For Those There Today

[GrantB]

I'm not wanting to get into the rights and wrongs of what happened yesterday as I wasn't there. However, I would like to make a strong defence of the rights of any group of Thistle fans to sing the 'Hello Hello' song.

 

I'm sitting at work with the OF bile on the radio and the songs coming out of the R*ngers end in particular are despicable and vile. The song has never been more relevant.

[Ancipital]

I certainly didn't see any of your group do it, but others in the area could of and I did hear raised voices when you had left to see your mate.

 

Glad we've got an independent witness. As I said, none of us knew it was a Jags fan who alerted the stewards until we got back to our seats, far less who the fan in question was.

 

I'm actually a wee bit annoyed about all the things I've been labelled by association in this thread. Hopefully lennys slept on it and calmed down a bit.

 

And I hope if he's watching the Bigotfest then he's got the sound down...

[wee jim]

I’ve got a lot of sympathy for lennythistle. There has always been a scumbag element who go to football matches and I fear there will always be. They get all tanked-up and just cannot control their base instincts no matter whose company they are in. And they actually see it as their right to behave as they do at football matches. I know some of these guys who are otherwise perfectly respectable people. Really strange.

 

It was a number of years ago I was at Clydebank, think it was the old Bogside, with my ten year daughter. A bunch of fellow Jags fans were directly behind me, with one guy in particular, letting loose with all the foul mouthed obscene language you could imagine. I turned to look at them a few times, as if to say cool it down a wee bit lads. But they didn’t. So I moved along the terracing only to find one of the guys actually followed and stood behind us to continue his tirade of foul language. Thankfully it only lasted a few minutes when he moved back to his mates who all thought this was a fantastic laugh.

 

I hope this family aren’t put off going to see Thistle but shamefully I have to say sometimes you have to move seat to distance yourself from the worst element at football matches. It may not be a very principled thing to do but trying to reason with a tanked-up ninety minute moron is just about impossible. And besides, as proved, you are likely to end up worse off.

[Steven H]

Steven, it's Lenny's histrionics I've taken issue with. That and the accusations relating to the abuse of a ten-year-old and the physical intimadation of Lenny and his family by friends of the ejected party - one of whom it transpires I know very well.

 

As I said earlier, questioning the veracity of Tom's claims post-Central Park appeared to be fair game, but doing so here is branded "shameful", presumably due to the involvement of a child.

 

It appears we can add a small band of hypocrites to the yobs and elitists that populate our support.

 

In regards to my use of the word shameful I am talking about this thread (the one after Central Park that you speak of was also shameful btw), I'm not labelling anyone involved yesterday as shameful because I wasn't there. From what I've heard the situation with the steward was a nothing incident that got out of hand and Im taking that in isolation to the events lennythistle speaks of.

 

I took Tom at his word after the Central Park incident, I have done the same with lennythistle and Ancipital...as well as others who witnessed events yesterday. There are hypocrits in every walk of life but I don't think I've been hypocritical in this instance or the one with Tom. Taking EVERYTHING ELSE out of the equation, a young fan was left feeling traumatised and for me that's the saddest thing to come out of all of this.

[lennythistle]

Glad we've got an independent witness. As I said, none of us knew it was a Jags fan who alerted the stewards until we got back to our seats, far less who the fan in question was.

 

I'm actually a wee bit annoyed about all the things I've been labelled by association in this thread. Hopefully lennys slept on it and calmed down a bit.

 

And I hope if he's watching the Bigotfest then he's got the sound down...

Hi.

 

This will be my last post on the subject. I just want to clear up some facts once and for all.

 

The abuse, threats and by a few, shouts of "scum" did not come from you or any of your mates. This has been lost on a few, particular "Adam Spark".

 

You may recall a number of the fans to your right, got very angry at the time your friend was evicted (can I also stress to you and your friends that was never my dad's intention). Yes they called the steward a facist and scum. Yes the scenes got very ugly.

 

Once your two mates were out the stand, the attention of this mob (and despite sleeping on it I stand by my comment of yobs) turned to me and my family.

 

It was as we tried to leave (yes I feared for our safety) that those to your right (as you looked to the park) and beside and below us all turned on us. There was some awful stuff aimed at my dad from people on the front row as we tried to leave. This is why I say 50 ....this is why I've taken issue with people like "adam Spark" who accuse me of making this all up. 2 from your right, DID try to get to us as we left.

 

I am truly sorry if you or your friends think I am calling you yobs (but i am calling those who attacked us yobs). Yes my dad was unhappy at the language . I never for one moment thought events would turn out the way they did.

 

I'm thankful to those who have shown concern during this matter (though wish some had during the events, perhaps they were too scared). I expected some abuse on here and it came from those i thought it would. Although some i never saw coming.....still very naive i guess.

 

It's done. I won't post another comment on the matter. I've tried as best i can to explain what happened to us.

 

I have informed the club, I think they should know, oh and that was the first thing i did, way before i started this thread.

 

I think it's best now that I let this go.

[GrantB]

Lenny, don't let the actions of a few come between your family and your team.

