Pretty depressing episode this, reflective of a social media inspired culture where people feel empowered to say and do what they want to people with no fear of reprisal, and yes, I myself have been guilty of this myself
All that said, if Aaron Pierre is not in the starting lineup on Monday I'd be inclined not to renew my season ticket
Funniest parts of the "crew" arriving in their taxi to discuss the incident with the club officials was firstly the Tesco takeaway pizza they carried. They weren't letting that go for sure.
Secondly from the way Georgie's friend gestured about the headbutt and blood running down the face I expected so much worse than the pictures showed.
I've drawn more blood popping a pimple.
Really, if you'd seen them like i did you'd have found it so comical. Were it not for the negative impact the incident has on the club I'd feel sorry for the pathetic group of individuals.
@georgestokes13 Pierre shouldn't have hit you, but you're a shit Wycombe fan. Never call yourself a loyal supporter again, eh? Take a hard look at yourself and consider whether you are proud of your actions. Have you done Wycombe Wanderers a favour with your childish online histrionics, or damaged the club's chances of promotion (which is (was?) still a possibility, despite it being exceedingly unlikely)?
Don't abuse players again. Don't use social media in that manner again. Apologise to Pierre and publically tell the club that in the cold light of day you want them to take no action. Have a photo with Pierre shaking hands and tell everyone it was an unnecessary misunderstanding.
Ban the lot of these disrespectful idiots. Had an enough of the abuse they give towards our players, coaching staff and other fans! These people are giving the club a bad name! About time they was taught a lesson and told to sling their hook, the club has to step in and end this. Absolute joke the lot of them boo boys. They claim they are loyal, they claim they are the best fans at the club yet fail to contribute towards being a trust memeber, share scheme member, 500 club, volunteer or attend fans council, these people are morons! These people think the club owes them something because they 'pay the players wages', news flash, your money doesn't come close! Your money goes towards buying bog roll for the toilets and other necessities like that! Enough is enough!
I really do that alot of people on this forum are being hypocritical, yes this ground has a few select drunks.
However this incident involved one supporter and one player. The supporter has named himself....so why are people targeting a group and who are you including in this 'group'.
I have moaned about beer being throwing over my father, however targeting an unknown set of people and asking for group bans is quite shocking and those who want indiscriminute bans should take a look at themselves....are you any better than geor getting stokes?
Its a sad state we find our club in fans fighting with players and fans fighting with eachother can we all just stick together for gods sake. I know the football has been utter crap to watch but it could be worse look at poor leyton orient.
Reading through this thread, I'm astounded on people's views. Clearly George Stokes is in the wrong and has admitted as such, but how come there's no one saying anything bad about AP himself? Regardless of what's said, he's hit one of our own fans! I don't see how he can play for the club again sadly, but if he does this season, I'll be thinking long and hard about renewing my season ticket for the 16th season.
Yes this young lad may be a troublemaker, but that shouldn't excuse AP from anything.
You've had your 5 minutes of fun, now lay off the kid and let's hope this gets sorted properly!
@TerraceMan that's not exactly accurate. He allegedly head butted someone who was giving him verbal abuse. The 'fan' part is totally irrelevant to the argument
@EwanHoosaami said:
Never seen one of your posts before TerraceMan did you join this forum just to contribute to this particular debate?
Yes I did actually! Regularly read through stuff on here but don't see the need to comment. This time I think it's different. Of course he has brought this on himself but some of the messages on here are taking it too far! We're all wycombe wanderers fans, stop all the hate!
@bookertease said:
TerraceMan that's not exactly accurate. He allegedly head butted someone who was giving him verbal abuse. The 'fan' part is totally irrelevant to the argument
I wouldn't constitute 'bad game' as verbal abuse! I'm sure you've said the same if not worse in the stands!
@TerraceMan said:
We're all wycombe wanderers fans, stop all the hate!
Says the man who's signed up specifically to defend an utter twat who'd previously spent time in the Hour Glass chanting his hate for Ainsworth, who he wanted 'out of our club', before abusing a top player who'd just had a good game, followed by involving the club and police in an attempt to trash the player's career and reputation.
Opinion does seem to be divided on Ainsworth, but what does that have to do with Pierre assaulting someone? Think you're all choosing not to accept it because of how good he has been!
@TerraceMan were you there to witness what was said or are you like the vast majority of us on here and trying to make sense of something we have only very limited evidence of?
