I wasn't there yesterday but out of interest, is anyone going to make an official complaint? All of this pepper spray malarkey looked totally unnecessary to me.
The West Mercia force are investigating the use of force. Might be advisable to await the outcome of that investigation before lodging any complaints. If they find it was, in their opinion, a proportionate and correct use of pepper spray then that's the time to lodge a complaint (I would suggest the Trust and/or the Club).
I think we probably all know the outcome of that investigation, if in fact one even takes place.
I wasn't there yesterday but out of interest, is anyone going to make an official complaint? All of this pepper spray malarkey looked totally unnecessary to me.
The West Mercia force are investigating the use of force. Might be advisable to await the outcome of that investigation before lodging any complaints. If they find it was, in their opinion, a proportionate and correct use of pepper spray then that's the time to lodge a complaint (I would suggest the Trust and/or the Club).
I think we probably all know the outcome of that investigation, if in fact one even takes place.
Yes most likely - but the right thing is to wait until they almost certainly say something like - "The action of West Mercia Police in quelling aggressive crowd behaviour at the recent Shrewsbury v Charlton game was both proportionate and correctly administered, and every care was taken to avoid innocent bystanders suffering from the entirely appropriate use of pepper spray."
The whole episode was very unpleasant and a ridiculous display of lager-fuelled machismo. It’s one thing for people who have seen this sort of nonsense before but quite another for young kids, most of whom are going to be disturbed by seeing ‘adults’ behaving in this sort of way.
The Shrewsbury fans certainly started it all off with the pitch invasion and goading, but the best response would have been to largely ignore the bastards and let the stewards and police clear the pitch and nick the principal culprits. The response of some of our supporters was OTT, although presumably the bottles which were thrown were all plastic. The stewards were incapable of controlling the situation and by the time the police showed up, there was a large throng of Charlton in the bottom right hand corner. I expect the officers will seek to justify the pepper spray on the basis that they were outnumbered and, despite repeated warnings, the crowd would not move back, giving rise to the risk of a mass brawl.
Given that everything is recorded on CCTV, I expect there will be a number of arrests. In the case of the bellends from Shrewsbury, I hope the police crack on with it and ensure that the individuals in question aren’t allowed anywhere near Wembley or a football ground again for some considerable time.
Be interesting to know how many people with opinions were actually there and saw everything first hand from a matter of meters away. I didn’t get involved but saw everything unfold.
I was there with my partner and we both saw police punch fans and kick fans who were already on the ground, police spraying PAVA without warning and as if it was water or air freshener.
Yes, there were many Charlton fans who reacted in a poor and unacceptable way, but it was started by the Shrewsbury scum who goaded us and tried to get to us first instead of just celebrating their goal, then were allowed to get away with whatever they wanted, and it was carried on by the poor and shameful policing that took place thereafter.
But as others have mentioned, they can say they’ll look into it but they won’t and nothing will happen.
At the end of the day, we were all there to watch the football, support our team and do our best to help the team however we could to get to the final. In a high pressure and tense game that meant a lot, with much at stake, there is always going to be a retaliation when it had carried on from before the game, heading into that section of the crowd clearly aiming to wind many of us up.
Personally I would have preferred a cuddle of the pretty brunette officer ❤️
Thank you. 6 pages of Football Factory nonsense and finally we're on to the main issue. She was hot, hot, hot! If it wasn't for all the yobbery then I would have been right down the front confessing to a litany of villainy in the Shrewsbury area.
Well to me it removed the angry baying mob away from that corner , so the old bill will call it justified in the result it produced , even though some non aggressors suffered in the aftermath
Very valid point oohaah.
I've looked at the footage from other angles and it's pretty clear that the 'instant, on the ground' decision, using the limited resources available, was to contain the minority aggressor group. In this case, the minority aggressor group was deemed to be the Charlton 'fans' who, by now, had already caused a collapse of the advertising hoardings.
Due to the limited police manpower available at that time, and taking into account the potential escalation and risk to safety, the police would have deemed that the only instant option they had at the time was the use of the spray.
That's how I see it and by virtue of that, in law, it will probably be deemed as appropriate use of minimum force to achieve their objective for the greater good of public safety.
Over zealous policing is going somewhere like Madrid as an English fan, and getting assualted by a copper using a baton for no reason whatsoever. Trust me.
