Block Seven

I’ve no doubt they bring some of the grief on themselves, although generally not seen too many problems in away grounds with them this season.

There is a more general point to be made about the treatment of football supporters by police though.

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Originally Posted by B.H.F.C

I’ve no doubt they bring some of the grief on themselves, although generally not seen too many problems in away grounds with them this season.

There is a more general point to be made about the treatment of football supporters by police though.

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I agree. It would be good if they recognised the correlation between their behaviour and the treatment though.

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Originally Posted by Chuck Rhoades

Poorly written and posted some 40mins after the Green Brigade. Misjudged this one, trying to cosy up, be under no illusions that GB do not give a **** about B7 nor will have any sort of bond their, quite the opposite.

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The last incident that they mentioned was 2 weeks ago. Instead of releasing it then, they've seen the green brigade statement today and thought 'Oh look, our heroes have released a statement, we must do this to!'

I'm not a huge fan of B7 myself but some of the takes on here are absolutely baffling, "mon the polis" etc. Weird, yes the laddies go about things the wrong way at times, but without them ER would be an absolute morgue. (Same goes for Celtic Park/Ibrox etc.)

If you think the "polis" don't have it in for football fans then unfortunately you've never ventured far from your seat at Easter Road.

That lot have targeted football fans in anyway possible for the last 20-30 years. Football fans have been treated abysmally by them.

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Originally Posted by Thatdayinmay16

I'm not a huge fan of B7 myself but some of the takes on here are absolutely baffling, "mon the polis" etc. Weird, yes the laddies go about things the wrong way at times, but without them ER would be an absolute morgue. (Same goes for Celtic Park/Ibrox etc.)

If you think the "polis" don't have it in for football fans then unfortunately you've never ventured far from your seat at Easter Road.

That lot have targeted football fans in anyway possible for the last 20-30 years. Football fans have been treated abysmally by them.

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Really don't believe this would be the case at all. I think they've made it worse. We had a decent atmosphere at ER before they turned up but instead, we've got a group singing a bunch of repetitive, monotonous droning songs; to add to that, you can barely hear them.

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Originally Posted by Thatdayinmay16

without them ER would be an absolute morgue. (Same goes for Celtic Park/Ibrox etc.)

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This is nonsense, they have ruined the atmosphere with their stupid drums, anytime a song starts in another stand they drown it out with the drum and when they start their own songs nobody can hear them.

I can’t recall any statements being released from the CCS or other casual groups back in the day when getting their collars felt or being escorted to stadiums and monitored. Kind of went with the territory.

I dare say the statement writing is just seen as all part of the game for the ultras scene.

The problem they have here is that while folk will read it, nobody other than ultra members will be that interested in their perceived plight.

I've had a thing popping up on facebook every so often. Hibs u23 v Celtic u23, 6x6, 2 mins - Celtic win

What a cringe. Their delusions of self importance is hilarious. As mentioned above, they’re know for their antisocial behaviour and regularly breaking the law whilst deliberately concealing their identities. Why on earth are they surprised when the police decide to do something about it?

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Originally Posted by B.H.F.C

I’ve no doubt they bring some of the grief on themselves, although generally not seen too many problems in away grounds with them this season.

There is a more general point to be made about the treatment of football supporters by police though.

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No fan of Block Seven, but no fan of the police and their general attitude to football fans, or their two tiered approach to whoever is playing.

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Originally Posted by Winston Ingram

Really don't believe this would be the case at all. I think they've made it worse. We had a decent atmosphere at ER before they turned up but instead, we've got a group singing a bunch of repetitive, monotonous droning songs; to add to that, you can barely hear them.

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We had a decent atmosphere before hand as we had another group doing what block 7 are doing, they decided to pack it in, then Block 7 turned up. (Albeit they done it with no fighting amongst fans/other groups of clubs)

The club didn't put on Tifo's etc before Block 7 turned up, another group who obviously stayed out of trouble done it all.

I agree Block 7 don't cover themselves in glory but I'd take the side of them before Police Scotland that's for sure.

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Originally Posted by hibee

This is nonsense, they have ruined the atmosphere with their stupid drums, anytime a song starts in another stand they drown it out with the drum and when they start their own songs nobody can hear them.

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That's nonsense though isn't it? I've sat in the East upper toward the south stand/away stand and in the west lower past the dugout and before the dugout and on each occasion I've never once had a problem hearing them generate noise.