@bookertease said:
TerraceMan were you there to witness what was said or are you like the vast majority of us on here and trying to make sense of something we have only very limited evidence of?
No I wasn't there, but has the lad not told us what was said?
Regardless, you're giving George a very hard time when you've just admitted too, you have no idea what happened!
@TerraceMan it's up to you whether you renew your season ticket or not and 16 seasons is a start.
What we have are two young men who have acted rashly one of them has the chance to make things a little better by calling the club Monday morning sharp
Both parties recognise a mistake was made and there is now no criminal matter to contend with. Surely a handshake before the next home fixture and both serve a one match 'ban' at Barnet?
I don't really think it is credible for the club not to make at least some sort of gesture to demonstrate Aaron's behaviour was wrong. We must set some sort of example and be seen to take the matter seriously. The reputational damage incurred if we fail to demonstrably punish a player for this sort of incident would be very unwelcome.
Unfortunately, as Aaron's contract is up and he is probably leaving for better things my guess is that he won't play again. There doesn't seem to be much gained from playing him in the remaining fixtures (results might be better but that hardly matters). All we do is risk annoying supporters that think he deserved greater punishment. I wouldn't be surprised if both he and the club agreed to terminate his contract now. We save money and he can get on with finding a new club.
As for the what I think I will term the 'banners' (those that apparently cannot wait to call for rowdy supporters to be banned), your holier-than-thou attitude is astonishing. You sound like ageing suburb-dwellers going to a rock concert and complaining about the 'moshers' at the front ruining your experience.
Some of the conduct of a small number of supporters is quite irritating. An even tinier majority do things worthy of a temporary or permanent ban.
I have read through most of the thread, and have to say I'm disappointed in the majority of posts. Not only defend somebody who has assaulted somebody in the street, but also victim shame and character assassinate. Let's not be mistaken here, despite not being completely innocent; Stokes is the victim. Certainly some non-physical provocation took place, but once you make physical contact with someone it becomes a completely different ball game.
Is Aaron Pierre a good player, yes? But was he in the wrong here? yes. It'd be interesting to see people on here's reaction if this incident had taken place with a fringe player in the team. I'm sure people would be less on the player's side.
My final grievance with many comments in this thread is the mob mentality of 'we hate everyone behind the goal below the age of 30 who drinks before games'. It's childish to draw on this when the incident was between two people, not a whole group. Not to mention a cowardly method to try and insult people from behind an anonymous account, when you are clearly in their presence at games and/or in the pub before and after the games. In these insults, how about you have a look at yourselves and think, is what I'm doing really any different to what Stokes did to Pierre? Except he had the testicular fortitude to do it to his face, whereas you hide behind a screen.
The boy is a clown he got knocked down a peg happens all the time in every pub or club up and down the land. If you walk around thinking you are ten men don't be surprised if someone puts a stop to it. Only difference is our star player did it not ideal but I think a three game ban is sufficient punishment.
I'm expectingredients a full scale brawl in the away end when all of you anti this 'group' posters do what stokes did and say what you have said to the groups face....hypocrisy in the extreme and I will now be giving Barnet a wide berth
@Glenactico you truly are the voice of reason, I agree with all you write. What a contrast to the next post from @HourglassRegular, whom I note is failing to display his otherwise undoubtedly impressive testicular fortitude by also hiding behind a screen and an anonymous moniker.
Gareth Ainsworth's team selection tomorrow will be a very interesting display of internal politics. I daresay it will be far more interesting than the match itself.
@aloysius an obvious response which I knew was coming, and to be honest I almost put a disclaimer on the original post. Yet what you've missed is I'm not verbally attacking anyone, calling them a twat or moron, merely condemning the actions of people on this forum. There is a subtle, but important difference.
@arnos_grove thanks very much pleasure to be here to offer some balance in what was otherwise a rather one sided thread.
@TerraceMan I am trying to keep an open mind and I I've tried not to let my personal opinion of George's (general) behaviour get in the way of trying to understand what actually happened and therefore inform my personal view of the appropriateness of any sanctions.
From an evidential point of view we do at the moment only have the statement from George and an eyewitness statement from @clifty04 plus a photo that doesn't really help in terms of proving any assault.
It is reasonable to conclude that something did happen and you may well believe that AP reacted in such a way as a result of "you had a bad game today" (or similar) and the 'finger'. He may well have done but I wouldn't be comfortable reaching that conclusion just on the statement of the injured person who obviously has an interest in minimising their culpability (albeit he may indeed be speaking the truth).
