I was in the same place as your family mate - it started with birmingham being walked over the higher of the roads and then they started coining west ham below..... a bloke next to me got one on the head and he was in a lot of pain - this didnt go down too well with our lot obviously. then a few of their firm slipped off their route and popped up to have a go and went on the attack even though there were women and children present. I had a good focal point of the whole incident as i was on upper ground and then saw that the security who were holding a number of our lot back (families mainly) then directed them into where the trouble was. i think there was no communication between the riot police and the security cos i could see what was about to happen. normal supporters were then even more mixed up with our lot and chaos ensued when their firm started chanted ZULU ZULU and ran towards our lot - they had the usual hooligan attire of scarves round faces and hoods up etc. it went off for about 5 minutes and then horseback police came in and sent them off - i reckon it must have kicked off elsewhere too as both mobs seemed intent on getting to each other.
I was in the middle of all this, and can confirm what Psycho said. Saw an old boy on the floor after he had been hit by something and two young girls got hurt when one the barriers fell against them. Birmingham came round the corner and wanted to have a go, most of the West Ham crowd were families and scarfers.
Few West Ham had a go back, but most got out of the way , and a lot just got out their phones and started video recording the scene.
Few unpleasantries afterwards between fellow West Ham fans as many just watched and done nothing,despite the Birmingham lot having a go at scarfers and people out for the day with their kids.
ornchurch ammer wrote:
So? How long is the walk (escort) from St Andrews to New St for example? And that is after being held behind to allow the home fans to clear (congregate on route).
PML cannot cope with the numbers and they will never shut the westbound platform, or any platform, at Stratford as that will affect normal people as well as football supporters.
To me, with high profile games, walk them to West Ham. In addition to the number of lines there the longer they are in an escort the more time for home fans to disperse and less chance of opportunistic trouble.
I agree, walk them to either West Ham or Bow Road (probably quieter than West Ham which is busy on match days with home fans) . How many times have we had to walk the 25-30 minutes from WHL to Seven Sisters tube over the years?
We just have a quick beer in the stadium most weeks and let it all die down / open up. No big deal, certainly not something I'd stop going to watch West Ham over.
No big deal? I don't want to spend a minute longer than I need to in that ****hole.
Doing almost a full lap to get to The Carpenters afterwards because they prioritise access for away fans.
Also since the Burnley game, being in 112, we've now been shut off from meeting mates in other parts of the stadium, and if you're a smoker, no access to outside areas. Not great.
Vince wrote:
Few West Ham had a go back, but most got out of the way , and a lot just got out their phones and started video recording the scene.
Few unpleasantries afterwards between fellow West Ham fans as many just watched and done nothing,despite the Birmingham lot having a go at scarfers and people out for the day with their kids.
Can see this being the 'hooliganism' of the future.
'Firms' videoing each other and posting it on social media to claim the 'result' :lol: :lol:
sutts07 wrote:
In fact they hold back (restrict) the home fans who are leaving Gate C and want to walk left towards bridge 4 or 5. It is blocked off for at least 30mins. That, despite it being the main (maybe only) route that disabled fans can take to get the lift down to the car park below. You honestly couldn't make it up in terms of how far down the list we rank in terms of priorities.
It is absolutely bonkers.
Same thing happened on Wednesday night after Brighton. Kept a number of fans in wheelchairs waiting at the barrier with the away end for a good 30 minutes, wanting to turn left out of Gate C to get to the lifts.
Vince wrote:I was in the middle of all this, and can confirm what Psycho said. Saw an old boy on the floor after he had been hit by something and two young girls got hurt when one the barriers fell against them. Birmingham came round the corner and wanted to have a go, most of the West Ham crowd were families and scarfers.
Few West Ham had a go back, but most got out of the way , and a lot just got out their phones and started video recording the scene.
Few unpleasantries afterwards between fellow West Ham fans as many just watched and done nothing,despite the Birmingham lot having a go at scarfers and people out for the day with their kids.
Rightly or wrongly this wouldn't have happened, or been tolerated at UP...
West Ham are a soft touch these days, that's why Tottenham & now Birmingham have shown up in numbers and done as they please...
It's pathetic however you look at it. I saw the Birmingham fans walking over the bridge and a couple of police horses charge off towards the carpenters but nothing else. When we walked past the carpenters you could see something was happening under the tunnel and there seemed to be an increase of stone island parka wearing types hanging around.
The route they currently direct the away fans is along the higher ring road and down so both sets meet at the Carpenters Bridge. By allowing them the higher ground it allows them to use the home supporters for target practice. This should stop.
Also I wish that they used the CCTV to identify these away fans as vigorously as they use it inside the stadium to pick out home fans misbehaving.
From whst I'm heading, the Zulu ****ers can hardly call it a 'result'. More an embarrassment pathetic scarfer scaring excerise than anything. And they weren't all Charlie big potatoes coming from Kings Cross the route I took either, instead sharing a joke and a bottle of whiskey which helped sooth my poorly throat. Guess I shod have told them I had a stinking cold before taking swigs.
ornchurch ammer wrote:The route they currently direct the away fans is along the higher ring road and down so both sets meet at the Carpenters Bridge. By allowing them the higher ground it allows them to use the home supporters for target practice. This should stop.
Also I wish that they used the CCTV to identify these away fans as vigorously as they use it inside the stadium to pick out home fans misbehaving.
I watched numerous Birmingham fans spitting on West Ham fans below from the higher ground you mention here.
keithrobsonsbookie wrote:
Also since the Burnley game, being in 112, we've now been shut off from meeting mates in other parts of the stadium, and if you're a smoker, no access to outside areas. Not great.
I am fully aware as I am in 112 myself and I think it is a disgrace that we have to either wait half an hour or do a full lap but that is not enough to stop me going to watch West Ham. We a have limited number of bars, no TV's and are basically very much the part of the stadium that was just massively overlooked.
Ironically the biggest issue was people from other parts of the ground coming into our area, as opposed to us wanting to get out. As ever, the actions of a few seems to have resulted in the masses being blamed. Used to enjoy a post match pint in the Bobby Moore end, not technically allowed now (although there are still ways).
