As well as that there is lots of stories you hear on matchdays of the minor things they have done, and I'm sure many have seen their attempts to wind up fans and get a reaction. I witnessed an officer (who shall, for legal reasons remain nameless) on one particular occasion asking a Lad "why didn't I see you at Brighton?" "were you too much of a pussy to go there and fight?" and "guess you're just scared of them" in an attempt to get a rise.

I agree that cordens and other arrangements are sometimes neccessary, but i fail to see how any of the incidents above are justified by the risks posed.

I'd rather be a FREE MAN in my grave
than living as a PUPPET or a SLAVE

Think you're on the wrong thread mate. This one is bemoaning the way fans get abused. Nobody knocking having fun unless you count ripping out seats as a fine way to support your team.

I have to say I get the irony in your point. Fans saying don't judge us while stereotyping them back is very ironic.

There are serious issues that need to be dealt with at a high level regards how the police treat us fans. But we shouldn't tar them all with the same brush and vice versa.
I have had varying encounters with them but one positive was 2-3 police officers talking and joking with me at the emex bar exit after our 3-1 win on the 27th september 2011 .
Great night, Zaha, Ambrose, Murray......going off topic here

we're the Arthur, we're the Arthur, we're the Arthur over here!

Positive! Proud & Palace - W block, AW