Regarding the 'assault' (technically assault and battery) again we don't know for sure the details. Contact was almost certainly made but there does (in law) need to be intent to cause harm. The photographic evidence shows only superficial damage and that could equally be indicative of a more accidental contact or the perpetrator withdrawing before fully completing the action. Again I'm not saying this is the case only that on the evidence we have we can't really be sure.
I'm not remotely saying that AP is entirely innocent or justified in his actions - only that at this stage we don't have enough evidence to know what actually happened and why.
I would expect AP to be suspended pending the outcome of the club's investigation who would then take proportionate action based on this investigation. If this meant AP playing again this season I would have no problem with this (which also seems to be George's view).
I would also hope to see the club (and the players union) also take some action to reduce the personal abuse the players are currently receiving as I would suspect that this probably contributed to the event. They are employees who should be entitled to normal rights to go about their work without the fear of being assaulted. Assault in this context relates to actions or words that causes the victim (player) to fear some degree of contact or violence. This may seem far-fetched but as others have pointed out the atmosphere is getting increasingly poisonous between fan and players and indeed between fan and fan
@HourglassRegular I would suggest that the character assassination has already been accomplished by the fool himself, not only by this unfortunate incident & going on social media to advertise it, but by his own actions & general behaviour. In short he has behaved like an @rse at plenty of previous games, (evidenced by many), as such committed character suicide all by himself.
I would also like to know what he said, as AP must have amazing hearing? By the accounts I'm reading AP was driving at the time, perhaps you can shed some light as to Georges' words and the volume at which those words were presumably bellowed or was it his actions? In which case the next question, is Stokes just a victim or was he inciting with a view to violence?
Suspended you must be having me on. Barely anything in it just young men letting off steam. Happens all the time i remember Joey Barton kicking the crap out of someone in Liverpool city centre he is still playing football. I'm sure in a few weeks Pierre will be having a beer in the pub with this young lad and all will be laughed about and forgotten. A big storm in a tea cup if you ask me.
@TerraceMan said:
Opinion does seem to be divided on Ainsworth, but what does that have to do with Pierre assaulting someone? Think you're all choosing not to accept it because of how good he has been!
It is clear that @arnos_grove was using the Ainsworth chanting alongside other examples to give an assessment of the boys character.
Comments
The incident involved two people.
It looks like people are using this as an opportunity to have a dig at a wider group of individuals
Pretty depressing episode this, reflective of a social media inspired culture where people feel empowered to say and do what they want to people with no fear of reprisal, and yes, I myself have been guilty of this myself
All that said, if Aaron Pierre is not in the starting lineup on Monday I'd be inclined not to renew my season ticket
Funniest parts of the "crew" arriving in their taxi to discuss the incident with the club officials was firstly the Tesco takeaway pizza they carried. They weren't letting that go for sure.
Secondly from the way Georgie's friend gestured about the headbutt and blood running down the face I expected so much worse than the pictures showed.
I've drawn more blood popping a pimple.
Really, if you'd seen them like i did you'd have found it so comical. Were it not for the negative impact the incident has on the club I'd feel sorry for the pathetic group of individuals.
@georgestokes13 Pierre shouldn't have hit you, but you're a shit Wycombe fan. Never call yourself a loyal supporter again, eh? Take a hard look at yourself and consider whether you are proud of your actions. Have you done Wycombe Wanderers a favour with your childish online histrionics, or damaged the club's chances of promotion (which is (was?) still a possibility, despite it being exceedingly unlikely)?
Don't abuse players again. Don't use social media in that manner again. Apologise to Pierre and publically tell the club that in the cold light of day you want them to take no action. Have a photo with Pierre shaking hands and tell everyone it was an unnecessary misunderstanding.
Ban the lot of these disrespectful idiots. Had an enough of the abuse they give towards our players, coaching staff and other fans! These people are giving the club a bad name! About time they was taught a lesson and told to sling their hook, the club has to step in and end this. Absolute joke the lot of them boo boys. They claim they are loyal, they claim they are the best fans at the club yet fail to contribute towards being a trust memeber, share scheme member, 500 club, volunteer or attend fans council, these people are morons! These people think the club owes them something because they 'pay the players wages', news flash, your money doesn't come close! Your money goes towards buying bog roll for the toilets and other necessities like that! Enough is enough!
I really do that alot of people on this forum are being hypocritical, yes this ground has a few select drunks.
