Further to the Club announcement on Wednesday morning concerning the behaviour of a minority of Shots fans at Boreham Wood, the Supporters Club have emailed the football club on behalf of fans for further information regarding the matter.
This incident has clearly divided supporters with some of you appalled with the minority fans and others wanting proof that these things happened or disagreement in the way the statement was addressed by the club.
There is no dispute from our view that the boards were damaged at some point during the game. However, what is unclear is whether the damage was caused deliberately, or whether it was accidental as fans tried to generate additional noise in support of the team. Either way, fans were asked repeatedly by stewards to stop and didn’t. A gate was also damaged and this was not accidental due to the nature of the damage done. Consequently, the football club will have to bear the cost of the damage done, the amount of which the club are waiting to receive via invoice. Which we will aim to disclose once received if we are able to do so.
In respect of the language and name calling that was directed at the Boreham Wood goalkeeper, this was way beyond banter and totally unacceptable. There is clear evidence of this on video.
Following the use or language, the deliberate damage and not listening to stewards who are just trying to do their jobs – we would urge fans to show respect at away matches. We would not wish our own stewards to be on the receiving end of abuse from opposition fans and there is no excuse for us not to behave courteously towards those working or physical property at other grounds.
As a committee we will aim to do more to define a clear line between passionate support and undesirable behaviour.
Finally, we would like to express our pride in the support that you provide to our team. To have so many fans travelling to away games and getting behind the team as you do is something we should be proud of. We often hear teams refer to their support as the ’12th man’, but with Aldershot this is genuinely the case. However, it is important that we support our team positively and don’t cross the line.
Any fans who have any questions, concerns, or wish us to raise something with the football club, please use our ‘ask a question’ section on our website or email us at [email protected].
Bobby Blair
Supporters Club Chair
