[Archived] Oxford Utd at home

[Mattyblue]

Everyone is welcome Neal, everybody around me were delighted with the attendance - I had a lump in my throat as I looked around.

End of the day we aren’t going to have over  26,000 people turning up for a third division game unless it’s a party type occasion (and cheap). So, you are obviously going to get folk with only a loose connection to Rovers going to the game - fine by me. But those antics before full time were brainless and will wind up those that have been there every step of the way these past 7 years.

 

[gumboots]

And those who haven't.  I was there for the first time in 2 years but going on the pitch never occurred to me or my family. We took photos from the stands with the pitch behind us as I was there memories. We took pics in the stands as I was there memories and we didn't need to step on the pitch to join the celebrations. 

[Stuart]

Just now, gumboots said:

And those who haven't.  I was there for the first time in 2 years but going on the pitch never occurred to me or my family. We took photos from the stands with the pitch behind us as I was there memories. We took pics in the stands as I was there memories and we didn't need to step on the pitch to join the celebrations. 

Has it really been that long...? ?

[gumboots]

Yes. We stopped going when Lambert left. Missed relegation and promotion. Didn't go glory hunting at cup games etc but want to start going again as the next year is potentially less hectic for us so thought this week was a good starting point

[Stuart]

Glad to have you back. ??

[Mike E]

Well my dad cried at the sight of a full and rocking Ewood. Then when the first invasion happened, he thought the game was sure to be abandoned so left in anger.

I had to stay behind anyway as I was meeting friends afterwards.

But not to worry, we will both be at Ewood for 5-10 games next season. Not logical for me to get an ST just now.

[FGS5635]

Weird game.

Wont lie I was a bit emotional seeing ewood full before the game. The atmosphere and noise when the 1st few songs went up was great.

But after that it all felt a bit fake. Looking around people werent even watching the game. There was loads of movement with people walking about.

Just seemed like loads of people were on a day out and didnt care about the game at all, which shows how much of a fan they are.

This then showed bigtime again with the daft invasion. How selfish and stupid do you have to be to run on the pitch with the game still going on.

Thank god us and oxford having nothing riding on this game or that invasion could have been a huge talking point.

 

[gumboots]

Just now, FGS5635 said:

Weird game.

Wont lie I was a bit emotional seeing ewood full before the game. The atmosphere and noise when the 1st few songs went up was great.

But after that it all felt a bit fake. Looking around people werent even watching the game. There was loads of movement with people walking about.

Just seemed like loads of people were on a day out and didnt care about the game at all, which shows how much of a fan they are.

This then showed bigtime again with the daft invasion. How selfish and stupid do you have to be to run on the pitch with the game still going on.

Thank god us and oxford having nothing riding on this game or that invasion could have been a huge talking point.

 

There were a lot in the Darwen end wandering. Think that was partly because there were lots of families in there with young kids. People taking advantage of cheap tickets to take part in a celebration. Yes it was a bit fake but you can't have it all ways. If you want people to start coming you have to accept that atmosphere some times

[Gav]

2 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Neal’s post is a bit disingenuous for me. The anger of those in the stands was out of frustration for those stopping the game, not that there was an invasion at all - there always was going to be one, we just had to witness it twice.

Like I said yesterday, the regulars in the stands foaming at the mouth shouting 'keaners' caused just as much angst as the fans on the pitch from where I was sat.

Also for Paul to suggest that the encroachment only came from the Darwen End is completely false and an outright lie. It may have started in the Darwen End, but fans came on from all 4 sides and soon got off again and the world kept on turning.

The Man City game was 100 times worse, then John Williams blamed our own supporters for selling tickets to away fans when it was clear the infiltration had mainly occurred in seats that had been vacant all season.

Drop prices to £10 every week I say 

 

 

[Neal]

53 minutes ago, Stuart said:

You are defending the wrong people Neal.

The idiots who charge the pitch aren’t Rovers supporters and never will be. They didn’t even wait for the presentation - something the genuine fans did do - they all left the stadium, job done.

