Casuals

[garethni]

Just read an article from the Scotman on the hooligan/casuals scene from the 1980's just wondering as im not from these parts originally if the casual culture is still rife today?? TBH its one of the reasons ive not been to as many games as i would like per season, ive not really seen much bother ever but i do get constantly worried about being in the wrong place at the wrong time as i travel alone, its mainly down to these reasons ive so far refused to go to games against the Old Firm - but after going to my last 2 games (semi and the final) its increased my appetite for so many more games. Today was by far the best feeling ive had at any football match ive attended - superb

[Ali]

Originally Posted by garethni
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Just read an article from the Scotman on the hooligan/casuals scene from the 1980's just wondering as im not from these parts originally if the casual culture is still rife today?? TBH its one of the reasons ive not been to as many games as i would like per season, ive not really seen much bother ever but i do get constantly worried about being in the wrong place at the wrong time as i travel alone, its mainly down to these reasons ive so far refused to go to games against the Old Firm - but after going to my last 2 games (semi and the final) its increased my appetite for so many more games. Today was by far the best feeling ive had at any football match ive attended - superb

And it's over to our Casuals correspondent (and "the mates", obviously) WeeboyAndrew....

[Tibs]

Originally Posted by garethni
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Just read an article from the Scotman on the hooligan/casuals scene from the 1980's just wondering as im not from these parts originally if the casual culture is still rife today?? TBH its one of the reasons ive not been to as many games as i would like per season, ive not really seen much bother ever but i do get constantly worried about being in the wrong place at the wrong time as i travel alone, its mainly down to these reasons ive so far refused to go to games against the Old Firm - but after going to my last 2 games (semi and the final) its increased my appetite for so many more games. Today was by far the best feeling ive had at any football match ive attended - superb

I sit in the east (which is where the casuals element go) and I've never experienced/seen any trouble. for games against hearts and the old firm when you're leaving the stadium the fans are kept apart with hibs being diverted down into Leith, and there's always loads of police about. I dont know much about the casual scene, but I dont think its anything like what it was in the 80s.

[Colr]

Originally Posted by Tibs
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I sit in the east (which is where the casuals element go) and I've never experienced/seen any trouble. for games against hearts and the old firm when you're leaving the stadium the fans are kept apart with hibs being diverted down into Leith, and there's always loads of police about. I dont know much about the casual scene, but I dont think its anything like what it was in the 80s.

The introduction of better stearding really helped deal with this problem. I used to stay in Gorgie Road in the 1980s and it was like a war zone every second saturday, you couldn't leave you house. I nearly got arrested once as I went for a pint of milk at Ramzans and nearly got swept up in a ruck between Jamboids and Motherwell cretins.

It put a lot of people (myself included) off going to matches and if it had gone on for much longer a whole generation of kids would have been lost to teams like Hibs who realy on close community links to survive.

There had been trouble in London of late. I hope they throw the book at anyone they catch. It has to be stamped on. Personally, I'm a bit concerned about taking my wee laddie to the Spurs if there's going to be trouble outside the ground (and that's where it usually is).

[egb_hibs]

Originally Posted by Colr
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It put a lot of people (myself included) off going to matches and if it had gone on for much longer a whole generation of kids would have been lost to teams like Hibs who realy on close community links to survive.

whatever else one can say about this subject, i'd dispute the bit about lost fans. i actually am fairly convinced that it added to our support amongst what would have been the youth age group of the time. i certainly know of individual cases where this is true, and suspect this is representative of a more general truth. and this was at a time when the yams, alas, had more to offer in terms of the promise of success (though thankfully that promise always failed to materialise
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the thing about the casual era is it coincided with a period when hibs were utterly rank. i think this was what depressed crowds - we saw the demonstrable effect of blobby on gates and he was nowt compared to lexo. and it certainly didn't dampen the gates of your gorgie neebors even though they were getting splattered much of the time
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in my experience it was also more dangerous to go to hibs games in the early 80s before tehc casuals were about and from i've heard it was worse in the 70s. sure you aren't looking for a halcyon time that never was - or never before the second half of the 90s at least. football is safer now than any time since fans started travelling to away fixtures.

