What Is A Risk Supporter ?

I have been interested in the term ' Risk Supporter ' and more so in what people actually believe what a ' Risk Supporter ' is. I would like to give my view and understanding of what a risk supporter is and how you could be deemed as one.

I have read many perceptions on what is a risk supporter and even some police officers are not entirely understanding of the term either, it has nothing to do whatsoever with what you are wearing or the colour of a garment you may be wearing or even who you have travelled with to a game.

If I, Carl Curtis, attended a game with somebody who has previous convictions for football related offences it does not make me a risk supporter.

If I attended a game along with Annis Abraham Jnr and trouble broke out around the area between the 2 sets of supporters, like at Chelsea, and both Annis and I were spotted near the scene but were not party to the trouble it would not make either of us a risk supporter.If Annis and I were at another game and there was trouble and again we were in the area but again not involved, no punches thrown by either of us or any threatening behaviour, again we would not be classed as risk supporters.

But, and it is my understanding, if we were spotted at 3 incidents or more then we would be put in the bracket of a risk supporter. So even if you had not taken part in any trouble and committed no offence, if you were spotted at the scene on more than 2 separate occasions then you would be classed as a risk supporter.

Incidentally the first 6 civil banning orders handed out in Wales were for the offence of being at the scene of where there had been trouble on 3 separate occasions and none of the 6 supporters were proven to have committed any offence.

Correct Carl, You can Not be seen as a Risk Supporter just because your with Someone who has previous Convictions, its about being seen near trouble All the time.

Annis I think it is important that fans understand what the term means as there is much confusion.

A risk supporter should be someone with football hooligan convictions. If I was a policeman that is how I would categorise it.

Annis I think it is important that fans understand what the term means as there is much confusion.

I agree Carl,

What happens then if your seen all the time at the Scene of trouble, they then add in their statements, that you go around with people with previous convictions to Beef it up, so they then get a Civil Ban on you.

A risk supporter should be someone with football hooligan convictions. If I was a policeman that is how I would categorise it.

Ian, I agree totally with that statement, but in the world of football, they are allowed to say what ever they want it seems.

as i am now a foster carer i ahve got to be on top notch behaviour, so am i classed as a risk supporter for who my friends are???? i know loads of boys with convictions for loads of various offences!!! so am i a risk to say for instance car crime???

as i am now a foster carer i ahve got to be on top notch behaviour, so am i classed as a risk supporter for who my friends are???? i know loads of boys with convictions for loads of various offences!!! so am i a risk to say for instance car crime???

No Baz you are not and that is the point I am getting others to understand.

I thought it was only me who went on about football hooliganism!!!!

BTW, that's a joke lads!!

I may be bias on this, but this policy sounds reasonable to me. (bias due to not being caught in any incident, and not intending to either)

Can you be in the wrong place at the wrong time 3 times? You would of thought after the first 2 you would realise the signs?

That said I guess I can't really comment as I rarely do away games, but the 200+ homes I've been to I've never been anywhere near trouble apart from the Stoke semi-final match and then I was just an interested spectator on the side-lines, no verbals or anything just watching... Although I did have to run when the Police charged with the Horses

Interesting post Carl, thanks for the clarification.

So IF I am categorised as a "Risk Supporter" what does this mean in real terms?

Am I more likely to get arrested?

If i am arrested is the term "Risk Supporter" allowed to be brought into court and go against me?

If I am convicted will the punishment be more severe than a "Non Risk Supporter"?

This country has been going downhill in civil liberty terms rapidly since a certain Milk Snatcher came on the scene! That's nothing to do with party politics because each succesive government has made it worse.

We as football fans are easy targets as we can be all smeared and tagged with the same brush by the media, who incidently have totally forgotten what journalism actually is! They no longer seek the truth, they seek sensationalism, a very dangerous game, especially if the populus believe them! Unfotunately the majority do....the Bargoed train incident a case in point!

This country has now reached a very dangerous level of apathy when it comes to standing up for justice and basic civil rights. We, as football fans, are probably much more vocal than most as we see the injustice of police action regularly at away games!

But what actually gets done about it? How many CCTV cameras need to be put into position before we say "Enough"?

How many of us need to be labelled "Risk Supporters" before we actually stand up and say "Hang on a minute, this aint right".

Carl, have we the right to request to the authorities information on whether as an individual "Am I classified as a Risk Supporter"? If so, how do we go about it?

