You are more blind than Roy Orbison in a cave. Fax fans were celebrating a great win and reaching our 1st NRC Final. Fev fans felt the need to still be in the ground a FULL 5 mins after the hooter had gone and to gather at the end Fax were gathered, Why not leave?, Why the need to gather a collective group of 30+ fans together after the game? We have our share of idiots but I'm incensed by your blindness to some of your "so called" fans inability to accept defeat instead choosing to incite trouble? When provoked nature is to attack back.......Wrong in itself but its human nature, animal instinct if you like. Yet again though your fans choose to push, prod, abuse and intimadate.

What were the fax fans supposed to do, stand their and get belted. That mob of Fev fans were intent on causing trouble, the stewards were bloody useless, half of them couldnt even get over the pitch barrier. It was like a scene from The Football Factory, tell you what if I had been smacked by a fev fan I'd have smacked them back as I was minding my own business watching a game, not trying to cause trouble or start, so I'd be in my rights to defend myself.

I'm sure there were some fax fans who were glad for the confrontation and the chance to kick off but not half as many as the fev fans and you didnt see our lot walking round to the fev fans and starting.

We won, we cheered then wanted to leave, we were then confronted by a large party of fev fans intent on causing trouble.

Lastly and it's been mentioned on here already, why wasnt there 1 member of the police at the ground, common sense surely, a semi, the history, surely it ticks all the boxes and then some for potential trouble. Some folk who work at Fev rugby need to take a common sense course.

FYI - I have spoken to the police and told them what i know/saw. Which was a group of young men I identified as being part of the Fev group (due to flat caps being warn) some tops off, some t-shirts etc (No Fev shirts) hurling abuse, intimidating people, threatening violence etc, etc. Like many that evening I have a loose recollection of their "physical" appearance but gave the police what I know in terms of their vacinity to the scene, coach etc, etc. If it was my brother, friend, family member etc that had committed the crime I would shop them FULL STOP. A senior police officer told me a confession of this sort (with statement) would be enough to bring a charge to those involved. So don't tell me they have been "shopped as they haven't. There were up to a dozen in that group who were involved in David's incident yet only 2/3 were actually involved in the assault. Giving a name is very different to someone coming forward and admitting to being at the incident and given a statement. Someone is protecting these cowards hence why no conviction is forthcoming and the reason the police is unable to act. All they need is a statement from one of the "crowd" involved. That's where my anger comes from so please stop preaching to me about this and that.

I agree this is a decisive message from our club and I think this is the best way to approach this.

I also respect your decision never to go to POR again, that is entirely your choice,

But.

Never is a long time. This sends a message that no matter how Featherstone deal with it you will never go back. I am not sure that this is the correct way to approach this. I personally will not be deterred from going to watch my team in any ground and I have never had to suffer any personal abuse from any Featherstone fans (I am not saying that it doesnt go on), in fact I have had some good banter with their fans. Yes, I have complained about the level of the language from their fans and that has made me stop taking my granddaughter, but it does not deter me from going.

My mind is cast back to the Hull problems and that club took the problem by the horns, and the next time I went to the Boulevard I was met by Hull fans who welcomed me to the ground, yes the banter was as vicious as previous, but it was just that, banter and once the game was done it was done.

I personally hope that the Featherstone club do get a grip of it, because if away fans stop going it will just send them on a downward spiral, and will also probably hurt all championship clubs, as once they see the crowds dwindle they will also stop travelling, hurting our takings. Its a lose-lose situation, which is no good for anyone.

I hope we have the opportunity to play them in the play offs this year, and I hope it is a daytime match that Dave Singer can go to. His attitude towards the Featherstone club is an absolute inspiration and it would be good to see him at Post Office Road.

A clear case from both clubs of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted if you ask me. I cant believe both clubs didnt see this coming and do something about it a long time ago.

and of course the alternative argument is that Fax fans were goading and inciting Rovers fans, including entering the field of play (on film) and obsenely gesticulating towards rovers fans,(on film) a Fax fan lashed out at a Fev fan (who I accept should have just bug_gered off home) and then it all kicked off. Some Fax fans were arrested.
Some of the above is correct. Some of it is what some Fev fans (right minded souls not involved in the bother) purport to have witnessed Chris. I'm not niaive to believe it was as simplistic as that. Just the notion that one man's experience may be diametrically opposed to another man's.

