Celtic fans' behaviour tonight

[waggy]

well all i can say every celtic fan i met was fine,the drunken one's were typical drunks,stand your ground and they are at a loss.the club and police new of forgeries,its a lame excuse to blame the lighting.the next time i'm in the darwen end,and the stweards start pushing people around,i will remind them off the night we played celtic.at celtic park rover's stewards were helping those of celtic,why was this not the case last night.

[CAPT KAYOS]

Although I didn't see too much wrong with what the Police did last night maybe we should listen to what some of the Celtic fans are saying here -remember what the Sheff Weds fans where saying last season.

There are always different points of views on these matters and I didn't see anything major with the Police last night unlike the useless  'power brained' stewards.

What I can't understand is what people where expecting last night -  just 15 Celtic fans to turn up and sit down and have a cup of coffee??

We are talking about a massive club here with some passionate fans and every club has its own element of trouble makers which will increase dependant on the occasion amount of people etc -over drinking exhuberance maybe by some but to tarnish all with the same brush?

Steven no offence but I think you need to get a grip of what being a football fan is about. I for one don't want to be told what do in how I get to a match or what I can't do once I am there within reason. I went to Glasgow and Sofia with my mates and we did not go with official travel (never do to away games). Had a great time in both Cities drinking all day with the locals and opposition fans always do.

Drinking on the streets - yes possibly stop

Corporate Celebration - have rules (why are away boxes behind the Blackburn end anyway?)

If the boot had been on the other foot last night and I know what I would have been doing if we had won

All fans taunt each other thats what it is all about. Last night was a massive game for both clubs and Celtic came out on top.

Maybe the cordons should have been further away from the ground but all I saw last night was what you normally see at alot of high profile matches

[Ste B]

jas - I didn't experience the policing last night. I'm just a quiet (until I get inside) home fan with four kids so I'm not going to attract attention. I can tell you our club generally receives praise for its handling of away support as do Lancashire police.

If football fans purchase forgeries or tickets from anything other than an official source the outcome is always in doubt. If you have fans who know they have forgeries trying to enter the ground this is going to be met with resistance - see my post above

I experienced the policing last night on the walk to the ground, and under the circumstances OVERALL I feel they did a good job under provocation from both sides.

[CAPT KAYOS]

jas - I didn't experience the policing last night. I'm just a quiet (until I get inside) home fan with four kids so I'm not going to attract attention. I can tell you our club generally receives praise for its handling of away support as do Lancashire police.

If football fans purchase forgeries or tickets from anything other than an official source the outcome is always in doubt. If you have fans who know they have forgeries trying to enter the ground this is going to be met with resistance - see my post above

I experienced the policing last night on the walk to the ground, and under the circumstances OVERALL I feel they did a good job under provocation from both sides.

Steb

Come on stop lying I saw you jumping up and down on the PC's hat with your NASA cap on and nicking his truncheon

[jas]

jas - I didn't experience the policing last night. I'm just a quiet (until I get inside) home fan with four kids so I'm not going to attract attention. I can tell you our club generally receives praise for its handling of away support as do Lancashire police.

If football fans purchase forgeries or tickets from anything other than an official source the outcome is always in doubt. If you have fans who know they have forgeries trying to enter the ground this is going to be met with resistance - see my post above

I experienced the policing last night on the walk to the ground, and under the circumstances OVERALL I feel they did a good job under provocation from both sides.

r u a part-time policeman???

As the police acted as through they were part-timers last night also!!!!!!

[Hasta]

To be fair to Jas I doubt any of us can really say what went on behind the Darwen End. I'm sure the police felt justified in going in to deal with whatever (drunks, abuse) they saw but I'm also sure that innocent Celts got caught up in it.

As for the forged tickets, I know Crewe had a credit card style season ticket in 1993! This could be the answer. Not sure how this works for Matchday Tickets though.

[Paul]

....and finally. Against Manchester City I was so concerned for my children's safety I took them out of the family stand 10 minutes before the end. The overall ticketing procedure and control has improved enormously, lessons have been learnt, improvements have been made and I'm sure the club will continue to learn from yesterday.

Must change that signature.......

[jas]

got to go now lads....

BEST WISHES and all the best in the league!!!

Will return in the future (Once we tie Liverpool or Leeds)

[Guest grahamhowarth]

How can the stewards say they were nor responsible for anything?letting people in with forged tickets ,no wonder some celts threw a wobbly after spending god knows what amount of money and then being refused entry with a valid ticket.

[Circo]

It's OK having a go at the club and the policing etc.. but there was always going to be trouble at this game - unfortunatley.

Whenever Celtic come down south they are going to be confronted by hooligan groups in England due to the Bhoys connections/affection for the IRA (sorry if I have described that in a bad way, but you know what I mean). There were obviously quite afew Blackburn 'lads' out for a bit of bother last night but I also saw groups from Oldham and Stoke - to name but two - and they were some of the ones causing trouble around town and the ground. About 100 lads had a go at Celtic outside the Aquaduct after the game.

