Accrington v Bolton this evening.

[Phoenix Shrimp 2017]

Decent game which was only ever going one way following Accy going down to 10 men mid way through the first half.
However it would appear the Bolton idiots still reign supreme despite suggestions that their club are trying to sort them out. Full time saw several hundred Bolton idiots on the pitch, flares and all. But really disappointing was several of their idiots felt the need to approach one of the Accy players and whatever they said to him sparked a massive reaction from him. As the camera panned away he was seen turning towards them and reacting angrily. He definitely was not happy with whatever had been said to him. What happened next I'm not sure because it went off camera.
Horrible, horrible club who in my opinion will never change.

PS. If Catte comes on here telling us yet again it's just a minority of their fans causing issues then I would tend to disagree with him. Goodness knows what would have happened if Accy had beat them?

[CityShrimp]

There are a number of clubs in this division who are as big as Bolton and manage not to cause trouble at every other game… it does seem to be a particular issue with Bolton. I hope we have more policing at our game against them in March and in an ideal world, Bolton would pay for it.

[Seasider9601]

They've always been the same.

Not many on here will remember a pre season "friendly" against them at Christie in the Summer of 1986...

I recall leaving the ground and seeing fighting developing and escalating outside the ground and it then extending down South Grove and then onto South Road.

Horrible night.

[Wild Bill]

It's sad that any additional revenue made by a sell out crowd against Bolton will probably be spent on security. If there's bother again we should next time limit their allocation to 600 seats.

[Catte]

Not going to come on here and defend fans for having flares or for invading the pitch. I will defend what the club are trying to do to eradicate them.

The club are doing what they can, everyone has to be registered to get a ticket anywhere, and if they are identified they get a banning order, not many clubs are doing this and the myth that other clubs do not had wrong un's fits some on here's narrative. It is also true we have many mugs from many teams that turn up at our place including some of the kids that follow Morecambe that cause bother usually behind the away end. We regularly have to replace damaged stalls and seating in the away end

Most clubs have an element no matter their size, just fewer if you have a smaller following. We know we have some and we as fans try to stop them, but come on a Semi Final away win there is always a chance fans will be on the pitch. the flares and abuse unacceptable.

We are trying to put our house in order, other clubs not so much. Hope they ban a few so I can take some of my family down to Wembley...

[Wild Bill]

Hope they ban a few so I can take some of my family down to Wembley...

This is quite a sad reflection of how bad things must be. I also agree with what you said and its a very difficult situation for the club to manage.

Once you get a reputation for trouble, other club's idiots want to have a go and younger fans grow up wanting to be like the few hundred real trouble makers and it becomes a vicious circle.

Its really annoying as if there weren't any trouble makers in crowds, security costs could be significantly reduced and we'd all be able to see matches for less.

[Phoenix Shrimp 2017]

Not going to come on here and defend fans for having flares or for invading the pitch. I will defend what the club are trying to do to eradicate them.

The club are doing what they can, everyone has to be registered to get a ticket anywhere, and if they are identified they get a banning order, not many clubs are doing this and the myth that other clubs do not had wrong un's fits some on here's narrative. It is also true we have many mugs from many teams that turn up at our place including some of the kids that follow Morecambe that cause bother usually behind the away end. We regularly have to replace damaged stalls and seating in the away end

Most clubs have an element no matter their size, just fewer if you have a smaller following. We know we have some and we as fans try to stop them, but come on a Semi Final away win there is always a chance fans will be on the pitch. the flares and abuse unacceptable.

We are trying to put our house in order, other clubs not so much. Hope they ban a few so I can take some of my family down to Wembley...

Not sure how you are putting your house in order? On the evidence of last night it's actually getting worse. The Accy players had run themselves to water and then at the final whistle had to face being taunted on the pitch. According to the Accrington Facebook forum one braindead moron ran at their keeper Jensen and took a swing at him. Fortunately it missed! Others were taunting and goading fans in the home end.

While all this is going on some of your players are laughing and joking and posing for selfies with the idiots on the pitch.

