Sutton vs Kingstonian

[markf2]

So, we've lost a 'keeper and a coach mainly because of a reaction to what has become constant abuse aimed at individual Sutton players or indeed the club as a whole by an element of the K's support that does no favours to the name of Kingstonian FC.

Wayne has apologised and taken his medicine very well. Now I would like to know what K's are going to do about this group of their support as they cannot be judged to be blameless in all of this sorry saga, although listening to some of them at h-t on Tuesday and reading their forum, it would appear some continue to deny the level of their involvement? As one of them said, "it's non-league, isn't it?" And there lies the problem in their approach. How they actually behave at Sutton games is more akin to the full-time game not non-league.

God, I know I have been no angel over the years but I know for sure I have not spent the best part of 90 mins singing abusive songs about another club or indeed, individual players every time we have the misfortune to meet.

[Andy K]

Whilst I have no problem with K's board, management or players at all, it would be good if their board manned up and released a statement at very least. Whichever side is taken there can be no doubt whatsoever that there was provocation by some Ks fans which lit the blue touchpaper on this whole sorry incident.

At least we are intelligent enough to know that in 12 or so years time we won't be bearing a grudge about this, unlike some of the lunatics in that place with Steve McKimm. You can't buy class...

[os]

There appears to be a group of K's fans intent on stoking up trouble one way or another whenever the sides meet. My worry is now that they have tasted blood it could get even worse and the K's board need to react to this now.

[billy]

I wrote a letter of complaint to Kingstonian in October 2010 , the reply , from Mark Anderson , is on here somewhere. Two of his comments were..............

"we do profess to be a "family club" and offensive language is not tolerated by us"

"we are going to address this, what i must say is an occasional problem head on"

Having said that what Shaw did was not "totally justified" as some misguided soul opined on here but totally wrong.You just can't do it.You have to ignore the morons.

[fluffy rascal]

Shame to see Wayne go, and shame to see a bunch of so called fans allowed to stay in the stadium. Verbal abuse should not be 'just a part of football'.

[Andy K]

Dec 6, 2013 13:08:09 GMT billy said:

I wrote a letter of complaint to Kingstonian in October 2010 , the reply , from Mark Anderson , is on here somewhere. Two of his comments were..............

"we do profess to be a "family club" and offensive language is not tolerated by us"

"we are going to address this, what i must say is an occasional problem head on"

Having said that what Shaw did was not "totally justified" as some misguided soul opined on here but totally wrong.You just can't do it.You have to ignore the morons.

Not often I say this Billy, but I'm totally with you. You do have to ignore the morons. Certainly there were a handful of our fans who couldn't help shouting abuse back on Tuesday. And yes, what Wayne did wasn't justified at all - I can sympathise with the reaction, but the response was uncalled for and that's why the board acted the way they did, and you can be certain that it was something they did with a heavy heart.

And you taking the time to write to their board, and for them to give you a response, which obviously has never been address when it comes to Sutton games, gives you huge plaudits from me.

The thing is that it is a small subsection of the crowd. K's have some really nice fans (Ali, for those of you who have met him, is a perfect example of this), but they continue to stoke the fire as much as they can because it's what they want. The fact that their board have totally failed in restraining this isn't probably because they don't want to, but more I expect because they don't know how to. Should they do a dipre and just ban a bunch of them for no evident reason? Probably not because it's difficult to enforce. K's fans broke the ground rules by using foul and offensive language, but the club didn't have the manpower to act on it.

The more I hear about the "headbutt" the more I think it's rubbish. If so why did the victim not make more of it - talk of "mark on their face so it must have been a headbutt" could have come from anything. It's the usual stories from a minority of idiots who think just because we are Sutton they can act in any anti social way where if they were doing that in any other public place they'd have got more than just a ticking off.

[sallycat]

I agree, too. And incidentally I had a good view of the incident and saw Wayne raised his hand to them, but there was no headbutt.

I also agree with OS that you have to stand up to bullies. However, there are right and wrong ways of doing that, and Wayne has admitted that in the heat of the moment he chose the wrong one. But he's only human, like all of us, and those Ks fans were behaving in a way that was completely unacceptable so like Andy I can sympathise. It's very sad that the club had to let him go, but they didn't really have an option there.

Wayne, if you are still reading this, I want to say thank you not only for all the super hard work you've done for the club, but also for being a top bloke and apologising. And for all the laughs over the years

[rex]

So.

Banter is fine. Abuse is wrong. Personally (and I witnessed the alpha and the omega of it) I think it was only banter. A violent response to either abuse or banter is completely and utterly and always wrong. Wayne Shaw's apology is to be seriously and earnestly commended (and I'm sorry he felt the banter constituted abuse) and I applaud the action taken taken by Sutton.

Ks fans are not morons with only one brain cell between them; we just "hate Sutton" in a football/rivalry kind of way and the fact that you react so easily makes it all the easier and more enjoyable.

Good luck for the rest of the season, although I hope we get to play you in the league next year.

rex

[medibot]

That'll be why a K's fan threatened to punch me when I went to the Carshalton v K's to the game with my friends (and K's fans) Simon & Ali last year?

You have a problem minority of people who don't know where to draw the line and it's been shown multiple times.

We've dealt with our problem openly and professionally and you, yet again, won't deal with yours and will sweep it under the carpet.

[os]

Can I just say I utterly reject the comments made by 'Rex' it should be remembered that the match was filmed. I also commend our board for taking swift and difficult action. Wayne has been man enough to admit to his error of judgement and has paid the price. There are some sensible K's fans sticking their heads above water and saying that the behaviour of others was unacceptable and for that they should be commended.

I for one and it is echoed here do not want any rivalry with K's on or off the pitch, they are just another local team no more and no less.

[Amber Aleman]

There's a fine line between banter and abuse. But it would be delusional to claim that Ks fans have only resorted to the former in relation to SUFC. There's an element of their supporters who clearly have a big problem with us. Most of us don't react, but when one of our players does then some of them milk it for all it's worth. SUFC have made the difficult but correct decision to release Wayne Shaw, but still the likes of Rex won't leave it alone.

I speak as a Sutton fan who went to Brisbane Road in December 1998 to support Kingstonian in an FA Cup replay v Leyton Orient. I even jumped for joy when Gavin Holligan scored their consolation goal. I also went to Wembley in 1999 to support them in their FA Trophy final v Forest Green Rovers. At the time I was happy to cheer on a local non-League team (other than my own) that was doing well. But the behaviour of some of their fans in the years since means that there's zero chance of me lending that club my support again. That might be something that KFC and their fans want to reflect on.

[rex]

Erm

[rex]

Dec 6, 2013 20:02:47 GMT os said:

Can I just say I utterly reject the comments made by 'Rex

What, even the bits where I said:

Banter is fine. Abuse is wrong.


Or maybe:

A violent response to either abuse or banter is completely and utterly and always wrong.


Is that what you utterly reject?

Or did you utterly reject the bit where i said:

Wayne Shaw's apology is to be seriously and earnestly commended

[sallycat]

You'd make an excellent politician, Rex. Ever considered it?

[smiffydownunder]

I don't wish to be controversial here and I won't respond to the inevitable tut tutting that it may produce on this forum. Just my opinion but....good on you Wayne - it's a pity you didn't flatten the c**t(s).
Some people never ever want to accept the consequences or take responsibility for their actions that provoke a reaction.
I understand why the club had to release Wayne and reading the statement it appears the club see it as inevitable albeit reluctant that he had to go. However just occasionally and certainly on this occasion it would have been good to go against the popular tide of 'correctness" and say that we were backing out man and that he was staying on.