Firstly - don't agree re: points deduction and suspect the OP is on a wind up routine.

But I must say, it saddens me that this thread is full of City fans talking about how Rio Ferdinand was in the wrong etc.

There should only be one response to this - the guy was in the wrong.

We seem to now be in a situation where it's okay for fans to swear, scream personal insults, make gestures etc. towards players - but the minute a player dares to celebrate in front of them, they've done wrong.

People seem to be losing all common sense.

Players like Ferdinand and Rooney clearly have a passion for their club, and scoring a winner in a derby is going to see a release of emotion - they wouldn't be normal if they didn't.

If you've ever sat near an away section at your ground, you'll surely have seen the nearby home fans giving stick when their team score, and vice versa.

What's the difference?

As far as I am concerned, if fans can shout things at the players then they should be able to deal with a celebration in front of them, and players shouldn't be censored from doing so just because they might not be able to deal with it.

Throwing coins is on a different level to the 'banter' of chants and celebrations.

On another note - the level of hatred being directed at Rooney as he went to take the corner yesterday was truly embarrassing.

Grown men behaving like animals - cringeworthy.

Winston, I think you underestimate just how unlikeable you are as a side and how loathesome and detestable your players are

Er yeh - funny.

comment by TheKaisersTrainers (U5676)
posted 46 minutes ago
Winston, I think you underestimate just how unlikeable you are as a side and how loathesome and detestable your players are
----------------------
From a Liverpool fan whose favourite player is Suarez. Couldn't make it up

KaiserTrainers is an okay guy from previous experience but I think his reply to your excellent post just sums football fans up Winston.

I do question if Rio had played for another team and it had been United fans attacking him if any wrong doing on his part would have even been mentioned.

There is no excuse for throwing misslies and i for one am ashamed of the morons that call themselves City fans that did this. We have always been known for our humourous and well behaved fans over recent years and this just sickens me.

oh calm down

just a bit of banter

no one condones throwing coins. probably not even the ones throwing them after they sober up.

missles / coins get thrown every sinlge match at every single club and it's disgraceful.

someone finally getting their aim in order or just a flukey shot is the only thing different to what went on at the other grounds.

Suarez got hit the other week and he put the coin in his shoe. He was lucky it didn't hit him somewhere near the eye.

Winston, I almost fully agree with you and completely understand where you are coming from, but, crowd incitement is something which the ruling bodies of the sport take very seriously, it is a big risk in football, and has been for years, the players, who are professionals I might add, are aware of this risk, and so are instructed to conduct themselves accordingly and are aware of the punishments that can and are dealt out in cases where crowd incitement has occurred.

Whether you think throwing coins is a justified response to someone of the opposing team goading and celebrating in front of you, and I think any reasonable human being would agree that it is not, it is something that does unfortunately happen in the game on a somewhat regular basis, and for the likes of Rooney, to deliberately run and celebrate in front of the section of the crowd where only minutes before, he had had objects thrown at him when stepping up to take a corner, was unneccessary, unprofessional, and ultimately resulted in a situation being created where he and other United players were put at risk.

and ultimately resulted in a situation being created where he and other United players were put at risk.



I take your points but don't wholeheartedly agree with them.

However, I take issue with the above.

Given the level of hatred and objects being thrown at Rooney when he was taking the corner, I think it's a bit rich to suggest that the celebration is what caused the City fans' behaviour.

Sounds like the celebration is a convenient excuse - the reality is that City fans will have been throwing things on the pitch regardless of the United player's behaviour.

Given what happened at the corner though, and dont for one second think I'm trying to find excuses or condone any of this, but why did he then slide right up to the bye line and celebrate in front of the very same section of City fans?

Was an avoidable situation, if they were behind Hart's goal, in the middle of your lot, wouldn't have happened. For that reason I think it isn't unfair to say that the actions of some United players contriubuted/fueled what happened.

I think it's fair to say they were in throwing distance in front of the United fans?

I think this is all an irrelevance anyway.

Have you ever played football? I have - and when we win, or I score, and you've had stick from the sidelines for a lot of the game, it's natural to return the favour and make the home crowd fully aware of your delight.

To me, it's a bit like the argument that girls dressing in short skirts means that they are partly to blame for being attacked.

That might seem a misplaced analogy, but I think it's appropriate - there seems to be a tendency for some to make excuses for the idiots who are actually to blame.

As far as I am concerned, it's simple - the fans who threw coins are 100% to blame.

Does celebrating near them heighten their anger? Probably. But to be honest, that's their problem.

If they're people that feel they can dish out abuse all game but can't handle a player celebrating near them, then maybe they shouldn't be at a football match.

In my opinion, that's the message that should be sent out by the FA here.

If you seek to blame Ferdinand and Rooney then you are - perhaps unwittingly - saying to fans that they can abuse who they like and players should steer clear in case they don't have the maturity to behave with common decency.

If I go out and leave my front door open and return a few hours later to find my chattles have been robbed then the police would call me irresponsible and the insurance company probably wouldn't cough up, even though I haven't actually committed a crime.

Footballers goading opposing supporters is a very similar scenario and whilst I obviously don't condone throwing missles, it's not exactly unexpected and players should shoulder some of the blame.

Who did Rooney goad when he took the corner?

You tell me, I'm talking about Plug.

So should we stop having corners in football as they seem to be the set piece which incites the crowd the most?

If Rooney has had coins thrown at him at one corner is it irresponsible of him to carry on taking corners?

Bellamy was taking a corner when he was pelted with missiles, if his assailant had actually been prosecuted then it might have detered others.

Wasn't Bellamy being irresponsible being that close to the crowd while being Craig Bellamy?

So you agree that corners are most likely to incite a crowd and should be banned?

Not too sure what Rooney taking a corner has to do with Ferdinand, Wellbeck and Jones goading the City fans but I'm sure you'll enlighten me.

Didn't you say players were to blame for putting themselves in a position where they may get missiles hurled at them? That would include a corner

Most players manage to take corners without caving in to the urge to goad opposing supporters. Perhaps Wazza finds it irresistible though.

probally thought it was all them asian blues wearing half blue/red scarfs, who were cheering & filming when United scored.

Very sporting of them that dont you think inky?

Been reading Bluemoon again I see.

why do you say that?

Anyone could see them all over your ground last Sunday, oh apart from you that is.

What, every City fan there was Asian apart from me?

hundreds of them, cheering when United scored.

Classic, are they from Stockport?