Torquay United Fans Forum

Ran on the pitch after beating Southend to gain promotion to league1. I’ve still got Tony Bedeau’s shirt as a bonus for doing so. No shirts for those that stayed on the terraces that day!

sgf wrote: 10 Apr 2019, 20:00 can't believe in the week of our most important result of the season this has generated more posts than the match thread.

99% of the fans were a credit yet we give the 1% the airtime they crave.

It's negativity. Human beings love it. That's why newspapers sell and social media is so popular. Because anything negative always attracts a huge number of people. For example, if Gulls fans behaved impeccably throughout the season and won an award for best fans then you'd get a thread about it 2 pages long if that. The moment there are negative issues to highlight you get threads as long as your arm.

If Torquay went through a whole season unbeaten and finished top then it bizarrely would generate far less interest and comment than if they lost every game and finished bottom.

It's harder to give praise than offer criticism and many people like the easy option.

Dave_Pougher wrote: 10 Apr 2019, 17:04 Yes it’s against the rules
No your not going to stop it

Most boring and pointless thread of the season

can't believe in the week of our most important result of the season this has generated more posts than the match thread.

99% of the fans were a credit yet we give the 1% the airtime they crave.

Yes it’s against the rules
No your not going to stop it

Most boring and pointless thread of the season

I thought the pitch invasion was just classic and pure emotion.

As for the pyro, certainly wasnt a fan at the pretty pathetic attempt at Gloucester earlier in the season. Just looked naff at an empty non league ground and the 2nd one thrown just over the advertising board, almost lobbed embarrassingly.

However, certainly didnt look out of place at Bath and Woking, you cant deny there have been some classic photos of both matches doing the rounds. Think in that respect it looks pretty cool at the game and afterwards.

Launceston Gull wrote: 09 Apr 2019, 14:37 I understand why pitch invasions happen but my view is save it till the end of game. Running onto the field when we scored our equaliser did us no favours. Woking at that stage were rocking and we may well have been able to go on and win the game, there was time; remember Woking still very nearly pinched it in the dying seconds. The delay may have cost us focus and momentum and could possibly have cost us dearly.

Haha. Are you actually serious? You're actually seriously suggesting we could've won if it weren't for the celebrations? The 'pitch invasion' extended the celebrations by a matter of seconds. It made little to no difference. The adrenaline levels of the players were going to be sky high regardless of whether 0 or 100 fans entered the pitch.

You also say we could've gone on to won it had it not been for the invasion but also blame the invasion for nearly making us lose.

Plainmoor78 wrote: 08 Apr 2019, 16:53 A lot of American sports arenas have large uncovered seating areas, hence natural ventilation this is probably why there is a more relaxed attitude towards pyro over there. Whilst over here a lot of stadiums have covered stands and terraces.
Also the rules and laws in this country relating to football spectators are deliberately draconian because they were made initially by unsympathetic Tory governments in the 1980s and 1990s.

MLS doesn't have a relaxed attitude towards pyrotechnics, as they've tended to try to ban people who bring flares etc into stadia (presumably because it's not been deemed safe)- while simultaneously using pictures of same in their marketing.

Orlando City just happened to include a pyro-area in the stadium. Other US sports leagues (MLB, NFL) will confiscate flares and other pyrotechnics if you try to smuggle it in.

Yorkieandy wrote: 09 Apr 2019, 13:39 I think we all understand why fans sometimes run onto the pitch in celebration as it's an instinctive, split second decision borne out of joy but 'by the letter of the law' they all must face sanctions for this, whatever the law states that should be. Regardless of whether you think it's OTT or not common sense is totally irrelevant

Whilst I recognise the point you make - I nonetheless beg to differ on your rigid application of the law.

Some of the laws that govern football are ridiculous. The rules on pitch encroachment are too broad. As I have previously said we want to prevent pitch invasions, not criminalise and throttle someone who steps over a line by a few centimetres while celebrating.

Take for instance the Football (Offences) Act 1991

'Throwing of missiles onto the playing area or into the crowd - s.2'

We all know that throwing coins can blind someone or cause other serious injury. If the individuals who throw coins or flares for that matter, can be identified, I am sure we would all welcome the full force of the law being used. However, technically, within the “missile throwing” provisions, throwing the match ball back on to the pitch can be a criminal offence. Would you really want someone to feel the full force of the law in that scenario?

Let take another example, you throw the match balll to a 12 year old kid in the stadium, who who desperately wants to be the one who throws the ball back on to the pitch, which the boy duly does. Yes, I am afraid that technically can be a criminal offence too... for both you and the boy. Does that really warrant a conditional cautions where you and the boy cannot attend a football match for a minimum of 3 years, but must attend a police station at kick off times for that duration.

Then there's the 'Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc.) Act 1985'

You carry a pack of 4 cans of beer in the boot of the car on the way to the match (not drinking it) ..... criminal offence
You drink one of your cans of beer in sight of the pitch -.. criminal offence

The rules are outdated and ridiculous. When the law is contrary to common sense, the proverbial expression "The Law is an Ass" springs to mind.

