[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by LD84

I don't get why players aren't allowed to interact with the opposing fans. Why would anyone expect people to be verbally abused & then not respond?

Maybe you meant to write 'are' here?

As I said before, football has usually been the sport of the industrial cities and the working class.
Players have usually interacted with fans pretty well.

But in the last few decades there has been a deterioration in that relationship.
With racist chants and threats of violence perhaps being the worst.

Most football associations make clubs set aside at least some portion of tickets for away fans.

Going to a football match as an away fan can be a harrowing experience. Especially if you wear the away clubs colours or kit.

I have never been harmed or been in a situation where I have felt I could be harmed. But there were for sure times I have felt uncomfortable.

In my younger days, I went to a Celtic vs Rangers game in Celtic Park wearing the dark blue of Rangers.

I was in my early 20s, so this was in the mid 2000s.
I have never been so scared in my life.

There were literally police around the away supporters area to protect the away supporters.

No I meant "are". I think if you are getting trash talk hurled your way, no one has a right to complain if it is returned in kind. Don't start none, won't be none.

Now understandably, soccer hooligans are a different breed than 95% of American fans. So I can understand the "don't feed the animals" mantra. So if they don't want to poke the bear, so to speak, they need to clean up the behavior in the stands. Otherwise, they've created a hostile work environment.