Classless Fans

[Heanor Lair]

Having been to the Scottish matches I feel I must express my dissapointment of how some Fife and Edinburgh fans decided to treat Craighead.

Throughout both games he was constantly booed (even being booed when he recieved the MOM awards on both evenings!). Why he was booed we can only summise, but interesting David Clarke came in for abuse as well!

To these fans, your pathetic.

I was dissapointed that neither hockey clubs officials decided not to have these morons ejected from the stadium.

The most ridiculous thing is that Craighead has a Scottish mother and so these idiots were actullay booing someone who is half Scottish!

Congratulations to JC for rising above these muppets, and skating around the ring after each game giving friendlty applause to ALL the supporters.

Of course the bigots who booed him couldnt bring themselves to applaud him.


If thats what Fife and Edinburgh are going to contribute to EIHL lets leave them out, leave them to stew in their own biggotry.

HL

[newham]

well said HL. As i've said in the match thread, the fans were out of order even if they were in the minority.

On the other hand, we can't ignore the fact that we have some mindless fans in our own ranks too, most of them don't even realise they're as bad as they are, they think they're loyal servants to the club but IMO they're as bad as the booing Fife fans, a disgrace to the club....

[Heanor Lair]

Newham said:

well said HL. As i've said in the match thread, the fans were out of order even if they were in the minority.

On the other hand, we can't ignore the fact that we have some mindless fans in our own ranks too, most of them don't even realise they're as bad as they are, they think they're loyal servants to the club but IMO they're as bad as the booing Fife fans, a disgrace to the club....

Agree with you completley.

Good fans are those who can appreciate players on both sides. You may not like it if they have a blinder against your own team, but appreciation of their skill/commiment makes you a better fan (IMHO).

HL

[newham]

for example, Mr Christopher Hay...... ;D

[twix]

I was, as you know HL, annoyed by the behaviour of some of the Fife fans who were in the Panthers blocks at the end of the game on Saturday. Very 'footballish' attitude some of them which isn't what hockey's about.
On the other hand, A Fife fan on their forum is acccusing two Panthers fans of having demolished the wing mirror on his car for no reason whilst they were on their way to get a taxi at the end of the game. If this is true, what does it say about our travelling fans? How does banter become vandalism?

twix

[Shaggy]

According to some of the (sensible) Edinburgh fans I know, Craighead got booed because he attempted a two-handed slash to the back of a Capitals player behind the play - Hanson was apparently in no position to see it. I didn't see anything, but I believe at that particular point in time I was looking up the ice at where the puck was going.
I don't know if it is true or not, but if it is - I'm both disappointed in JC and relieved that it didn't connect. If it isn't true, I'm disappointed in the Edinburgh fans - although at least they didn't en masse boo the MoM award and boo our team off the ice like the Fife fans did..... in fact, quite a few Capitals fans have complimented him on their own forum.

Either way, I'm disappointed in someone.

[newham]

Shaggy said:

According to some of the (sensible) Edinburgh fans I know, Craighead got booed because he attempted a two-handed slash to the back of a Capitals player behind the play

and they'd be right. It happened right in the centre of the ice too, im amazed the ref didn't see it.

[Cunndies]

Well, I'd like to point out that the majority of Fife fans (myself included) applauded the Panthers off the ice. In particular, I applauded JC, 'cause I thought he was bloody good!

So once again, apologies on behalf of the few idiots in the Fife crowd. Hope it doesn't discourage you lot from coming back.

And the Caps fans were booing him for a bit of a lumberjack style stick swing, it was right in front of me.

All in all though, I thought that him and Ahlroos were your best players, but I applauded them all, 'cause I thought they were a classy, decent hockey team.

[Admin]

Thanks Cunndies.

Thats the end of this for me .... you've apologised for your muppets and I appreciate that.

All in all it was a great weekend and I thoroughly enjoyed it despite my teams dreadful performance on Saturday.

Thanks to the 'majority' fans who made us feel welcome. ;D

[Cunndies]

BJ said:

Thanks Cunndies.

Thats the end of this for me .... you've apologised for your muppets and I appreciate that.

All in all it was a great weekend and I thoroughly enjoyed it despite my teams dreadful performance on Saturday.

Thanks to the 'majority' fans who made us feel welcome. ;D

Cheers BJ.

I didn't think you guys were too bad on Saturday, we just didn't let you play your game.... ;D

(Oh, come on, I'm allowed one sly dig, I'm still pretty happy! )

[honey12]

lets face it Craighead is boo ed in most arenas and it would be niave of people to think its just because of the way he plays. most black, mixed race people come across racial abuse on a regualr basis. Im very pleased to hear that in the NIC an announcement is made at every game that offensive language will not be tollerated. That sort of behaviour just stinks and has nothing to do with any sporting event

[Heanor Lair]

honey12 said:

lets face it Craighead is boo ed in most arenas and it would be niave of people to think its just because of the way he plays. most black, mixed race people come across racial abuse on a regualr basis. Im very pleased to hear that in the NIC an announcement is made at every game that offensive language will not be tollerated. That sort of behaviour just stinks and has nothing to do with any sporting event

My sentiments exactly honey12

My dissapointment is that certain memebers of the crowd at both Fife and Edinburgh were booing JC before any on-ice incidents. The booing intensified as the game went on.

