machen_blue

Its incredible that someone here knows Machen. Most people outside a 10 mile radius have never heard of it! As far this incident, the point I am trying to make is that no defence is necessary in my opinion from Saints fans. They have done nothing wrong. If this happened in Cardiff during a match I would not look for reasons why it happened nor try to defend them. Why should I? The people that would do it would be nothing to do with me, my friends, my family, or my football club. Things like this do happen in all towns across the UK. Believe it or not, it even happened in Machen two years ago!

I am not here to defend Cardiff I came to say that not everyone is right about this and the only person that really know are him, Gaffa, and the perpetrators. As for "not denying that one", what have I denied so far? All I have said is there are quite a few here playing judge and jury and that he asked for it when they are going on (very) circumstantial evidence. As for denying that it could happen in any town, who would disagree? I already said that it was not football fans and I would not accept anyone that said it was football hooligans. All places have hooligans, football or not, of course it could have happened anywhere! Pink jumper = guilt? There are quite a few about you know.

I am a Cardiff fan and the first thing I have to say is that I walked to the ground from Ocean Village (past the Chapel pub I believe) and walked back the same way. At no time did I feel under threat and was very surprised when I got home to read what had happened. On the whole, any time that I have been to Southampton I have felt safe, and fans outside seem to mix freely. After reading this thread initially, the earlier posts were very supportive and critical of the incident. However later posts seem to accept that because he had a pink jumper on then he must have been looking for trouble because somebody with a pink jumper was!!! Speculate all you like but it doesn't mean that 1) it is a fact and 2) if it was it was the same person. The one factual account that any of us have is Gaffa's (he is the one that got hit, and he is a genuine bloke). He doesn't mention that the lad was causing trouble, on the contrary. He was there so I would rather take his word than decide he was asking for it anyway. Please realise, that even though we do have an unruly element (and the MB you refer to does actually criticise this element, and 99% do not rejoice in the fact), this is the vast minority. I have been going to Cardiff home and away for over 20 years and never been spoken to by a policeman (apart from asking directions) let alone got into any trouble. I am sure that all clubs have this minority but on the whole fans are genuine supporters that the opposing fans can chat and have a friendly drink with. Please don't be defensive. As far as I am concerned these were not Southampton fans they were locals. If they were fans then they would surely have been at the game anyway!