The 'Grog Squad' gets targetted

[IDGAF]

So your cool with racial and sexual abuse then?

LMAO

How does a little poke "Chris Lilly" style compare with racial or sexual abuse ?

 

[Bojangles17]

Great post Ron.
I will ask one question though. What about those who have the misfortune of having their season tickets right in front of the GS? they have no opportunity to move.

I stand to be corrected tugg, but i dont believe that area is a reserved seated section. I often sit with my bro behind goals nearby and it is GA

 

[IDGAF]

Thanks for the praise but this needs some correcting. I don't hang out with the GS at all. I wouldn't know any of them from Adam, have never stood with them or even stayed after the game when a larger group congregates after a win.

My opinion on this subject stems from growing up when footy had an edge, when it was slightly wild, when sensational events were prone to erupting on the field. (Now most of the sensational stuff happens off it.) I stood in the Bay 12-13 area through the late 70's & 80's with the old man and a group of blokes we didn't know outside of Saturday afternoons. There were some rough types; some had been in jail, some boasted of dodgy deeds, some were obviously alcoholics. But they were always vocal in support of the Tigers (although Emmett Dunne the policeman was occasionally ridiculed) and were there every week without fail. It was Richmond against the world, just like the attitude Hafey had instilled in the team. The old man eventually started working on Saturdays and I decamped to the old Northern Stand in the 90's and early 00's, and first took up a spot near the GS in 2004 after a chance meeting with a mate. He said 'come behind the goals, the Grog Squad goes off and it's a great atmosphere'. That was the day Richo kicked 10; needless to say, a memorable occasion.

I identified the reference to 'the Grog Squad' with the early 80's when young blokes sported badges on their duffel coats proclaiming 'Official Richmond Grog Squad'. (I'm not sure of the history in between.) Like Smasha, I initially thought WTF is this shit (chanting/singing), it doesn't belong at the footy. But over time I've become accustomed to the chants and admire the GS's willingness to break into song when we're getting pantsed; I simply wouldn't have the fortitude. I acknowledge that some of the chants push the boundaries of PC. (Actually they step right across the line. I like to watch the reactions of opposition supporters when the f-bomb gets dropped. Occasionally it's bemusement, but usually a grin or even a laugh.) But above all else, I recognise that, like the rooster on the property over the back fence which wakes me at sunrise, they were there first. If I didn't like it - and I didn't warm to it at first - it was up to me to move. The mate I'd been going to the game with for the previous eight years obviously didn't appreciate the bogan element and never returned.

It just irks me that some people want to pull rank and decide that the GS shouldn't do their thing. Who the [censored] are you to piss and moan after all these years? It's a big stadium with a lot of vantage points that won't offend your sensibilities.

I've got Foxtel and could very easily stay home on days like yesterday, but go to the game without fail for the live experience. I view moves to silence the GS as symbolic of the corporatisation (read: hijacking) of the game from the public. The image consciousness, rule changes, the MRP fiascoes, the ticket monopolies, the make-it-up-as-we-go-along so as to maximise profit - I resent it all. They just about own it, but not quite; those who walk through the gate retain a stake. Am I misguided in perceiving that I own a tiny slice of the game? Possibly. But that's what I'm speaking in defence of.

Great post Ron

Love it

No your not misguided at all and its also something i hold very dearly as well and like it or not , its a huge part of what has made our club what it is today and i hope it will always continue to be so.

The RFC have always been non-conformists , we have also always been very passionate . Its for these reasons that our supporter base has been and still is the the envy of most Victorian based clubs .

I will always reserve the right to support my club on game day how i see fit "within reason"

Through work and business i have on occasions been the guest of football clubs chairmans and presidents dinners and lunches etc and on the whole i find them quite nausiating . They are no reflection whatsoever on the true footballing culture and what makes the clubs and the game itself tick . But i accept that its part of the game and the business today as it were . I spend the best part of the day wishing i could rip the tie off and head out into the outer with the real footballing bretheren

I have spent a bit of time over the years in or around the grog squad . i have never seen anyone attack anyone or go out of their way to get stuck into opposition supporters without prior provocation . If you want to put yourself in the cross fire then thats thier choice .

