Football has changed in many ways over the last three decades and not wholly for the better. The big clubs have got stronger, the small clubs weaker and the players are now paid a ludicrous amount of money. Loyalty seems to have gone out of the window and cheating is rife.
Having said that the experience of actually attending a game has improved no end, in fact it is a different world altogether and for that I am grateful.
Second Class Citizens
There was a time when football supporters were treated so badly that it is a wonder anyone bothered turning up. I had so many bad experiences involving violence from other fans, poor facilities and being transported like cattle that looking back I can’t believe that it all happened.
I was also unfortunate enough to be present at both the Hillsborough and Heysel Stadium disasters where so many people lost their lives. Both of these terrible tragedies were the result of negligence on the part of the authorities and the police, negligence which certainly had its roots in the prevailing attitude that football fans were worthless.
On one occasion prior to these events I was given a rude reminder of just how poor the attitudes of many police officers actually were.
Away Match
I was attending Liverpool’s away match at Stoke City and had failed to obtain a ticket for the special supporters’ train and so had to purchase a full price fare on a normal scheduled service. I didn’t realise it at the time but this train ticket was going to cost me a lot more than it appeared.
The journey to Stoke and the match were uneventful and I left the stadium to walk back to the station expecting a similarly hassle free journey home. As I approached the station a police officer shouted at me to join the queue for the supporters’ train and I explained that I did not have a ticket for that service and need to proceed to the station to take the scheduled service back to Liverpool.
At this point the officer grabbed hold of me and threw me against a wall shouting that I had to join the queue. Unfortunately he threw me head first and I smashed my head on the wall. As I got to my feet there was blood pouring out of my head and I got my bearings just in time to see my friend attack the officer in a rage and get himself arrested! He shouted for me to go home and he would see me later.
I at least had the presence of mind to memorise the officer’s number. I then sat down by some garage doors to recover with blood trickling down my neck.
Aftermath
Some fellow fans helped me out and I eventually got home, albeit with a head wound and blood all over my clothes. My friend was released the same day and was not charged with anything. He too had memorised the police officer’s number and his recollection matched mine.
We made a complaint regarding the officer’s conduct only to be told that we were in error as the officer whose number we reported was not working at the match that day. The police had obviously closed ranks and there was nothing we could do about it.
Shocking
Looking back it seems crazy that there was a time when football fans were treated so badly and that a police officer could get away with such an assault so easily. I am sure that things like this still happen but it is much rarer now. In those days it was commonplace.
I guess that I should also add that what happened to me on that day in Stoke on Trent was more shocking than it appears as I am a woman and at the time of the assault I was a teenage girl.
Byline
Sally Stacey is a keen blogger and football enthusiast who has spent over 30 years visiting football ground across Europe. She is currently writing on behalf of The Plastic Depot.
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