' TIME FOR THE POLICE TO ACT ON THE REAL HOOLIGANS IN SPORT

' TIME FOR THE POLICE TO ACT ON THE REAL HOOLIGANS IN SPORT '

Time and time again,we hear about rugby fans drunk/causing damage/urinating in public/pestering females/upsetting the public,yet no cctv on these or arrests? ? ?

They are also allowed to drink alcohol at the games.



A mum took her young son to his first Wales rugby game and says the behaviour she saw will stop her taking him again

Tuesday 1st March 2016

BY SAM TEGELTIJA

Menna Watkins says the behaviour of some supporters in the Princiapality Stadium on Friday made her 'ashamed' to be a fan herself

A mother has criticised the behaviour of Welsh rugby fans in the Principality Stadium on Friday night

A mother who took her seven-year-old son to his first international rugby game says she was shocked by what she described as "drunken, foul mouthed" behaviour which left her feeling "embarrassed and ashamed to be a Welsh rugby supporter".

Menna Watkins, 32, from Ystrad Mynach was at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Friday evening to watch Wales beat France .



But instead of celebrating a special occasion with her boy, the mum said she walked away from the experience less than impressed.

In an open letter, Menna described how she was mocked for confronting rowdy fans, and said she would never take her son to the stadium again.

'A special occasion for my son'
Menna wrote: "This was a special occasion as my son, a keen rugby player and supporter, had never been to the national stadium before and was keen to see his heroes play for his country.

"Before the match we wandered around Cardiff to soak up the wonderful, friendly match day atmosphere, all of which added to my son's experience.

Pyrotechnics ahead of Wales' encounter with France
"However, our whole evening changed when we arrived at our seats in the Principality Stadium.

"We were surrounded by drunken, foul-mouthed adults.

"Throughout the match we had to listen to language that no adult should have to endure let alone a seven year-old child.

"I have grown up in a rugby family and totally accept that swear words are used during rugby games but the people around us had absolutely no respect.

'Mocked' for asking swearing to stop
"They were at the game just to drink and their continual use of the 'C word' was horrifying."

Menna said she asked the fans to mind their language and consider her son was sitting in front of them.

She added: "My pleas fell on deaf ears and I was mocked for asking.

"I felt intimidated and shocked by the behaviour and total lack of respect for myself, my son and other supporters in the surrounding area.

Alun Wyn Jones on the charge for WalesAlun Wyn Jones on the charge for Wales against France on Friday
"The seat tickets in the area were all allocated through the schools and I cannot understand how these tickets could have fallen into the hands of such drunken, foul-mouthed people.

"My other concern was that these people were clearly drunk and were still back and forth from the bar buying pints, four at a time.

"Surely the WRU have a legal as well as a moral responsibility to ensure that drunken people are not served alcohol.

"I have attended many international rugby games over the years and was shocked to experience this behaviour at an evening international game.

"The behaviour of these supposed Welsh rugby supporters does not present an image of our country that we can be proud of.

"I want my son to be proud to be Welsh and proud of our national game, but on Friday night I was embarrassed and ashamed to be a Welsh rugby supporter."

Police comments
Menna's observations follow controversial comments made by a senior police officer who slammed middle-aged men who go on all-day drinking sessions when Wales play rugby, thinking 'they can behave any way they like'.

Superintendent Andrew Morgan of the British Transport Police said rugby fans could be more difficult to deal with than football fans, who pushed boundaries but generally listened to police officers and kept to a routine.

Superintendent Andy Morgan of British Transport Police at Cardiff Central Station.Superintendent Andrew Morgan of the British Transport Police
A spokesman for the WRU said: "Crowd behaviour is a subject that we take very seriously at Principality Stadium.

"We are vigorous in our stewarding of the supporters attending any game or event at the stadium.

"The stewards are well trained and will intervene in any necessary situation, if they see or are informed of it by other spectators.

This is how people reacted to comments by senior police chiefs regarding the 'disgraceful' behaviour of middle-aged rugby fans

"We remind fans of the need to be respectful during games and for the duration of their attendance at the stadium by using the big screens and PA system at regular intervals.

"Our bar staff are also trained to identify problem individuals and will not serve them alcohol if they are judged as such.

"They all attend pre-match briefings on licensing regulations and are instructed not to sell alcohol to inebriated individuals.

Read more: We asked middle-aged rugby fans criticised by police if they thought they were badly behaved

"We also employ ex-police alcohol licensing officers who patrol the bars and make sure the staff are abiding by the licensing regulations.

"We always take any complaints extremely seriously and regret that Ms Watkins and her family had a negative experience on this occasion and will be writing to her to this effect, but we would urge any visitors to the stadium to contact stewards immediately if they observe unsociable behaviour so that appropriate action can be taken."


