Nothing much usually happens in Ohio. Last night was an exception, though. West Ham United beat Columbus Crew 3-1 in a preseason friendly at the Columbus Crew Stadium, but most of the action happened off the pitch, not on it.According to the Washington Post, a halftime brawl between more than 100 fans marred the match.
The fights, which overshadowed West Ham United’s 3-1 win, began when a handful of West Ham supporters, some wearing the team’s claret and blue colors, entered the northeast corner of the stadium where the Crew’s most boisterous supporters typically gather.
Crew supporters began directing chants toward the rival fans, and fights quickly broke out between more than 100 Crew fans and at least 30 West Ham fans. Columbus police officers and Crew Stadium security staff eventually separated the groups.
Highway Patrol officers arrested one fan outside the stadium for disorderly conduct, Patrol spokeswoman Anne Ralston said. A dispatcher didn’t know whether Columbus police had made any arrests inside the stadium.
Were you at the game and did you witness what happened? If so, share your thoughts below by clicking the comments link.
In the meantime, here’s a report from the game where it sounds like West Ham won with ease.
{ 76 comments… read them below or add one }
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I wonder whey everyone thinks the MLS is a joke except for their 12 fans?
Oh yeah!
Steve Davis, Don’t make me laugh. I was at every game we played at Highbury in the 70’s and at every game the North Bank got drowned in Claret & Blue while you lot vanished into thin air.
I also remember the day of the Orange smoke bombs when you lot ran for your lives.
A gooner trying to call anyone “all talk”? Give it a rest!
As for the ICF, it was a rallying cry more than an actual firm. The top firm ever at West Ham were the Mile End mob. NO ONE messed with them EVER.
But seriously, if this bunch of pillocks think they’ve been clever going all that way to steam a bunch of septics they’re either off their heads, made of money or probably both. They could have had a night out in Ilford and had a row with whoever they liked and saved themselves a fortune in the process.
Them and the septics richly deserve each other. PATHETIC!!!!!!
Oh Dear, looks like we touched a sore point with you lot!
England were at war with Japan on the front line before the USA -FACT we occupied a lot of their initial invasion countries…so there!
dont believe everything you see in your movies lads…a lot of it is glorification
Credit due though, if it werent for the USA, Australia, NZ, Poles, French, Dutch and of course OUR forefathers…we would be german, but who gives a toss now!
back to footie…you suck!
and I agree with Len
Steve you are a twat!
and thats that!
BYE
But on a more serious note, talking about Football that is, I think we should make the most of laughing at the septics and their struggle to make “Sawker” (yuk) a major sport over there as I think in the not too distant future they will become, if not a force, a very well respected nation in world Football.
I’ve been over there coaching a few times and they’ve got a really good system over there not just with the schools and Colleges, but also with the Clubs.
They are developing really good players at grass roots and have invested a fortune on coaching.
So like I say, make the most of it because much as I hate to say it, the septics are coming.
Reply 51, why don’t you come down to Crew Stadium or another MLS park and tell me only 4 people care? You are a typical prat Brit. I did not see England or Scotland in the European Finals this summer. Maybe they want to compete in CONCACAF since you and your type seem so interested in putting down MLS and the US teams.
bit of 80s thats all
50 steve davis // Jul 22, 2008 at 9:07 am.
The North Bank Highbury had some respected lads during the late ’60’s and ’70’s. Hoy, Putney, Pentonville, etc. I knew a lot of your boys, but don’t make me laugh mate. I went to virtually every encounter between 1967 and 1978 and the Mile End and subsequently the TBF took the North Bank every time. Either you are dreaming or I am suffering from senile decay. Don’t answer that!
As for our American cousins (who I will always have affection for), if you ever venture across the pond to London come over to Upton Park and experience a real atmosphere at a real football ground. You will be perfectly safe. Don’t waste your time going to one of these new generic bowl stadiums like Arsenal’s Emirates, even if the football on offer is marginally better (even I have to admit that last point).
Yanks?
you would never no football violence if it hit you in the face..
watch any english ,dutch, german football violence videos and you would never compete with us.in or out the stadium.
new film coming soon is called CASS A west ham boy. you yanks would shit yourself if you see him.
Learn from the pros.
Bye the way i do like all your sports.
