HC Green":1x12x51a said:
I have been to every Newport game home and away since 1979 I have never had any problems apart from getting soaked the last time. The year before I stayed in Newport after the game and found the fans I met in the pub friendly enough.
I've met several friendly Millwall fans, I count one as a good friend. I wouldn't skip happily and carefree through Central Park at on a thinly policed match day though.
There's good and bad in every club, but some just stand out. Newport are one of them. Add in yesterday that it was a warm August Bank Holiday weekend, when 'firms' tend to like a bit of away day 'fun' and it'd be hugely naive to parade the normal matchday numbers. Almost as naive as fans throwing their arms up in surprise that it happened.
Blame Newport, blame their reputation and the reputation of all travelling 'firms' on Bank Holiday weekends by the sea since the Leeds rampage at Bournemouth in the 80's, but don't blame the stewards and the old bill for keeping you safe on the basis of those historical events. They're doing their jobs and with no significant incidents they did it well.
Folk ridicule health and safety all the time. Yet look at any A&E department at any given time and you'll see that human beings are basically all idiots that'll risk themselves and others doing deliberate or reckless things to themselves and each other. Also take a look at the court list for small claims court or the in tray of any solicitors office and you'll see they're full of cases where human beings seek to gain cash from others if they feel they weren't sufficiently protected.
Add that all up and you get the world we live in now. Fundamentally a world where authorities are charged with protecting idiots from themselves and each other in full knowledge that if they don't do that the idiots will claim compensation from them.
Still surprised by yesterday's match safety requirements?