People can make their own judgement as to why JC was being booed, but as you say racial intolerance is not acceptable at the NIC, and unlike Fife and Edinburgh people exhibiting such behaviour would have been ejected.

HL

[firefly]

honey12 said:

lets face it Craighead is boo ed in most arenas and it would be niave of people to think its just because of the way he plays. most black, mixed race people come across racial abuse on a regualr basis. Im very pleased to hear that in the NIC an announcement is made at every game that offensive language will not be tollerated. That sort of behaviour just stinks and has nothing to do with any sporting event

Whilst I agree that racist attitudes are NOT to tolerated in any shape or form, if we cannot vent our displeasure at a player simply because he has a different coloured skin to others then its time to pack the game in.
To clarify:If a player can behave as he wishes without incurring the crowds displeasure knowing that somebody can throw the race card in then theres very little hope
left.
I have never heard racist abuse at a hockey match I have attended. Please dont try and turn this disgraceful behaviour in Scotland round to that if its NOT the case.
If you had reason to believe it was racist behaviour then make a complaint to the proper authorities please. You were quick enough when it was the Steelers supporters and them stupid blow up banana's.
Back up your accusations Honey12 and Heanor Lair, with action please.

[Heanor Lair]

firefly said:

Whilst I agree that racist attitudes are NOT to tolerated in any shape or form, if we cannot vent our displeasure at a player simply because he has a different coloured skin to others then its time to pack the game in.
To clarify:If a player can behave as he wishes without incurring the crowds displeasure knowing that somebody can throw the race card in then theres very little hope
left.
I have never heard racist abuse at a hockey match I have attended. Please dont try and turn this disgraceful behaviour in Scotland round to that if its NOT the case.
If you had reason to believe it was racist behaviour then make a complaint to the proper authorities please. You were quick enough when it was the Steelers supporters and them stupid blow up banana's.
Back up your accusations Honey12 and Heanor Lair, with action please.

Accusation or Observation??

JC was 'apparently' booed because of his slash to the back of a player. There were some other incidents in the Edinburgh but David Clarke got booed, no other Panthers players. Now if the Edinburgh fans were only booing events on the ice then they should have been booing at least half our team, they picked on JC and David Clarke. I'll leave you to make your own judgement

No reason to boo JC in the Fife game, except of course....

Thanks for your observations firefly, should have introduced yourself to us Panthers at the games. Damn fine of you to travel all that way to watch us play. Surely you should have been at Basingstoke or Coventry

Regards

HL

[Cunndies]

While this is definitely a touchy subject, I was in both rinks at the weekend, and definitely heard NO racist abuse whatsoever.

The Edinburgh fans don't like David Clarke. He always scores against them, and they get wound up by him. And Craighead did take a pretty big slash at one of their players.

Now, while I am against racist abuse of ANY kind, I firmly believe that there was none at the weekend.

If Kim Ahlroos was booed, would you think it was racist against Finnish people? If Cruikshank and McKenna were booed, would it be racist against Canadians? Perhaps if Krulis was booed, it's racist against Czechs?

If somebody shouts at a players of different racial origin than themselves, is it automatically racist?

By all means, if you heard racist remarks, then report it to the proper authorities, but if you can explain to me how simply booing a player is racist, please do.

[firefly]

Heanor said:

Accusation or Observation??

JC was 'apparently' booed because of his slash to the back of a player. There were some other incidents in the Edinburgh but David Clarke got booed, no other Panthers players. Now if the Edinburgh fans were only booing events on the ice then they should have been booing at least half our team, they picked on JC and David Clarke. I'll leave you to make your own judgement

No reason to boo JC in the Fife game, except of course....

Thanks for your observations firefly, should have introduced yourself to us Panthers at the games. Damn fine of you to travel all that way to watch us play. Surely you should have been at Basingstoke or Coventry

Regards

HL

Is this not a forum for opinions Heanor Lair? You voiced your opinions on the matter, and are making observations. I am voicing my opinions on your (and others) observations. Cunndies makes very similar points to myself in his post immediatly below yours.
If you feel this abuse was racially motivated, do something about it. No-one will criticise you for doing the right thing.If it was just common or garden half-wits picking on the star players then leave the cleverly worded observations out.
They serve no purpose but to stir up somethings that arent there.
As to why i should travel to Scotland to watch you when my own team are playing elsewhere has left me bewildered. Heanor Lair. It has no bearing on my opinions on your observations.