I think Accrington have to look at themselves also. Giving you two sides of the ground and not stopping infiltration in some home areas smacks of greed and it backfired on them. Guess they will lose any additional revenue in fines as a result. There's only so much stewards can do and faced by hundreds of rampaging idiots they quite rightly stood aside.

Good luck at Wembley! Plymouth are no shrinking violets and I shudder to think what might happen in and around the stadium if there is not a massive security presence.

[Catte]

I guess you have never seen a pitch invasion of celebratory fans, in general the opposing team leave the pitch fairly rapidly it just makes sense happens at all levels, Man City win the league pitch invasion opposing players take themselves away.
The lad in the altercation was strolling off the pitch and seemed very aggressive himself.

Phoenix, take a look at the levels the club has gone to, you cannot have a seat at a match now without the club knowing who should be in that seat, their email address and their phone number. This is challenged by terracing, then if someone misbehaves and is arrested they are banned. As a club we issued the most banning orders not because we are the worst behaved but because we have to tools to identify the perpetrators. Barely any other club has taken this step, we as fans want our club back and some want to go and cause trouble the club and true fans are doing what we can.

For your narrative you want to say we are all the same and what the club is doing is not enough that is up to you, but we are not all the same we do care about football, we like a bit of banter and a pint after the match. Plymouth are a really well supported team and it will be a cracking match they have their issues with fans same as most clubs even yours. The atmosphere will be out of this World there is no animosity between the fans and it should be a good Craic.

[Phil Anderer]

I think Bill's right about bad elements seeing a club having a reputation and wanting to go there and start something. Usually these people are not football fans and are only there for the fighting. As for pitch invasions, anyone remember Nob End in the JPT as it was back then? You'd think they'd won the FA Cup with that reaction. I think it needs spelling out more clearly to these people that encroaching on the pitch is a criminal offence - why not celebrate off the pitch instead of risking a criminal record? I know at Morecambe if they think there's a risk they announce it, but it should be made more clear at more clubs, I think.

[Dave (Barra)]

Phoenix, take a look at the levels the club has gone to, you cannot have a seat at a match now without the club knowing who should be in that seat, their email address and their phone number.

I tried to get tickets for your game v Pompey and after registering for a club membership, a ticket number etc, I was still unable to buy a ticket. Pain in the arse for neutrals but I suppose it shows some rigour regarding who gets their hands on tickets.

[Gone_Shrimping]

I guess you have never seen a pitch invasion of celebratory fans, in general the opposing team leave the pitch fairly rapidly it just makes sense happens at all levels, Man City win the league pitch invasion opposing players take themselves away.
The lad in the altercation was strolling off the pitch and seemed very aggressive himself.

Phoenix, take a look at the levels the club has gone to, you cannot have a seat at a match now without the club knowing who should be in that seat, their email address and their phone number. This is challenged by terracing, then if someone misbehaves and is arrested they are banned. As a club we issued the most banning orders not because we are the worst behaved but because we have to tools to identify the perpetrators. Barely any other club has taken this step, we as fans want our club back and some want to go and cause trouble the club and true fans are doing what we can.

For your narrative you want to say we are all the same and what the club is doing is not enough that is up to you, but we are not all the same we do care about football, we like a bit of banter and a pint after the match. Plymouth are a really well supported team and it will be a cracking match they have their issues with fans same as most clubs even yours. The atmosphere will be out of this World there is no animosity between the fans and it should be a good Craic.

As the upcoming match between Morecambe and Bolton is not for getting to a cup final and is just for league points can you guarantee that there will be no pitch invasion either during the game or at the end ?

[Phoenix Shrimp 2017]

I guess you have never seen a pitch invasion of celebratory fans, in general the opposing team leave the pitch fairly rapidly it just makes sense happens at all levels, Man City win the league pitch invasion opposing players take themselves away.
The lad in the altercation was strolling off the pitch and seemed very aggressive himself.

Phoenix, take a look at the levels the club has gone to, you cannot have a seat at a match now without the club knowing who should be in that seat, their email address and their phone number. This is challenged by terracing, then if someone misbehaves and is arrested they are banned. As a club we issued the most banning orders not because we are the worst behaved but because we have to tools to identify the perpetrators. Barely any other club has taken this step, we as fans want our club back and some want to go and cause trouble the club and true fans are doing what we can.