 

If decent fans stop going, then the 'yobs' will have won. I totally understand that it may be a while before your daughter would wish to go back though.

[hamiltonjag]

At the end of the day a wee girl got frightened by the actions of adults who should know better. I hope your daughter is ok now Lenny. Having two daughters myself I can empathise.

 

Please don't let the actions of one or two screamin skulls put you, your Dad and daughter off supporting the one great team in Glasgow.

[Tom Stronach]

Having quickly skimmed through this thread it has become apparent that Thistle fans are a bunch of child abusing, thugs and Lenny is a hysterical mess.

 

Honestly, what a complete and utter embarrassment this thread is. I hope a moderator deletes this thread shortly, before fans of other clubs get wind of it.

 

I dispair.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

I think you've been away a long time. It's not The Long Good Friday up here.

Depressing and embarrassing as this whole thread is, I did have a chuckle at above. Rather than Bob Hoskins I was getting alternating mental pictures between the Driscoll Brothers and Dinsdale Piranha.

[GOVAN JAG]

I'm sorry but anyone who believes that their children shouldn't be within earshot of sweary words when taken to a football match is either living in a bubble or should be going to the rugger.

 

Any shouting of 'scum' yesterday was aimed at that steward. The outrage of the majority of Thistle fans was aimed at that steward. There may have been words exchanged between the ones who felt the need to involve a steward in this and the friends of the guy who was arrested but c'montae****, it was a football match you were at where an official had made a really contentious decision, not the ballet.

 

 

I agree with you mate. If people dont want their weans to hear sweary words or people getting angry, then dont bring them to game. It's as simple as that.

[B.C.G. JAG]

questioning the veracity of Tom's claims post-Central Park appeared to be fair game, but doing so here is branded "shameful", presumably due to the involvement of a child.

 

It was some of the same people questioning Tom's integrity then as are questioning LennyThistle now. It was shameful then and it is shameful now. Both threads highlight some of the moronic attitudes we have in our support. What's clear here is that some posters have an incredibly selfish attitude and are unwilling to share a stadium with anyone different to them. Some people might not like families at the football, but that's the kind of intolerance I'd associate with some of our neighbours. All anyone is asking is that adults show a little consideration for minors. That's what being an adult is about, being mature enough to take some responsibility for yourself and others. To put blame for the incident on anyone other the guy who wouldn't accept a little advice from the female steward is ridiculous.

 

Whatever you think of the way Thistle is run, the Club have been incredibly innovative and progressive with the Kids Zone and U-16's Free Scheme. These ideas are probably the best thing going for the Club and probably the only thing that will stem the exodus. The team and the results are pretty woeful just now, but plenty of dads like myself will still keep going because it's something we want to do with our kids. Thistle to me is much more than just the football on the park. If that feeling or welcome goes, I won't be back for the dire football this season. We all want Thistle to live on for the next generation and aggressive behaviour to families will kill the only survival mechanism we have right now.

 

The Club got some bad press after the incident at Starks. Let's not embarass ourselves any further. I hope all this doesn't appear in the papers as another negative story about the Thistle Support. If I were the Club, I'd be offering a 'special day' for Lenny's daughter (meet the team, Pee Tee etc) to show that whilst Forthbank may not be wholly conducive to families, Firhill absolutely is. I hope someone from the Club picks up on this.

 

And a last point, which I've made before but will repeat here. I've had to endure some really ripe language from other fans in the Kids Zone at Firhill. And it wasn't at the Ref or any player, it was just banter before the game. I think sometimes people forget the point of the Kids Zone. If you're going to swear in front of your own kids, just sit in the main support - kids aren't banned from there! Just ask yourself why you're going into that area in the first place.

 

This whole thread has been really tragic. I'm so glad I have Thistle to take my son to, and not bloody Millwall. I hope it stays like that.

[Harrybriscoe]

Can I just say that although it's rare for me to swear, it is sometimes

appropriate in the right circumstances.

For example, BermondseyBoy (re #164), you can get tae fcuk and crawl back under

your stone.

[The Incredible Adam Spark]

It was shameful then and it is shameful now.

Let's hope your high horse doesn't buck anytime soon.

[B.C.G. JAG]

Can I just say that although it's rare for me to swear, it is sometimes

appropriate in the right circumstances.

For example, BermondseyBoy (re #164), you can get tae fcuk and crawl back under

your stone.

[The Incredible Adam Spark]

Can I just say that although it's rare for me to swear, it is sometimes

appropriate in the right circumstances.

For example, BermondseyBoy (re #164), you can get tae fcuk and crawl back under

your stone.

[Santana]

I attended the game today with my dad and ten year old daughter.

 

I'm sure a few who post on here are aware of the events that im about to mention and i am sure i'll take even more abuse now...but im saying this regardless.

 

If you were one of the 50 or so who swore, threatend and abused me, my dad and MY TEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER , then you truly are the scum of the earth.

 

I am not naive to think swearing doesn't go on at matches and that it's wrong...but my dad felt that the level of abuse coming from behind us was totally out of order. The end we were in had a large number of young children in it and yes he was protecting his grand daughter.....who is TEN !!!

