Worst Supporters (2)

[Con]

After Saturday, it seems timely to rehash this topic.

Being a devoted North supporter and a regular attendee at most North matches, I've experienced the best and worst types of supporters.

I've survived drunken morons (St Kilda), idioic ferals (Adelaide), agressive louts (Richmond) but for sheer mind-numbing obscenity and vulgarity no-one comes close to the Magpie supporters. Let me add, I know my team has it's share of idiots (most teams do, and on occasions, I've been known to make a dick of myself also) but last Saturday was something indeed 'special'.

I sat in the AFL section behind a middle aged woman and her daughter. This older woman started out reasonably enough but as the game progressed, North gained control of the match and this woman kept making more frequent trips to the bar an incredible transformation occurred. She went from belowing out words of encouragement to her team, to screaming out abuse to North players, to screaming abuse to North fans, to screaming abuse to any possible relations of North players. I won't repeat the stuff I heard but there were references to beastiality, to pedophilia, racial taunts... A few poor bastards who had the temerity to point out that the obscenities were not appreciated (especially given the children that were about) were challenged to a fight outside. Quite a few people got up and left.

I later found out that weren't the only ones who'd had a bad experience and even on the radio this evening, people were ringing to voice their disgust at the behaviour of some Magpie fans. I was further infuriated when I learnt that some lout even took a swipe at one of our players.

Let me repeat, all teams have their share of rubbish supporters including my team (according to some, especially my team). But nothing, I repeat, nothing compares to the Pies. Eddie can talk all he wants about lifting the image of the Pies, but all the Versace in the world won't cover up the fact that a lot of Magpie supporters are scum!

 

[HAHAHHA]

Sounds like the BS KS's mum

 

[mtffafl]

You know, I was at that match too... and I got the exact same impression about some of the North fans.

Grouping a team together and saying they are the worst supporters is ridiculous.

But the worst behaviour I've seen from a crowd in the last 2 years was from some North fans near me... and speaking to some people on the train on the way home, they had some shockers too.

Grouping people together like that is ridiculous... I was well behaved, as I'm sure you were.

Have a little bit of common sense... in a crowd of 50 odd thousand, of course there will be idiots... from all teams.

BTW - Western and Richmond have been the worst consistently during the years for me, but that's just the group across the fence from me.

I know it isn't the whole crowd and instead just a few of the fat, smug little bastards.

Matt

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

Just to follow up on mtffafl there - and this is something I have wanted to say for a while regardiing various supporters - I have to say in all honesty that I think Collingwood supporters are actually very nice friendly people.

There are always alot of Collingwood people at Swans games at the SCG and I always find watching the game with these people to be entertaining and informative. Collingwood fans are knowledgable of the game, quick with the jokes and are always good humoured in defeat and gracious in victory.

I've been to a few Melbourne games with Collingwood people including one memorable outing to Victoria Park in 1995 and again I have to say that the Collingwood people I sat with were great - friendly, funny, passionate about their team, knowledgable about the game but always well-behaved.

Look guys, I know this may sound strange, and I know they have a bad reputation but really, in my experience they are model fans compared to those rabid Adelaide Crows dickheads or even supporter groups like Richmond or the Saints.

Sorry to blow stereotypes away like this, but ... it all gets down to personal experience and in my personal experience there is nothing wrong with Collingwood supporters at all.

 

[Jimbo]

Over the years, there is no doubt in my mind Collingwood have the worst fans, Footscray have some shockers too, and Richmond have the most front-running fans - of course its a generalisation, and as a general rule I havnt found evidence to the contrary.
If you havnt already, read Mondays Herald-Sun, in the pic section in the middle of the sports liftout - they are typical Collingwood supporters - gee giving Carey the finger or hinting at steriod use must really get under his skin!!!
haha

 

[mk]

Dear Con,
Do you know why North were not admitted into the league until 1925?

 

[Groucho]

MK , I know. The last time anyone was invited to join the league prior to 1925 was in 1907. North were very keen to join but were blocked by Essendon as they knew that many of their supporters would switch to the team that they followed in the VFA-North Melbourne, this meant that North missed out on a generation of potential supporters! I know you were probably going to say "something witty" but this is the true story.

 

[clancy]

I have attended a hell of alot of football matches and I was shocked on Saturday when Collingwood supporters clapped when it was announced Corey Mc Kernnan was not playing. I am unsure of the Collingwood viewpiont and find it hard to think of a logical reason. I couldn't help but think some pies supporters lack social skills. From what I seen in the Herald/Sun W.Carey had the right idea to laugh at some of them. He may have thought they were intellectually challenged or may have thought they were just insignificant individuals.

 

[Shinboners]

Clancy

I can't see anything wrong with the Pies fans "clapping" when McKernan didn't play. Last year, the Richmond fans cheered when it was announced that Carey wouldn't be playing and I know that in the past, I've been pretty happy when it's been announced that a key opposition player hasn't made the team. If anything, things like this show that the opposition fans feel that a player missing increases their own club's chance of winning, a sort of backhanded way of showing respect.

Having said that, one of the most disgusting thing I've see from footy fans was in the '97 Prelminiary Final between North and St. Kilda. When McKernan got injured, the St. Kilda fans laughed and heckled him as he was taken off the ground. That was a total lack of class by the Saints fans and it was harder to take considering that the Saints had lost players like Peter Everitt and Joel Smith to major injuries....so I wasn't too upset when Adelaide beat them in the Grand Final.

 

[clancy]

shinboner

I had forgotten about the 97 prem final. Says alot about Karma dont you think. Personally i was glad buckley played on Saturday I thought his input would have taken the game to a new level. How wrong I was.