[Colr]

Originally Posted by egb_hibs
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whatever else one can say about this subject, i'd dispute the bit about lost fans. i actually am fairly convinced that it added to our support amongst what would have been the youth age group of the time. i certainly know of individual cases where this is true, and suspect this is representative of a more general truth. and this was at a time when the yams, alas, had more to offer in terms of the promise of success (though thankfully that promise always failed to materialise
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) .

the thing about the casual era is it coincided with a period when hibs were utterly rank. i think this was what depressed crowds - we saw the demonstrable effect of blobby on gates and he was nowt compared to lexo. and it certainly didn't dampen the gates of your gorgie neebors even though they were getting splattered much of the time
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in my experience it was also more dangerous to go to hibs games in the early 80s before tehc casuals were about and from i've heard it was worse in the 70s. sure you aren't looking for a halcyon time that never was - or never before the second half of the 90s at least. football is safer now than any time since fans started travelling to away fixtures.

You miss my point. It dented tha family support at the time and if it had gone on fewer and fewer parents would have taken their children to the game. This would have had a detrimental effect on the support in the long run starving the club of new support coming through. Hibs are not exactly a Man Utd, Celtic or Rangers so do not attract the glory chasers but if you get kids in young and they enjoy the experience of live football in a conducive atmosphere they are hooked (I know I was).

I recall the games in the early 80s being pretty bad for trouble and very badly policed. The 70s were pretty bad as well and the trouble spilled up into the town frequently.

I recall being unable to leave Tynecastle for 40 minutes when I was about 10/11 for the riots outside. The Yams used to leave early so they could ambush the Hibs fans coming out onto Gorgie Road. I can still recall how scared I was.

[egb_hibs]

maybe you're right but i'd be surprised. it wass no where near as bad for the average hibby as previous eras - your expeirence at tynie being a case in point. i remember similar as a nipper and remember being scared and exhilirated in equal measure.

[Colr]

Originally Posted by egb_hibs
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maybe you're right but i'd be surprised. it wass no where near as bad for the average hibby as previous eras - your expeirence at tynie being a case in point. i remember similar as a nipper and remember being scared and exhilirated in equal measure.

Yes, I was agreeing that you maybe had a point about previous eras. Maybe it wasn't so well documented but there has always been trouble associated with football. Port Glasgow were so bad that eventually nobody wanted to play them and they slipped out of the leagues.

[Brian]

Originally Posted by garethni
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Today was by far the best feeling ive had at any football match ive attended - superb

I think that just about goes for me too !

... but back to the trouble. No, I wouldn't let it put you off. You're very unlikely to find any trouble these days unless you go looking for it. Certainly can't think of having seen anything in the last few years on the way to/from games against the OF.

[egb_hibs]

Originally Posted by Brian
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I think that just about goes for me too !

... but back to the trouble. No, I wouldn't let it put you off. You're very unlikely to find any trouble these days unless you go looking for it. Certainly can't think of having seen anything in the last few years on the way to/from games against the OF.

I agree. As I said before, it's never been so safe, and these days it really is likely to be restricted to those who are looking for it - at least it terms of casuals, you've always got the scarf wearing mingers that follow rangers who are still up for the odd bit of indiscriminate, but as long as you're sensible it's highly unlikely you'll ever run into trouible even at greyskull which is a pale shadow of it's former self. a trip their used to be like being order over the top at verdun, but now it's like a buftie's tea party.

[Colr]

I think you have to be sensible and aware of the risks to avoid trouble. Personally, when I was at games in Glasgow (I got to quite a few as aI lived there). I never wore my replica top and hid my scarf when I left the ground.

Other cities, including Edinburgh except againt the Hun. I was not that concerned.