Wearing a hood is bad enough but when it's about 15 degrees outside? And not raining? Morons in more ways than i'd like to elaborate on which is just as well.

Those lads were up the opposite end to where the pitch invasion took place so weren't involved, probably just as well.

SGF, have you read Steve's post about the goading & covering faces with masks etc ?
In my book that is twattish behaviour & has no place at football matches, if they are really that hard why are they trying to disguise themselves ? I take it Steve was there & witnessed this kindergarten posturing, & Ill stick to what I believe was the true picture portrayed by the radio comms & what I saw on various highlights of the match.
Let's be honest you're not permitted to enter a bank in the uk with your face covered so why should football grounds be any different ? And if youre willing to be prepared to try & hide your identity then I'd bet my last £1 you're up to no good !

I understand why pitch invasions happen but my view is save it till the end of game. Running onto the field when we scored our equaliser did us no favours. Woking at that stage were rocking and we may well have been able to go on and win the game, there was time; remember Woking still very nearly pinched it in the dying seconds. The delay may have cost us focus and momentum and could possibly have cost us dearly.

A similar analogy is that of a footballer who scores a goal and then in the pure joy of the moment he whips off his shirt, throws it to the ground and jumps in to the celebrate with the fans. When the euphoria dies down and he collects his shirt from the turf, the referee issues him with a yellow card for the offence of removing his shirt which is against the rules.

Most passionate football fans can totally understand why the player took his shirt off. It was a instinctive decision made in a split second but by the same token he's broken a rule / law and must then receive the appropriate punishment for the transgression which in this case is a yellow card.

We see it all the time on tv when the pundits feel sympathy for the player but 'by the letter of the law' a yellow card is what must be given.

I think we all understand why fans sometimes run onto the pitch in celebration as it's an instinctive, split second decision borne out of joy but 'by the letter of the law' they all must face sanctions for this, whatever the law states that should be.

Regardless of whether you think it's OTT or not common sense is totally irrelevant. This is the point i was trying to make about any pitch incursion by supporters, not just TUFC supporters. It's a rigid viewpoint but i believe it is the correct one otherwise there would be no regulations to prohibit pitch encroachment at all would there?

In addition to this i think it's reasonable to assume that when a handful of people rush onto the pitch then more will follow as it's an instinctive decision. So you can quickly go from a handful of people to hundreds which then can lead to further issues.

Further issues such as fans who had no inclination to pitch invade now just acting on instinct and following others onto the pitch and but then getting so carried away in this expression of joy and freedom that they then end up doing something undesirable and that they could regret after the event.

I’m not a big fan of pitch invasions but I do understand why they happen. I’m not going to lie, I’ve been on the pitch a couple of times and I am no hooligan but sometimes things get the better of you. What happened at Woking just sounds like over happiness and is easily forgivable as long as that’s all it was.

Hi all,

I’ve been a home and away supporter for more than 40 years and never been bothered to post until now.

The spontaneous celebrations which spilled over onto the pitch was totally harmless, just fans and players coming together celebrating an amazing come back and the realisation of being worthy league champions. I totally agree with MellowYellow but unfortunately too often than not common sense doesn’t prevail.

I was actually really saddened to post by the 20 to 30 idiots mostly but not all kids that decided to turn up and just taunt the away fans, stewards and police at the right end of the away stand. Why oh why are they allowed to cover their faces with hoods, black scarves, face masks and goggles? I now really regret not confronting one teenager who kept strutting up and down the front of the stand pretending to be a tough guy with his hands up high with a black hoody and black scarf over his face, he really needed sorting out and kicked out of the ground. In all probability it would’ve been me kicked out and banned from games. Now reality is that these were mostly teenagers trying to act tough and hard in front of their mates and would run a mile if faced with a real opposing thug but I’m just really saddened by the distraction during the match and the bad image it leaves on the club and us real TUFC fans and the fact that nothing is done about it during the game. Why do we put up with this at games? Why can’t stewards (or police) insist on faces being uncovered at matches and go with a zero tolerance approach, ask them to move away or if they refuse then take a photo/video as evidence to avoid any comeback and then kick them out, forcibly if needed. The exit gate was only feet away from the group and there was enough police and stewards present to create a line and push them all out. I don’t buy the ‘it was the safest approach to avoid trouble’ as it will only continue or get worse if this isn’t sorted out properly once and for all within minutes of any hint of trouble. I actually do believe the club should do more by publishing and enforcing a code of conduct for fans at both home and away matches. Behave below the expected level of a true TUFC fan and you are asked to leave the ground. Covered faces aggressively taunting away fans, stewards and police are clearly below the expected level of a TUFC fan.

Spontaneous celebrations with fans spilling onto the pitch, singing at away fans and at the new Torquay legend the one and only Ben Gerring are all just harmless fun and football banter...common sense should mean that fans and the club unite and focus on the real problem which is the teenage yobbish element which was unfortunately very much present at the game on Saturday.