Trouble at Stoke Blackburn game one fan critically hurt

LostinBlanch

This from the Blackburn site

A man is in a critical condition in a Stoke hospital after an incident during the Rovers fixture at the Britannia Stadium this afternoon.

The man was among a 1300-strong Rovers following in the South Stand, occupied by visiting supporters.

Chief Inspector Adrian Roberts of the Staffordshire Police said: "We are carrying out a full investigation of the incident to ascertain precisely what happened.

"The man was taken from the ground in an unconscious state and is in a critical condition at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire."

An incident room has been established, anyone requiring any further information can call the Staffordshire Police on 01785 236211.

Apparently a metal bin was thrown in the concourse at half time and hit a fella in the head.

Columbia

Bad business that. If the metal bin thing is true then I really don't understand the mentality of some people. It's a game FFS, get some perspective.

edit: amazing that you posted two threads only a few minutes apart, one about a RUMOUR that a Sunday newspaper MIGHT be accusing a footballer who MIGHT be John Terry of MAYBE betting on matches, and one about someone in a critical condition because of crowd violence. No prizes for guessing which one gets the replies, sadly.

DazMarz

This is bloody terrible stuff... This is a real case of ''there but for the grace of God''. A man (possibly a fairly young man; possibly a married man with children, possibly with his children) is now seriously hurt in hospital for partaking in what is a tremendously popular and fun activity: supporting your football team. This could have happened to anyone, at any game, at any time.

I certainly hope he pulls through ok from this. And whatever the outcome, I sincerely hope the authorities and the powers that be act and bring the scumbags who did this to justice and I certainly hope it is harsh justice.

The question has to be asked: what the hell were the stewards/police/security at? How could they not have seen what was about to take place and not stop it? Stewards at games can be overzealous and downright rude to fans if they do innocuous things, yet they were so stupid as to allow this to happen? For shame...

The ugly side of the beautiful game once again rearing its festering head and it is always the innocent football fans who suffer.

therecklessone

DazMarz wrote: »

The question has to be asked: what the hell were the stewards/police/security at? How could they not have seen what was about to take place and not stop it? Stewards at games can be overzealous and downright rude to fans if they do innocuous things, yet they were so stupid as to allow this to happen? For shame...

Given that we didn't know all the details, isn't it a little early to be apportioning blame?

I've yet to visit the Britannia, but by all accounts I've heard it's a very unwelcoming place.

Finger crossed the victim pulls through OK.

DazMarz

therecklessone wrote: »

Given that we didn't know all the details, isn't it a little early to be apportioning blame?

Sorry, but I'm a bit prejudiced against stewards at EPL games. There are squillions of them all over the shop in their luminous jackets, they can be desperately rude and unhelpful to people and their main 'job' is supposed to be protection of fans and keeping them safe. And they do not notice someone ripping a metal bin up, walking to a concourse with it and they do not stop it? Sorry, I believe the stewards here failed... badly. Maybe I'm wrong, but IMO the stewards here were not responsive enough...

therecklessone

DazMarz wrote: »

Sorry, but I'm a bit prejudiced against stewards at EPL games. There are squillions of them all over the shop in their luminous jackets, they can be desperately rude and unhelpful to people and their main 'job' is supposed to be protection of fans and keeping them safe. And they do not notice someone ripping a metal bin up, walking to a concourse with it and they do not stop it? Sorry, I believe the stewards here failed... badly. Maybe I'm wrong, but IMO the stewards here were not responsive enough...

Even more reason why you shouldn't be jumping to conclusions, IMO of course.

Thanx 4 The Fish

therecklessone wrote: »

Given that we didn't know all the details, isn't it a little early to be apportioning blame?

I've yet to visit the Britannia, but by all accounts I've heard it's a very unwelcoming place.

Finger crossed the victim pulls through OK.

I have been a couple of times with some mates of mine who are stoke fans. Interestingly, I was offered a ticket to this one but had more urgent red matters to attend to. It is certainly fairly unwelcoming. Recently the stewards were ejected form the stadium by fans when they were told that they could not smoke in the bathrooms. A heavy police presence was to bee seen inside the ground for the following two days. I have seen Stoke fans beating on each other in some sections in the ground but only playfully

Hope yer man is alright. Hope that it does change things at the Britannia.