Ok i was at the westham game, in the westham section, and yes i know full well what happened. But i have a few messages to send out, first of to jeremy (hsc) first of you aint nothing like millwall, as it werent even a fight, cos if it was your small crowd of crew followers would not be making a comment so early, and also a message goes out to a so called 19 year old crew supporter/hooligan lol whatever, buddy you have no idea what a fight is, cos like i said before it werent even a fight….BUT this is the most important thing that everyone has forgotten to mention, that day when only a handfull of westham supporters went over the the so called crew supporters, didnt you guys hear that the chants that were coming your way were from americans ? lol YES american westham supporters, so you see there were no ICF or english supporters giving ya crap, so we just looked over at you lot, and thought it was laughable how many crew supporters you didnt have, maybe get a smaller studium and then you might fill some seats, but hey as im sure i speak for all english hammers, hey talk is cheap, but come to east london, and you will find out what a fight is really like, hey we only went to the game to watch westham play, as we are loyal and solid supporters, but if ya want a fight, then make sure you have the english there, like someone said to me that day, looks like a few handfull of americans were trying to be like the english and ya they failed. No fighting doesnt solve anything, but do not say you fought with the english when it was american hammer fans chanting aint ya lol, but hey i enjoyed the game and nice to see we played alot of youth on the pitch to, it was good to see crew have westham there, maybe next time dont leave it so long, hopefully you might get an invite back at upton park then you`ll know whats it like to get in a ruck…
Please americans don’t try to replicate anything that happens in countries with 100+ years footballing history. Violence escalated because of poverty and local pride. Of course this isn’t an exscuse its still stupid but America has many many years of sporting history and the violence isn’t in that. I’ve been to a fair few nba and nhl games and it is a totally different enviroment to the rest of the worlds sport. It is very family orientated and so much is artifiically done to keep you entertained in breaks of play. This is alot harder in football but I’m sure you lot can work something out to suit your tastes. It sounds so ridiculous “American Soccer hooligans” and to those completly blaming the Westham fans your totally wrong in my opinion. English (don’t say ‘Brits’ please) Football hooligans only fight those who want to fight back so something must have happened from the columbus side aswell. Please America don’t mess up your sporting culture. I’m sure Football is going to grow and grow to be massive like it is around the world where everything that happens at your club has some effect on your daily life and obviously Football violence will have negative consequences on your society. Stick to your weird(to us) USA USA. “Lets go….” “You suck!” stuff. America have never come across as a country who would copy another so this is why i find it so strange.
PS don’t state things as facts when they are not. America did not win WW2 it was a joint effort by many, America came in towards the end but still played their part.
While i’m not pretending to be an expert wasn’t there ‘Brits’ on both sides of the American war of independance? Otherwise how can you explain why over 25million+ Americans have English ancestory?
Hooliganism at TFC games? Don’t make me laugh. It’s been pretty calm since the Chilean and Argentinian under-20s left town, and there wasn’t really “hooliganism” at that match, either — just Latin passion turbocharged by too many pints of bad lager.
Crew firm hahahaha you yanks amaze the world time after time. that wasnt an organised meet between 2 firms you bunch of cunts. if was a few hammers on their hoildays pissed off at your stupid chants..and they had the bollocks to get in your end and confront your 2 bob ”firm” . if your so called crew firm vere stepped the shores of england you would see how its done..not a few drinnks chucked and a few handbags swung. and just so you know the ICF doesnt exist anymore… new younger groups come through sure but ICF died in the 90’s
A few people on here need to grow up a tad methinks!!!!!
I read some comments on a Columbus Crew website, which suggest that the so called West Ham Fans were in fact Chicago Fire fans in West Ham colors. Now obviously I do not know if this was true, but there were several reports of Police chasing Columbus fans after the game.
At the end of the day, the English game (please do not refer to us as ‘Brits” - we after all an English club) has cleaned significantly since the 80’s. Copy cat wanna be hooligans are a decade or two too late!
No lets all grow up and actually try to enjoy the beautiful game of football.
reading the posts from start to finish made me remember a joke i heard somewhile back
an american tourist comes to london and hails a taxi and says to the driver “show me the sites of london.
so the cabbie sets of and rounds parliment square and says to the yank “thats our houses of parliment where all our politics are debated. gees says theyank in america our whitehouse is 10 times the size of that,a little further on the cabbie says that the famous tower bridge to which the yank replies gees back in america our bridges are 10 times has big as that,the yank then spots the double golden arch and asks the cabbie what it stood for,the cabbie replies that is the sign of mcdonalds,gees says the yank in america our mcdonalds are 10 times has big has that to which the cabbie says
we make burgers to fit our mouths
everything about this incident that i’ve read insinuated that the westham fans had started the whole thing. no one said anything about the crew corner calling the westham players pussies or chanting “fuck west ham”. not only that but a little bitch crew fan waited until the westham fan that hit him was getting pulled away by a guard did he hit him back.
