Madejski - "Best environment for Rugby"

[Dirk Gently]

The Madejski Stadium, home of London Irish, has topped a poll of rugby fans as the "best environment in which to watch rugby".

The survey, conducted for Rugby World magazine, was completed by almost 1,500 rugby fans.

The Madejski Stadium received nearly a quarter of all votes as the ground which offered supporters the best facilities on a match day.

Gloucester's Kingsholm was voted as the most intimidating place to visit.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/london_irish/8757901.stm

Go on, you know you want to ......

[WoodleyRoyal]

obviously dont have the same stewards at the rugby as they do at the football then

[Dirk Gently]

obviously dont have the same stewards at the rugby as they do at the football then

They do - those steward just don't have to operate under the same legislation and licensing conditions that are based on the assumption that every football supporter should be treated as a potential hooligan.

[Magnus]

obviously dont have the same stewards at the rugby as they do at the football then

They do - those steward just don't have to operate under the same legislation and licensing conditions that are based on the assumption that every football supporter should be treated as a potential hooligan.

Is that because rugby fans are generally better behaved?

[Messiah]

...and the gits get to drink at their seats.

[Mr Optimist]

...and the gits get to drink at their seats.

I know what you mean but still, drinking beer in the concourse and watching football > drinking at your seat and watching egg chasing.

Buy yourself a hip flask and fill it with whisky.

[Jerry St Clair]

Reading's Madejski Stadium was voted as the most intimidating place to visit.

[Magnus]

TBF the traffic can be an absolute nightmare

[RoyalBlue]

obviously dont have the same stewards at the rugby as they do at the football then

They do - those steward just don't have to operate under the same legislation and licensing conditions that are based on the assumption that every football supporter should be treated as a potential hooligan.

Is that because rugby fans are generally better behaved?

When it comes to football fans in general, I think that comment is somewhat outdated. Most football fans are also pretty well behaved nowadays and, with the segregation that is practised, there is no need whatsover to clamp down on them in the way that they do (or don't if you are an away fan from a perceived 'troublesome' support at the Mad Stad).

[Bill Oddie]

"Gloucester's Kingsholm was voted as the most intimidating place to visit."

Not exactly the New Den or Ninnan park is it ? More like Dean Court on a sunny ay in May

[Sun Tzu]

They do - those steward just don't have to operate under the same legislation and licensing conditions that are based on the assumption that every football supporter should be treated as a potential hooligan.

Is that because rugby fans are generally better behaved?

When it comes to football fans in general, I think that comment is somewhat outdated. Most football fans are also pretty well behaved nowadays and, with the segregation that is practised, there is no need whatsover to clamp down on them in the way that they do (or don't if you are an away fan from a perceived 'troublesome' support at the Mad Stad).

It is 100% true that rugby fans are way better behaved than football fans.

At rugby the idea of any kind of trouble is simply ridiculous. Whereas at football it's always a possibility. You just do not get people at rugby who seek confontation with opposition fans or stewards. You get it every week at football. I'd agree much of it is posturing but the stewards at football are constantly having to be on the alert for someone who might take that just a little step further. Sure it's partly playing on old stereotypes but there is an element at football who simply want that to be the case, whereas rugby fans just want to enjoy themselves.

That also partly explains why you rarely get really great atmosphere at rugby, I think the tribalism of football is essential to that but it comes with a dark side that is definitely not gone away or able to be ignored.

[Ian Royal]

They do - those steward just don't have to operate under the same legislation and licensing conditions that are based on the assumption that every football supporter should be treated as a potential hooligan.

Is that because rugby fans are generally better behaved?

When it comes to football fans in general, I think that comment is somewhat outdated. Most football fans are also pretty well behaved nowadays and, with the segregation that is practised, there is no need whatsover to clamp down on them in the way that they do (or don't if you are an away fan from a perceived 'troublesome' support at the Mad Stad).

