Pitch invasions are an interesting subject. Many now view this after match activity, or tradition, with disapproving opinions. It’s not hard to understand why this might be when you cast your mind back to that awful day at Hillsborough in 1989 when 96 people lost their lives after going to a football match. The image of fans, players, coaches and officials on the pitch is now associated with that horrific event and so I completely get why pitch invasions are portrayed in that manner. If there was a single day that changed the English game more dramatically I’ve yet to hear about it. Before then, however, a pitch invasion was always associated with joy and celebration. The desire to share, congratulate, thank and, essentially, party with the team after a significant win drove fans in their thousands on to playing surfaces up and down the country. Ok – perhaps celebration wasn’t always the motivation for encroachment on to the turf. There were occasions when aggro with opposition supporters was front and center of mind however, in the main, they were after match revelries rather than hooligan related activities. Although not celebrating together opposition fans have even appreciated the other team’s achievements. Man City and West Ham fans proved it doesn’t have to be confrontational when applauding each other after the title win in 2014.
The partying on the pitch outpouring of joyful emotion was often associated with the passion felt by the fans of clubs and, I have to admit, on occasion, was visually impressive. Images of triumphant players held aloft on the shoulders of fans are amongst the most memorable in the annals of the history of the game. Wrexham’s famous cup win against Arsenal a good example of celebrations – commended by the commentator in the following video (Wrexham’s Steve Watkin on the shoulders of a fan): -
“Some people are on the pitch, they think it’s all over!” Kenneth Wolstenholme continued “It is now!” Was that the worst day in the footballing calendar of 1966 – absolutely runied by mindless idiots invading the grass at the Wembley Stadium?
I do wonder if attitudes have changed. Listening to the radio on Tuesday I heard ex-professional players sit in judgement of any fan entering the field of play whilst suggesting that it should never happen. Might that be because players simply don’t want to be near fans nowadays? Players of past generations would happily mix with fans. Some even enjoying a pint or two with them in the pubs and clubs around grounds. Is this part of what influences former player, turned pundits, to condemn pitch invading fans and suggesting, for example, by commenting “Why can’t they just celebrate, with their mates, in the stands.”
The behaviour of the Wigan fans, if that’s who they were, who goaded the away supporters, spat on Aguero and did behave like morons on Monday night, was pitiful. There’s a massive difference between celebrating a win and acting like those people did at the aforementioned game at the DW.
I guess the question is how far should passion go. Jake Livermore was on the end of some horrible comments from one of our fans in the home game against West Brom. Was it passion that drove that supporter to say what he said? Would that have been his excuse?
Personally I’m not properly fulfilled unless I lose my voice during a game. Going in sounding perfectly normal and exiting the ground sounding like my voice-box has been replaced by a 1972 Cortina exhaust box always re-assures me that I’ve done my bit in making up my small part of the ‘12th man’. My voice bellows to the point where some do look around at me but that’s ok. For just over 90 minutes I’m acting slightly out of character anyway. I become a partisan who isn’t shy of letting a match official know when I believe they’ve wronged my team. I wouldn’t do that when managing my U13s on a Sunday morning, not that I don’t sometimes want to, but at West Ham I enjoy that feeling of freedom to vent my spleen in the knowledge that the officials are higly paid professionals who aren’t going to have their feelings hurt by a bit of vocal criticism from me.
It’s all about nailing your colours to the mast for me. Yes it’s a tribal thing. I’m one of “David Moyes’ Claret & Blue Army.” (although I’ll always feel compelled to sing “Johnny Lyally’s Claret & Blue Army”). Proud, unafraid and unapologetic to the last. Would I invade a pitch to celebrate? Under certain circumstances, and if the journey to the pitch didn’t make the trip too arduous, then I probably would. I have to admit to a compelling desire to go and congratulate, celebrate and party with the players, coaching team and only constant element of the club, and true custodians, – my compatriots of the Claret & Blue Army. If, like so many in the media, you’re incapable of understanding that then fair enough.
A quick word on the Liverpool game. Each week, as well as a ‘pennies’ bet on an outside 6 way accumulator I have a small bet on either a Treble or 4-way. They tend to be strong favourites in either men’s or women’s football from any of the European leagues. Liverpool came up with strong odds this week. I didn’t have them in my acca as I felt it wasn’t a strong enough ‘dead cert’. If the boys can play like they did against some of the other big teams, like the Spudz, Chelski and Manchester City, by keeping a strong, well organised, shape in defence and carrying a threat on the break then you never know. That said I’ve not had a cheeky bet on West Ham either. Perhaps I should go for the draw. What do you think?
COYI! West Ham 4 The 2019 Cup!