Thanks,

Jim

I may be bias on this, but this policy sounds reasonable to me. (bias due to not being caught in any incident, and not intending to either)

Can you be in the wrong place at the wrong time 3 times? You would of thought after the first 2 you would realise the signs?

That said I guess I can't really comment as I rarely do away games, but the 200+ homes I've been to I've never been anywhere near trouble apart from the Stoke semi-final match and then I was just an interested spectator on the side-lines, no verbals or anything just watching... Although I did have to run when the Police charged with the Horses

So Jon you are saying you were at the scene of trouble against Stoke, even though you were an innocent bystander, another twice, had you been spotted of course, would deem you a risk supporter.

Interesting post Carl, thanks for the clarification.

So IF I am categorised as a "Risk Supporter" what does this mean in real terms?

Am I more likely to get arrested?

If i am arrested is the term "Risk Supporter" allowed to be brought into court and go against me?

If I am convicted will the punishment be more severe than a "Non Risk Supporter"?

This country has been going downhill in civil liberty terms rapidly since a certain Milk Snatcher came on the scene! That's nothing to do with party politics because each succesive government has made it worse.

We as football fans are easy targets as we can be all smeared and tagged with the same brush by the media, who incidently have totally forgotten what journalism actually is! They no longer seek the truth, they seek sensationalism, a very dangerous game, especially if the populus believe them! Unfotunately the majority do....the Bargoed train incident a case in point!

This country has now reached a very dangerous level of apathy when it comes to standing up for justice and basic civil rights. We, as football fans, are probably much more vocal than most as we see the injustice of police action regularly at away games!

But what actually gets done about it? How many CCTV cameras need to be put into position before we say "Enough"?

How many of us need to be labelled "Risk Supporters" before we actually stand up and say "Hang on a minute, this aint right".

Carl, have we the right to request to the authorities information on whether as an individual "Am I classified as a Risk Supporter"? If so, how do we go about it?

Thanks,

Jim

Jim the idea is that the authorities identify a risk supporter and hand them a civil ban.

is that the big news? they are gettingworse and worse

is that the big news? they are gettingworse and worse

guess you found it now Ben

I may be bias on this, but this policy sounds reasonable to me. (bias due to not being caught in any incident, and not intending to either)

Can you be in the wrong place at the wrong time 3 times? You would of thought after the first 2 you would realise the signs?

That said I guess I can't really comment as I rarely do away games, but the 200+ homes I've been to I've never been anywhere near trouble apart from the Stoke semi-final match and then I was just an interested spectator on the side-lines, no verbals or anything just watching... Although I did have to run when the Police charged with the Horses

So Jon you are saying you were at the scene of trouble against Stoke, even though you were an innocent bystander, another twice, had you been spotted of course, would deem you a risk supporter.

so it is more than purely being guilty by association, you would need to make a concious decision about being in areas where trouble may exist.

I may be bias on this, but this policy sounds reasonable to me. (bias due to not being caught in any incident, and not intending to either)

Can you be in the wrong place at the wrong time 3 times? You would of thought after the first 2 you would realise the signs?

That said I guess I can't really comment as I rarely do away games, but the 200+ homes I've been to I've never been anywhere near trouble apart from the Stoke semi-final match and then I was just an interested spectator on the side-lines, no verbals or anything just watching... Although I did have to run when the Police charged with the Horses

So Jon you are saying you were at the scene of trouble against Stoke, even though you were an innocent bystander, another twice, had you been spotted of course, would deem you a risk supporter.

so it is more than purely being guilty by association, you would need to make a concious decision about being in areas where trouble may exist.

It is deemed that you are a risk supporter if you are spotted at the scene of trouble more than twice, irrespective of whether you made a concious decision to be there because there was trouble or you expected trouble.

I was on fratton road when there was trouble though i wasn't involved does that mean that if i'm near any sort of trouble 2 more times i'm at risk?

I may be bias on this, but this policy sounds reasonable to me. (bias due to not being caught in any incident, and not intending to either)

Can you be in the wrong place at the wrong time 3 times? You would of thought after the first 2 you would realise the signs?

That said I guess I can't really comment as I rarely do away games, but the 200+ homes I've been to I've never been anywhere near trouble apart from the Stoke semi-final match and then I was just an interested spectator on the side-lines, no verbals or anything just watching... Although I did have to run when the Police charged with the Horses

So Jon you are saying you were at the scene of trouble against Stoke, even though you were an innocent bystander, another twice, had you been spotted of course, would deem you a risk supporter.

