[ Sat 15th Sep ] v Fakenham Town KO 3pm FA Vase HOME

[Bobos]

Duke of Wimbourne, I agree with what you have said however what i disasgree with is the fact that yes there is a counter argument based on todays game.

I really do take my hat off to you guys and everyone involved for the change of the dog and duck, all the volunteers and all the people who work their socks off behind the scenes... Its you people who have made this club and in no way am i getting at anyone.

I thought the match was quite entertaining, however what I and other members on this board is trying to raise is the actions of some fans based on what happens should a single opposing fan taunt them.

Apologies if i seem to be bleating on about nothing, but i am only picking up on what Diamond Warrior has raised, and its things like that which spoils a matchday for others.

I hardly think that i should be shot down for what i am saying, and i am not trying to open a can of worms...however just think that this needs addressing. If i cant say it on the forum, then what can we as fans do?

Thank you for your reply, as I said, I am not having a go at anyone in particular, however I find it difficult to please every one, and if people don't like the match day experience then I feel really bad about it, all of the board and the volunteers, try their hardest to make sure that fans have a fantastic time at the D&D, and if it is spoilt, then we take it personally, we try not to, but we are only human, and have no experience at running a football club, please cut us some slack 8-)

Like i have said i really do take my hat off to you all. I just think that sadly the actions of one of the afc fans today just didnt go down well with me and some others. I really do hope this is a one off and the next time i go i can once again say what a great match it was.

People can always ask what counts as banter and what crosses the line?
Lets not start a new debate eh :lol: ;)

If we were talking about Man Ure, then your comments then no one would care, however to bring us down before we have a chance to get to the top would be wrong, however, we are only a small club, however with a BIG DREAM, please don't try to knock us down, before we get that chance to be up there 8-) 8-)

[Pigman]

Okay, you're all fans, you want what is best for the club - then point out who it was who threw the plastic bottle and we'll look into banning him - simple ! A certain level of behaviour is expected and just because we're a fan owned/run club this doesn't give people the right to behave like this. It is out of order !! If fans of visiting clubs want to act like idiots, does it really mean we have to drop to their level?

I didn't see the incident as I was on the turnstile until 3.15pm, but I'll say this, if people step out of line too often what will happen is we will have to consider employing professional stewards at a high cost to the club (which will hurt us financially !) who will throw people out if they behave like muppets and they will ultimately get banned - is that really what you want? The fans stood around the idiot who threw the object should have pointed him out, if you're not prepared to do that then you're as guilty as the person who threw the object in my book.

What annoys me most is that there are people giving hours of their time to this football club, time which few of us can afford to be honest, and they/we get let down by mindless idiots like this. Okay, so it was a fairly harmless object on this occasion that wouldn't hurt anyone, but any object thrown is one too far and brings this club into disrepute and harms our reputation.

I want to be chatting about the football of a Saturday night, about the goals scored, not some fool who threw something, it detracts from what has been achieved by so many people. Tonight I feel deflated by the actions of one person who should know better, that person owes every single volunteer who gives their time freely to run this club and make it work an apology frankly - maybe that person would like to clean the changing rooms out on Tuesday night by way of that apology to save me and Dunk doing it? Yeah, right !

[BartonRaz]

The 'singers' - for lack of a better word - have been getting some unfair stick on here IMO. We're lucky that we've got people that want to shout and sing, in fact, i've been stood in the terraces at St Neots last season when you could have heard a pin drop and it detracts from the overall experience.

First it was 'racist chanting' at the Thrapston and Wootton games. I think most of us know what was said, and if that's racism then the world has gone mad but that is just my opinion. Now it's turned to the direction of the chanting and what is being sung. I don't honestly think the players could care less about what the fans are singing when they're in the heat of battle, and I thought the songs directed at the Fakenham supporters were entertaining personally. Like others have said, it's all magnified because we're playing in the UCL and people aren't used to the odd swear word here and there.

As for the bloke that ran across the front of the PDB leaving little to the imagination, that was an act of stupidity on his part and like others have said he's lucky we're not a violent bunch. I'm not sure how i'd have explained his actions to a child and although something was thrown I thought we were quite restrained.

I feel like some of you lot haven't been to any football games in your lives. God knows what you must have thought watching football through the 70's and 80's. (Obviously as a sping chicken I wasn't around at the time but my old man has told me a few stories. ;) ) Most of you continued to support the club when Garry Hill headbutted Tommy Widdrington, but you're this unhappy about Andy Peaks questioning the decision of a referee?

The atmosphere totally died at half-time when everybody gravitated to the other end of the pitch. We want to be encouraging these lads to sing not trying to restrain them or giving them a hymn sheet. Rant over.

[Diamond_ Wolf]

The 'singers' - for lack of a better word - have been getting some unfair stick on here IMO. We're lucky that we've got people that want to shout and sing, in fact, i've been stood in the terraces at St Neots last season when you could have heard a pin drop and it detracts from the overall experience.

