The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

Have to say that this campaign is a total failure with some of our fans.

Went to the game Easter Monday at Whitworths and stood behind their goal in both halves. First half wasn't too bad but the behaviour of some of our fans in the second 45 minutes was atrocious.

The chants, shouts and abuse directed towards their keeper was really dreadful. It wasn't jut the usual stuff about his ability but included homophobic and sexual chanting including chants about his wife etc.
Give the lad credit, despite all this abuse he only responded once and I have to say I agreed with his assessment of our 'fans', who seemed more concerned in abusing him than watching the game.

After 30 minutes of this we decided to move to another area to watch and get away from this alcohol fuelled verbal bullying and abuse.

I fully appreciate it is great to have verbal support of our team but this was purely offensive chanting, only intended to upset, rile and undermine the keeper. Luckily, we couldn't see any children about us to listen to this foul and abusive name calling.

Some might say all's fair in love, war and football, but if this happened on the street, arrests would be made and charges brought...

I'm sure the other teams in the league welcome the numbers we bring and the boost to their finances, but is this how we want to be thought of or remembered..?

Dukes wrote:Have to say that this campaign is a total failure with some of our fans.

Went to the game Easter Monday at Whitworths and stood behind their goal in both halves. First half wasn't too bad but the behaviour of some of our fans in the second 45 minutes was atrocious.

The chants, shouts and abuse directed towards their keeper was really dreadful. It wasn't jut the usual stuff about his ability but included homophobic and sexual chanting including chants about his wife etc.
Give the lad credit, despite all this abuse he only responded once and I have to say I agreed with his assessment of our 'fans', who seemed more concerned in abusing him than watching the game.

After 30 minutes of this we decided to move to another area to watch and get away from this alcohol fuelled verbal bullying and abuse.

I fully appreciate it is great to have verbal support of our team but this was purely offensive chanting, only intended to upset, rile and undermine the keeper. Luckily, we couldn't see any children about us to listen to this foul and abusive name calling.

Some might say all's fair in love, war and football, but if this happened on the street, arrests would be made and charges brought...

I'm sure the other teams in the league welcome the numbers we bring and the boost to their finances, but is this how we want to be thought of or remembered..?

I hear what your saying Dukes but you would like to add some comments for the Lads. These Lads love this football club and they are only young once and what to enjoy supporting their football club and fair play to them for not moving on to Leicester etc to get there saturday football fix. They are lads that like to make an event of it and drink and they kind of fun and enjoyment, probably not shared with some older members . These lads are the the heart of soul of Rushden and Diamonds and 3 years ago were used to getting to Luton, Grimsby etc and trying to get heard over 5,000+ The mentality of them doesn't, hasn't and shouldn't change just because we have dropped a few league. The Alcohol of course burrs the line in the sand on acceptably but you and some other have to also factor it than SOME of the player playing in this league, especially for teams like Whitworths, R&H and Raunds are local lads and are know socially by the fans and that although the chanting my seem offensive to you, its banter to them. I don't believe for one second this club has a racism or sexism problem with its chanting it's no different from any other club. Football is trying to become more family friendly but parents would be totally naive bring their kids to games thinking they were not going to hear naughty words! Other clubs in this league will remember us for this but that's because for the other 18 games they get one man and his dog. This football club would be worse off without them. Ralph and Dave Albion stand in the terraces often and mute the lads with the chanting does become too much but that doesn't happen very often.

Dukes, I guess you missed the home tie where their "supporters" spent the whole game asking "where our number 1 was"? Remember some of these lads were actually friends of Dale. Then they reputedly urinated in the terrace and gloated about it. Those sort of insults won't be forgotten too quickly by the passionate supporters we have. Just to correct you, their keeper retaliated more than once, even to the extent of calling a child a "spastic".

I'm not altogether condoning the singing or the choice of songs/words but for you to come on here without having all the facts and start having a go at the lads makes you no better. These lads are the future of the club and every pound they spend whether it be on a shirt/on a pint/or even just to get in goes towards our future.

Think before you criticize.

Dukes wrote:Have to say that this campaign is a total failure with some of our fans.

Went to the game Easter Monday at Whitworths and stood behind their goal in both halves. First half wasn't too bad but the behaviour of some of our fans in the second 45 minutes was atrocious.

The chants, shouts and abuse directed towards their keeper was really dreadful. It wasn't jut the usual stuff about his ability but included homophobic and sexual chanting including chants about his wife etc.
Give the lad credit, despite all this abuse he only responded once and I have to say I agreed with his assessment of our 'fans', who seemed more concerned in abusing him than watching the game.

After 30 minutes of this we decided to move to another area to watch and get away from this alcohol fuelled verbal bullying and abuse.

I fully appreciate it is great to have verbal support of our team but this was purely offensive chanting, only intended to upset, rile and undermine the keeper. Luckily, we couldn't see any children about us to listen to this foul and abusive name calling.

Some might say all's fair in love, war and football, but if this happened on the street, arrests would be made and charges brought...

I'm sure the other teams in the league welcome the numbers we bring and the boost to their finances, but is this how we want to be thought of or remembered..?

Blast from the past! Been to many games this season, Dukes?

Although the abuse directed at the Whitworths wasn't the nicest and some of it was probably uncalled for, the keeper in question is a horrible little arsehole! At the evening cup game earlier in the season he was on the sidelines with their reserves and at the end of the game he attempted to throw a punch at a couple of lads after the game (unprovoked) People don't forgot things like that unfortunately.

I agree that some of the banter maybe turns into abuse and is uncalled for but the majority of the chants are humorous and light hearted. A good point made by Rushden Jim is that many lads know quite a few players as mates or people that they drink with on a Saturday night so personal banter may not be understood by others.

I don't want to turn this into a willy waving contest but when we played away at Grimsby a few years ago on a cold Tuesday night we took 27 fans. Approximately 7/8 of them were the group you are referring to. They were they at those kind of games when many others weren't. The support and love for the club is not in question.

Don't doubt the loyalty of the 'Lads' for the club for one second.
And if you put your head above the parapet you should expect to have it shot off...
However, I wonder what the instigators of this campaign have to say..?

Personally I think the lads have shown a lot of respect and restraint compared to how people could have reacted!

The abuse aimed at lee Baxter was completely deserved. He's a vile little creature, and was the worse behaved person amongst all those scumbags from Whitworths that night.

I take it you don't go to many games duke.

TwinkleToesTomlin wrote:The abuse aimed at lee Baxter was completely deserved. He's a vile little creature, and was the worse behaved person amongst all those scumbags from Whitworths that night.

I take it you don't go to many games duke.

Looking at his post history I'd probably say that's correct. September 2011 and then just this thread... says it all really.

I have to say that on Saturday away at Chenecks the atmosphere was almost dead in the second half, but as one of the singers quite rightly said. If you don't like our songs and want noise "You start the songs and we'll join in". You don't like the songs yet don't want to start any either, lets play in a library in future.