When WA traveled to HH I did not have the same experience that the other fans have had this week. The fans were rowdy but did not impact the fans sitting in our section. The only fans that were taunting players and fans from WA were the college students who were back in town for a weekend. They were leaning over the fence and yelling at the players and telling our fans to keep watching the scoreboard. Other than that we had no problems...maybe b/c WA hasn't had time to develop true rivalries with other neighboring schools....

no salsa!!

scbbruin -

Normally, I prefer to not participate in discussion such as these because this is not the appropriate forum for resolution. However, since you chose to title the thread "Hilton Head Island Rude Fans", I feel compelled to defend my community.

First of all, on behalf of the Hilton Head community, I would like to apologize for any comments made by a member of our community that were out of line. Even though it was apperantly only one fan, it was inhospitable, inconsiderate and inexcusable. If you have a tape with audio that includes these inappropriate comments, I would be happy to listen to it, identify the party and bring it to the attention of the AD for appropriate action.

However, also on behalf of the Hilton Head community, I have to say that damning us all for the comments made by one seems a bit excessive. As coldhardtruth so appropriately stated, "most schools have that one or two parents or fans that are unruly or come to the game with an attitude". You can go to other recent threads on this board and read accounts of Irmo fans allegedly running on to the field to acost referees and chanting "go home" to 8 year-old girls (all of which I discount - I have many friends that are parents and/or fans at Irmo and do not believe that they would tolerate such behavior from their own ranks). I have been exposed to it many times at many locations (Club and school), but the vast majority of hospitable, kind, supportive parents and fans at those locations more than make up for the vile comments of a few.

Also, I am afraid that you have your facts wrong. There is no announcer at HH games. The young man that introduced the starting lineups for each team was a JV player that came down on the field after the teams were announced and worked as a ballboy. Also, there was no fight at the stadium the previous week (in fact, HH's only game the previous week was at Colleton County). There was a playoff game at HH two days prior against Stratford, but I was at the stadium until the lights were turned off and there was no fight that night either. There has never been a police presence at HH home games simply because there has never been a problem in the past. I do not know who told you that you were not safe standing where you were, but the only person that I saw in the pressbox was the AD and I am certain that he would not have said such a thing.

All that said - I am sorry that you were uncomfortable.

On a lighter note, to salsa10 - I am not certain what "demonated" means, but it sounds horrific.

As far as the Irmo-Wando fans are concerned. It was wando fans that were chanting "leave, leave." They were not chanting at 8 year old girls but at an irmo fan (college aged) that decided to walk (unnecessarily) through a group of standing wando students in the stands.

ndw221 -

I apologize for reversing the allegations, but I was not trying to lend any credence to it - just use it as another example of the type of allegation that some use in an attempt discredit others (thats why I discount such allegations). I was actually with several Wando parents earlier today and I think just as highly of them as I do of my friends at Irmo.

Sorry if my comments were taken as an offense.

dont listen to salsa that kid is an idiot

While I have some sympathy for scbbruin, I think she is being unfair to Hilton Head generally. I did not sit near the fan in question on Thursday, but I may have on Saturday. I'm sure her precious child was not damaged in any way by the remarks of this fan, however vulgar. At least he was at the game! Soccer is not ballet. It is a rough, physical game that is very exciting to watch. HH just completed a very successful season- ranked second in the state for several weeks- and played before an average home crowd of less than a hundred. Just once I would like our kids to play before a raucous English crowd and experience the excitement of European football. Even for the playoffs, we drew far less fans than our football team(hasn't won a meaningful game in several years). I don't think we need to apologize to one overprotective parent for the actions of one fan. I usually take time to chat with some of the fans of the opposing team when at games. I spoke with a few DF fans who were very nice. The Wando fans sat on our side Saturday and were extremely nice, knowlegeable fans. I saw no trouble of any kind Thursday or Saturday. My hat is off to both groups of fans. Hilton Head fans were great also. There was a lot of cheering and excitement. This whole thing has been blown up way out of proportion.

Do you count your coach in the number of fans when he goes up into the stands and leaves the bench? If so I don't think he payed and you might want to ask for the 5 dollars

I do not understand why all of you are crying over this. Personally, i totally enjoyed the wando and hh fans at the game. It adds extra vigor to the players on the field and makes them play harder. However, i do not condone the throwing of any objects between fans or any physical altercations. Have any of you that "sticks and sotnes" statment, well i think that applies here.

"On a lighter note, to salsa10 - I am not certain what "demonated" means, but it sounds horrific."

LMAO, Now that is funny!!

Fan behavior in general isn't well known for being "nice" and "courteous", especially during the close games at the playoffs. This wasn't an exception during the Hilton Head game, and some people should have expected Hilton Head fans to want the Hilton Head team to win, in fact the fans wanted to help in all ways and that includes stirring some things up.

Now scbbruin, I understand why you might be angry to one or a few faces in the crowd that night, but there should be no way the fans shouldn't be allowed to cheer or yell for their team. Also not everyone there was a student, and the teachers weren't there to handle the crowds, just to cheer for their school, so the teachers are not to put shame on.