Indeed, but the fact is I haven't been, once in 10 years (even then I'm not sure I was captured on camera) people that are caught in trouble 2 times need to think about the potential consequences of this (which you have spelt out), and hopefully they will pay attention to this and move on swiftly in future?

[/quote] Jim the idea is that the authorities identify a risk supporter and hand them a civil ban.[/quote]

So are you saying Carl that if you are spotted the third time in the vicinity of trouble, and thus labelled a Risk Supporter, you can be banned from football games, even without a criminal charge being brought against you?

So are you saying Carl that if you are spotted the third time in the vicinity of trouble, and thus labelled a Risk Supporter, you can be banned from football games, even without a criminal charge being brought against you?

Yes Jim and this has happened to people as explained above.

I was on fratton road when there was trouble though i wasn't involved does that mean that if i'm near any sort of trouble 2 more times i'm at risk?

I am saying if you were spotted at the scene of the trouble and then another twice at other incidents the yes you would be considered a risk supporter.

better off fiddling with kids, you get away with it!! or if you do get caught you get new identaties, free cash, free driving lessons, roof over your head and never have to worry again

I may be bias on this, but this policy sounds reasonable to me. (bias due to not being caught in any incident, and not intending to either)

Can you be in the wrong place at the wrong time 3 times? You would of thought after the first 2 you would realise the signs?

That said I guess I can't really comment as I rarely do away games, but the 200+ homes I've been to I've never been anywhere near trouble apart from the Stoke semi-final match and then I was just an interested spectator on the side-lines, no verbals or anything just watching... Although I did have to run when the Police charged with the Horses

So Jon you are saying you were at the scene of trouble against Stoke, even though you were an innocent bystander, another twice, had you been spotted of course, would deem you a risk supporter.

Indeed, but the fact is I haven't been, once in 10 years (even then I'm not sure I was captured on camera) people that are caught in trouble 2 times need to think about the potential consequences of this (which you have spelt out), and hopefully they will pay attention to this and move on swiftly in future?

Jon of course the likelihood is that you will never be classed a risk supporter but you could never rule it out based on the conditions required to be considered a risk supporter.

I was on fratton road when there was trouble though i wasn't involved does that mean that if i'm near any sort of trouble 2 more times i'm at risk?

I am saying if you were spotted at the scene of the trouble and then another twice at other incidents the yes you would be considered a risk supporter.

is there a time limit on it do you have to be spotted twice in quick succession, or twice in a season, or is it purely just twice for example if i was present at a trouble spot at our game against the jacks and then 5 years down the line i was caught up in another trouble spot given the time that had elapsed would i still be considered a risk supporter

better off fiddling with kids, you get away with it!! or if you do get caught you get new identaties, free cash, free driving lessons, roof over your head and never have to worry again

Ben, I would never use that expression as a defence myself even though I understand the point you are trying to make but still not the comparison I would make.

jonny, i think its all rubbish, the filth judge you by what you look like, what you wear

we all know if we walked to the ground who is a plastic, a "up for it type" , scarfer etc

thats how the filth see it

I was on fratton road when there was trouble though i wasn't involved does that mean that if i'm near any sort of trouble 2 more times i'm at risk?

I am saying if you were spotted at the scene of the trouble and then another twice at other incidents the yes you would be considered a risk supporter.

is there a time limit on it do you have to be spotted twice in quick succession, or twice in a season, or is it purely just twice for example if i was present at a trouble spot at our game against the jacks and then 5 years down the line i was caught up in another trouble spot given the time that had elapsed would i still be considered a risk supporter

The longer the gap the less chance of being considered.

if you've been at the scene three times, but not involved in any trouble, isn't that an example of someone who can show considerable restraint and should be commended? Just askin'.

so are there currently CCFC risk supporters then in the eyes of the Law and are the SWP and Mr Insole going to publish such a list so we the innocent supporter can avoid these people ? If the letter of the Law is to be used then it could be said that the various writers and contribitors to the various books can be seen as being Risk Supporters too , for example Gwyn has related many stories in his book BUT does that make him a Risk supporter for witnessing more then 3 incidents ?

All seems just an excuse by the Police to issue banning orders without any other justification then a simple case of " I was there " .