By Mike Courtney![]() The title says it all; Ashamed, embarrassed, disgusted, these are just some of the emotions I felt last night after watching the game. I shouldn't have tofeel this way supporting my team but because of the actions of a few, and yes I mean a few and I'll explain why soon, I went to bed last night feeling this way. I have been supporting Leeds for over 40 years so I've seen the mindless violence of the 70's and 80's when fighting on the terrace, ripping up seats and pitch invasions were the norm. But I thought all that was behind us. I thought we as a society had moved on from that. But what I saw last night shook me to the core. It just gives the media another stick to beat us with. We at Leeds have taken a lot of flak down through the years for our fans and teams behaviour but I felt of late, especially since relegation from the top flight, that our fans had earned respect for the way we have supported our team through the bad times and the vast support we bring to away games in particular. But all that progress we have made has been well and truly kicked to touch by the actions of some fans last night. Yes we all have seen the footage of that Moron, as Warnock rightly labelled him after the match, and it’s been beamed around the world and is currently trending on Twitter. Many better writers than me will print stories about him and I'm glad he has been named on some site's (I won't do the same here because I refuse to mention his name in the same breath as my beloved LEEDS. But he wasn't alone, other fans came on to the pitch and if you watch the footage you will see another so called fan kick the microphone behind the Wednesday net. Is this behaviour acceptable? If this happened on the street it would be Criminal Damage. We had 5000 fans there last night and yes there was chanting but that was from both sides so Dave Jones needs to get his own house in order before labelling us all vile animals but today he can take the moral high ground because of those few who entered the pitch and committed crimes, because no matter what way you look at it that's what they were, CRIMES. 99.9% of Leeds fans and in particular those that spend their hard earned cash to travel to away games are top class genuine supporters who lift the team when we are down and who get behind the boys no matter what. But the actions of those few who entered the pitch last night have dragged the name of Leeds United and football as a whole through the gutter and brought it back to the dark days of the 70's and 80's. So instead of celebrating a fantastic strike by Michael Tonge that earned us a vital point when we didn't play particularly well we are on the front pages of every newspaper with our reputation tarnished and it'll take more than a statement from the club and condemnation from the Manager to repair that. Finally I'd like to finish on this point; I think the worst thing about it for me is that this happened at the Leppings Road end of the ground where 23 years ago 96 fans lost their lives and all the advances in safety and behaviour of fans since then have led to a situation which allows a mindless THUG to do what he did to Chris Kirkland last night.I will still support Leeds but it is with a heavy heart and a head hung in shame that I do so today. MOT Leeds Leeds Leeds
3 Comments
Dave Miller
19/10/2012 07:01:26 pm
Totally agree with everything you say. I too am a long term Leeds fan, almost 60 years, and always will be, but last night I felt utter disgust, not only towards the cretin who assaulted Chris Kirkland, but also the insane idiots who were applauading him and slapping him on the back as he went back into the crowd. If I were involved in the potential take-over I would be looking long and hard at last night's footage and asking myself whether I really wanted to be associated with such mindless low lifes.
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Leeeds19
19/10/2012 07:19:55 pm
Again, I totally agree. I've supported Leeds for over 45 years and today I feel ashamed, embarassed, disgusted, I can't describe it any other way. That bloody idiot has now spoilt thousands of true Leeds fans for not last night or today but for many years to come! Whereever we go now we are tarnished with that vile and hate that had slowly worn away from home supporters. Thanks you total prat. And you know what, yes for the first time I will be ashamed to wear my Leeds shirt, which I normally wear with such pride. Absolutely gutted true Leeds fan.
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Josh
19/10/2012 10:23:58 pm
I could not agree more with what you said I hope he’s arrested and jailed for a long time. If I had been there I would have been tempted to get him by the scruff of the neck and handed him over to the police. He and the other so called supporters who invaded the pitch should be band immediately band from all football stadiums in the country. I was not at the match but I watched it on Sky and I have said there is no excuse for what happen but the goalkeeper did make a meal of it. The idiot did not hit him he grabbed hold of his face and pushed him and he dropped like he had been hit by Mike Tyson.
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