Now, your editor is usually a timid, meek, easy going liberal kind of guy, but today I metamorphised into a militant anarchist, and made a snarling invasion into the Main Stand to officially witness Thrush 0 Throstles 1. Needless to say, there were LOADS of nervous stewards and coppers, and the reason why you have a picture of the showers in the men’s toilets – don’t ask why – instead of the game is because I was warned in no uncertain terms not to take any pics of the game. Indeed, the whole atmosphere was very, very oppressive and did leave me with a seriously nasty taste in my mouth. Now, I only made the decision to go into the Main Stand at 2.30pm and I won’t divulge further details of how I got in but the turnout in there was large enough to make a statement but small enough to be treated as a hardcore renegade outfit intent on mayhem and destruction. Sort of.
So, why were me and a few other subversives there? To give Koppout grief, naturelment. Word as you probably know was that it was going to happen, personally I’m still not sure of the wisdom of broadcasting it on popular websites and even the Wimbledon News but there you go. Now, I used to go into the Main Stand yonks ago, and needless to say, it hasn’t changed : the atmosphere is still wank and there are still too many pilars about. Indeed, the intended chants were quite difficult to get really going because of the general graveyard mentality there still, but the stewards really were looking for trouble. Still, people supported us, even the Baggies who got in there. Did it have any effect on those it was meant to? Read on.
The game itself, look at something like the Official Site 🙂
Onwards…
Plus points: Were there any?
Minus points: WFC in general at the moment is a major minus point.
Is this a football stadium or a concentration camp?: That atmosphere in there was poisonous. Even my dad commented about how nasty it all seemed – he himself had a row with a steward over lighting a cigarette after the game. It is obvious that WFC’s contempt/paranoia/fear (delete as applicable) has reached levels I didn’t think were possible. The sheer over-reacting is now un-natural. Do we REALLY scare them that much? Trust me, today I really kept my head down because I could just feel somebody wanting to get into us. Dunno what it was like in the Holmesdale – anyone?
WISA Chairman watch: No, not Woking watch but the esteemed Mr K Stewart, who seemed a little bit, well, boisterous. Was spoken to by the chief steward after playing musical chairs in the stand. Wasn’t seen afterwards, maybe he managed to beat off all contenders and get the last seat.
Quotes: (1) “We’re waiting for you to play up so we can throw you out” – copper to CUNW in the TF before the game. No, he didn’t join us in the Main Stand, he’s not that dumb. (2) “He’s more ugly than you” – same copper to me after I asked him if I was going to be thrown out instead. About CUNW again, though I do worry whenever coppers don’t find you ugly. Wonder if he was going to let me have a nice feel of his helmet? (3) “You’re corned beef” – term of abuse about somebody being deaf. No, I don’t get it either – see what the oppressive atmosphere does to everyone’s brains?
Chants would be a fine thing: Us vs the real enemy today. Try these : “Swiv swivelly, swiv swivelly, swiv swiv sheroo, your name’s Charles Koppel and we don’t trust you”, “Be peaceful if you hate Koppel”, and in a reverencial nod towards the West Brom fans, “Boing boing Koppel out”. Rather disappointingly, Koppout didn’t respond with any chants of his own. Probably a secret Palace fan.
Speaking of Palace: 5-2 wasn’t it?
West Brom fans: Good turnout by them. Three Koppel Out posters spotted in the front row of the Arthur Waite. Which is amazing considering that they were being stripped from them before they were entering the ground. One Baggie fan reportedly was close to being arrested for taking a banner inside the ground. And you think I’m joking when I likened the atmosphere to being like a concentration camp. You know, I’ve always liked West Brom…….
Truth is stranger than fiction: (1) Watching an Italian player converting a penalty from 50 yards away in the rugby. I bet half today’s soccer players couldn’t even convert with the same amount of accuracy from 50mm away. (2) Was the game today so bad that I couldn’t tell you of one single incident?
And the person you love to despise……. : OK, let’s see what he got up to today. Came in late, left early. Arrived 10 minutes into the second half and was not seen late on. Did the invasion today have any effect? Yes it did, the guy looked genuinely worried at our collective presence. And let’s face it, his sheer fear of everyone reflects the heavyhandedness of the whole SP matchday experience ATM. A psychologist would have a field day with him
Speaking of Koppout, this was the first time since that fateful day in August when I have actually seen him in the flesh. Now, even if MK was dead and buried, he just looks like the kind of bloke who you would want to ram a screwdriver into. Or douse in acid. Or rub sandpaper over his face until it bleeds. Or give a chinese burn around the neck to. Wouldn’t want to ram any object up his arse though, that would really make his eyes swivel.
Y&B: Found out today why even though I have photographs in there I haven’t been credited with them. Reason understood and appreciated.
Anything else? Not really.
So, was it worth it? Well, I’d forgotten what the Main Stand was like.
In a nutshell: Something, somewhere, is going to give….