[Samxpenguin]

firefly said:

I have never heard racist abuse at a hockey match I have attended.

I also have never heard any rascist comments at an Ice Hockey match or a football match for that matter. Rascism may still be a problem, but in Ice hockey i don't think it is, in this country anyway.

I think the reason people boo Craighead is the same reason Panthers fans boo Sacratini, the same reason Panthers fans boo Darling, Maxwell or Schulte. Simply because we don't like them, no reason of race or anything else, just dislike. Opposition enfourcers often get booed at games, due to them being rough players who are there to fight, or stick up for ther own team. You may think its wrong, but thats what happens.

Maybe it was rascism i wasn't at the game so i don't know, but from the opnions i've read it doesn't sem like it was. Why do people always like to make situations seems worse than they were? Rememebr the Banana incident at the NIC? Thats a perfect example..

[Heanor Lair]

Why would the Fife and Edinburgh minority boo Craighead? Hes only played against them once prior to the Scottish games so these fans surely couldnt have had a preduice against him because he played for the Panthers.

So why did they have a pre-concieved predudice I wonder.....?

Once again congrats to JC for rising above it, you showed the fans up for what they were.

HL

[Cunndies]

Heanor said:

Why would the Fife and Edinburgh minority boo Craighead? Hes only played against them once prior to the Scottish games so these fans surely couldnt have had a preduice against him because he played for the Panthers.

So why did they have a pre-concieved predudice I wonder.....?

Once again congrats to JC for rising above it, you showed the fans up for what they were.

HL

HL,

Andre Payette got booed quite a lot up in Fife, in his first game there. Is that racist against Canadians?

[Samxpenguin]

Heanor said:

So why did they have a pre-concieved predudice I wonder.....?

Because he has a reputation, i bet if we'd have gone up a few years ago with Barry Neicker or Jason Clarke they may have got the same treatment. They've been told what Criagheads or like, or more likely an exagerated view of what they want Craighead to be like and booed him for that reason.

I think fans enjoy having a player to boo, Coventry and Sheffield both seem to boo Craighead, its never harmed him, infact he's always wound up him up and he's played better in order to prove them wrong. Booing can be just fun banter, but as it seems on Saturday this may have got out of hand. I just don't think the race issue shoudl always be raised as a reason.

[Super Pekka Virta]

I too was at the Edinburgh game and have to say the booing only began after JC tried to slash the back of Dino Bauba.

I can honestly say I did not hear any booing when David Clarke was on the ice or had the puck.

To accuse the Edinburgh fans of racial abuse is very wide of the mark. Have you asked yourself why the booing happened? after the attempted slash and not before?

I'm sure if you asked both JC and David Clarke they would confirm this was the case and if not the Panthers management would be going to the powers that be with a legitimate complaint.

[Jinty]

Heanor said:

Why would the Fife and Edinburgh minority boo Craighead? Hes only played against them once prior to the Scottish games so these fans surely couldnt have had a preduice against him because he played for the Panthers.

So why did they have a pre-concieved predudice I wonder.....?

Once again congrats to JC for rising above it, you showed the fans up for what they were.

HL

Not a Fife fan and wasn't at the game so can't comment on that game. I am however an Edinburgh fan and was at the game so can on that one.

As has been pointed out by a couple of posters in this thread, Craighead was boo'd simply because of his physical style of play (the two handed slashing motion off the play). The Capitals are not a physical team and when any team who play a physical style of game come to Edinburgh the worst culprits are boo'd. It happens week in week out at Murrayfield so please don't think JC or Clarkie were singled out as racial targets, they weren't. The other factor in this is that there is a newish core of fans who don't know the game as well as they think they do (that's as strong as I can put it so as not to cause offence if any of them are lurking here) and whenever anyone from the visitors carries out a perfectly legal check on one of our players they instantly call for a penalty. When that penalty is not called the checking player then gets boo'd. As someone who has a fair grasp of the game, through 16 years watching and a brief season or two playing, these unknowledgable fans are blooming irritating.

To sum up, I would swear my life on the fact that no racial motives in the boo's, just plain old dislike for the oppositions style of play. Infact, there has been a few people on the Caps forum expressed a general desire to have JC in a Caps shirt and these were some of those who were booing him.

If you are registered with the Caps forum, follow the link and you will see what the Caps fans thought of the game and JC. forum.edinburgh-capitals.com/index.php?showtopic=1330

[Heanor Lair]

From the posts by the Fife and Caps fans, I am relieved that the boos were down to nothing more than ignorance and nothing more sinister, and I am content about that.

Regards

HL

I think that this thread can be put to bed Moderator folks.

[Admin]

Heanor said:

I think that this thread can be put to bed Moderator folks.

Amen.