If a drum bothers you I'd suggest staying in the hoose.

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Originally Posted by Thatdayinmay16

We had a decent atmosphere before hand as we had another group doing what block 7 are doing, they decided to pack it in, then Block 7 turned up. (Albeit they done it with no fighting amongst fans/other groups of clubs)

The club didn't put on Tifo's etc before Block 7 turned up, another group who obviously stayed out of trouble done it all.

I agree Block 7 don't cover themselves in glory but I'd take the side of them before Police Scotland that's for sure.

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The idea that the Since1875 group that preceded Block 7 never had any bother with the police is a myth as well.

I know a couple of guys who used to be involved and the harassment from the Police was one of their biggest reasons for giving it up. Was fine when there were younger but when they were trying to settle down with a wife/girlfriend and forge a career it became more problematic.

I'm sure many on here will remember their 'Identify This' banner at the LC semi final v St Johnstone in response to the implementation of facial recognition tech at stadiums.

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Originally Posted by Pretty Boy

The idea that the Since1875 group that preceded Block 7 never had any bother with the police is a myth as well.

I know a couple of guys who used to be involved and the harassment from the Police was one of their biggest reasons for giving it up. Was fine when there were younger but when they were trying to settle down with a wife/girlfriend and forge a career it became more problematic.

I'm sure many on here will remember their 'Identify This' banner at the LC semi final v St Johnstone in response to the implementation of facial recognition tech at stadiums.

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Yup, remember it well.

The block 7 lads are still young and they'll eventually run into the same issues some of the Since1875 guys ran into and wrap it.

Football fans are vilified by Police everywhere in this country and down south, so I'm unsure why anyone would ever take their side over our own.

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Originally Posted by Thatdayinmay16

If a drum bothers you I'd suggest staying in the hoose.

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I go to the football to watch the game and catch up with my mates, not listen to someone with no musical talent bang a drum for 90 minutes.

It’s a common theme on forums or social media where people are told to give up their season tickets and stop going but why should we?

The guys that control these people don’t even look at the pitch so clearly have no interest in watching the game, maybe they should stop coming and go the park with their drums.

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Originally Posted by hibee

I go to the football to watch the game and catch up with my mates, not listen to someone with no musical talent bang a drum for 90 minutes.

It’s a common theme on forums or social media where people are told to give up their season tickets and stop going but why should we?

The guys that control these people don’t even look at the pitch so clearly have no interest in watching the game, maybe they should stop coming and go the park with their drums.

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Let's just ban any sort of atmosphere at the football then.

Tip: Please do not buy tickets for any sort of French or Italian football game, you'd absolutely lose your mind when you see what sort of atmosphere they muster up over there.

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Originally Posted by SHODAN

Police harassment like telling them to go to the seats they paid for at Celtic Park and not trying to kick Hibs fans out of theirs?

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Yep. If their behaviour was close to decent then they’d have every right to complain but even if there’s any truth to the “hangers on” stuff, trouble seems to follow the ultras of almost every club now and as such they merit close management.

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Originally Posted by Thatdayinmay16

Let's just ban any sort of atmosphere at the football then.

Tip: Please do not buy tickets for any sort of French or Italian football game, you'd absolutely lose your mind when you see what sort of atmosphere they muster up over there.

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I’ve been to football games in Poland and Hungary and the difference in ultras there and here is night and day.

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Originally Posted by Thatdayinmay16

Let's just ban any sort of atmosphere at the football then.

Tip: Please do not buy tickets for any sort of French or Italian football game, you'd absolutely lose your mind when you see what sort of atmosphere they muster up over there.

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I wonder does the majority of fans think banging a drum relentlessly creates a good atmosphere at games or is it something that they would rather not have to put with ? . My moneys on they’d rather not have to put up with it.

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Originally Posted by Thatdayinmay16

Yup, remember it well.

The block 7 lads are still young and they'll eventually run into the same issues some of the Since1875 guys ran into and wrap it.

Football fans are vilified by Police everywhere in this country and down south, so I'm unsure why anyone would ever take their side over our own.

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Why does it have to be binary? Can block 7 not be, generally, a small group of neds and the way the police treat football fans, generally, is out of kilter for the way the majority behave.