OPENROAD

DazMarz wrote: »

Sorry, but I'm a bit prejudiced against stewards at EPL games. There are squillions of them all over the shop in their luminous jackets, they can be desperately rude and unhelpful to people and their main 'job' is supposed to be protection of fans and keeping them safe. And they do not notice someone ripping a metal bin up, walking to a concourse with it and they do not stop it? Sorry, I believe the stewards here failed... badly. Maybe I'm wrong, but IMO the stewards here were not responsive enough...

Maybe depends on grounds, but as someone who regularly attends games, find the stewards to be excellent, very sound at Highbury and the Emirates.

How have you found them to be rude as a matter of interest?

Do you have a link to the fact that it was a metal bin.

DazMarz

OPENROAD wrote: »

Do you have a link to the fact that it was a metal bin.

LostinBlanch wrote: »

Apparently a metal bin was thrown in the concourse at half time and hit a fella in the head.

Cos it was in the OP... could be speculation but I'm just going on what I read.

OPENROAD wrote: »

Maybe depends on grounds, but as someone who regularly attends games, find the stewards to be excellent, very sound at Highbury and the Emirates.

How have you found them to be rude as a matter of interest?

Just from my experiences of stewards, I find them very cold, and not very friendly or helpful. I'm never rude/arrogant/intoxicated/nasty/etc. myself, I'm just trying to find my seat or whatever and I always found stewards in Stamford to be quite narky. Just a prejudice that's grown on me. I always be polite, cos there's no point in being anything but.

Stadium of Light stewards were dead on (if very difficult to understand!) tho I have to say.

Johner

Most stewards at away games I've been to are grand and let you stand. Wigan were very annoying though. Hull and Birmingham were great very helpful.

OPENROAD

Johner wrote: »

Most stewards at away games I've been to are grand and let you stand. Wigan were very annoying though. Hull and Birmingham were great very helpful.

They shouldn't be letting you stand though

Johner

True.

MagicMarker

Sky News saying the fan has died.

therokerroar

DazMarz wrote: »

Stadium of Light stewards were dead on (if very difficult to understand!) tho I have to say.

Did you honestly think so Daz?

From my own experience, along with 40 odd thousand other Sunderland fans, we feel that something needs to be down with regard to the stewarding at Sunderland games.

They seem to pick on the younger fans and think they are above acting within the law whilst stewarding, granted all fans aren't angels and it's not an easy job, but if you are to see the constant threads about stewarding on our main forum you would see that it's not just coincidence.

RasTa

Looks like they where fighting with each other. This is from a blackburn forum

You'd think no matter how bad it gets and 3-0 at Stoke is pretty damn bad, you still wouldn't be fighting with your own fans.

If anyone saw the news of a man in a critical condition in our away end at the game today, he didn't collapse or die of old age or anything. From half time on in that concourse at Stoke there was essentially a riot, a huge fight between our own fans.

Anyone who has been to Stoke knows how small the concourse is down there, and with hundreds crammed in there at half time, with the bar shut and the team ****, tempers were a bit frayed to begin with.

No idea how it started, don't really want to know to be honest. First it was just bottles and anything anyone could find being thrown around, with people trying to get back to seats but hardly being able to move.

Then.. well, some utter moron, who I hope is found, took one of the big metal bins and simply started throwing it.

The man in a critcal conidtion was hit in the head with it. He was pretty much dead on the ground, they've brought him round in hospital, just about.

We were kept on the ground, and they ended up letting us off via the pitch.

Apparently, it would seem this is what happens when us and Burnley get in the same division. Its sickening. Our away attendances, and trouble away from home, have both gone up this year, coming to the fore front today. Why? Becuase these idiots just want Burnley tickets to go and do the same there.

I honestly can't see myself travelling away with Blackburn again, having been able to count on one hand the games ive missed over the last few years.

Pepe LeFrits

**** sake. Ridiculous.

ctrl-alt-delete

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/staffordshire/8502701.stm


According to the BBC the fan has died. Terrible goings on alltogether and looks like it has nothing to do with the Stoke fans at all. A man from the Preston area has been arrested.

R.I.P.

