Crowd trouble in Rugby League.

Dozen Wicked Words

After apparent crowd unrest at the Jungle, is there an underlying problem in Rugby League.

I have only been to half a dozen live games away and have never felt in any danger, possibly because there is only a coach load of us. But is there a problem in the game?

Or is the "trouble" at Castleford yesterday being blown up out of proportion. Having been raised going to football matches where full blown violence was sadly common place it, the events yesterday seemed minimal or am I trivialising something more sinister?

Paul Tergat

5 years ago now I travelled to every Bulls game. There was always a great atmosphere between the travelling Bulls section and the home support. Places like Saints, Wigan and Leeds were visited and great games watched with no trouble at all.

These incidents happen but I really do not think from personal experience that RL has any sort of underlying problem in that sense. Maybe its changed but the rare home games at Odsal that I get to pass off with no trouble at all

WakeyTyke

Think it was some very frustrated and disappointed 'fans' who, wrongly, felt that they were 'cheated' by some decisions. Very poor attitude and behaviour from some 'so-called' fans and Cas need to weed them out and ban them for the good of the game.

couerdelion

1988 Yorkshire Cup final (Leeds vs Castleford) I remember being stood in the kop at Elland Road watching Gary Schofield perform at his best when trouble broke out. (link to match here--> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b6mZ3xN4Xo : No violence showed though)

2000 Challenge cup semi at Hudds (Leeds vs Hull) and the Hull fans riot as they lose.

There is also a book about the untold tale of Rugby League Hooliganism but unfortunately Amazon isn't loading. It's called something like 'The family game'.

WakeyTyke

I remember during the '70's trouble was rife throughout society, this was at the height of soccer riots, and there was regularly trouble at matches. Attendances fell away to only 2,000 - 3,000, that was a dark period for sport.

Now it is rare, but most clubs seem to have a very small minority of fans who, given the right set of circumstances, are happy to stir up a bit of argy-bargy.

old gregg

by way of anecdotal story telling ....

Back in 06 I was in Oz on holidays and decided to take a trip out to the Olympic stadium for a Roosters v Dogs game. I was on my own because none of the folks I was staying with out in Balmain (Tigers territory) would go near a Dogs home game because they were afraid of crowd trouble, it being post Cronulla riots. Anyway, I arrived out at the stadium, bought my ticket and made my way down to my allocated seat, beer in hand, deeply emotional at seeing my first live Roosters game in nearly 35 years since back when I was playing as a teenager in one of the Roosters feeder clubs near Bronte/Bondi.

Anyway, there was some trepidation when I found myself seated in the Dogs section and surrounded by a gang of guys who'd obviously enjoyed more than their fair share of fights based on the scars and collection of broken noses around me. So, I turned to one of them before the game, introduced myself and announced that I loved my footy, was obviously a Roosters fan (middle class looking ageing hippy surfer type) but was looking forward to my first game of real rugby in many years. We ended up sharing beers, having a great time together and enjoying every minute of a pretty one sided game where the chooks were thrashed.

Dozen Wicked Words

Sorry for (?) bumping my old thread but just a quick update.

The tigers have been fined 40,000 squid for the crowd trouble. Apparently some "fans" besieged the Refs room after the game.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/super_league/castleford/8255796.stm

toomevara

Seems like an exceptionally harsh penalty for a club like Castleford. Don't get me wrong, I'm not condoning what those 'fans' did, but the RFL should tailor the punishment to the clubs resources. 40 thou is a huge wodge for any SL club, never mind a smaller outfit like Cas. Identify the culprits, ban them from the ground, impose a proportionate fine and impose some stringent game-day conditions certainly, but 40K? Harsh.

Having said that I cannot believe Cas allowed fans to take bottled beer on the terraces and allowed this situation to develop/snowball.

Dozen Wicked Words

It did sound harsh enough, half is suspended until end of 2010, so hopefully it will only end up at 20,000.

Don't know if the tribunal allows appeal but maybe that is an option for them as well.