Live and let live anyway i say . i respect anyones right to support the club how they wish . But your kidding yourselves if you want to remove and or santize an institution like this from our club

 

[Bojangles17]

Well said idy, thats a great wrap up...i sat nearby on sat and kept an ear for anything that might stir the pot, not that anything in the past would concern me...absolutely nothing, nil ... You make a great point that the rich tapestry of our supporter base has kept this club afloat, the fringe groups have played their part and smasha is no better example of how they have stuck fat through the ages...leave them be

 

[Ned_Flanders]

LMAO

How does a little poke "Chris Lilly" style compare with racial or sexual abuse ?

1) His shows are rated and shown for an adults only audience, footy actively encourages kids to attend

2) look at the intent of his characters, they may be bigoted and racist, but he does this to highlight what is wrong with them and their views by showing them unfiltered and exposed. Chanting "homo" is 100% about denigrating gay people as weak and soft.

 

[IDGAF]

1) His shows are rated and shown for an adults only audience, footy actively encourages kids to attend

2) look at the intent of his characters, they may be bigoted and racist, but he does this to highlight what is wrong with them and their views by showing them unfiltered and exposed. Chanting "homo" is 100% about denigrating gay people as weak and soft.

My post was in reference to the Kelvin Moore "ranga" chant

Sorry , i should have been more specific about that

 

[Ned_Flanders]

My post was in reference to the Kelvin Moore "ranga" chant

Sorry , i should have been more specific about that

np mate. As mentioned previously, have no issue with 99% of the chants, just the homo\pedo\rapist ones as an example of what we can live without.

Same with swearing, no issue, but calling people f'n c's as they walk by is unnecessary

 

[HAWKS HEROES]

Aren't you allowed to request a certain section of the ground when purchasing a reserved seat membership? Everyone who's watched from behind the goals knows where they are. Suspect the club would be amenable to a seat change/swap. But otherwise a fair point.

Reckon the GS showed restraint yesterday. Didn't notice anything more risque than "More pr0n on SBS".

all depends ,
say if it was a hawks home game the gs stand there still and it is a hawks reserve area in front of them,
they can not move to another seat ,specially during the season anyway ,
people won't have a problem unless ones try to start fights or use very foul language ,
if they are not being that bad they won't have any trouble at all ,
so no people can not move all the time and no matter if they did get a different seat for the next year if there was one to get that is,
the next person that sits there may have the same trouble
[ not saying there is but if there was a problem that someone may move due to it]
anyway with bigger memberships moving seats gets harder

your other post well said and written by the way
as is IDGAF's post

 

[straightshooter]

They should take the initiative the next blockbuster we play and fence these guys in and then machine gun the lot of them Rambo style.

 

[HAWKS HEROES]

why do that if they are not doing any wrong , as long as what they sang at willo and a few others not sung again they will be fine [chant that someone else brought up starting with H] as long as they stick to songs for their own players like m10 do they are not doing any wrong

 

[straightshooter]

Nope, kill em all before they breed

 

[HAWKS HEROES]

Nope, kill em all before they breed

you dont like gs ??

 

[straightshooter]

 

[HAWKS HEROES]

i did not know there were that many that did not sorry anyway good luck for your next game hope you guys win

 

[DrMike]

i did not know there were that many that did not sorry anyway good luck for your next game hope you guys win

There are plenty that do, plenty that don't, don't draw any conclusions from a forum thread

 

[smasha]

IDDY magnificent post mate.You hit it on the head what this great club means to us.

 

[HAWKS HEROES]

There are plenty that do, plenty that don't, don't draw any conclusions from a forum thread

i wont no probs , you guys are having a good discussion on it and it is good reading .

it is good to see passionate supporters that love their club and no matter which way the argument goes it is always good to see supporters love their team

 

[Rodney Dangerfield]

What I would say to those who are offended or upset by grog squad is to stand near them or even with them for one day.You might even recognize a face and run into one at a pub nearby.

On occasion I've ended up standing nearby or chatting to the odd one and at the end of the day they are a harmless bunch of blokes that drink beer at games,sing songs and hang a bit of shit.But they're no different to any of us in the fact they live RFC with a passion.They get as upset or excited as any of us and you'll be surprised how much you might have in common.Amazing how a common interest makes conversation pretty easy even with pissed people lol.

They're ok, probably get the odd over excited youngun in there that needs a tap on the shoulder but really they love what we all love but just have their own way of doing it.

