Despite attending in record numbers this season the Leeds United away support are never given an even chance - take the ludicrous actions of Bristol Rovers, Bournemouth and Yeovil Town this season. All three changed their Leeds United fixtures to discourage the attendance of Leeds fans - Bournemouth on the evidence of something that happened over fifteen years ago.
Despite the hurdles put in their way, the travelling Leeds support managed to create record attendances at Bristol Rovers and at Yeovil Town just last Friday. So how bad was it at Huish Park with a record crowd in attendance?
An Avon and Somerset Constabulary spokesman said,
“Home supporters became disgruntled due to the fact that a large number of Leeds United supporters gained entry into home areas of the stadium.
“There were no arrests or ejections for home supporters, but a Leeds United supporter was ejected for poor behaviour.”
So one ejection from a record crowd - if only all football matches were as easy to police?
The main criticism seems to be from Yeovil supporters about the number of Leeds fans in the home supporters section. What was the problem on the night? Did they start fights or were they just enjoying their team getting into the play-offs? Did no Yeovil fan share a word or two or a joke with a Leeds fan?
Or is it that the problem lies with the Yeovil fans who simply don’t like standing next to strangers in THEIR ground? Personally, as a Rugby League supporter, I have always enjoyed game far more when there are a few away supporters with whom to share banter about the game.
But that is a facet of football that is all but dead now and probably explains the malevolent atmosphere at many Premier League matches - when two sides of an argument don’t (or can’t) talk violence is often the only result. Talking to an opponent puts a human face on them and does away with seeing them as the “enemy”, as a distant homogenous mass, uniformly dressed in red or blue, taunting and, apparently, ready for a fight.
On Sky, when you see the hate-filled faces of supporters screaming, swearing and gesticulating over the hoarding at players about to take a throw-in you can only presume that they would not dare to be so threatening if they were stood in a mixed crowd of supporters from both sides. But it is a sad reflection on the modern game and British society when the desire of Leeds fans to watch their team, which provides an all-time record crowd - at a League One match to boot - at which there is no trouble, merely provokes the home club CEO, Martyn Starnes, to announce and inquiry into how the Leeds the fans got their tickets for the away end.
I can save the Yeovil CEO the bother; you see Martyn, all Leeds fans don’t talk with a broad Yorkshire accent, wear a flat cap and always have a whippet at their side - maybe that was your mistake using that as the criteria for spotting infiltrating Leeds fans! Leeds United have been a “big club” for nearly five decades and during that time we have garnered supporters all over the country - including Somerset! Many of the Leeds fans in the home end were there because they bought them in their home town - of Yeovil! And Martyn how about a thank you, on the record, for the extra £85,000 in your bank account from all the Leeds United fans that made it a record-breaking night, despite the best efforts of the Yeovil Town board and the Avon & Somerset Police?
The article in the Somerset County Gazette by Steve Sowden about this is situation perhaps the fairest I have ever read about Leeds fans and their motivations in attending away games. It may help a few Chief Constables and football Chief Executives if they were to read it.
