Did not see any problems myself and on the whole thought the atmosphere in Manchester and around the ground was pretty good , as one poster says though with a 6pm kick off on a Saturday there are always a few that can't handle there beer

I was precisely in the bit you are on about. The last 20 minutes the 5 seats alongside me (I was at the end of the row), the seats directly in front and another 5 or 6 around me were empty - 5 or 6 at least were arrested, 5 or 6 were chucked out and probably another 5 or 6 seemed to somehow get away with it. I had the cops by me the whole second half so was sitting on the top of my seat as I couldn't see down the far end otherwise.

They were all drunks - some were chunky, meat-head type blokes maybe in their 40s and the other different groups were groups of drunk trendy guys I their 20s who were thinking they were all that. At least two of the fights were prompted by smart ar$e comments about each other's group that they were making to their mates which were heard and then quickly escalated.

The guys by me were mainly Saints fans, not sure about the other two groups of younger lads. Was ridiculous...

We went in Sam Platts a few years back and vowed never again.

For the last few years we have gone into the Railway Club, pre and post match and never have had any problems. Spoke to few Leeds fans in there on Saturday, including a couple who ran Fev Lions Ladies team, really nice people.

It's a game of rugby, somebody wins, somebody loses, why "fans" have to get so aggressive I'll never know, just go and enjoy the game / occasion.

Railway Club al fresco was a pleasant afternoon as it usually is when the weather's good, Jimmy Savile chants apart. Mingling with Bulls, Leigh and Sts fans as well as Wiganers.

The Telegraph have "Rival Fans Brawling" as its main RL story and a video of a punch up taking place in an establishment I do not recognise. The protagonists are not wearing shirts so, it is difficult to establish who they are but there is a Leeds fan lobbing something into the mix from the sidelines.
Two things - 1. Why can't kn06heads handle their beer? 2. Why is this given such prevelance by the establishment rag?
No need for anyone to answer the last question.

What a complete load of bollox of a "tarring everyone with the same brush" comment i sing it and so do 1000's of others of all ages/genderes who don't cause or get involved in any trouble.

Was bit puzzled by the comment myself.

Yes, the Establishment are also at it in today's Times.
Philip Collins seems to think rugby should meet once again in the George Hotel ( bit difficult these days), and agree to play to one set of rules, which we all learnt, of course, during our time spent at our public school.

Didn't see any carry ons in the west stand. A few of our own fans were a touch aggressive to one plonker who decided to nick a kids hat and wang it down the stand but it wasn't bad swearing. Went in the Victoria Mills beforehand and no bother at all in there with a great mix of fans from Salford, Cas, Wakey, Bulls etc. Maybe a few wingnuts that were too pished who thought it was acceptable to push in at the bar but they got yoinked out of the queue

I was in 1410 about three rows from the pitch. The fighting was 2 or 3 rows behind us and seemed to involve a family of Wigan fans and as someone has already said some guys who should be old enough to know better.
It all kicked off about 20 mins in. Up to then every time there was some Leeds singing someone piped up with a "Wigan" call. This was probably the antagonising factor as we seemed to be in a predominant Leeds fan area.
I have no idea what sparked it off or who started what. My Dad and Sister nearly got dragged in to the situation by the woman of the family. There was a young lad (Wigan fan) who was crying and very distressed. I think about 4 people got dragged away and ejected and I think the rest of the family got relocated. There were some teenage lads there (one was part of the Wigan family) so it may be they got stroppy with each other. The Wigan teenager was not ejected and was being looked after during the first half and in the bar areas at half time by some more genuine Leeds fans.
There were at least two other scuffles in our vacinity during the game. One, I think, at the end of the 1st half and 1 during the second half. - The streaker did not come from our block though.
I am afraid this is a sad reflection of the mentality of some folk these days. When we used to go out as young adults we went for a good time and if we got drunk it was a side effect rather than the aim. I work with young RN recruits and I see time and time again that the attitude of many of them is when they go out they go with the sole intention of getting drunk. - hence you see them with strong lager and shots more or less as soon as they get out.
I do not condone violence with beer in any shape or form but unfortunately an early start to drinking with an 1800 KO time is a go ahead to some folk to get as drunk as possible as quick as possible and alas these are the people who probably should not be drinking at all if their behaviour is any thing to go by.

First time I've noticed the "NO Alcohol within the seating areas" enforcement as well?

did not stop the streaker ! - I wonder if he has tagged himself in the Isuzu FanPic Grand Final ! - D'oh!

The Idiots will eventually ruin it for everyone eventually. At about 1 o'clock we (me and my wife) were accosted by 4 Wigan fans. All hammered. One squaring up to me, calling my wife some lovely names and threatening to throw me in the keys.
Before it got out of hand some other Wigan fans passing intervened called them a disgrace and they left, we had a bit of good natured banter with the second lot. I would hate to see how bad the first 4 were come kickoff time.
The main problem. Idiots who cannot handle their beer

Such behaviour by some "fans" of all clubs will if unchecked ruin the game. How long before the no alcohol rules applied in football ball come to RL. Ditto fan segregation. I am proud that fans from rival teams can share a beer on the terraces at games and hope a few idiots don't deprive us of that friendly rivalry.

I had to laugh at that. Lots of announcements pre-game about no alcohol allowed in the seats but suddenly closer to kick off loads we're bringing bottles in. Not sure if they had to sneak them in or whether the people in charged relaxed the earlier stringent no alcohol policy in the seated bowl

Being in the bit where all the fighting happened, they were doing their best to stop people entering the bowl with alcohol. Unfortunately the drunks were being crafty and hiding bottles all manner of places so got in.

Then when it all kicked off the first time people were just walking out with them as the stewards and police at that point were distracted.

One of the coppers did spot people near me (and on last warnings) with bottles later and they were promptly ejected, which if I remember right (I was sober but there were several punch ups so they blur into one) then prompted another punch up...

Four or five guys sat two rows ahead of me snuck some bottles in but someone reported straight it to the stewards straight away who made them take them out but the guys were allowed straight back in minus their drinks. Perhaps not allowing them back in would stop people risking it.

Nawty nawty.

I might be turning into an old fart, but I don't understand paying to see a game and then getting so drunk that you can't follow it, due to either intoxication or spending most of the match in transit to and from the bar / toilet. Don't get me wrong I enjoy a beer, but don't need to be anesthetized to enjoy Rugby League.

Simple solution. Anyone presenting at the turnstiles inebriated doesn't get in. Anyone considered by security to be a risk to order inside the ground gets thrown out even before their backside hits their seats. Would require additional security costs and some backbone from the stadiums/police forces involved, but if it makes for a better, safer atmosphere for everyone else then it's worth it.

Also, bars inside the ground close 30 mins before kick-off. Might get a few people into their seats nice and early for a change as well as preventing them from getting tanked up.

did the first instance start with good natured banter

the tollgate had people from upton trying to wind leeds fans up

Sam Platts was Jammed when we went passed. We walked around to Matchstick Man, it was busy but not full of Knuckle-Draggers.

True, the most I've ever had before a grand/cup final is one single drink, mostly because I don't want to find myself in the 35th/75th minute busting for the toilet and having to miss any of the game. (Although in hindsight I wish I'd have gotten blind drunk before the 2010 CC Final as it might've blurred that from my memory)

Why what happened?