And that kind of leads to what gingdong's less than subtle way of making a point is.
i.e. I'm sodding Hacked off to the point of saying "is it worth it anymore"? I know we have a problem at Fev. Ging dong (sod it - it's suggy) acknowledges that too!
What I and he have a problem is - that whilst the greater problem to be sorted lies with the Fev club, Fev fans are vilified (and the sh_1thouse that were involved in the bother deserve it), but that Fax fans (some of whom were arrested) are in some way excused this vilification. If you get involved in this sheeite - you deserve arresting, prosecuting and banning from all sports grounds for LIFE!!! - regardless of their team!

Perhaps, like me, rightminded folk who run the clubs didn't want to believe it could happen! When, unfortunate.... of course it could - and did!
Ballache GFB! Absolute ballache!!

I agree wholeheartedly Robin and I equally condone any Fax fans involvement. My indignation though is why oh why are we here again nearly a year after an incident that has changed a mans life forever who was also so very close to not being on this mortal coil any longer. Your club missed a chance then (As did we for the home game this year too in my opinion). The steps your club recently made were way too little and way too late and flawed. My worry is relations between the two sets of fans are beyond repair now and become an annual free for all. For this reason I will not EVER step foot in Featherstone or POR again.

Fair do's Chris. A person's assessment of their own safety is their's to make and it is wrong of me to try and persuade otherwise unless I seriously believe your judgement is flawed.
All I can see is Fax fans staying away from POR and Fev fans saying sod it to going to the shay!
Our clubs will have to lessen their budgets by that amount. Not a lot in real terms but as margins at championships clubs are so tight it's bound to have an impact.
Still, safety & security trumps income any day of the week.

Chris, - you are wrong.

I love the way most fax fans seem to lay the blame on the fev fans. I've never witnessed a more hostile sporting environment than my visit to the shay in the NRC group game when we beat you in the closing seconds, that includes Keighley at the height of Cougar Mania. I was threatened 3 or 4 times whilst trying to leave the ground with our lass after that game by fax fans. One fat, old nutcase in a polo shirt, who was bright red in the face was just asking for fight after that game challenging almost everyone he saw in a Batley shirt, he was going berzerk. So please do not keep harping on as though you're whiter than white and you do not have the same problem. It needs sorting by both clubs, and pretty damn quick.

Yes I agree with the statment our Club has made and persons responsible for running on the field of play or have been involved with violence should be dealt with accordingly. And to Spanishbob on reflection "never is a long time" but I am 64 yrs old do I have that much time to wait for Fev to get it`s house in order as they apear to have had some considerable time to do it with little success. Unfortunatly if they can`t manage it themselves it will eventually be imposed upon them which will proably affect all clubs.
I have no axe to grind re` Fev I wish things were differant as they have spent years building the club back up but this "ostrich like attitude " towards trouble at their ground has been going on for a very long time and will eventually be the downfall of the club which I feel sad about.
It`s not just away fans not going it`s sponsors too, if I were a sponsor there last night would I want to be associated with that. Things should be nipped in the bud not just let drag on hoping it will go away.
In fact when Fev came to our place there were a large group of intimidating Fev fans who should have been seated but continued to stand and use abusive language throughout the match . If it was up to me I would have picked out 3 or 4 of the most abusive and thrown them out , if it still continued do it again , we don`t want it at our club.

I understand mate they have been "shopped" by the decent folk of Featherstone just not by the ones who matter . . . . . . The other members of the gang who didn't commit the assault but were involved in the threatening behaviour pre/post attack. These guys come forward and . . . . . BINGO.

Did you say a fight ?. its one thing asking someone out and a totally different thing wading in !

Give over man. You've another 30 odd years to be going, plenty of time for them to sort it out, hopefully...