However this incident involved one supporter and one player. The supporter has named himself....so why are people targeting a group and who are you including in this 'group'.
I have moaned about beer being throwing over my father, however targeting an unknown set of people and asking for group bans is quite shocking and those who want indiscriminute bans should take a look at themselves....are you any better than geor getting stokes?
Its a sad state we find our club in fans fighting with players and fans fighting with eachother can we all just stick together for gods sake. I know the football has been utter crap to watch but it could be worse look at poor leyton orient.
Reading through this thread, I'm astounded on people's views. Clearly George Stokes is in the wrong and has admitted as such, but how come there's no one saying anything bad about AP himself? Regardless of what's said, he's hit one of our own fans! I don't see how he can play for the club again sadly, but if he does this season, I'll be thinking long and hard about renewing my season ticket for the 16th season.
Yes this young lad may be a troublemaker, but that shouldn't excuse AP from anything.
You've had your 5 minutes of fun, now lay off the kid and let's hope this gets sorted properly!
Never seen one of your posts before @TerraceMan did you join this forum just to contribute to this particular debate?
@TerraceMan that's not exactly accurate. He allegedly head butted someone who was giving him verbal abuse. The 'fan' part is totally irrelevant to the argument
Yes I did actually! Regularly read through stuff on here but don't see the need to comment. This time I think it's different. Of course he has brought this on himself but some of the messages on here are taking it too far! We're all wycombe wanderers fans, stop all the hate!
I wouldn't constitute 'bad game' as verbal abuse! I'm sure you've said the same if not worse in the stands!
@TerraceMan sorry I should probably have prefaced it with 'possible' verbal abuse.
Says the man who's signed up specifically to defend an utter twat who'd previously spent time in the Hour Glass chanting his hate for Ainsworth, who he wanted 'out of our club', before abusing a top player who'd just had a good game, followed by involving the club and police in an attempt to trash the player's career and reputation.
What an embarrassment.
Opinion does seem to be divided on Ainsworth, but what does that have to do with Pierre assaulting someone? Think you're all choosing not to accept it because of how good he has been!
@TerraceMan were you there to witness what was said or are you like the vast majority of us on here and trying to make sense of something we have only very limited evidence of?
No I wasn't there, but has the lad not told us what was said?
Regardless, you're giving George a very hard time when you've just admitted too, you have no idea what happened!
@TerraceMan it's up to you whether you renew your season ticket or not and 16 seasons is a start.
What we have are two young men who have acted rashly one of them has the chance to make things a little better by calling the club Monday morning sharp
Both parties recognise a mistake was made and there is now no criminal matter to contend with. Surely a handshake before the next home fixture and both serve a one match 'ban' at Barnet?
I don't really think it is credible for the club not to make at least some sort of gesture to demonstrate Aaron's behaviour was wrong. We must set some sort of example and be seen to take the matter seriously. The reputational damage incurred if we fail to demonstrably punish a player for this sort of incident would be very unwelcome.
Unfortunately, as Aaron's contract is up and he is probably leaving for better things my guess is that he won't play again. There doesn't seem to be much gained from playing him in the remaining fixtures (results might be better but that hardly matters). All we do is risk annoying supporters that think he deserved greater punishment. I wouldn't be surprised if both he and the club agreed to terminate his contract now. We save money and he can get on with finding a new club.
As for the what I think I will term the 'banners' (those that apparently cannot wait to call for rowdy supporters to be banned), your holier-than-thou attitude is astonishing. You sound like ageing suburb-dwellers going to a rock concert and complaining about the 'moshers' at the front ruining your experience.
Some of the conduct of a small number of supporters is quite irritating. An even tinier majority do things worthy of a temporary or permanent ban.
I have read through most of the thread, and have to say I'm disappointed in the majority of posts. Not only defend somebody who has assaulted somebody in the street, but also victim shame and character assassinate. Let's not be mistaken here, despite not being completely innocent; Stokes is the victim. Certainly some non-physical provocation took place, but once you make physical contact with someone it becomes a completely different ball game.
Is Aaron Pierre a good player, yes? But was he in the wrong here? yes. It'd be interesting to see people on here's reaction if this incident had taken place with a fringe player in the team. I'm sure people would be less on the player's side.