It is a problem that you would see in any city in England when Celtic come down, it's just a shame it was our town that had to burden the responsibility yesterday.

[rosie]

Hi all

Apart from being disappointed with our performance last night, and the (lack of) noise made by Rovers fans in general, the biggest disappointment for me was actually the number of fans that started leaving some 20 minutes from the end.  Okay, I was in the Riverside, so what more could I expect?  I would be ashamed of myself if I was one of those people.  I know we were losing, but the hordes that walked out must have affected the players.  That said, I saw "fans" leaving the Blackburn End and the Jack Walker as well, so I guess there must have been a number of part-timers there as well, although I know the 2 guys sat next to me were season ticket holders.  I was pleased when they went because one of them just kept shouting "Sutton, you're a w*****" etc.   Mmmm, that was clever, and got you a long way, "mate"!

As for Celtic fans.  Well, we drove in from the M65 and parked on the Water's Edge Car Park just off Livesey Branch Road.  We drove past the Fernhurst about 6.40 and although it was lively, the police seemed to have things under control and people appeared to be enjoying themselves.  Walking to the ground we had no problems and after the game, I found walking back to the car I was mingling with a number of Celtic fans and there was no intimidation or aggression there.  Obviously the result had been right for them, so maybe that helped.  However, there were the odd ones staggering about in the road threatening to get run over more likely than anything, but I think there's little anyone can do to stop people who want to get that drunk doing just that.

I thought the Celtic fans made a fantastic noise, kept their singing up all the way through and looked like they had a thoroughly good time.  As I had to keep reminding my (sometimes hotheaded) 18 year old brother, if we'd been in the same position as them, we'd have been singing our heads off and taunting the opposition with songs like "it's so f****** easy" etc.  I would've laughed if I hadn't wanted to cry in disappointment at our overall team performance which I thought was poor, although I'm certain O'Neill putting Sutton on Tugay had a lot to do with it, and I also think Celtic are a good side.

I'm really sorry to hear about the 800 or so with genuine tickets who couldn't get into the game - that must have been absolutely gutting, but I can't see how the stewards/police could have managed this at the time if the forgeries were as good as some are saying they were.  I think suggestions of some type of swipe system are the way forward here.

Wrong result, but an experience I wouldn't have missed.  Now I'm forgetting about it because it's too painful to do anything else!  

[Guest grahamhowarth]

Ihave been told to move this thread here so ----

once and for all.For the past week people have been posting pure crap about we don't have an hooligan problem .Well yesterday put that to bed even for those with the blue tinted blinkers.Fans beating people up in the stands because they are wearing a scarf ! fighting in the streets,b'burn thugs smashing pub windows to get at celtic fans and loonies rushing to the darwen end after celtic had scored the first goal.Fan running on the pitch to taunt the celtic fans.No doubt all of the same names  will come on the board with abuse and say it didn't happen;that it was all of the celtic fans fault etc but i just wondered if there are people on this board who can see past their own noses?? Does the truth not matter or do we turn a blind eye and let them get on with it???

[waggy]

:rover:most of last night's  major trouble was caused by blackburn thugs,apparentley there was a bigger crew in town than the burnley game.it's ok to call the opposition but we have our bad guys,my mate was arrested last night for trying to help a celtic fan from being battered by 4 policeman .

when he was charged he asked what was the offence was,drunk and disorderly.

[Ste B]

Nobody said we dont have any hooligans.  What we don't have is the widespread hooligan problem as some other clubs such as Burnley / Millwall have.

I saw what happened outside O'Neills and in the grapes, and also on Bolton Road on the way to the ground, so i'm not pretending nothing happened.

Unsurprisingly there was definite infiltration from other clubs idiots at the match as well.

[Flopsy]

Fan running on the pitch to taunt the celtic fans.

He was wearing a Rangers Shirt and Scarf - he might be a rovers fan but i doubt it.

I myself didnt see any trouble - but id moved up to Ewood by 5pm - all i saw was people getting drunk and having a laugh - Im not denying there was trouble but I didnt see anything myself, only groups of fans having a laugh together. Rovers do have a small amount of dickheads who like causing trouble but I have never seen them at home or away games.

[tamerton]

and we should have some kind of apology from Celtic over the behaivour of some of there so called fans

Certainly!

When we get apologies for the bricked coaches on the M74!

Unfotunately there are always knobs in any set of fans.

[Guest grahamhowarth]

steb people are always posting on here saying how well behaved we are.It is a myth.You are even denying now that it happened last night by blaming it on other teams fans.Just because some people didn't see any fighting doesn't mean it didn't happen.The comparison between burnley /millwall is ridiculous it is just window dressing,yeah but we are not as bad as .........It is the blinked thinking of most fans that helps it to breed.People seem to think staggering about drunk outside a football ground is funny,this is hooliganism,No matter which set of fans.Waggy, people won't believe that b'burn fans caused trouble and it wouldn't surprise me if you get a yellow card for saying it.