This is not a protest/no-protest issue, it isn’t a class divide issue, it’s about an element of the Blackburn population who were there for the “craic”.

 

I'm not defending anyone, I was just saying how me and the many people I went with felt and I'm not sure you can presume ALL of those fans left. The invasion started from the corner I was sat in, many fans behind me flooded forwards and ultimately ended up on the pitch, coincidentally... That area of the ground made the most noise throughout the whole game than any other part of the stadium, a lot of em were young lads, some knob heads and a few wronguns but never the less... Made a racket, some might say Ewood needs that these days. Point I'm making is, many of them might not have been there simply for the craic just like many at Doncaster probably weren't. Let me be clear, they were wrong to go on the pitch before the final whistle but on a day of celebration you don't assault your own fans, you don't call your own fans 'keaners' and 'plastic'. As I said, 'boo' chant 'off!' but don't verbally and physically abuse people. 

 

Each to their own I suppose, it's all about feelings and personal opinion but my dad, my mum, my best mate, the rest of my mates and their families left dissapointed and ashamed. 

[Speedie's Gonna Get Ya]

51 minutes ago, Stuart said:

You are defending the wrong people Neal.

The idiots who charge the pitch aren’t Rovers supporters and never will be. They didn’t even wait for the presentation - something the genuine fans did do - they all left the stadium, job done.

This is not a protest/no-protest issue, it isn’t a class divide issue, it’s about an element of the Blackburn population who were there for the “craic”.

Yes, some fans will have seen it as an excuse to join in for a laugh - mainly kids. They shouldn’t have but they did. The “keaners keaners” chants before the game had ended included both lots of fans. The “where were you” ones were aimed at those who ultimately went.

Just our of interest though, where were they? A good number will have genuine reasons but 16,000+ more than our normal home gate? They were doing other things because they don’t support Rovers. I certainly didn’t see very many Rovers shirts on that pitch. A dozen? Have a look yourself below.

Let’s not pretend either that anyone who was ‘made to feel unwelcome’ in the Blackburn End was some kind of innocent. The goading was on both sides, and unchecked these things escalate.

The way I see it is this, a sad indictment of general standards in society, combined with a sunny day, late kick-off, all day drinking. I saw a significant number people behaving in a way that indicated: look at me; I’m on the pitch; aren’t I cool; isn’t this funny; two fingers to the establishment; goading stewards etc.

Brian Clough will be spinning in his grave. Remember him ‘cuffing’ a couple of lads on the pitch and then getting them to apologise to him after he had done the same? He even got them to give him a peck on the cheek on TV.

Difference was they were was genuine contrition all round then.

I’m not sure many of the people that I witnessed on the grass at Ewood would do the same today.

Just compare the GENERAL behaviour of people in society from yesteryear with today.

That’s the problem.

 

[Neal]

1 hour ago, Mattyblue said:

Everyone is welcome Neal, everybody around me were delighted with the attendance - I had a lump in my throat as I looked around.

End of the day we aren’t going to have over  26,000 people turning up for a third division game unless it’s a party type occasion (and cheap). So, you are obviously going to get folk with only a loose connection to Rovers going to the game - fine by me. But those antics before full time were brainless and will wind up those that have been there every step of the way these past 7 years.

 

 

Course it will wind people up, it wound me up, I wouldn't of minded the once at full time but twice, but the one before full time was an annoyance admittedly. That aside, you don't physically and verbally abuse your own fans on a day we should be celebrating, many of em pissed me off and were genuinely dickheads, but the reaction... I'm sorry but it's indefensible IMO. 