My final grievance with many comments in this thread is the mob mentality of 'we hate everyone behind the goal below the age of 30 who drinks before games'. It's childish to draw on this when the incident was between two people, not a whole group. Not to mention a cowardly method to try and insult people from behind an anonymous account, when you are clearly in their presence at games and/or in the pub before and after the games. In these insults, how about you have a look at yourselves and think, is what I'm doing really any different to what Stokes did to Pierre? Except he had the testicular fortitude to do it to his face, whereas you hide behind a screen.
The boy is a clown he got knocked down a peg happens all the time in every pub or club up and down the land. If you walk around thinking you are ten men don't be surprised if someone puts a stop to it. Only difference is our star player did it not ideal but I think a three game ban is sufficient punishment.
I'm expectingredients a full scale brawl in the away end when all of you anti this 'group' posters do what stokes did and say what you have said to the groups face....hypocrisy in the extreme and I will now be giving Barnet a wide berth
@Glenactico you truly are the voice of reason, I agree with all you write. What a contrast to the next post from @HourglassRegular, whom I note is failing to display his otherwise undoubtedly impressive testicular fortitude by also hiding behind a screen and an anonymous moniker.
Gareth Ainsworth's team selection tomorrow will be a very interesting display of internal politics. I daresay it will be far more interesting than the match itself.
The friends of Stokes are signing up this morning - a record day of gasroom joiner's. Welcome @HourglassRegular
@aloysius an obvious response which I knew was coming, and to be honest I almost put a disclaimer on the original post. Yet what you've missed is I'm not verbally attacking anyone, calling them a twat or moron, merely condemning the actions of people on this forum. There is a subtle, but important difference.
@arnos_grove thanks very much pleasure to be here to offer some balance in what was otherwise a rather one sided thread.
@TerraceMan I am trying to keep an open mind and I I've tried not to let my personal opinion of George's (general) behaviour get in the way of trying to understand what actually happened and therefore inform my personal view of the appropriateness of any sanctions.
From an evidential point of view we do at the moment only have the statement from George and an eyewitness statement from @clifty04 plus a photo that doesn't really help in terms of proving any assault.
It is reasonable to conclude that something did happen and you may well believe that AP reacted in such a way as a result of "you had a bad game today" (or similar) and the 'finger'. He may well have done but I wouldn't be comfortable reaching that conclusion just on the statement of the injured person who obviously has an interest in minimising their culpability (albeit he may indeed be speaking the truth).
Regarding the 'assault' (technically assault and battery) again we don't know for sure the details. Contact was almost certainly made but there does (in law) need to be intent to cause harm. The photographic evidence shows only superficial damage and that could equally be indicative of a more accidental contact or the perpetrator withdrawing before fully completing the action. Again I'm not saying this is the case only that on the evidence we have we can't really be sure.
I'm not remotely saying that AP is entirely innocent or justified in his actions - only that at this stage we don't have enough evidence to know what actually happened and why.
I would expect AP to be suspended pending the outcome of the club's investigation who would then take proportionate action based on this investigation. If this meant AP playing again this season I would have no problem with this (which also seems to be George's view).
I would also hope to see the club (and the players union) also take some action to reduce the personal abuse the players are currently receiving as I would suspect that this probably contributed to the event. They are employees who should be entitled to normal rights to go about their work without the fear of being assaulted. Assault in this context relates to actions or words that causes the victim (player) to fear some degree of contact or violence. This may seem far-fetched but as others have pointed out the atmosphere is getting increasingly poisonous between fan and players and indeed between fan and fan
@HourglassRegular I would suggest that the character assassination has already been accomplished by the fool himself, not only by this unfortunate incident & going on social media to advertise it, but by his own actions & general behaviour. In short he has behaved like an @rse at plenty of previous games, (evidenced by many), as such committed character suicide all by himself.
I would also like to know what he said, as AP must have amazing hearing? By the accounts I'm reading AP was driving at the time, perhaps you can shed some light as to Georges' words and the volume at which those words were presumably bellowed or was it his actions? In which case the next question, is Stokes just a victim or was he inciting with a view to violence?
Suspended you must be having me on. Barely anything in it just young men letting off steam. Happens all the time i remember Joey Barton kicking the crap out of someone in Liverpool city centre he is still playing football. I'm sure in a few weeks Pierre will be having a beer in the pub with this young lad and all will be laughed about and forgotten. A big storm in a tea cup if you ask me.
@TerraceMan @HourglassRegular Welcome to the Gasroom Mr and Mrs Stokes.
It is clear that @arnos_grove was using the Ainsworth chanting alongside other examples to give an assessment of the boys character.