Superintendent Andrew Morgan of the British Transport Police

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Welsh Rugby international days are one big piss up.
Men and woman go there , who have probably not watched a local club side play EVER. It's all about pink cowboy hats and Welsh Rugby tops, and screaming at the screen (pint in hand) when you see yourself,doesn't matter what goes on,on the pitch.
"What colour are Wales playing in" , 'come on Shane" all total nonsense.

But then drunken foul behaviour by "RUGBY FANS " is tolerated by police and media as tomfoolery and high jinks by the rugger boys.
Where as in football you have only to drop a piece of paper, and the police come down on you like a ton of bricks.

This article and subject heading is absolute rubbish!

Cardiff/football fans have to accept that rugby fans are much better behaved than football fans - you could never have Cardiff and Opposition fans standing together in the stadium or watching the game in a pub together - it just couldnt happen.

This message boards weird vendetta against "egg chasing" is a joke - the woman in the article is annoyed because some blokes are swearing too much in the stadium next to her son - you honestly telling me that this doesn't happen in the CCFC stadium!

Rugby fans have got away with being idiots and a public nuisance for years,glad the press are on to them

Rugby fans have got away with being idiots and a public nuisance for years,glad the press are on to them

your just jealous. I know I am.

This article and subject heading is absolute rubbish!

Cardiff/football fans have to accept that rugby fans are much better behaved than football fans - you could never have Cardiff and Opposition fans standing together in the stadium or watching the game in a pub together - it just couldnt happen.

This message boards weird vendetta against "egg chasing" is a joke - the woman in the article is annoyed because some blokes are swearing too much in the stadium next to her son - you honestly telling me that this doesn't happen in the CCFC stadium!

I'm a bit surprised that the bad behaviour at rugby games hasn't been blamed on "football culture" and that rugby fans are just copying what they've seen at football matches.

Maybe the rugby authorities and the media should recognize that there are plenty of public order problems related directly to international rugby games in Cardiff and South Wales generally.

As for the woman and her son, perhaps it's time for the WRU to consider a family section at international matches where people can take young children in a swearing free, alcohol free atmosphere to actually watch the game rather than getting up and down every ten minutes for another four pints or a piss.

Avoid the egg-chasers like the plague. Best way.

if they are the real hooligans does that make the football ones fake?

This article and subject heading is absolute rubbish!

Cardiff/football fans have to accept that rugby fans are much better behaved than football fans - you could never have Cardiff and Opposition fans standing together in the stadium or watching the game in a pub together - it just couldnt happen.

This message boards weird vendetta against "egg chasing" is a joke - the woman in the article is annoyed because some blokes are swearing too much in the stadium next to her son - you honestly telling me that this doesn't happen in the CCFC stadium!

nail on the head

The majority of these people who go to watch international matches at the Millennium stadium or whatever its called now have no association with rugby fans. Years ago the stadium would have been full of people who played rugby or were involved in the running of local rugby clubs. The introduction of professionalism in the mid 90s drove up the price of tickets and many greedy local rugby clubs sell their tickets on the black market or give them to sponsors to fund paying players at a level they were never meant to get paid. These tickets plus the general sale ones, added to price increases have filled the stadium with socialites who go for the day out and the booze. Also note that the old rugby stadiums never had bars in them, its the greed of the WRU and the need to make money at every turn incorporated bars into grounds. If you go to watch a local rugby match at most decent clubs beer and alcohol are not allowed to be consumed while you are watching the game unless you are in a clubhouse with no intention of taking drinks out.

Outside of Wales Rugby is very much a middle class sport. Football fans tend to be young working class males who are hated and demonised by social commentators, who in the main come from the Meteopolitian elite. In short if there is a bit of boxing at a rugby match it doesn't make the papers if it's football fans it does.

This article and subject heading is absolute rubbish!

Cardiff/football fans have to accept that rugby fans are much better behaved than football fans - you could never have Cardiff and Opposition fans standing together in the stadium or watching the game in a pub together - it just couldnt happen.

This message boards weird vendetta against "egg chasing" is a joke - the woman in the article is annoyed because some blokes are swearing too much in the stadium next to her son - you honestly telling me that this doesn't happen in the CCFC stadium!

Total bollocks.

It's not inside the stadium that's the problem it's outside in the streets and bars of Cardiff during the day. Do you really think Cardiff fans are worse behaved than the rugby lot? If you think that you obviously haven't been out in Cardiff during the rugby.

Aren't you the poster who rushed back to the hotel after a stag do so he could post on here?

This article and subject heading is absolute rubbish!