For your narrative you want to say we are all the same and what the club is doing is not enough that is up to you, but we are not all the same we do care about football, we like a bit of banter and a pint after the match. Plymouth are a really well supported team and it will be a cracking match they have their issues with fans same as most clubs even yours. The atmosphere will be out of this World there is no animosity between the fans and it should be a good Craic.

LOL. I've been watching football since the early 70's so I've seen more than my fair share of pitch invasions, the good the bad and the ugly. I'll admit that back in the day (before it was a criminal offence), I've joined in pitch invasions, but purely to celebrate. These days it appears some so called fans just want to get on the pitch to have a go at opposition players and fans.

It appears Bolton are doing their best to sort out problems at home games and may be succeeding. However if the conduct of your idiots at ours in their last two visits is anything to go by, they ain't getting a grip of it at away games.

I certainly don't tar all Bolton folk with the same brush. Indeed I know a lot of very decent folk from the town. It just seems you have a large hooligan element who love causing issues at the smaller clubs such as Accy and ourselves. Many of them are the bully types who feel strength in numbers and maybe think they can get away with it at smaller clubs. One things for sure we've had all the bigger EFL 1 clubs visiting in the last couple of years e.g. Ipswich, Sheff Wednesday, Sunderland and we have drunk with them and shared the craic with absolutely no issues. Why do Bolton feel the need to throw their weight around and cause major issues?

We'll wait and see what happens on the 4th shall we. I won't hold my breath that it's going to be any different.

[Gone_Shrimping]

There is some unpleasant footage on Facebook of some Bolton fans abusing John Coleman as he is being interviewed by Dan Jewell of Radio Lancashire.

[Catte]

Accrington will be in a little trouble from the powers that be, seems it was no challenge at all to buy a ticket for the home section. You just (now I do not know how true this is) had to give an Accrington/Blackburn/Burnley post code and have the required accent.

We are doing what we can at home and it has made getting tickets a challenge even for long standing fans, I too have been following football since the early 70's and witnessed some horror shows.
Unless other teams adopt a similar scheme at away matches we can only know who bought tickets from BWFC, Accrington wanted the cash (fair play) and took a gamble who knows who bought tickets in their end.

Coleman not liked in these parts, purely because of the comments he made whilst we were on the brink of going out of existence, will always be a target for mockery and some may say abuse, he has never been one to hold his own council so sometimes it comes back to you.

[Little Shrimp]

I appreciate you've generally tried to be reasonable on here Catte and have made some fair arguments - it's unfair to tar all Bolton fans with one brush and it does seem like the club are putting steps in place on their end in order to try and force away the idiots.

But you've made a few poorer points here. On abusing Coleman - absolutely well within your rights to shout 'Coley you're a wanker' etc from the stands, but running around trying to have a go while he's doing a press interview after the game is not on. Also completely unfair to try and make out the Stanley player as a part-aggressor in the altercation he had with fans. Anyone who's seen the footage can clearly see he only reacts after fans start getting in his face and goading him.

Ultimately, it's unfair to really be passing blame onto smaller clubs with lesser resources to control the disproportionate amount of dickheads that seem to follow Bolton. The fanbase has garnered a reputation across the whole league for being filled with morons, and the other big clubs with similarly large fanbases do not cause anywhere near as much trouble. Both ourselves and Accrington have happily welcomed the likes of Sheff Weds, Derby, Ipswich, Sunderland etc over recent years without the amount of trouble Bolton fans cause.

On this occasion, I think it was naive of Accy to offer so many tickets to Bolton, but they cannot be held fully accountable for the fact that it's comparatively a pretty nasty fanbase seemingly intent on causing trouble, particularly against smaller clubs.

[Dave (Barra)]

Accrington will be in a little trouble from the powers that be, seems it was no challenge at all to buy a ticket for the home section. You just (now I do not know how true this is) had to give an Accrington/Blackburn/Burnley post code and have the required accent.

Surprised by that - I went to Accy-Sunderland last season and when I rang up to buy a ticket they took my details, checked them with Sunderland and then rang back the following day to complete the sale.