Hibs ultras Block Seven feel 'deliberately targeted' as Easter Road club condemned for lengthy ban
Fan behaviour at Dundee United last week caused club to act
Hibs ultras group Block Seven feel they were ‘deliberately targeted’ by police in the events at Tannadice that led to their three-match ban.
Following a 1-0 loss at Dundee United on October 10, crowd disorder broke out in the away end, as members of the group clashed with police and stewards. A statement from the club followed, banning Block Seven from attending yesterday’s clash with Falkirk at Easter Road - as well as upcoming fixtures at home to Celtic and away to St Mirren.
Hibs described their behaviour as ‘unacceptable’ and reaffirmed that no fan should feel ‘unsafe’ supporting the club. The club discussed the sanctions with the SPFL - and are continuing to work with Dundee United and Police Scotland in their investigation.
The group have now hit back with a statement of their own, claiming they’re ‘disappointed’ by the response from Hibs without direct communication. Block Seven also raised concerns over the treatment they’ve received from police in recent weeks.
Block Seven statement on ban
Their statement read: “Block Seven exists to support Hibs, improve the atmosphere at matches and back the team through good times and bad. We are proud of what we contribute to the club, while recognising that we do not always get everything right. We are willing to accept fair criticism, and to learn from any mistakes when necessary. However, our group has increasingly experienced policing that we believe is disproportionate and, at times, feels deliberately targeted.
“The events at Tannadice last weekend have only reinforced those concerns. We completely reject the media narrative that our members attempted to storm the pitch to confront Hibs players. At this point, a senior Hibs player, with whom our group has developed a positive relationship, verbally invited and gestured for one of our members to come onto the trackside area to speak calmly with the players.
“Our group had already been granted access to this area of the stadium earlier in the day to set up our tifo. Our member responded to that invitation. There was no attempt to threaten or confront anyone, yet the situation was met with a completely disproportionate police response that unnecessarily escalated matters.
Group ‘equally disappointed’ by response from club
“We are equally disappointed by the response of Hibernian FC. Rather than making any attempt to speak to us and establish what happened, the club moved to impose a collective three-match ban on our group. We recognise the club's responsibility to investigate incidents and maintain safety, but imposing collective punishment on our entire group before hearing from those involved is neither fair nor constructive. We are confident that a proper investigation will substantiate our account of events and believe that a far more reasonable resolution could have been reached through dialogue.
“We had not intended to comment publicly on this until we had the opportunity to meet with the club. However, events at Easter Road today have left us with little choice. Several Hibs supporters were refused entry to the match, apparently on the basis of their perceived association with Block Seven members. This included the father of a friend of the group. Denying ordinary supporters entry to a football match simply because of who they know is completely unacceptable. These incidents only reinforce our concerns about the increasingly indiscriminate and unfair treatment of our group and those associated with it.
“We remain willing to engage constructively with the club, but that must be matched by a willingness to examine the evidence, withdraw the collective ban and end the unfair treatment of supporters. During this difficult period for the team, the focus should be on getting behind the players, rather than unfairly targetting supporters. United we stand here.”
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