Had no idea pepper spray had been used until we got back to the pub post match and saw this thread.
A few skirmishes post match, but the West Mercia Police were hilarious. Provincial plod at their finest. Used to dealing with sheep rustling and controlling foot and mouth, most were unfit, overweight and about slowest responding law enforcement agency I've ever seen.
The handbags during the game, didn't deserve the unwarranted response and over reaction by them. They'd last 5 minutes in the Met before being slung out.
Well to me it removed the angry baying mob away from that corner , so the old bill will call it justified in the result it produced , even though some non aggressors suffered in the aftermath
Very valid point oohaah.
I've looked at the footage from other angles and it's pretty clear that the 'instant, on the ground' decision, using the limited resources available, was to contain the minority aggressor group. In this case, the minority aggressor group was deemed to be the Charlton 'fans' who, by now, had already caused a collapse of the advertising hoardings.
Due to the limited police manpower available at that time, and taking into account the potential escalation and risk to safety, the police would have deemed that the only instant option they had at the time was the use of the spray.
That's how I see it and by virtue of that, in law, it will probably be deemed as appropriate use of minimum force to achieve their objective for the greater good of public safety.
Over zealous policing is going somewhere like Madrid as an English fan, and getting assualted by a copper using a baton for no reason whatsoever. Trust me.
Spot on. If our lot had got through to theirs there would have been carnage. If you got sprayed while trying to get at them, man up and move on. If you got sprayed and weren't doing anything put it down as an experience.
Had no idea pepper spray had been used until we got back to the pub post match and saw this thread.
A few skirmishes post match, but the West Mercia Police were hilarious. Provincial plod at their finest. Used to dealing with sheep rustling and controlling foot and mouth, most were unfit, overweight and about slowest responding law enforcement agency I've ever seen.
The handbags during the game, didn't deserve the unwarranted response and over reaction by them. They'd last 5 minutes in the Met before being slung out.
Godfrey was taunting the fans in the East Stand after they scored at The Valley. Not once but full on for about 30 seconds. You can understand briefly, but the way he did it was provocative in the extreme.
Posts like this make me realise I'm old. Thank god for the urban dictionary :-)
I spent last half term looking after my 3 year old grandaughter. After watching Pepper Pig on tv and doing Pepper Pig puzzles all week it scarred me for life. You go to some dark places with this sort of shit!
Posts like this make me realise I'm old. Thank god for the urban dictionary :-)
I spent last half term looking after my 3 year old grandaughter. After watching Pepper Pig on tv and doing Pepper Pig puzzles all week it scarred me for life. You go to some dark places with this sort of shit!
Had no idea pepper spray had been used until we got back to the pub post match and saw this thread.
A few skirmishes post match, but the West Mercia Police were hilarious. Provincial plod at their finest. Used to dealing with sheep rustling and controlling foot and mouth, most were unfit, overweight and about slowest responding law enforcement agency I've ever seen.
The handbags during the game, didn't deserve the unwarranted response and over reaction by them. They'd last 5 minutes in the Met before being slung out.
Awaiting the minutes of the next SAG meeting @Addickted
Had no idea pepper spray had been used until we got back to the pub post match and saw this thread.
A few skirmishes post match, but the West Mercia Police were hilarious. Provincial plod at their finest. Used to dealing with sheep rustling and controlling foot and mouth, most were unfit, overweight and about slowest responding law enforcement agency I've ever seen.
The handbags during the game, didn't deserve the unwarranted response and over reaction by them. They'd last 5 minutes in the Met before being slung out.
Thought you had 'no idea' and didnt see it?
I've seen the video clips.
Pepper spraying indiscriminately, because you cannot do your job properly, is, in my opinion, an unwarranted response and over reaction.
Well to me it removed the angry baying mob away from that corner , so the old bill will call it justified in the result it produced , even though some non aggressors suffered in the aftermath
Very valid point oohaah.
I've looked at the footage from other angles and it's pretty clear that the 'instant, on the ground' decision, using the limited resources available, was to contain the minority aggressor group. In this case, the minority aggressor group was deemed to be the Charlton 'fans' who, by now, had already caused a collapse of the advertising hoardings.