First it was 'racist chanting' at the Thrapston and Wootton games. I think most of us know what was said, and if that's racism then the world has gone mad but that is just my opinion. Now it's turned to the direction of the chanting and what is being sung. I don't honestly think the players could care less about what the fans are singing when they're in the heat of battle, and I thought the songs directed at the Fakenham supporters were entertaining personally. Like others have said, it's all magnified because we're playing in the UCL and people aren't used to the odd swear word here and there.

As for the bloke that ran across the front of the PDB leaving little to the imagination, that was an act of stupidity on his part and like others have said he's lucky we're not a violent bunch. I'm not sure how i'd have explained his actions to a child and although something was thrown I thought we were quite restrained.

I feel like some of you lot haven't been to any football games in your lives. God knows what you must have thought watching football through the 70's and 80's. (Obviously as a sping chicken I wasn't around at the time but my old man has told me a few stories. ;) ) Most of you continued to support the club when Garry Hill headbutted Tommy Widdrington, but you're this unhappy about Andy Peaks questioning the decision of a referee?

The atmosphere totally died at half-time when everybody gravitated to the other end of the pitch. We want to be encouraging these lads to sing not trying to restrain them or giving them a hymn sheet. Rant over.

Couldn't have put it any better.

[Pigman]

Come and speak to me at the next game guys and I'll enlighten you about the rules the club has to adhere to and the FA's Respect campaign. Can't the "singers" just get behind our team by cheering them on?

[Bobos]

The 'singers' - for lack of a better word - have been getting some unfair stick on here IMO. We're lucky that we've got people that want to shout and sing, in fact, i've been stood in the terraces at St Neots last season when you could have heard a pin drop and it detracts from the overall experience.

First it was 'racist chanting' at the Thrapston and Wootton games. I think most of us know what was said, and if that's racism then the world has gone mad but that is just my opinion. Now it's turned to the direction of the chanting and what is being sung. I don't honestly think the players could care less about what the fans are singing when they're in the heat of battle, and I thought the songs directed at the Fakenham supporters were entertaining personally. Like others have said, it's all magnified because we're playing in the UCL and people aren't used to the odd swear word here and there.

As for the bloke that ran across the front of the PDB leaving little to the imagination, that was an act of stupidity on his part and like others have said he's lucky we're not a violent bunch. I'm not sure how i'd have explained his actions to a child and although something was thrown I thought we were quite restrained.

I feel like some of you lot haven't been to any football games in your lives. God knows what you must have thought watching football through the 70's and 80's. (Obviously as a sping chicken I wasn't around at the time but my old man has told me a few stories. ;) ) Most of you continued to support the club when Garry Hill headbutted Tommy Widdrington, but you're this unhappy about Andy Peaks questioning the decision of a referee?

The atmosphere totally died at half-time when everybody gravitated to the other end of the pitch. We want to be encouraging these lads to sing not trying to restrain them or giving them a hymn sheet. Rant over.

Quality post, we are in danger of being so PC that we will kill our club, before it gets going.

IT IS A FOOTBALL CLUB, NOT A CHURCH............and I;'m sure that REd Dragon would agree 8-)

[BartonRaz]

Come and speak to me at the next game guys and I'll enlighten you about the rules the club has to adhere to and the FA's Respect campaign. Can't the "singers" just get behind our team by cheering them on?

Piggers I appreciate about the racism aspect. Whilst in my eyes that isn't racism i fully accept that to the next person it could be seen that way.

And as for the person that threw the bottle, banning them is fine with me, we don't want to see that, but it could have been worse.

I guess the point i'm trying to make is that people appear to be very keen to point out all the wrongdoings of their fellow fans, telling them what they should and shouldn't chant, when in reality they've probably spent the last 5-10 years amongst these people without batting an eyelid.

What I will say is that these lads were the ones at Barrow, Workington, Darlington, Eastbourne, Eastwood away in the trophy on a Tuesday night, singing away and generating an atmosphere. They should be having their beers bought for them not being made to feel like they've done something wrong.

[Diamond_ Wolf]

Its a fine line between banter and being offensive and maybe the boundaries get pushed occasionally. I'm all for respect etc but I feel the FA and other authorities are sucking the life out of the game. Fans taking the piss out of each adds to the atmosphere, as long as there is no violence or threatening behaviour I can't see what the problem is. Anyway we won 4-1 and played some excellent stuff! Let's just enjoy it

[Bob's Bitch]

I'll happily put myself forward as a volunteer steward if it means stopping idiots like him. I don't think it's that fair to criticise our fans, he was the one trying to provoke by running up and down and baring his arse. He probably would've been kicked out of any FL ground if he'd tried something similar. Surely it's obvious that if you act like a dick in front of opposition supporters, they'll treat you like a dick?

(Before I get jumped on I don't want to disrespect any of the volunteers, who I know are extremely hard-working and put in huge amounts of effort for the club)

I've never seen our fans (home or away) over the years actually try and cause trouble and I know I never will. Maybe everyone could be more restrained in the future but he was really annoying, he was the one who started it and was quite hard to ignore when he was getting in way of many fans' views of the pitch.

[Pigman]

Maybe if you don't have to deal with the fallout from it all its easy to brush it under the carpet and be dismissive of it? Anyway, I've had my say, onwards to Tuesday !!