 

He may have asked the steward to deal with the issue but he sure as hell was not responsible for the events that followed. For us to be hounded out the ground after 35 minutes with my daughter in tears and terrified was an utter disgrace. If you are one of the yobs shouting, threatening, accusing us of being scum as we tried to leave then you are an utter disgrace. did you see the fear in my daughters face, are you proud you were threatening a child....a TEN YEAR OLD GIRL !!!!

 

Some tried to climb seats to get to us as we left.......we were as entitled to object to the level of abuse being dished out as some of you think you were entitled to give it. some behaved like animals as we made the decision to leave.

 

I've never once been embarrassed to call myself a partick thistle supporter.......today has changed all that.

 

What age is your daughter?

[Col]

We don't want to comment on the incident as we are not in full possession of the facts but we would just like to wish Lenny, his Dad and especially his daughter all the best and would urge them not to be put off going back to Firhill.

 

This thread has made me feel ashamed to call myself a Thistle fan.

 

Bottom line - There in NEVER any excuse for a 10 year old girl to feel so threatened that she has to leave a game of football.

[mrD]

unbelieveable stuff.

 

i've always been a believer in fans policing themselves but this thread really puts taht idea to shame. seems that some people on here are more concerned about how this discussion might reflect upon our image tahn actually dealing wtih the shit that went donwn.

 

People aught to know that they regulate their behaviour in front of kids a bit - we do that sorta thing all the time, do we talk the same in the street as we do in a job interview?

 

If that was my daughter that happened to, id be buying a season ticket - just so that i could get time to pick off each person that threatened her one by one game by game. absolutly disgusting and the apologists have just about undermined any credibility to the notion of fans policing themselves.

 

and other people that saw that shit go down and never made any interventions. that is just the same shit as seeing a bloke hitting his wife across the road and saying nothing cause 'its a domestic'.

 

i'm a great believer in the notion that by being a family club should not conflict with the notion of having a proper football atmosphere like in the old days, but in the old days people took some kind of social responsibility and had the balls to deal with stuff it it was going wrong to the wrong groups (eg kids).

 

its that gutlessness that makes the case stronger for having the sanitised over policed atmosphere that is killing the atmosphere of the game.

 

edited to add:

the hello hello song has been approved by the sfa. its an antisectarian song.

Edited October 24, 2010 by mrD

[mrD]

Having quickly skimmed through this thread it has become apparent that Thistle fans are a bunch of child abusing, thugs and Lenny is a hysterical mess.

 

Honestly, what a complete and utter embarrassment this thread is. I hope a moderator deletes this thread shortly, before fans of other clubs get wind of it.

 

I dispair.

 

it would be a nightmare for our image to be tarnished eh?

[Fearchar]

Can I just say that although it's rare for me to swear, it is sometimes

appropriate in the right circumstances.

For example, BermondseyBoy (re #164), you can get tae fcuk and crawl back under

your stone.

[FTOF]

I witnessed what happened yesterday and to be honest the whole thing was blown way out of proportion. Yes there was swearing and fans were upset with the poor performance of the team and the match officials..myself included...but this goes on at every football match across the country every week. Never have i seen anything so riduculous than a fan being escorted out the ground for swearing at the linesman! Lennyjag and Lennyjag Snr are on here saying they have been targeted by a group of thistle yobs...away and give us peace. Fans were shouting at the police and stewards for wrestling a fan out of the ground for what was a minor incident. I'm sure I'm not the only one that saw the steward push and kick out at the fan whilst he was being taken out the row by the policeman. If anything he should have been done for assault.

 

Lets get back to the football and get behind the team..

FTOF - FTP & FTQ

[nylo]

I'm about middle on this one. I cant be bothered with drunk ********* and cant be bothered with Victor Meldrew types either.

[Dr.D]

I'm about middle on this one. I cant be bothered with drunk ********* and cant be bothered with Victor Meldrew types either.

I'm about the same but perhaps backing Victor here. This swearing carry on is getting a bit out of hand at some matches. Just because they are in a football stadium seems to give somr folk the impression that they have an open licence to abuse people with such vitriol. Perhaps a little more respect towards each other as fellow fans is required. Anyway my wholehearted sympathy to the little girl put in a state of fear.

[Mr Bunny]

I'm about the same but perhaps backing Victor here. This swearing carry on is getting a bit out of hand at some matches. Just because they are in a football stadium seems to give somr folk the impression that they have an open licence to abuse people with such vitriol. Perhaps a little more respect towards each other as fellow fans is required. Anyway my wholehearted sympathy to the little girl put in a state of fear.

 

That's the point seemingly forgotten each time by those defending what happened.

[stolenscone]

That's the point seemingly forgotten each time by those defending what happened.

 

Yep, pretty much in a nutshell for me. Broadly, there seem to be 2 arguments being used: either (1) "It's a football match, so making a young girl cry because of my aggressive behaviour is fine." or (2) "If you can't handle an aggressive and intimidating atmosphere, then it's your fault for being there. It's got nothing to do with me for causing that atmosphere."

 

Neither argument really holds much water with me.