Quote Originally Posted by dml1954 View Post
The reason that there is a lot less trouble at home games nowadays is almost entirely down to the layout and management of the new stadium, which was purpose built to provide a safe/secure and easily ‘policed’ environment for fans. Putting opposing fans right next to each other would drive a horse and cart through the whole system. There is evidence of bad behaviour by some City fans but especially other teams fans, in recent years as well, usually fuelled by alcohol. What about when someone scores at the Grange end and celebrates in front of their own fans - right next to the opposition fans !! Why anyone would want to change a system that works and encourage fan confrontation, is beyond me. Perhaps the people now complaining the loudest are part of the original problem and miss ‘the good old days’ ?
I’m in the Grandstand and your ‘miss the good old days’ is a ridiculous quote. Someone has mentioned that Swansea & Millwall fans have caused a bit of trouble at the away end, so I’ll put another spin on it, is it wise to have our family stand so close to potential trouble? Or should we have our kids & families as far away as possible?

Anyway I only started this thread because I was impressed by the way Reading have sorted their atmosphere out with no trouble whatsoever. Fans of both sides post match chatting and catching the football buses back into town with no bother at all. Some of our fans seem to love harking back to, as you say ‘the good old days’, they may have been good old days to you dml1954 but they certainly weren’t to the majority of us.

I’ll tell you what wasn’t a good old day, ‘Play Up Pompey’ ringing around our ground last Tuesday.