" Court Today Chelsea/Cardiff "

Much as we expected really and all that attended are now home after a pre trial hearing that give them another chance to look at the evidence and decide whether they were happy with their original not guilty pleas, also a chance to try to bargain with the prosecutors to lessen the counts and the severity of the counts that the lads were charged with.

Seven of the lads were suppose to attend , one had a nasty fall on getting ready to leave for court and had to miss the hearing, no need for any names and out of the 6 ...five pleaded guilty and one remained happy with his original not guilty plea. As for the bargaining one of the lads had one count of violent conduct reduced to affray but still has another count of violent conduct..so a little better than before...on the counter side of that one lad had an extra charge of affray added to his other affray charge making it two counts of affray...so not good news there...the rest of the lads face the original counts against them but are now guilty and will be sentenced May 27 with some credit for a guilty plea but not as much as they would have had originally.

All cases due for July are now looking likely to be moved closer to May, each trial where fans plead not guilty are taking an average of 2 days and a few hours to complete....there are Chelsea weeks and Cardiff weeks taking place most weeks for the next few months but never together in the same week.

Once again all the barristors and solicitors were in agreement that the vast majority of fans should not be jailed and community service would benefit the defendants and society in general...the costs of these imprisonments is enormous added to the fact that lives are being ruined and jobs lost...Today some of the lads were told that they could face 4-5 years IF found guilty, I am not certain but I think many are deciding to plead guilty in the hope of 2 years or less in jail...its crazy and I am sure many want to fight it out in court but 4-5 years is difficult to comprehend and its a gut wrenching , difficult decision each of them is having to make.

Please don't judge them, they all need support and each person has an individual decision to make, they get get guidance and advice but basically its their choice and they have a lot to think about including family etc....this is not a normal case, we all know that now and added to the 95 original defendants there are new fans being charged as recently as last Friday and there may even be more to follow...The judge sits there and he is very pleasant but believe me he is ruthless and seems to have it all worked out...Sentencing and trials for both sets of fans will begin during April ,May and June.

I still think and believe that if you think you are not guilty then that is the plea you should make but also understand how crazy the length of sentences are and fully understand how difficult it is.

Maybe if you were of a different religion or the government were to scared to upset certain ethnic leaders you would stand a better chance...unfortunately we are football fans and an easy target...that is a terrible thing for me to write but I am sickened by this countries justice system at the moment...it makes no sense at all to me.

I have only put this message up to update everyone and hopefuly inform those who still have to face the court and I hope its not offensive to anyone...there were good people up there again today and their families...and some people will say they deserve all they get, but in reality they are getting far more than what they deserve and my thoughts and support is with all the families that will be affected by this.

From what i remember of the video, ANY custodial sentance is a joke. 4/5 yrs compared to what some offences get is beyond belief.

Load of bollocks Corky, burn a poppy and piss all over it and go to the press and laugh at us. It's a f*cking joke but none of us are laughing

Load of bollocks Corky, burn a poppy and piss all over it and go to the press and laugh at us. It's a f*cking joke but none of us are laughing

Agree with this^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I hope that the fans of other clubs that ccause trouble are ALL getting the same sort of punishment when thier various cases come to trial ?? Example being the riot at the Brum v Villa Cup match , consistency is the word here especially if the Law are handing out these ridiculous sentences to the City and Chelsea fans .

From what i remember of the video, ANY custodial sentance is a joke. 4/5 yrs compared to what some offences get is beyond belief.

ridiculous sentences, it's beyond belief

Its truly ridiculous, I for the life of me dont understand the reasoning for the lengthy sentences.

They are worse case senarios and I think the lads prefer to think that way and hope for more sensible sentences...

I maybe simple but why are the sentences for Football fans different to everyone else and is there anyway that this can be contested under the human rights act?? I read in the paper recently of somebody assaulting someone with a bottle in a pub get 18 months and i agree with that sentence so if a football fan does the same thing he deserves the same sentence no more and no less.

I think all we ask is consistency in sentencing so that if you committ an offence wether your football fan or not you know exactly what the punishment is obviously there will always be exceptions for early pleas, good character, past records etc.

However the fundamental point is football fans should be treated no different to anyone else and if you are then surely it's a breach of your Human Rights???????

But as i said maybe i'm just simple and i also agree with Corky i have lost all faith in the British 'Justice' system

This is what is so bonkers.

Have a row with some bloke in Asda's car park on a Friday, and IF a copper arrives, unless any serious damage is done, it'll be "oi, pack it in, on your way".

Same incident, same place, 24 hours later on a matchday and you're going down.

It was a set up from start to finish. The Police were allowed to let it happen with no intervention and allowed to record it. The Courts were primed and given instructions to use the law to the maximum. Underhand tactics to get witnesses and primed to give trumped up statements such as they were frightened for there lives. These Lads are treated with more contempt than Kiddie fiddlers and Rapists. They are freeing dangerous sex offenders Rapists Murderers wife beaters to make room for these lads.
As far as i am concerned these Lads are political prisoners of a corrupt judicial system

Oh and not forgetting those lads from the Portsmouth game who are being FRAMED by the Gestapo. Loosing CCTV evidence of the Lads being attacked when those decent Lads got off the Coach to help. Makes you mad the law isnt right it isnt fair.

Corky, I heard that they were virtually forced in to Pleading Guilty , because if they never they were going to bring more charges on them, is that True ?

Nobody was forced to plead guilty, the problem is that when fans try to get charges lowered to a normal fair level, like section 4 or 5, the prossecutors start really digging in to that individual and looking at his case...sometimes this results in additional counts added...but luckily one lad had his one charge dropped from Violent disorder to affray...

The way the sentences are being dished out and the huge length of them is probably the real reason why some are deciding to plead guilty...in the hope of a shorter sentence...its very hard for all of them and we can all say what we like, but they have to decide for themselves whats best for them...its a massive decision.

I would have thought that the fact that most of those Chelsea old boys got found not guilty the other week (apart from that tw*t Marriner and another), would have swayed them to continue going not guilty. But then again I don't have all the facts.
Good luck to all of them anyway

scanderlous,i was sentenced to ten months at football,charges were malicious wounding,section 47 assault and affray,this was 1990 and charges were reduced.i hold my hands up i deserved it.some of these lads will get 4 times what we did!!!!!! from what ive seen and read suspended sentences would fit the worst of what happened.they seem 2 be takin the brunt of football violence for what happened over the last 30 years!!!wrong

scanderlous,i was sentenced to ten months at football,charges were malicious wounding,section 47 assault and affray,this was 1990 and charges were reduced.i hold my hands up i deserved it.some of these lads will get 4 times what we did!!!!!! from what ive seen and read suspended sentences would fit the worst of what happened.they seem 2 be takin the brunt of football violence for what happened over the last 30 years!!!wrong

Like wise here Jeff, actually iv been lucky to walk away with fines for far more than the Boys are getting in London. Ok times are moving on but these sentences are piss pore and there doesn't seem to be any concern or inquiries from either Club? Obviously Cardiff City FC would rather not be associated with Supporters They think might tarnish the Clubs name, I think they would get more respect in General if They gave some form of support TO those Supporters, More than They do for taking money from the local kids for playing at the CCS.

If all the cardiff city fans in court today just told the corrupt judge that they all enjoyed messing with little boys and girls it would be a not guilty verdict.