[Hasta]

5 minutes ago, Neal said:

 

I'm not defending anyone, I was just saying how me and the many people I went with felt and I'm not sure you can presume ALL of those fans left. The invasion started from the corner I was sat in, many fans behind me flooded forwards and ultimately ended up on the pitch, coincidentally... That area of the ground made the most noise throughout the whole game than any other part of the stadium, a lot of em were young lads, some knob heads and a few wronguns but never the less... Made a racket, some might say Ewood needs that these days. Point I'm making is, many of them might not have been there simply for the craic just like many at Doncaster probably weren't. Let me be clear, they were wrong to go on the pitch before the final whistle but on a day of celebration you don't assault your own fans, you don't call your own fans 'keaners' and 'plastic'. As I said, 'boo' chant 'off!' but don't verbally and physically abuse people. 

 

 

Similarly, if the crowd have turned against you because of your actions, don't stand there flicking V's and antagonising them. It's only going to antagonise people further. Individual incidents may have been out of order but the lad who ran into the Blackburn End on that video brought it on himself.  

I said it at Doncaster and I'll say it again. They went on the pitch because they were told not to and they wanted to break the rules. Nothing to do with celebration.  I had some fat, ginger early 20 year old in the pub after laughing about how he went on the pitch before the final whistle who actually said "As if the club thought they could stop us".  

[FGS5635]

Where does it stop. Do they invade after every goal now. Ah its just an outpouring of jubilation and emotion, they soon left the pitch

The lack of respect and common sense in society today is mind blowing at times

[Gav]

Just now, Hasta said:

 

I said it at Doncaster and I'll say it again. They went on the pitch because they were told not to and they wanted to break the rules. Nothing to do with celebration.  

The fans went on the pitch in 75 to celebrate promotion, they went on the pitch in 1979 to celebrate promotion, the same in 2018 at Doncaster.

Do you have a pulse Hasta? 

[blueboy3333]

Good to see all the 'boycotters' returned for the promotion party

[Hasta]

Where you at Doncaster Gav? 

Whilst they players tried to come over to the fans (for the second time), did you watch idiots run on the pitch 10 yards and turn around and just give verbals to the stewards and the fans in the crowd and make no effort to go to the players or do anything else?

Do you class that as celebrating?

And then it happens again at Ewood and some little shitbag says what I've quoted above". And you think it is a spontaneous outpouring of joy ?

[the original david brent]

I still can’t believe the mass overreaction to the pitch invasion. I wasn’t part of it. It shouldn’t have happened before the end of the game. Clearly a mistake and not deliberate. It’s a bit embarrassing that it happened with 30 seconds still to play but for me that’s the extent of it. We move on. 

How many pitch invasions did we witness in the country over the weekend? Double figures? It happened, it dispersed, players came out and celebrated with a lap of honour. Happy days.

It hasn’t offended or upset me. But clearly it has a good few. And the irony is it seems to have upset a few, certainly on here anyway, who haven’t been for all season or seldom go these days! I can say on good authority that there were some fans on that pitch who have been going all season, who have stuck with Rovers through the last torrid 7-8 years who went on through sheer emotion. I am not saying that was right or wrong; but let’s just dispel the myth that everyone who went on just did it for the ‘craic.’

I had a bloke behind me, not from the area, hasn’t been all season, screaming ‘get off the pitch you effing scrotes’. I was more offended by that knowing that some on the pitch are anything but scrotes.

The cowards in the blackburn end who attacked the lad who ran across the pitch are disgraceful. 

Hearing tales of kids reduced to tears and people walking out of the ground in disgust as a result of a pitch invasion? Really?! My 5 and 7 year old were there, they were so happy and they weren’t in the least upset by a pitch invasion. In fact the complete opposite.

I wasn’t going to post this given it’s now Monday but just read on here that people are still getting upset by it! 

and Hasta - I ran on the pitch in the initial one at Doncaster - I did so out of pure joy and not to be ‘anti establishment’ or whatever it is you are trying to say.

 

 

[Hasta]

Just now, david brent said:

 

and Hasta - I ran on the pitch in the initial one at Doncaster - I did so out of pure joy and not to be ‘anti establishment’ or whatever it is you are trying to say.

 

 

I'm not saying everyone did but there were a significant number.