Cardiff/football fans have to accept that rugby fans are much better behaved than football fans - you could never have Cardiff and Opposition fans standing together in the stadium or watching the game in a pub together - it just couldnt happen.

This message boards weird vendetta against "egg chasing" is a joke - the woman in the article is annoyed because some blokes are swearing too much in the stadium next to her son - you honestly telling me that this doesn't happen in the CCFC stadium!

nail on the head

Difference is football fan swearing in ground 99% is soba ! 99% of rugby fans are drunk and can't see game properly?

Not so much rushed back from a stag do but take 5 minutes to put up a brief post! It was a decent forum and worth posting more often back then.

Obviously everyone is completely sober during and after a game down CCFC - all the pubs on cowbridge road are absolutely dead! Never seen anyone buzzing off Coke down there either. You are completely right - that doesn't go on in football!

From the sounds of it, you haven't been on a night out in town full stop! The only difference when the rugby internationals are on is that there are more people in town! Absolutely ridiculous to say that any trouble going on in town is purely down to the rugby!

I support City and Wales for football and I support Wales in our national sport - when people get pissed they can do stupid things - but calling rugby fans hooligans is a joke, the atmosphere is completely different.

For the record - I prefer football

Men swearing and drinking at a rugby match????
Good Lord what is the world coming to!!!

It must be stamped out immediately. Along with all forms of working class male activity.

Sanitations what you need.

Not so much rushed back from a stag do but take 5 minutes to put up a brief post! It was a decent forum and worth posting more often back then.

Obviously everyone is completely sober during and after a game down CCFC - all the pubs on cowbridge road are absolutely dead! Never seen anyone buzzing off Coke down there either. You are completely right - that doesn't go on in football!

From the sounds of it, you haven't been on a night out in town full stop! The only difference when the rugby internationals are on is that there are more people in town! Absolutely ridiculous to say that any trouble going on in town is purely down to the rugby!

I support City and Wales for football and I support Wales in our national sport - when people get pissed they can do stupid things - but calling rugby fans hooligans is a joke, the atmosphere is completely different.

For the record - I prefer football

I agree these people are not rugby fans per se but they are event goers from all over Wales. They pour into our city, fight eachother, trash the place then leave. I was out on Friday night, didn't see much trouble to be fair. However after we beat England in the world cup there was a lot of trouble around the place.

I've been out after rugby and seen trouble, I've been out after football and seen trouble, I've been out after no sporting event and seen trouble and I've done all the above and seen everyone having a good time.

If you have large groups of people drinking together, chances are some idiots going to play up because that's what booze can do! Our city benefits massively from the rugby internationals, it's a big source of income for our shops, pubs, bars and restaurants and if it means the council cleaning up the rubbish the next day, so be it - that's what their council tax pays for!

I'm saying that this forums constant berating against "egg chasing" is bitter and rediculous. Making out that rugby/Wales fans are hooligans because everyone gets boozed up is also stupid. I've been in many pubs where I am/my group are the only Welsh supporters in there and the atmosphere and banter is brilliant - the worst that ever happened was an English fan through his plastic pint at me when I celebrated a Wales try and at the end we shook hands. I also see it when English/Irish/Scottish/French/Italian fans support their team in a Welsh boozer - the courtesy is always replicated!

If that was football I would have been chucked out or had the shit kicked into me. I don't need to mention I suppose that rugby has mixed supporters in the stadium with no problems.

A majority of Cardiff fans follow Wales in their national sport. Not saying everyone has to like rugby, but calling Wales rugby fans hooligans is just wrong and it's annoying seeing people constantly posting it.

I remember when i was at carling cup final and 5 drunken slubs behind me being pricks. Turns your stomach when you hear every other fu.....
Chavs are us!!!!!!!!

This article and subject heading is absolute rubbish!

Cardiff/football fans have to accept that rugby fans are much better behaved than football fans - you could never have Cardiff and Opposition fans standing together in the stadium or watching the game in a pub together - it just couldnt happen.

This message boards weird vendetta against "egg chasing" is a joke - the woman in the article is annoyed because some blokes are swearing too much in the stadium next to her son - you honestly telling me that this doesn't happen in the CCFC stadium!

Spot on. Rugby fans do get pissed at the games and they can sometimes be rude.That is about the worst crime they commit. There are usually 80000 plus of them in the city on a night.Do they ever trash a pub, do they attack opposition supporters and put them in hospital. Do they sing violent abusive songs at people, players, referees etc.etc
Wake up guys

Curious enough I have yet to see this kind of behaviour at a rugby game:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtOXiQToz64

The last 40 years has witnessed endless battles at football with innocents being injured also.Comparisons are at best stretching reality.