POST MATCH UPDATE: After the usual dose of (very) high spirits / drunkenness / anti social behaviour (including plenty of public pissing and puking and a woman being hospitalised after being hit by a flying bottle) Richmond Council have issued a statement saying they are seeking an urgent meeting with the RFU and the match organisers. The press release which begins with, “Army v Navy drunken antics cannot be repeated” goes on to set out how despite bringing the kick off forward there was no noticeable improvement in behaviour from fans this year. El Brute state that they will put the case for rotating the fixture around national stadia and that if assurances cannot be given with regard to conduct at future matches then the fixture will no longer be allowed to take place in the borough. Is this a fair response or just an overkill reaction to some squaddies letting off steam. Your call.
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It’s that time of year again. Army v Navy rugby returns to Twickenham on Sat 4th May as the two services compete for the Babcock Trophy. This annual fixture is almost certainly the locals least popular event at the stadium with its big boozy crowd and the usual sprinkling (quite literally) of anti-social behaviour. The ‘Match Committee’ have made some changes to the structure of the day this year as part of “measures to reduce the impact on the local community”. Kick off is at 2.00pm, one hour earlier than in previous years, with the Armed Forces U23 v Oxbridge U23 match taking place after the senior game in the stadium. So, no fixtures at Kneller Hall this year.
This sounds like a plan to reduce pre-match drinking time, try to concentrate activity in a more manageable areas and maybe allow for a more gradual dispersal. According to the Army v Navy site, “The actions of a small minority of attendees have resulted in this change”. Will it work? In addition to the usual road closures associated with big games, expect Twickenham pubs to shut early.
Look on social media and you’ll see the usual mixed bag of comments ranging from dread to “it’s just an annual dose of boisterous fun”. Who’s right?
LINKS:
UPDATE LINK: El Brute press release
PREVIOUSLY:
BBC also running the story now https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-48228127
This tweet sums up the Army v Navy experience nicely:
Next Bank Holiday it’s the London 7s, for two days, but at least the attendance for that has been reduced to c40,000 per day.
The Army v Navy should be similarly reduced in size.
Touring the ‘match’ around UK stadiums is also a sensible suggestion from the Lib Dems. Let the military share their booze purchases and after-effects with Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.
FYI, I was referring to Katherine’s tweet, not my own (I didn’t expect that to be displayed).
As people have commented on Twitter “it’s definitely a “unique experience”.
Having been involved in pubs in Twickenham for 20yrs there has been a significant change in policy and attitude around rugby. Where landlords/managers were able to monitor and police patrons within their premises it now seems to be be open season for street drinking and off-licences selling carryout beers. This puts extra strain on an already under resourced police force. With more fans being funnelled straight to the bars in the ground where responsible retail of alcohol seems to not apply, no wonder there are more incidences of anti-social behaviour. As I licensee, if my business traded like the bars within the stadium I would be halled infront of a judge Monday morning and my license revoked. I’m not a local nimby (John Lloyd, *yawn) but there are now events at the stadium that are marketed as drinking first, rugby second. See latest promotional tweet about the 7’s. It does make you wonder after a number of rugby days (Army Navy, 7’s, concerts) where the behaviour of fans has been of high concern to the Council, residents and Police, why Twickenham Stadium was granted extra licences for more bars, extended hours and extra events?
As T. points out, the RFU are again promoting fancy dress for the London 7s.
I don’t object to the 7s, in fact I often attend the finals on the Sunday, but I do object to a great day’s rugby being promoted as a massive party/piss-up and the resulting mess in Twickenham town centre.
Hello All
I appreciate I’m a rare bird in these woods as far as posting goes but I thought you might find this press release informative
https://www.richmond.gov.uk/council/news/press_office/older_news/may_2019/army_v_navy_drunken_antics_cannot_be_repeated
Good to see the council taking action on this.
Always best to stay in when the army/navy are in town … behaviour is loutish and unpleasant. Waitrose closed at 5.00pm, regular shoppers observed rugby attendees drunk at midday.
I’ve seen people rolling off the train at 9-10am already seemingly drunk.
They did indeed prove to be a fairly rough crowd from my observations, which I find surprising. Encountering Service personnel in other scenarios, they generally behave in a well disciplined manner. Perhaps a few stern words from the top brass would have an effect.
They told me they’d taken to drink to help them deal with the trauma of losing Gavin Williamson……..
Yes forces personnel are ofcourse very disciplined and they take pains to instil this discipline into cadets and youth at an early stage but the atmosphere at this match has been completely out of order for many many years. I personally have requested a lower tolerance level of asb from within the forces and asked for specifics of internal action taken if any to no avail. It takes a Leader like Cllr Roberts or red Robo Roberts to take a stand.
Can I or not edit my post of today please
Kind Regards
Ben Khosa
You can’t edit posts but I can. Email twickerati@gmail.com if you like. Can’t guarantee it though.
In the Auf Wiedersehen era I was involved with cleaning the Mess of the British army barracks in Berlin. After a night of binge drinking it was truly revolting, they didn’t make it even to a garden…. I asked one of the officers why they tolerated such animal behaviour and his response was that should the Russians ever decide to take Berlin the squaddies would need to be animals… (the only place I have seen since that came close on the revolting scale was the venue at the end of the evening of the St Thomas’s Hospital rugby club dinner, another profession on the front line). Even at the Officer’s formal dinners they passed the port one way and the piss bottle, below table, the other. It does not surprise me that services personnel capable of such high levels of discipline are also animals when having a massive piss up, work hard, play hard. It is just not appropriate to inflict that culture on a suburb on a Saturday afternoon, If people wish to celebrate that tradition (which is fair enough and part of their identity) and behave like animals they should be kept in the venue and corralled to the station, and the load shared with other RFU venues…..
Better than it used to be I suppose. When I first came to Twickenham the A&N was Gin Lane crossed with the fall of Saigon. People make a good point when they ask why Millennium Stadium and Murrayfield shouldn’t share the joy of hosting Pte S***face and Sgt Smashed once every three years.
It’s a rugby match but no doubt the local nimbys will find something to moan about…..
Locals are well used to rugby matches but no others seem to attract this level of anti social behaviour.
I don’t think it’s the ‘rugby match’ that locals have ‘moaned about’ in the past. Nor did they have to try too hard to ‘find something’…………
I generally love the rugby crowds but it’s hardly acceptable to be grabbed by a stranger whilst going about my business in town (thank you very much navy/army for that) and Twickenham has been left looking like a tip after this event in the past.