Put off by away days

To be honest I have not had a problem with it, although one fan in the South Stand turned on me for sitting next to some female fans (who he was obviously interested in). He thought I had deliberately picked a seat to cause trouble. I was totally innocent and did not know what I have walked into. After about 65 minutes he apologised and shook hands. Before that I was expecting a wack and was on the verge of going to see a steward. I had just sat in the seat I had bought just for that game which turned out to be a season ticket holders seat who told the club she was not coming to that game.

To me it feels a lot safer going to away game than the 1980s and little different to 10 years ago.
 
I've been to a majority of away games this season and I haven't seen any real trouble. Lots of tedious winding up of home fans but that's all posturing, and the coke problem needs action but I haven't personally seen it boil over into trouble.

One of the weird things about going to the match is that two people can be just a few seats away from each other and have a completely different experience.
 
it seems to be a fine line between "good times", boisterous, large away crowd..... and people going too far. boro seem to have a bigger problem than others. you wont be surprised to hear its not a problem with bormuff away crowds, but then most would laugh at our motley band of older than usual supporters. getting that balance of numbers, passion & non-idiots is tricky!
 
Nano said:
Is one of the biggest causes of drug use the price of alternatives? The cost of having a few drinks out is very expensive and in a football stadium is even more ridiculous. I have no knowledge of how much drugs cost so someone else might have to fill in the blanks but I've heard plenty of youngsters explain why they don't go out as much as older generations did and the biggest factor is the price. You're looking at £100 for a night out these days.

Are drugs a cheaper alternative to booze? People get in the habit, a football stadium is just an extension of a night out for some so whatever happens on those will happen at the football.
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I must be missing something here, I can go out and have a superb evening for the cost of less than a tenner, OK I dont take drugs or smoke but why are people spending that much to enjoy themselves?????
 
Nothing to add to this thread but I stopped going to away games years ago.
I just got fed up being around idiots for two hours.
Fully realise it’s a minority that spoil it.
 
If anyone is nervous about an away game, it's best for them to book tickets right at the front. It always gets rowdier the further back you go.
 
Must admit this is one of the reasons I rarely go to "elite" football matches these days, either focusing on non-league or occasionally home ends for league teams etc (as a neutral I might add). It's particularly galling at away games with Boro, I'd never chose to spend any time with these sorts of people away from football so why should I have to endure it at a match.

As for the reasons, it's difficult but I think the covid-enforced closure of stadiums has definitely had an impact with groups seemingly "going harder" now things have opened up again.

I think societal point made above is definitely true as well - there's a spiral of division coupled with poorer living standards across most of the country currently (certainly the footballing "hotspots", of which the NE is one). Football is probably the only "point of release" for a lot of people and therefore heightens emotions such as excitement, aggression, euphoria.
 
Some depressing stuff on this thread. I was at Bristol and thought there was less goading of the away fans for 90 minutes which was good as it always makes me cringe and we were very respectful of the Ashton Gate 8 stuff. Not as much singing and i thought the Boro fans were oddly subdued given the run we've been on and how well we were playing (although the score line probably put a dampener on things). I guess it's trying to find the balance between generating an electric atmosphere and not having idiots getting carried away. I didn't see any trouble. There was a load of young lads waiting to go into the toilet cubicles as was mentioned making knowing (and completely transparent) quips to each other about the reasons for doing so. Some Bristol fans on Twitter mentioned Boro fans breaking off wing mirrors after the match but I didn't see it myself.
 
coraldon said:
I must be missing something here, I can go out and have a superb evening for the cost of less than a tenner, OK I dont take drugs or smoke but why are people spending that much to enjoy themselves?????
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That's how it is now. You have to go somewhere trendy to have your picture taken for instagram, you obviously have to have a cocktail for that picture which might be a tenner. Have 5 or 6 of them and some other drinks and then it's £20 on taxis. Most places seem to be nearing £5 a pint so even just on pints you can spend £40. When I was at uni in the 00s it was an expensive pint if it was £2.50 and I wouldn't have bought cocktails unless you count Vodka Redbull as a cocktail but even then that was a quad for £4. Prices now are crazy. I have no idea how anyone that is trying to save for a house etc affords a social life.