Sully

Pathetic.

RIP.

Johner

Unbelievable.

Guy:Incognito

Is this the first violence related death in a ground since the bad old days? I can't remember the last one.

Hopefully this wont lead to any over the top reaction and a host of new measures being brought in to curb a supposed re emergence of hooliganism in grounds, but rather be treated for what it appears to be, some scumbag threw a bin and killed somone.

Whats the situation with finding the guy? Appart from the fact that some witnesses will most likely identify him, I assume theres a certain level of CCTV clubs have to have in the PL so they should be able to pick him out?

ctrl-alt-delete

Stekelly wrote: »

Whats the situation with finding the guy? Appart from the fact that some witnesses will most likely identify him, I assume theres a certain level of CCTV clubs have to have in the PL so they should be able to pick him out?

They have arrested a Man, 25 i think, according to the BBC. Will have to wait and see if he is the same one who threw the bin.

Columbia

Really tragic, nobody should die for watching their team.

I had thought that it was a metal bin thrown down from Stoke fans in one of the higher tiers or something (nothing against Stoke, I had just assumed it was a home/away fans thing). It's not worse that it was someone from his own set of fans, but it's just somehow...inexplicable. These people aren't football fans, they are the worst of society.

I hope they know and catch who did it, and I hope he's sent away for the rest of his life, because he is a murderer.

And England think they can host a World Cup? Please.

magma69

Rip.
This news really sickens my shit. I hope whoever is responsible is brought to justice.

Guy:Incognito

Columbia wrote: »

And England think they can host a World Cup? Please.

Seriously? This is the kind of overreaction I was getting at above.

Columbia

Stekelly wrote: »

Seriously? This is the kind of overreaction I was getting at above.

You've got to be kidding, mate. What about the West Ham vs. Millwall game earlier this season? Massive trouble, riots involving hundreds of fans, god knows how many people got injured, one person stabbed.

This isn't just one scumbag, there are hundreds and hundreds up and down the country, and they are the same kind of "Eng-gur-land" fans that will be ripping up the seats at any World Cup game they go to.

MagicMarker

Columbia wrote: »

You've got to be kidding, mate. What about the West Ham vs. Millwall game earlier this season? Massive trouble, riots involving hundreds of fans, god knows how many people got injured, one person stabbed.

This isn't just one scumbag, there are hundreds and hundreds up and down the country, and they are the same kind of "Eng-gur-land" fans that will be ripping up the seats at any World Cup game they go to.

You think this only happens in England or something?

everdead.ie

All the best to the family of the victim I hope the man is caught and put away it's ridiculous to think that someone can be this vicious and take a man's life.
RIP.

Columbia

MagicMarker wrote: »

You think this only happens in England or something?

Clearly not.

Guy:Incognito

Columbia wrote: »

Clearly not.

So then nobody should host the WC?

MagicMarker

Columbia wrote: »

Clearly not.

So you're just talking shíte for the sake of it then?

That_Guy

I really feel for that fans family and friends. Absolutely sickening.

RIP.

Columbia

Stekelly wrote: »

So then nobody should host the WC?

I'm just saying it's a bigger factor in England, Turkey and Russia than it is in other countries. The authorities in England have done a lot towards trying to snuff it out, I don't know how many thousands have been banned from matches up and down the country for causing trouble, and this has done a lot towards the problem, but I think it's still too big an issue in England. Mostly because I think that, far more than other countries, the trouble-makers are the ones who will turn up to the games.

MagicMarker wrote: »

So you're just talking shíte for the sake of it then?

This is a discussion, don't drag it down with stupid comments.

That_Guy

Columbia wrote: »

This is a discussion, don't drag it down with stupid comments.

You've just got to laugh sometimes. :rolleyes:

fullstop

Columbia wrote: »

This is a discussion, don't drag it down with stupid comments.

Too late. You've already done it.

DazMarz

I woke up this morning, ready to head to London to the game today, to the tragic news that the fan injured in Britannia passed away...

There but for the grace of God goes any one of us, really.

Hopefully the police and authorities can find and prosecute the thugs responsible.

My sincerest sympathies to the man's family and friends... RIP...

