My Mrs and I were walking back to the car, some poor Wigan fan on his own was copping a load of verbal from inebriated Leeds fans and foolishly tried to debate a few things, then surrounded by Leeds fans my Mrs and I and copped a load of abuse whilst minding our own business. 40-50 year old blokes hanging out of cars shouting “F****** get back to Wigan” and a big gang of young lads, inebriated making a beeline for me shouting “Tomkins is w******”, I’m not related to him funnily enough?!, even Leeds fans were saying “ignore them” stuff like that. My Mrs is new to Rugby League and it’s a sad day when I go to a game and get a load of verbal for wearing an opposition shirt, football mentality I’m afraid and makes Leeds fans look like thugs.

I'm under no illusion that there are elements of fans in every club like this but this was way over the top, I was on my own with my Mrs and it has left a poor taste in our mouths about Leeds fans and the sport today.

I will be writing to the RFL and Mr Hetherington on Monday to put my point across, if I get a response I will relay it on here.

P.s. Leeds totally derserved it today and we were not at the races.

There'll be just as many Leeds fans telling similar stories about the behaviour of Wigan fans today too. If you feel like writing to someone and putting your point across that's fine but I don't see what the point is of putting it on here as it's only going to end up with Wigan fans having a go at some Leeds fans and then some Leeds fans appearing and complaining about the behaviour of Wigan fans.

I also disagree that it's 'football' mentality. Poor behaviour from fans always gets described as that of football fans (perhaps a little unfairly) or dismissed as being done by people who must be football fans (if they are watching rugby league they are rugby league's fans or at least a rugby league issue). It's not 'football' mentality, it's 'people' mentality. Some people are just unpleasant, the number increases greatly when alcohol involved. I doubt there's much that can be done about it though so I doubt you'll get much of a response.

I'm sorry that you and your Mrs had such an unpleasant experience of course.

Thanks for your response.

I have never really had that happen to me before at an RL game and have been watching Wigan since i was 7 years old. My Mrs said she felt threatened which isn't good at all. I tried to have a bit of banter and grin and bear it but it did'nt work they just kept the abuse coming and we are talking about men old enough to know better in there 40's and 50's.

It was obvious it was going to have some niggle after the game when i was walking off after full time, Leeds fans goading Wigan and it was'nt friendly banter.

I think you are right about alcohol and society being that way, it's modern day Britain i think.

I will progress with a letter as it isnt't right and proper you should give your time and money up to watch your club and feel intimidated and threatened.

Maybe a 5:30pm kick off time to suit the BBC was'nt the greatest idea for alcohol consumption, but even so behaviour like this is will put people off our game and with crowds of 12,000 it won't help.

I wrote to Warrington after some fans threw a vodka bottle at me then another one at my car from one of their "official fan coaches." I was on my own just like that guy.
Btw if the people in the MG ZR that day that told them to f off thanks very much haha I think that's what made them stop either that or they were out of bottles.

Anyway they didn't even dignify it with a response. Not even an acknowledgment of my concerns. They damaged my car (small damage but damage nonetheless) they weren't interested. I know it got to them too as I received an automated response telling me so.
So in my opinion I wouldn't even bother sending anything but if you do I hope Leeds are more interested than Warrington were.

Btw, before someone spits their dummy out this is not an attack on wire fans it just happened to be wire fans that did it ok?

There are idiots who associate themselves with every club, both Leeds and Wigan included. Those idiots probably become more idiotic by 8pm on Saturday. Also, while they're not necessarily football fans, the football off-season and a glory semi-final may bring out a few who would more normally be at Elland Road and have that mentality.

I wouldn't be surprised if you get a decent response from Hetherington. No rugby league people are happy with stories like that and he knows as well as anyone what the game and its people are about.

Saw plenty of this going both ways tbh whilst sat on the coach waiting to leave the ground. It's pretty sad. I always think people who are walking past a coach full of people "goading" are nothing but cowards really, probably full in the knowledge that the doors are shut and they can do or say what they want.. Likewise we had some leeds fans on the coach next to us "goading", then an older woman then took offence when they started getting it back. although we all just laughed at her.

Had we won there'd no doubt be Leeds fans telling us how we were doing the exact same. It seem's to be creeping into the "game" more and more unfortunately. I'm quite happy to walk back to the coach win or lose and keep myself to myself, unfortunately there are plenty of drunk people out there who don't feel the same way.

I also saw many leeds/wigan fans getting along and having a good quiet chat and being gracious... although you never hear that mentioned.

Every club, every set of fans, every game, it always happens somewhere, sometimes you see it sometimes you don't, it's only a small pocket of nobs, don't let it put you or your wife off going to games.

How come Wigan fans start spouting this kind of stuff everytime they lose a big game,no matter who they've played?

You never hear it when they win an important game.

You do actually - when it happens. So what's your point?

Leeds Utd Leeds RLFC about the same enough said