Crowd tonight.

[robf]

2 minutes ago, llcoolj said:

Football grounds should reintroduce fences to keep the fans off the pitch, that worked well before didn't it?

I think it depends on how its done. Arguably standing didn't work either in light of the terrible Hillsborough events but we've moved on to the far safer "safe standing" areas. 

Ironically, the next ground we go to has a system which I think could work. It looks to me like it will fold down in an emergency to allow emergency exit. But in regular use, it's not there to keep you out at all cost but just to make it tricky to get onto the pitch so any passing steward has time to react. 

I would imagine something like that is better than the "death trap" systems there was in the 80s

[Stamfordvale]

"as for Clarke he needs to get some control over his emotions, he ain't help matters"
Are you for real? !!!!!  Stupid comment. !

No reason then for him to apologise to the player, the manager and the club, also the fact that he realised he got red carded and brought the club into disrepute, but then I bow to your superior interlect.

[Santa]

If there’s a problem with antisocial behaviour in football / society at large then there’s definitely going to be a problem down the Vale.

You didn’t have to be Russell Grant to know what was going to happen last night. Could there have been more of a plan in place?

[Jacko51]

30 minutes ago, robf said:

I think it depends on how its done. Arguably standing didn't work either in light of the terrible Hillsborough events but we've moved on to the far safer "safe standing" areas. 

Ironically, the next ground we go to has a system which I think could work. It looks to me like it will fold down in an emergency to allow emergency exit. But in regular use, it's not there to keep you out at all cost but just to make it tricky to get onto the pitch so any passing steward has time to react. 

I would imagine something like that is better than the "death trap" systems there was in the 80s

I was trying to find a pic of those, Rob so thanks!  I wonder what the cost is?

[Santa]

I do wonder why the cats cradle hasn’t taken off outside of Wembley. 

[Regal Beagle]

12 minutes ago, Santa said:

If there’s a problem with antisocial behaviour in football / society at large then there’s definitely going to be a problem down the Vale.

You didn’t have to be Russell Grant to know what was going to happen last night. Could there have been more of a plan in place?

The complete lack of stewards on the pitch is shocking to be fair. As you say the pitch invasion was so predictable that there's no reason a plan couldn't have been in place to immediately shepherd the losing team to safety. 

 

(I know they shouldn't HAVE too) but I can't really see any Swindon player make an effort to get to the tunnel with any haste. In fact there are two vale players who get there first and a few of their subs actually make their way onto the pitch. 

 

I think Police/Stewards should have focused on keeping the pitch invaders away from opposing fans rather than spreading thinly around all areas of the ground - there's no way they were stopping thousands of people getting onto the pitch so the next best outcome is to keep the fans away from each other. 

[bomber]

It's totally beyond me after a fantastic game and you have won! You are over the moon with joy and happiness that someone feels the need to knock seven bells out of the opposition. Bonkers!

[Paul6754]

Indicative of society as a whole which football is very much part of but again very sad that a very tiny minority grab the headlines on what was a truly wonderful night for PVFC and the vast majority of it's supporters.

I would be very reluctant to go back to the   "Barriers around the pitch" approach 'cause it's only when the un-anticipated happens that very serious problems and tragedies happen. To me the best approach is high def-cameras around the ground and turnstiles which can zoom in and out so that offenders can be retrospectively traced and prosecuted.

 

 

[Powerline]

5 hours ago, FeedThePope9 said:

Not trying to excuse violence but Harry McKirdy winds up opposition fans on a weekly basis. He made a post on Instagram before the first leg referring to Vale as 'pigs' and then proceeded to celebrate right in front of our supporters. This is one of many cases this season and it does spark a reaction from people. I'm not saying it's right.

Every club has a bad bunch and Swindon Town is no exception. They ripped up seats in the Bycars and threw flares and bottles onto the pitch at the end but I know that the majority of the supporters in the away end just wanted to cheer on their team and enjoy a play-off semi final second leg. 

The actions of a few thugs and so called 'fans' will have unfortunately damaged our club's reputation last night. Real Vale fans are affected as a result. Multiple flares were set of after Wilson's goal in the Railway last night and one was thrown and landed in the middle row. One older gentlemen nearly had an asthma attack before it was eventually removed by fellow supporters.

It was a minority of people who decided to try and attack Swindon players and supporters. It has happened far too often in English football recently and not just this week. The Euro final last year springs to mind.

There was nearly 10,000 Vale fans and the majority behaved and just wanted to celebrate reaching the new Wembley for the first time in our history. It was a fantastic occasion and the best night we've had at Vale Park in well over a decade. UTV

Agree. If I went round to people on the street calling them pigs and doing machine guns actions at them, I’d expect to be thumped. Does that excuse their violence? No. But it’s certainly understandable how some people that are more violent prone end up assaulting him.

[ValeForever.]

13 hours ago, jjvale_03 said:

Your view of 4000 diehards is outdated.

We're changing and growing. The amount of kids I see at Vale Park staggers me, and the players have just hooked them into this club for a lifetime with a trip to Wembley. Make the Hamil a permanent home end where the focus is on supporting the team rather than goading away supporters and we're flying. 

RIP little old Port Vale.

Absolutely spot on. Would love us to turn the Hamil into a proper home end. Get a big flag in there to pass around before kick off & turn it into our own version of the Kop. Flags, scarves, banners, streamers. Would be amazing!

[soothsayer]

16 hours ago, bomber said:

It's totally beyond me after a fantastic game and you have won! You are over the moon with joy and happiness that someone feels the need to knock seven bells out of the opposition. Bonkers!

Totally agree. 👍 What’s really disappointing is perhaps <1% of the Vale fans at the game have made the headlines for the wrong reasons. This has tarnished the fantastic atmosphere at the game as well as the monumental performance by the team. Hopefully the culprits will be identified, prosecuted and banned from football. 

[Fosse69]

Fans’ ugly behaviour is not just about football – it’s about society | Football violence | The Guardian

WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM

I had forgotten the Sunderland invasion at one of their previous PO seasons, and where are Oldham now?

[Coyney Valiant]

1 hour ago, soothsayer said:

Totally agree. 👍 What’s really disappointing is perhaps <1% of the Vale fans at the game have made the headlines for the wrong reasons. This has tarnished the fantastic atmosphere at the game as well as the monumental performance by the team. Hopefully the culprits will be identified, prosecuted and banned from football. 

Along with the Swindon fans who threw seats and other objects at the vale fans 

[soothsayer]

16 minutes ago, Coyney Valiant said:

Along with the Swindon fans who threw seats and other objects at the vale fans 

But I didn’t see any Swindon fans on the pitch making a nuisance of themselves with any players. 

[philmpv]

But I didn’t see any Swindon fans on the pitch making a nuisance of themselves with any players. 

That's alright then. Throw a seat at a crowd of people. That's fine so long as they're not on the pitch and the people they're throwing at aren't footballers