Not sure what you are doing to only spend a tenner but even if I walk to my closest pub, get no food etc then I won't even get 3 pints for a tenner.
 
the worst aspect of all this stuff for me is when you get a disparity. if you've got a load of (usually) young lads from both clubs, and they do their stuff together, wherever they do their stuff..... its not great, but its manageable. its when u get hoolies acting like hoolies at 1) a friendly club/town/city venue or 2) in front of entirely innocent people with no interest in hoolying that its embarrassing, scary, pathetic & more of a problem.
 
pallyparker said:
The game in Bristol was the first for me and my son for over a year. We live not far from Bristol so it was a good opportunity to go and see a game. We'd been looking forward to it for weeks. On the whole the atmosphere in the away end was fantastic but I couldn't believe just how many 'fans' were absolutely off their faces. A little scuffle broke out in front of us in the first half when some bloke in his 40s swung for a kid probably in his teens. It was awful to witness especially for my 10 year old boy. We moved away for the second half, which we shouldn't really have to do. It's just so disappointing that these people, clearly high on coke, feel that a football game is the place to take out their anger etc. It's really put us off going again. I've followed Boro for over 30 years but I'm just feeling a little deflated about things now after Saturday's experience. Anyway, up the Boro. Fingers crossed for 3 points tonight, we'll be cheering on watching it on TV.
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That's a shame, I didn't see any bother myself nor did I see anyone off their faces. I was to the left of their goal and got there quite early.
 
afcb_acklam said:
it seems to be a fine line between "good times", boisterous, large away crowd..... and people going too far. boro seem to have a bigger problem than others. you wont be surprised to hear its not a problem with bormuff away crowds, but then most would laugh at our motley band of older than usual supporters. getting that balance of numbers, passion & non-idiots is tricky!
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no, I don't think we do have a bigger problem than others. we might have a larger away following that most. I honestly think we have one of the best, if not THE best away following. you just have to see the UEFA cup matches to see how well our fans behaved in difficult situations.

as ever 'football violence' is blown out of proportion and then social media stirs it all up.
 
pallyparker said:
The game in Bristol was the first for me and my son for over a year. We live not far from Bristol so it was a good opportunity to go and see a game. We'd been looking forward to it for weeks. On the whole the atmosphere in the away end was fantastic but I couldn't believe just how many 'fans' were absolutely off their faces. A little scuffle broke out in front of us in the first half when some bloke in his 40s swung for a kid probably in his teens. It was awful to witness especially for my 10 year old boy. We moved away for the second half, which we shouldn't really have to do. It's just so disappointing that these people, clearly high on coke, feel that a football game is the place to take out their anger etc. It's really put us off going again. I've followed Boro for over 30 years but I'm just feeling a little deflated about things now after Saturday's experience. Anyway, up the Boro. Fingers crossed for 3 points tonight, we'll be cheering on watching it on TV.
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Football to most is secondary and it’s more about the **** up
 
Nano said:
Is one of the biggest causes of drug use the price of alternatives? The cost of having a few drinks out is very expensive and in a football stadium is even more ridiculous. I have no knowledge of how much drugs cost so someone else might have to fill in the blanks but I've heard plenty of youngsters explain why they don't go out as much as older generations did and the biggest factor is the price. You're looking at £100 for a night out these days.

Are drugs a cheaper alternative to booze? People get in the habit, a football stadium is just an extension of a night out for some so whatever happens on those will happen at the football.
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Cocaine is an expensive drug. Would be expect people pay in the region of about 50 quid if they are using it

They’ll be doing it while drinking as well as that is the culture that comes with it
 
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