Due to the limited police manpower available at that time, and taking into account the potential escalation and risk to safety, the police would have deemed that the only instant option they had at the time was the use of the spray.
That's how I see it and by virtue of that, in law, it will probably be deemed as appropriate use of minimum force to achieve their objective for the greater good of public safety.
Over zealous policing is going somewhere like Madrid as an English fan, and getting assualted by a copper using a baton for no reason whatsoever. Trust me.
Quite agree. As I said in my earlier post I was sat 4 rows from the front at the very end of the block so I had a very good view of it all. Although the Shrews fans started it they had all got back into their stand when our "baying mob" were in full flow. 20 years ago I would have expected batons to be used but I think the pepper spray has a much better effect.
Long before the incident, there was a Charlton supporter in front of me give rude hand gestures constantly to the away supporters. How mature is that?
When Shrewsbury scored, I was not aware that some of their supporters entered the pitch and goaded ours. That though is no reason for dozens and dozens our our supporters to leave their seats, one falling over me whilst I was sitting down, to charge in mob-like form and try to attent to engage the home supporters. The stewards and the police had no option but to keep them apart, and if the solution was the use of pepper spray, then so be it. I am of course extremely sorry if innocent supporters sitting nearby were affected but the incident did look as though drastic action was needed to keep OUR fabs from entering the Shrewsbury stand, hence the use of spay on our so called fans only.
Thereafter a number of Charlton supporters stood at the barriers close to the pitch and in doing so, blocked the view of the supporters sitting down in the front rows; they refused to move when politely asked to do so. One supporter on the barriers was spitting at the opposing goalkeeper.
Overall, I was not proud on the night to be a Charlton supporter and thus I was supportive of the police action to attempt to keep our thugs in order.
@bobcafc7 instead of just lol’ing posts I would be interested to hear your opinion on why our fans trying to fight the home fans, spitting, throwing bottles, acting aggressively generally in front of kids and standing in the way of elderly fans a number of which had requested to be moved to the front row so they could sit and watch the game they had paid to go to is so funny and acceptable to you?
Sure Shrews fans acted badly too, but ‘they started it and deserved to be dealt with by police too’ is the quality and level of argument I would expect from my 5 year old.
Long before the incident, there was a Charlton supporter in front of me give rude hand gestures constantly to the away supporters. How mature is that?
When Shrewsbury scored, I was not aware that some of their supporters entered the pitch and goaded ours. That though is no reason for dozens and dozens our our supporters to leave their seats, one falling over me whilst I was sitting down, to charge in mob-like form and try to attent to engage the home supporters. The stewards and the police had no option but to keep them apart, and if the solution was the use of pepper spray, then so be it. I am of course extremely sorry if innocent supporters sitting nearby were affected but the incident did look as though drastic action was needed to keep OUR fabs from entering the Shrewsbury stand, hence the use of spay on our so called fans only.
Thereafter a number of Charlton supporters stood at the barriers close to the pitch and in doing so, blocked the view of the supporters sitting down in the front rows; they refused to move when politely asked to do so. One supporter on the barriers was spitting at the opposing goalkeeper.
Overall, I was not proud on the night to be a Charlton supporter and thus I was supportive of the police action to attempt to keep our thugs in order.
Long before the incident, there was a Charlton supporter in front of me give rude hand gestures constantly to the away supporters. How mature is that?
When Shrewsbury scored, I was not aware that some of their supporters entered the pitch and goaded ours. That though is no reason for dozens and dozens our our supporters to leave their seats, one falling over me whilst I was sitting down, to charge in mob-like form and try to attent to engage the home supporters. The stewards and the police had no option but to keep them apart, and if the solution was the use of pepper spray, then so be it. I am of course extremely sorry if innocent supporters sitting nearby were affected but the incident did look as though drastic action was needed to keep OUR fabs from entering the Shrewsbury stand, hence the use of spay on our so called fans only.
Thereafter a number of Charlton supporters stood at the barriers close to the pitch and in doing so, blocked the view of the supporters sitting down in the front rows; they refused to move when politely asked to do so. One supporter on the barriers was spitting at the opposing goalkeeper.
Overall, I was not proud on the night to be a Charlton supporter and thus I was supportive of the police action to attempt to keep our thugs in order.