 

[tugga]

WHat I have found with the GS over the past few years is why I also no longer go to international cricket matches.
The witty 35-plus year old who can handle his grog has been replaced by the pissed up, smartarse late teen or 20-something who have been brought up with no manners nor any respect for others.
Cricket matches are filled with these idiots and they are the reason why I haven't been to a game in five years.
I realise there are always exceptions to the rule, but these are largely my experiences for the past few years.
Sadly, it seems swearing is now mainstream in society and basic manners and respect for those around us have also gone by the wayside.
I'm not an old fogey either. I like a piss up and a laugh as much as the next bloke. But my parents brought me up properly.
By all means sing and chant, but when foul mouthed vitriol gets directed towards members of the opposition team walking past, it's no longer funny nor clever. And I have seen it happen plenty of times.

 

[CoggaRules]

Great post Ron

Love it

No your not misguided at all and its also something i hold very dearly as well and like it or not , its a huge part of what has made our club what it is today and i hope it will always continue to be so.

The RFC have always been non-conformists , we have also always been very passionate . Its for these reasons that our supporter base has been and still is the the envy of most Victorian based clubs .

I will always reserve the right to support my club on game day how i see fit "within reason"

Through work and business i have on occasions been the guest of football clubs chairmans and presidents dinners and lunches etc and on the whole i find them quite nausiating . They are no reflection whatsoever on the true footballing culture and what makes the clubs and the game itself tick . But i accept that its part of the game and the business today as it were . I spend the best part of the day wishing i could rip the tie off and head out into the outer with the real footballing bretheren

I have spent a bit of time over the years in or around the grog squad . i have never seen anyone attack anyone or go out of their way to get stuck into opposition supporters without prior provocation . If you want to put yourself in the cross fire then thats thier choice .

Live and let live anyway i say . i respect anyones right to support the club how they wish . But your kidding yourselves if you want to remove and or santize an institution like this from our club

Dude, tipping they used to say that when they were "sanitizing" the Stratford End at Man U back in the days too. At the end of the day, if the powers that be deem that they want the Grog Squad to become the Mod Squad, it will happen. It wont happen over night, but it will happen..
I dont give a flying **** about it, I sit or stand and whatever the case, I let fly with a myriad of expletives over the course of a game, but even I have come to understand where the bar is set nowadays, as opposed to the 70s and 80s when you could let loose with whatever you wanted and nothing much went down..
For those that talk about the "seating" and "they were their first" stuff, thats a bunch of BS to the max.
At the end of the day, if the powers that be want it to happen, they will make it happen.

 

[Mile High Tiger]

The Grog Squad's been around longer than I've been going (1970s) and they're a unique part of Tigerland. They changed a lot over the years and I personally love the English-style singing. In the end they should regulate themselves and there's enough intelligent people in there to lead things in the right direction.

My thoughts are that the 'Homo' chant is shitful, anti-gay and lacks humour yet the '10 men went to bed' song is always hilarious... it's a fine line.

 

[rammbo]

No dought some of their chants make em look like tools but fair dinkum its about time some people just lighten up and stop being so weak and sensitive to what people say .

 

[harimal12]

My son is a member of the grog squad, he is in his 30s and has been attending Richmond games all his life.
As his tiger mad mum he was taken to games from the time he could walk, he has not seem much success and lots of heartache.
In the early days of watching games at Punt rd are these boys much different? I dont really think so.I can remember standing on two beer cans to see the game at Punt rd lots of swearing and cheering went on then too.
The players seem to enjoy it and my son is hard working not feral,just loves the tigers...

 

[jihg]

I specifically referred to people who held off buying a membership because they don't want to go unless we're winning. Regardless of financial wherewithal, people who buy a membership and use it every week regardless of our winning prospects are better supporters. I'm not trying to turn it into a class war.

What I object to is people who think things should change just because they've arrived on the scene.

Not sure if reading this right a good supporter is a member and goes every week and those who don't are not good supporters?

Does this hold for all members like those who live inthe country work most weekends and can't get there? Are my kids not good supporters because they are Cotchy's Cubs members but can't get to e games because I work most weekends? If so I challenge anyone to try and tell them that and survive the encounter.

 

[Ron The Bear]

Not sure if reading this right a good supporter is a member and goes every week and those who don't are not good supporters?

No, you're reading more into it than what was written.