You're post is talking about a couple of revved fans might have gotten out of hand, but you should have atleast experienced something like this.

Also people in the stands making fun of the away team's mistakes is not a crime, its words that the players could choose to listen to or just play the sport they came to play. Soccer is a game of physical performance which would include roughing and pushing.

This wasn't a game both sides wanted to lose, so of course this game was a tough one, both on the field and off, yet of course someone had to lose, but forgive me if I'm wrong, but isn't your team still in the brackets? If thats so, why are you still attacking Hilton Head? What are you trying to accomplish? Just focus on beating the next opponent and move on.

But my advice to you, scbbruin, is if you don't want to see yelling and "player hopping" at the next level of the playoffs, don't even plan on going to watch.

seahawks...i would just like to say that the Wando fans tried to sit on the visitor side but HH officials told us that we could not...so you need to get your facts straight before criticizing the wando fans

I didn't see the DF/HH game so I cannot comment on that one. The incident at the HH/Wando game where a few HH fans threw things at the Wando students and bus was regrettable. Having said that, I don't think the incident was reflective of the relations between the fans as a whole during the game. Most of the HH fans were very nice and a few even went over to a group of Wando parents after the game to congratulate them. The fans for each team were rowdy, but overall, not rude. Also, I thought both the HH and Wando players exhibited good sportmaship during and after the game. There were several hugs, back pats, etc. exchanged and a few Wando players even tried to console the HH goalkeeper who was upset at their loss.

routing for someone to get hurt or throwing things is completely out of line but yelling things at players as long as its not too bad is fine. i personally like it when a player jars back.

as for away fans being taunted, well if fans are on the same side thats gonna happen. thats on whoever told the fans to sit on the same side. in some instances like BC its different cuz there really isnt any away stands but in instances when away fans come over to the home side, they better expect to get ridiculed unless their team is up.

From last BC/Dreher game:
dreherheckler <<on another less serious note, bc's athletic director kicked me out for no apparent reason. i will recount it in full: during pks on i think the third, bcs keeper was doing a little dance on his way to the goal. i said nice dance carlos, your sister taught me last night. a guy in a bc shirt looks at me in this real stern face and i just said its a joke come on smile. then on andrew evans's pk i yelled "you have nothing evans, nothing" or something along those lines. the guy told me to be queit for my guys after andrew embarrased me by putting in a sick pk upper 90. he paused and then said "and youll get to see the rest." i couldnt believe he had said it and i said something like "cheer for your guys" or "be queit for your guys." and of course he says your gone and i walked out coopertavily with the police officer. now i said nothing profane and really nothing that insulting. i told the cop that and he basically agreed with me and informed me thats the ad theres nothing he can do. he complimented me on my cooperation and i watched dreher complete the sweep of the region just outside the gate. ridiculous in my opinion. i mean the sister thing i guess you could see as out of line but if you take that serious you need a reality check. i think it was more of an ego thing because i didnt bow down to him.>>

Try your best to not to get thrown out of the game Wed.

shut^&play- Why do you freakin care where Hilton Head's coach sits during a game? Does that somehow violate your sense of proportion? I am sure his team can hear him wherever in the stadium he chooses to sit to see what he feels he needs to see during the course of a game. I have been around soccer for some time now, and and I give John Kerr the highest marks for his work with our team this year. By the way, he was not the obnoxious "fan in the crowd". Also, to be perfectly clear, I thought the Wando fans were GREAT. They were polite and considerate before and after the game. During the game they cheered and stuck up for their team. I am not aware of Seahawks fans criticizing the Wando fans. In fact, they graciously moved to the West end of the stands so our parents could sit in the center section where the seat backs were. They didn't have to do this. Wamdo has a class soccer program and their team deserves to be moving on to the next level. We didn't play good enough to beat them Sat. night. A lot of these players will see each other again at the college level. Good luck to Wando in the playoffs.

Well its doesnt really matter scbbruin because HH will not be 4A anymore and you will not have to worry about going their for another playoff game alright does that make you happy?

yea i crossed the line a lil at bc ill admit it, lost in the moment. if i had known that was the ad i woulda shut my mouth. but as i said i didnt use profanity. and the games here so i wont have some egomaniac ad upset his team is about to lose to dreher again to kick me out. i usually try to come up with better stuff than calling someone an idiot or a sister joke but when i saw that lil 5'5 keeper who wouldnt have saved a pk unless it hit him square in the chest goin out there dancing.

lookatmeimatree is stupid and got cut from his team and all he does is talk on this website

get a life

Actually Salsa... kirby burkholder still plays up top at Wando

i think salsa was kidding man u.

i was at the HH game the fans werent bad from what i could tell. normal stuff comin from the students and stuff except for a few threats but its all good.

youd rather have them all there doin there thing rather than not coming at all.

i know salsa was kidding me dtpplayer