Apparently I don't go to games at all and I've still seen scuffles and fights break out in amongst fans of the same team, let alone opposing fans. And that doesn't account for the usual scuffles with stewards as well.

Football has improved massively but the culture of going to games to get pissed and lairy still exists quite openly.

[Ian Herring]

Not quite the case in Rugby League though eh? A challenge cup semi-final at Huddersfield a few years back saw some on-pitch scenes of out and out scrapping not incomparable with what has taken place at football matches over the years. I've seen some scenes of tribal aggression at Union games as well, less voluminous, but as virulent, nonetheless. Human nature prevails, amongst the 'professional' classes, as much as it does amongst football's more warlike hordes, especially when they've been on the sauce. 'Simply ridiculous' is a little sweeping, perhaps?

[havoc]

The Madejski Stadium, home of London Irish, has topped a poll of rugby fans as the "best environment in which to watch rugby".

The survey, conducted for Rugby World magazine, was completed by almost 1,500 rugby fans.

The Madejski Stadium received nearly a quarter of all votes as the ground which offered supporters the best facilities on a match day.

Gloucester's Kingsholm was voted as the most intimidating place to visit.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/london_irish/8757901.stm

Go on, you know you want to ......

is this really a surprise

The Mad Stad is possibly the most plastic, soulless ground in the country

London Irish fans are as plastic as its possible to get - they have no affiliation to London or Ireland, all rock replica shirts - they're basically the MK Dons fans of rugger

do they play rugby @ stadium mk

[Sun Tzu]

The Madejski Stadium, home of London Irish, has topped a poll of rugby fans as the "best environment in which to watch rugby".

The survey, conducted for Rugby World magazine, was completed by almost 1,500 rugby fans.

The Madejski Stadium received nearly a quarter of all votes as the ground which offered supporters the best facilities on a match day.

Gloucester's Kingsholm was voted as the most intimidating place to visit.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/london_irish/8757901.stm

Go on, you know you want to ......

is this really a surprise

The Mad Stad is possibly the most plastic, soulless ground in the country

London Irish fans are as plastic as its possible to get - they have no affiliation to London or Ireland, all rock replica shirts - they're basically the MK Dons fans of rugger

do they play rugby @ stadium mk

havoc in 'not having a clue but still wanting to shout it loudly' shocker.....

try going to a LI game. You'd be surprised at the huge number of Irish accents (and of course probably loads more who have Irish links but no accent)

bizarrely not all Wasps fans fly around and go buzz and not all Tigers fans have stripes and are on the WWF endangered list. Doesn;t make them 'plastic' !!

[RoyalBlue]

When it comes to football fans in general, I think that comment is somewhat outdated. Most football fans are also pretty well behaved nowadays and, with the segregation that is practised, there is no need whatsover to clamp down on them in the way that they do (or don't if you are an away fan from a perceived 'troublesome' support at the Mad Stad).

Apparently I don't go to games at all and I've still seen scuffles and fights break out in amongst fans of the same team, let alone opposing fans. And that doesn't account for the usual scuffles with stewards as well.

Football has improved massively but the culture of going to games to get pissed and lairy still exists quite openly.

I think even the police would admit that the incidents you refer to are relatively few and far between nowadays and definitely only involve a very small minority of fans. Hence my assertion that 'most' football fans are well behaved.

As for Sun Tzu's assertion that there is never any form of trouble at rugby - well that is simply ridiculous and based on a halo view of the Toff's game. Clearly he has chosen to overlook the recent very high profile case where a professional coach received a ban after he was involved in trouble with members of the crowd!
IIRC, those speaking in his defence claimed it was the supporters rather than him who caused the trouble.
Saying that trouble is always a possibility at football is greatly overplaying the likelihood along the lines of saying that 2 players being sent off is always a possibility. Sure, it happens but not that often! The situation has improved dramatically over the past 10 years +. I don't even recall reports of any real trouble last time Cardiff visited and I certainly feel that I and my kids are far safer in and around football grounds than used to be the case.