Comments
See, Millwall are right, it’s always West Ham’s fault
The Shrewsbury fans certainly started it all off with the pitch invasion and goading, but the best response would have been to largely ignore the bastards and let the stewards and police clear the pitch and nick the principal culprits. The response of some of our supporters was OTT, although presumably the bottles which were thrown were all plastic. The stewards were incapable of controlling the situation and by the time the police showed up, there was a large throng of Charlton in the bottom right hand corner. I expect the officers will seek to justify the pepper spray on the basis that they were outnumbered and, despite repeated warnings, the crowd would not move back, giving rise to the risk of a mass brawl.
Given that everything is recorded on CCTV, I expect there will be a number of arrests. In the case of the bellends from Shrewsbury, I hope the police crack on with it and ensure that the individuals in question aren’t allowed anywhere near Wembley or a football ground again for some considerable time.
I was stood in that corner, glad I didn’t take the boy as he wouldn’t have liked it.
All pretty cringe on both sides to be honest although I think our lot would have preferred an old school baton rather than being temporarily blinded.
Personally I would have preferred a cuddle of the pretty brunette officer ❤️
I was there with my partner and we both saw police punch fans and kick fans who were already on the ground, police spraying PAVA without warning and as if it was water or air freshener.
Yes, there were many Charlton fans who reacted in a poor and unacceptable way, but it was started by the Shrewsbury scum who goaded us and tried to get to us first instead of just celebrating their goal, then were allowed to get away with whatever they wanted, and it was carried on by the poor and shameful policing that took place thereafter.
But as others have mentioned, they can say they’ll look into it but they won’t and nothing will happen.
At the end of the day, we were all there to watch the football, support our team and do our best to help the team however we could to get to the final. In a high pressure and tense game that meant a lot, with much at stake, there is always going to be a retaliation when it had carried on from before the game, heading into that section of the crowd clearly aiming to wind many of us up.
I've looked at the footage from other angles and it's pretty clear that the 'instant, on the ground' decision, using the limited resources available, was to contain the minority aggressor group. In this case, the minority aggressor group was deemed to be the Charlton 'fans' who, by now, had already caused a collapse of the advertising hoardings.
Due to the limited police manpower available at that time, and taking into account the potential escalation and risk to safety, the police would have deemed that the only instant option they had at the time was the use of the spray.
That's how I see it and by virtue of that, in law, it will probably be deemed as appropriate use of minimum force to achieve their objective for the greater good of public safety.
Over zealous policing is going somewhere like Madrid as an English fan, and getting assualted by a copper using a baton for no reason whatsoever. Trust me.
A few skirmishes post match, but the West Mercia Police were hilarious. Provincial plod at their finest. Used to dealing with sheep rustling and controlling foot and mouth, most were unfit, overweight and about slowest responding law enforcement agency I've ever seen.
The handbags during the game, didn't deserve the unwarranted response and over reaction by them. They'd last 5 minutes in the Met before being slung out.
Pepper spraying indiscriminately, because you cannot do your job properly, is, in my opinion, an unwarranted response and over reaction.
Not sure what's got into you recently Stu.
Long before the incident, there was a Charlton supporter in front of me give rude hand gestures constantly to the away supporters. How mature is that?
When Shrewsbury scored, I was not aware that some of their supporters entered the pitch and goaded ours. That though is no reason for dozens and dozens our our supporters to leave their seats, one falling over me whilst I was sitting down, to charge in mob-like form and try to attent to engage the home supporters. The stewards and the police had no option but to keep them apart, and if the solution was the use of pepper spray, then so be it. I am of course extremely sorry if innocent supporters sitting nearby were affected but the incident did look as though drastic action was needed to keep OUR fabs from entering the Shrewsbury stand, hence the use of spay on our so called fans only.
Thereafter a number of Charlton supporters stood at the barriers close to the pitch and in doing so, blocked the view of the supporters sitting down in the front rows; they refused to move when politely asked to do so. One supporter on the barriers was spitting at the opposing goalkeeper.
Overall, I was not proud on the night to be a Charlton supporter and thus I was supportive of the police action to attempt to keep our thugs in order.
Sure Shrews fans acted badly too, but ‘they started it and deserved to be dealt with by police too’ is the quality and level of argument I would expect from my 5 year old.