Hahaha Columbus are a bunch of fuckin pussies. They could not match up against any firm in Europe or South America. The would even get stomped by the likes of Chicago or Toronto. What a Joke.
Columbus crew firm?!!! What a joke. You think this is just like in the movies? What I saw where a bunch of West Ham shirters and not the ICF. You think this is hooliganism? Get real. Stay with your own games and stuff. Let the real firms of the world do the hooliganism before you wannabe’s get hurt.
And if you wanna be tuff guys go to Central America or challenge Argentina’s firms like Boca and River. If you servive you can come to Europe and challenge the hundreds of firms here!
Ok first off, Crew Hooligan….. you are a moron. You are probably one of wannabes that joined the supporter section this season just because a bunch of your buddies thought it was an excuse to act retarded.
A couple points:
Whether or not people are railing on the supporter groups, they have increased attendance. I have been going to Crew games for the last 7-8 years, and this season (with a winning record of course) the atmosphere has been tremendous.
Profanity? I don’t agree with some of the chants that are common in the Nordecke, but they are not worse than something you hear in the movies or at your local HS/college. If they offend that much, there are plenty of other sections you can get seats at.
Extreme situations? I was at the New England game as well as the majority of the games this season. There was crap thrown (beer bottles, coins, sharpened pencils, and more) but I think that game was the turning point of our groups. Our true supporters have begun to police the crowd whenever stupid crap starts. The majority of the problem are those douche bags that come to the game once in a while piss drunk and don’t care what happens no matter what. the same people kicked out of bars and clubs all over the place. I don’t have a problem with streamers. But that is the line I draw. Even though the beer bottles are PLASTIC AND DO NOT HURT, as a soccer player myself, I would get pissed about anything else than streamers or a little bit of beer.
Hudson Street Hooligans? I am a supporter of the HSH supporter group legitimately. All of you that are “Columbus is a bunch of wankers” and crap like that, chill out. No, we do not have the prestige of many of the firms and groups across the nation, but realize this. Besides this season, when has anyone heard so much about fans of the MLS, whether good or bad? This season our group of Hudson Street and the Crew Union have grown by leaps and bounds. To even have a supporter group section as loud and outspoken like this in America (which I admit has a crappy outlook towards soccer) is awesome. The only supporter section larger is TFC, but they are Canada, and I don’t have to go any farther than that. Haha j/k.
Give us a break. Our groups are having growing issues which I am sure that many of the more established fan groups have gone through in the past. I’m sure you all have at least one “tough guy” like Crew Hooligan in your groups as well. The majority of us just want to try and show the rest of our country why soccer is the number one sport in the wold to play and cheer on!
Lata.
Thanks,very interesting and useful post
WELL SAID!!!!!!! Americans don't deserve to play football. They are plastic in every sense of the word. They now chant at their matches. Who did they copy that from? They name their supporters groups. Who did they copy that from as well? They named their clubs “united” and “real”. Wherever did they get those ideas?
You Americans cannot be original in the slightest. You keep trying to be like us, but the more you try, the more you fail. Pathetic.
Word of advice to you Septic Tanks: Stay the fuck away from our sport. Stay away from football, you don't get it and you never will.
Another great post!!! You're totally right, Americans are completely pitiful when they try to copy us. For that alone, they deserve to get their asses handed to them. A bunch of lazy wannabes, they are.
America is truly doomed
Read the above posts so you can learn how idiotic you are in everything you say.
Football is not meant for a bankrupt culture like America. Football is NOT for you. Give up now before you embarrass yourself further.
US “soccer” hooligans….what a joke…..Can’t believe you have enough fans to even start a hooligan group
Wow! All respect to the british! The originators of the game . . .
What´s this talk of 1776? Pardon me, but what is the so called “united states” when coming to speak in terms of football?
Stick to your bla bla bla ice hockey, bla bla bla baseball, bla bla bla american “football”.
Honestly, these “sports” are the safest way to put a human being to sleep . . .
You ain´t got nothing on us here in Europe ! !
Born and living in Stockholm, there is a more than century long hatred and rivalry between the three big clubs. (=AIK, Hammarby, Djurgården.)
Attend any derby here and enjoy the real old school feeling . . .
Pay a visit and learn . . . .
It´s like we in Europe always has been your older brother . . . .
Steaming-in with the English
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