 

[Longjohn]

My brother-in-law barracks for St Kilda and still laughes about Corey being taken out.

He hasn't laughed much lately though.

 

[Shinboners]

Clancy

Yeah, funny you should mention karma. When we won the flag in '99, McKernan was talking about how he believed in karma and that after all the problems that Longmire had, it was inevitable that the Horse would get a premiership medal.

Longjohn, it says it all about your brother-in-law's team when the biggest laugh he gets is an injury to another team's player....the sad git.


[This message has been edited by Shinboners (edited 19 April 2000).]

 

[Westie]

I always thaught Collingwood supporters were the most stupid of all but, after reading that thier membership has fallen this year by a few thousand I realised that this shows an intelligence that is a credit to them. To the supporters fallen off the bandwagon I salute you!!!!!!

 

[mk]

I am a Collingwood supporter and was horrified at the St.kilda supporters abuse of Mckernan when he dislocated his knee. The whole crowd cheered and laughed when he was coming of the ground. It was wonderful to see a week later the Crows supporters give absolute hell to the St.kilda filth. You are a DISGRACE St.kilda.

 

[geelong4eva]

Essendon fans are scum - i was sitting near the GFC cheer squad last year at the Geelong/Scumendon game at the G and this essendon w***er with long black hair had the nerve to spit on an elderly GFC supporter. what a lowlife wouldn't u agree. Also i hear that 90 percent of Bomber fans have criminal convictions

 

[Shinboners]

Oh yes, Geelong fans. Absolute salt of the earth. Loved your reaction to Leigh Colbert when we played you. It's just a shame that your moronic fans were too stupid to realise that without the Colbert trade, you never would have picked up your current pin-up boy, Spriggs.

 

[Joel]

Why are we arguing about fans and not football?

 

[Tweetie]

DUUUUUUUUUUh maybe the topic had something to do with it

 

[sainter]

Shinboners,

During the preliminary final in '97 I was sitting in the Olympic Stand quite close to the McKernan incident and like the majority of the crowd, was up on feet applauding the fantastic gang tackle by Brett Cook and Nathan Burke. The ferocity at the ball and the man was incredible.

However, I know for a fact that we did not laugh or cheer when it became obvious that McKernan had injured his shoulder and everyone around us all clapped him as he walked in front of us towards the interchange bench.

Now I am certain that some fans found it funny but I just love how people are coming up with isolated incidents to label opposition fans. And yes, I have to admit I was very relieved that McKernan would not be returning to the ground because without Spider Everitt we were a little light on in the big man department, but I did not laugh or find it funny at all.

By the way, good luck on Saturday. With the likelihood of Harvey and Thompson not playing, combined with our shocking form, I am too concerned to even contemplate what could happen.

 

[Shinboners]

Sainter,

I agree with your point that you can't label all fans of a given club just because of the actions of a moronic few. I hate Richmond and Collingwood with a passion, but I know some great Tiger and Pies fans. And I've come across some North fans that I cannot stand. But that night in '97.....

In the section I was sitting in during that '97 Final (Southern Stand, second tier), the amount of laughter and abuse directed towards McKernan was sickening. I had to point out to one of the Saints fans and ask him how he felt when Spider Everitt got injured. In the papers (specifically the Herald-Sun), there were comments made about the behaviour of a section of the St. Kilda crowd. A chant had gone up as McKernan was leaving which was something along the lines of, "Is your mother watching?" or something like that. Corey's mum was at the ground and heard those chants. I don't care who the player is or what club they play for, you never wish injury against a player and you never barrack them off. It's low and it's digusting and the St. Kilda fans that night shamed their club.

Conversely, one of the most touching moments I've seen from a crowd was when Michael Long injured his knee in a game vs Geelong. The crowd went silent when he fell. Everyone was stunned. And he got a standing ovation as he was carried off the ground. I nearly cried because while it's shocking to see any player do his knee, it's doubly shocking that it has to be someone of the quality of Michael Long.

Anyway, good luck to your boys on Saturday night. I hope the Saints fans turn out to support your team when they need it the most.

 

[The Dutchman!]

Shinboner

You are a class act.

Nuff said
Dutch

PS. Remember feeling pretty sickened when Carey basically ripped his arm off too.

 

[Tealmeister]

As one of the 10% of Essendon supporters with no criminal conviction, but living in Sydney, my experiences are largely based on visiting cheer squads as well as my Victorian trips.
And I have never had a problem with Collingwood supporters. For all their reputation, the ones who come up to Sydney have never been a problem.
The worst I've come across are Richmond and Adelaide, especially the Crows fans. The displays of spitting and projectile hurling after a final in Sydney a couple of years ago was really putrid, and that after Adelaide had won.

 

[Wazza]

10% ????????? that is soooooooooo funny

 

[sainter]

Shinboner,

While I can honestly say that I didn't notice the abuse towards Corey, I was probably being a little naive.

Unfortunately, I couldn't see the crowd reaching 20,000. But like their Richmond counterparts, saints fans jump back on the bandwagon after a few good wins. This year is probably more justified because of their anger about Colonial

Good luck tomorrow night, may the best team win! (On second thoughts, maybe not!)

 

[Grendel]

Since the topic seems to have switched to how some supporters of opposition clubs jeer champions when they get injured during a game, I just want to say how great it was in the 91GF when Dermott kicked arse against the coasters who had so sportingly booed him from the ground in the semi final two weeks earlier.
Always got heaps of satisfaction out of that one.

I still cant stand richmond supporters, when their team is doing well they are feral when their doing badly their cannibals