by AD » Tue Mar 25, 2014 3:41 pm
Re: the altercation in the pub, I'm very glad to see no-one was hurt and condemn the actions of those trying to cause a problem. Of course, praise must also go to those fans attempting to diffuse the situation.
But this is where I come to realise just how low and suspicious an opinion I have of the current people in charge of our club. As much as I disagree with the way Fisher has acted in his position (either under instruction from Joy or of his own volition) I don't think the man is stupid - far from it.
There are certain things in life you do (or don't do) as a matter of precaution, like certain areas you don't walk around at night, and as a football fan certain places you don't go in so as not to provoke trouble from the Neanderthal minority who've never left the 70's and 80's. It's a sad thing to have to do but the way it is (and one thing I like about American sports as although they have the rivalry they don't seem to have this level of animosity. There are fewer rival fans, often due to the sheer distance involved, but every game I've been to in the US has seen rival fans sitting together, talking, with good-natured banter and rivalry).
Fisher must have known Coventry fans would be in the pub, that they'd have been drinking (possibly to quite an extent given this was post-match), they'd just witnessed a poor performance and result and that he and his paymasters are extremely unpopular. This should have been setting off alarm bells of potential trouble in his head. So given the 'divide and conquer' e-mail furore last week, there is this very slight suspicion this could have almost been deliberate - to try and provoke trouble, split the fans and create the media stories of despicable fans.
Even the offer of drinks (before any trouble started reportedly) was likely to have just been a gesture of goodwill after he realised he'd been spotted and an attempt to diffuse the tension, but I think most of us in that situation would see the best option to avoid trouble as being do what you need to do and leave ASAP. So even the drinks offer I can now potentially perceive as being intentionally antagonistic.
Now, I'm not suggesting that is the case - if you gotta go, you gotta go - and I doubt someone like him would be tempted to go for a quick wee in a secluded alley, but my suspicions and distrust of those in charge has reached such an extent that even someone just going to the loo I can now potentially consider to have nefarious intentions. I have an extremely low opinion of the dealings of Richardson, Hover, Robinson and McGinnity, but this is of an entirely different level.
Anyway, it doesn't matter. WWIII will be starting soon.....