[tamerton]

"Chuckie ar lah" is frankly embarrasing. To Mr and Mrs Lancashire the chanting of such things is not only totally alien but also highly offensive.

And what exactly is offensive about it? Do you know what it means?

[tamerton]

- allowing Celtic fans to get away with racist chants (pro-IRA) throughout the game

It's a trap that a lot of people fall into:

The "Soldiers Song" (which came across great on the BEEB) is not a PRO-IRA song ~ it's the Irish National Anthem.

[Ste B]

steb people are always posting on here saying how well behaved we are.It is a myth.You are even denying now that it happened last night by blaming it on other teams fans.Just because some people didn't see any fighting doesn't mean it didn't happen.The comparison between burnley /millwall is ridiculous it is just window dressing,yeah but we are not as bad as .........It is the blinked thinking of most fans that helps it to breed.People seem to think staggering about drunk outside a football ground is funny,this is hooliganism,No matter which set of fans.Waggy, people won't believe that b'burn fans caused trouble and it wouldn't surprise me if you get a yellow card for saying it.

No, I said AS WELL as what happened in town there were idiots from other clubs around, as well you know.

I know what happened at O'Neills as I said, and it was predominantly a small group of idiots (20+) of whom none were wearing colours.   Almost certainly from Blackburn.

[Dr Rich]

"Chuckie ar lah" is frankly embarrasing. To Mr and Mrs Lancashire the chanting of such things is not only totally alien but also highly offensive.

And what exactly is offensive about it? Do you know what it means?

tiocfaidh ar la = our day will come

Not allowed speak my language apparantly.

I really hate all this crap about the connections words/songs are given. This only happens because we let it.

Still wouldn't walk around Blackburn saying that. Teann ar la, or something would have been much more appropriate given last nights events.

Police and stewards behaviour(especially stewards) not one bit surprised. They like to act all big and powerful and annoy decent fans, but if anyone starts any trouble they are too incompetent/scared s**tless to do anything. Fans without tickets getting in, fans with tickets locked out? Absolute gross incompetence, and I'm sorry Kamy but "they were good forgeries" is a @#/? poor excuse.

[bob]

"Chuckie ar lah" is frankly embarrasing. To Mr and Mrs Lancashire the chanting of such things is not only totally alien but also highly offensive.

And what exactly is offensive about it? Do you know what it means?

tiocfaidh ar la = our day will come

Not allowed speak my language apparantly.

I really hate all this crap about the connections words/songs are given. This only happens because we let it.

Still wouldn't walk around Blackburn saying that. Teann ar la, or something would have been much more appropriate given last nights events.

Police and stewards behaviour(especially stewards) not one bit surprised. They like to act all big and powerful and annoy decent fans, but if anyone starts any trouble they are too incompetent/scared s**tless to do anything. Fans without tickets getting in, fans with tickets locked out? Absolute gross incompetence, and I'm sorry Kamy but "they were good forgeries" is a @#/? poor excuse.

Agree, the stewards in the Riverside are C**P they are no more than kids some of them and don't want to get involved if any trouble starts. One stood watching as a Celtic fan was given a beating in the lower rows, taken there number along with the turnstile attendant letting people in for fifty £.

MAD!!

[SMc_Celtic]

Paul (McGarry)

First of all, I'm shocked, surprised and appalled at the treatment you received last night....it's terrible. I apologise on behalf of all decent Celtic fans who made the journey to enjoy the occassion. The animals who treated you like this are not worthy of wearing the hoops.

However, I have to comment that I spent the whole day in Blackburn, drank in O'Neils, went to an Italian restaurant across from it, wandered around the City centre before heading to Fernhurst for the big party. In that whole time I witnessed no unsavoury incidents at all. The vast majority of the 12,000 who made the trip did so in good humour and only purpose was to enjoy the occassion.

It is for this reason, I object to your comment

"I'm not surprised pubs were 'home only' after seeing the loutish behaviour of your so-called fans last night."

Please do not let the minority scumbags cloud your judgement of the large majority.

However, I understand, if I was in your position I would probably react the same. As for the youngster.....I hope he still continues to support the hoops and maybe we can give him years of happy memories to wipe away the events of last night.

Rosie.....Nice comment, nice post. Thanks. Same goes for others....Paul (moderator) etc.

[alchemist_gs]

What a poor, poor showing by rovers last night, just how are celtic and rangers meant to progress when they are forced to play mediocre sides who run on an arrogance that defies belief.

I hope you all enjoyed your short venture into europe, if you keep the red and yellow cards to a minimum you may get in through the fair play scheme next year.

to quote Sourpuss " it was men against bhoys last night"

G x

[steven]

What a poor, poor showing by rovers last night, just how are celtic and rangers meant to progress when they are forced to play mediocre sides who run on an arrogance that defies belief.

I hope you all enjoyed your short venture into europe, if you keep the red and yellow cards to a minimum you may get in through the fair play scheme next year.

to quote Sourpuss " it was men against bhoys last night"

G x

please keep your opinions to yourself