Do all Europeans have problems drumming, or is it just a Scottish thing? When you go to games in Brazil, it's often better than the football.

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Originally Posted by The Tubs

Do all Europeans have problems drumming, or is it just a Scottish thing? When you go to games in Brazil, it's often better than the football.

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Aye, but I can imagine getting into the drums if I had Neymar and Depay and Estavao to watch along with it, we have Andy Halliday, Connor Randall and Cammy Devlin here, where each beat of the drum goes alongside a hoofed baw up in the air.

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Originally Posted by Pretty Boy

I agree.

In terms of engaging the whole crowd and getting everyone going they have improved massively. Much more inclined to go with the support rather than fight against it. I love the fact that every verse of Glory Glory gets an airing every week now.

Their statement is a bit all over the place. As mentioned above one of the games they refer to saw pretty graphic images of 2 members/hangers on kicking **** out a guy who was already prone on the ground do the rounds on social media so maybe not the best example if the aim is to garner support and sympathy. They've also used imagery of them battling away at St Mirren in their own promo videos so they aren't shying away from the fact they engage in activity that is anti social and illegal. However the constant Police attention, which is often intimidating and heavy handed, must be a drag when it is happening every week, even at times when it isn't merited. I do agree there is an element of hypocrisy as well with the Police using snoods to cover their own face (and I've seen Police covering their numbers on their epaulettes to avoid identification as well) whilst demanding these guys consent to being identified for public safety. That surely has to work both ways?

I suppose it's one those catch 22s. If the group keep getting caught up in disagreements with other fans, violence and other anti social behaviour then the Police will keep at them and if the Police keep at them they will keep lashing out.

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You can always rely on PB to offer a sensible and balanced perspective. I don’t profess to know anything about ultra culture, but it seems very much a product of societal times, with the growing corporotization (not a real word but should be) of the game and the ubiquity of control and surveillance in social
and public life.

I’m not ‘pro’ but knee-jerk ‘old gitism’ doesn’t appeal either, and its astonishing that many people on this thread were probably old punks, ravers, casuals etc and may this have knowledge about how youth is prone to both 1) acting a bit daft from time to time, and 2) being victims of over the top media demonization and state persecution.

This sort of young guys against older fans or young fans against the polis has been going on for as long as I can remember and I'm now 61. I'm not a fan of the drum, but other than that I think it's just what young guys do at football games. The police want to control them and the young guys want to rebel, it has been happening as long as football has been played.

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Originally Posted by easty

Aye, but I can imagine getting into the drums if I had Neymar and Depay and Estavao to watch along with it, we have Andy Halliday, Connor Randall and Cammy Devlin here, where each beat of the drum goes alongside a hoofed baw up in the air.

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I think the best comparison is samba band vs. Orange Lodge band.

I'm not a big fan of the so-called 'Ultras Culture', and the drum gives me a headache, but I think it's a bit unfair to say they only sing monotonous songs that nobody knows.

They've definitely been making an effort to sing more traditional songs, or join in when they start elsewhere. That was evident at Celtc Park.


It's not quite my idea of an 'atmosphere' at games but I suppose I'm just an old duffer from a bygone era. ;-)

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Originally Posted by Northernhibee

I’ve been to football games in Poland and Hungary and the difference in ultras there and here is night and day.

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So you are aware of the huge issues with Ultra's over in eastern European countries where fans of opposite clubs attempt to hack each other with machetes and large blades/snooker cues/baseball bats?

It's the young lads in Edinburgh who are banging a drum who should be jailed though.

Nonsense.

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Originally Posted by Thatdayinmay16

So you are aware of the huge issues with Ultra's over in eastern European countries where fans of opposite clubs attempt to hack each other with machetes and large blades/snooker cues/baseball bats?

It's the young lads in Edinburgh who are banging a drum who should be jailed though.

Nonsense.

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Are the people who want drummers jailed in the room with you now? :greengrin

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Originally Posted by Thatdayinmay16

Let's just ban any sort of atmosphere at the football then.

Tip: Please do not buy tickets for any sort of French or Italian football game, you'd absolutely lose your mind when you see what sort of atmosphere they muster up over there.

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Possibly controversial but I’ve been to a few Italian games and the atmosphere each time was underwhelming.

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Originally Posted by BS44

The young team are creating a terrific atmosphere at away games this season. Much credit to them.

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10/10