At Doncaster, did you run on the pitch at the final whistle, and then again when the players slid towards the crowd, and then again when the players tried to come out just over the halfway line ??

 

[Gav]

2 minutes ago, Hasta said:

Where you at Doncaster Gav? 

Whilst they players tried to come over to the fans (for the second time), did you watch idiots run on the pitch 10 yards and turn around and just give verbals to the stewards and the fans in the crowd and make no effort to go to the players or do anything else?

Do you class that as celebrating?

And then it happens again at Ewood and some little shitbag says what I've quoted above". And you think it is a spontaneous outpouring of joy ?

You're now trying to move the goalposts. 

The Donny pitch invasion at the final whistle to celebrate promotion was one of the best moments I've had in many years following Rovers, a outpouring of joy, superb scenes that will live with me forever and I make no apologies for that.

We can argue and probably agree about the 2nd one and Saturday, but not at the final whistle at Donny.

[Neal]

12 minutes ago, Hasta said:

Similarly, if the crowd have turned against you because of your actions, don't stand there flicking V's and antagonising them. It's only going to antagonise people further. Individual incidents may have been out of order but the lad who ran into the Blackburn End on that video brought it on himself.  

I said it at Doncaster and I'll say it again. They went on the pitch because they were told not to and they wanted to break the rules. Nothing to do with celebration.  I had some fat, ginger early 20 year old in the pub after laughing about how he went on the pitch before the final whistle who actually said "As if the club thought they could stop us".  

 

To those fans I simply smirked at him and thought "all right dickhead, you've had your fun now get yourself off now"... I didn't think I needed to go and physically assault someone in front of families with young children on a day we should be celebrating nor did I feel the need to verbally abuse them either... What does it achieve? Sorry but i don't see how people can defend it. 

[Hasta]

Just now, Gav said:

You're now trying to move the goalposts. 

The Donny pitch invasion at the final whistle to celebrate promotion was one of the best moments I've had in many years following Rovers, a outpouring of joy, superb scenes that will live with me forever and I make no apologies for that.

We can argue about the 2nd one and Saturday, but not at the final whistle at Donny.

Go look at the Doncaster thread and see what I said Gav. At the final whistle at Doncaster I fully understood the pitch invasion.  I said that at the time.

They were then told to return to the stand so the players could come out (including by Mowbray). They returned then invaded the pitch twice more with many of them just going past the stewards and then doing nothing. 

[Rover_Shaun]

So are we saying it would make it more valid if everyone on the pitch wore a Rovers shirt?

Would that have made it more palatable had all the Millwall fans been wearing club shirts as they flung the Luton seats around?

Seems the recent sun has cooked too many brains ?

Get over it

[Pedro]

Just now, Gav said:

You're now trying to move the goalposts. 

The Donny pitch invasion at the final whistle to celebrate promotion was one of the best moments I've had in many years following Rovers, a outpouring of joy, superb scenes that will live with me forever and I make no apologies for that.

We can argue and probably agree about the 2nd one and Saturday, but not at the final whistle at Donny.

I agree entirely. Doncaster was an outpouring of joy and celebration. Oxford, people ran on purely to act like pillocks and give it the big 'un.

 

Blackburn End view of the pitch invasion: 

 

[Mattyblue]

This debate keeps raging because posters are ignoring the facts repeatedly.

No problem with pitch invasions, they happen everywhere - there must have been a dozen this weekend alone.

Doncaster invasion 1 - Great moment, Dack on shoulders and so on, never forget it

Invasion 2 and 3 - Selfish, as it meant those in the stands saw nowt apart from people milling around the pitch with their phones - ignoring Mogga’s requests too.

 

Saturday - Final whistle? No problem,

Game still going with us on the attack? Bloody stupid.

 

And that’s that, nobody’s being a killjoy, no one is saying you can’t run on a pitch, just the selfishness of those that repeatedly did it at Doncaster etc. and their refusal to respect their fellow fan waiting in the stands.