The_Kew_Tour

Columbia wrote: »

You've got to be kidding, mate. What about the West Ham vs. Millwall game earlier this season? Massive trouble, riots involving hundreds of fans, god knows how many people got injured, one person stabbed.

This isn't just one scumbag, there are hundreds and hundreds up and down the country, and they are the same kind of "Eng-gur-land" fans that will be ripping up the seats at any World Cup game they go to.

You see this type of stupidity and ignorance is type of crap I hate. Have you ever been to England game or do you just believe everything you read and see in papers.

Just because your England supporter and watch them all over Europe does that make them a treat?

Fratton Fred

This is very very bad news. Rip and my condolences to the family.

How predictable that this is used as an excuse to have a pop at the England fans.

DazMarz

There is no way England would be anything other than arguably the most perfect venue for the World Cup: it has absolutely everything.

-Perfect stadia (Wembley, Old Trafford, Emirates, Eastlands, Stadium Of Light, Millenium Stadium (Wales, I know, but England uses it for a plethora of stuff), Anfield, St. James' Park, Stamford Bridge, Elland Road, Villa Park, Goodison Park, White Hart Lane)

-Excellent infrastructure (You'd be hard pressed to find a country with better transport systems, in fairness. Rail and road networks that are above any kind of criticisms)

-Excellent (if overzealous at times) policing and security at football matches (I know that this contradicts some of my earlier posts, but that is my own prejudice; for the vast majority of people, the policing and stewarding is nothing but excellent)

-Plenty of hotel/accomodation spaces for incoming fans.

In my opinion, England is the perfect venue for a World Cup. The real confusing one is FIFA awarding the World Cup to places like South Africa (dangerous, corrupt, violent, poor infrastructure) and Brazil (yes, they are the most successful nation in footballing history and so on, but it is also a dangerous, corrupt, violent nation with political instability and very poor infrastructure). England is none of the above and would be a superior venue.

PHB

How very sad. Very sad.

Hope the guy who threw the bin gets done for manslaughter.
Hope that Blackburn fans are banned from away matches for the entire season.

But most of all, just wish that this hadn't bloody happened.

p.s.

Nothing to do with England as a World Cup destination, utterly offtopic and if anybody reads about current affairs and South Africa knows how utterly absurd it is.

ctrl-alt-delete

PHB wrote: »

Hope that Blackburn fans are banned from away matches for the entire season.

That is absurd.

nkay1985

God stuff like that is just so terrible to hear. You travel to support your team and then end up getting killed because some idiot goes mental? It's just so outrageous.


And I can't believe that anybody's tryign to use this as a reason why England shouldn't get a World Cup. Sure aren't we having the next Euros in Poland? Their hooliganism problem is seemingly worse than England's was at its worst!

Karmafaerie

RIP.

Tragic news and something that should never have happened.


To try and paint England as the worst for this is a joke however.
Most Of Eastern Europe have horrible reputations for football hooliganism.
Italy couldn't hold the moral high ground.
Some groups of fans in Spain have horrible reputations.
etc
etc
etc

major bill

PHB wrote: »

How very sad. Very sad.

Hope the guy who threw the bin gets done for manslaughter.
Hope that Blackburn fans are banned from away matches for the entire season.

one wanker should not be the cause of thousends of loyal fans been banned for a year!!!!

PHB

major bill wrote: »

one wanker should not be the cause of thousends of loyal fans been banned for a year!!!!

It was a mass brawl

Fans need to be so terrified of the consequences of what will happen should stuff like this happen that if one of them starts a fight, every single person around them tries to stop it. That's the culture that should exist.

RasTa

PHB wrote: »

It was a mass brawl

Fans need to be so terrified of the consequences of what will happen should stuff like this happen that if one of them starts a fight, every single person around them tries to stop it. That's the culture that should exist.

That's rubbish, a mass brawl could have included maybe 20 people tops out of a couple of thousand.

ctrl-alt-delete

PHB wrote: »

It was a mass brawl

Fans need to be so terrified of the consequences of what will happen should stuff like this happen that if one of them starts a fight, every single person around them tries to stop it. That's the culture that should exist.

It was a mass brawl from whoever reported on its perspective,

Also your logic of the culture that should exist is also one way in which small scuffles turn into mass brawls.