Spare a thought for the fans unable to celebrate a moment in a game due to their job.
My lass has already left for duty at today’s game. She has to do the both Tyne Wear derbies every year. Some years she is inside the stadium in between the fans. She prefers it there because you just get both sets of fans singing and gesturing to each other, nothing more.
Sometimes, like today she is part of the escort for the mackems. She doesn’t like this part because the fans moan like f*** at the police. Its probably one of the shortest escorts in the game but one done so many times over the years without ever being too much bother. What they will face today is some angry Sunderland fans not liking being ushered behind a police escort up St James boulevard.
The police, in riot gear, will be told to stand their ground and form a human barrier between the two sets of fans. Most who complain are kids.yet you’ll get most who just want to get inside the ground without trouble to support their team, knowing without the police it will flare up. A lot of the bother they will face today are the people who know the police will not break ranks and these people most likely with a history of interaction with police or just full of drink. Its bravado at best.
They will get called all sorts today,they will have kids coming right up to them and shouting in their faces, some will spit at them, some will through bottle and food at them, some like to stick their cameras in their faces and swear at them so they can look good on youtube. the police will not break ranks because they have been ordered to keep formation.
I know a fair few of the police who will be working alongside my lass today and i’m thankful that some of them are big c***s and will be alongside her. I also know that some of them will be getting grief off both sets of fans for being there today. I know some that have season tickets for Newcastle and have to miss this game every season so Newcastle and Sunderland fans can abuse them.
Its of course mainly kids, drunken men or stupid men who want to cause bother. You don’t have to have seen it, been part of it or be told about it to know these are the people who wouldn’t say boo if the police were not there. they know the fans wont get to each other so behind the safety of the police they hate so much they act tough.
Of course most fans at today’s game are not like this, and are aware of what the police are doing today, are not in need to people like me writing this stuff. The police will wander around the streets prior to the away fans arriving, some will just sit in vans awaiting a call of trouble, some will do the walk through of bars. The banter in the bars prior to the away fans turning up is always very good.
Nearly two years ago, the world watched as the met police stood aside as hundreds of kids rioted in London. We spoke about it a lot on here and the general feeling was that the police failed to act. I recall saying that the feeling in Northumbria Police is that our commanding officers would never let it happen here and that the police would have wiped out any bother long before other boroughs got involved. after the early 90’s riots in North shields and Scotswood they won’t let it escalate.
It’s all about not losing control and keeping any trouble to small pockets. football games and EDL marches are well policed in our city and its clear the hierarchy at Ponteland simply don’t want to be seen as losing control.
The police owe the city, the public, the good fans, the shop owners, the shoppers whose cars are parked all over and even the trouble makers themselves their presence.
I, won’t hear from my lass till after the game but will worry. she isn’t very big, has been head butted, kicked, spat at and been hit in the face with missiles at these games but I know if it did get so bad that they had to protect themselves or their fellow officers they could do. I worry because they are not allowed to and have to take abuse of the idiots who wouldn’t have the balls to open their mouths if they weren’t there.
We all know there are some police who are wankers, some who bully and some who act tough. i don’t get into bother but I’ve enough of them. Days like today its different, its organised so they stand and take shit while doing their jobs.
They can’t win, if no bother happens they will get abuse for being heavy handed. they will get people suggesting they want to act big and get promoted. some idiots who hate the police that much lose sight of the fact of what they are doing and forget these are normal people, a lot just everyday fans not allowed to go to the biggest game of the season and just doing a job.