It seems the antics in the last few away games have annoyed the club: Chelsea Football Club reminds our supporters that taking flares, smoke bombs or anything similar into a stadium breaches Ground Regulations and using such objects is likely to result in arrest. Their use is extremely dangerous and risks serious injury to fellow fans. Unfortunately there has been an increase in incidents involving flares and smoke bombs in recent weeks and as well as fans facing prosecution, the club is liable to be charged by the authorities should this behaviour continue. Anyone choosing to break the law regarding flares and smoke bombs at football matches runs a high risk of being caught. During the FA Cup game at Southampton, a person in the Chelsea section of the stadium was arrested and charged with throwing a flare onto the pitch. At our away Capital One Cup match at Swansea later this month, South Wales Police will be using dogs in the area of the turnstiles to detect fans carrying such objects. Should any arrest result in conviction then Chelsea FC will support the police in every possible way to obtain a football banning order. The club, the players and the management greatly appreciate the large number of fans and the vocal support which have backed the team this season, but we ask for good behaviour to be maintained. Please don't risk a criminal conviction and banning order, or the club being charged with an offence, for the sake of a flare, smoke bomb or firework. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I personally have no problem with these smoke bombs and bangers. We let about 8 flares/smoke bombs off at Leeds and there was no harm done. We let off about 6 at Southampton and no harm was done. We also let off a banger in both these games which did no harm apart from make some noise. It is stupid when a supporter decides to throw one of these smoke bombs on the pitch. That I'm against. But having them in the stands has caused no problems and I really don't mind it. For me it adds something else to the atmosphere. I don't think this statement will stop our fans from bringing them in because it is just reiterrating what we already knew. Also for Swansea away, sniffer dogs will be used on our fans to detect smoke bombs. Do smoke bombs actually contain explosives which is what the dogs are trained to look for?
To be fair BB these sort of things being banned is just simple common sense! I think the players respond more by hearing the noisy vocal support from the stands (of the kind that Mick Greenaway used to create)!
blue smoke bombs looked class at Southampton. Flares I understand but people are going way OTT with the health and safety PC ****e. they get away with this stuff in plenty other leagues.
Stoke fan here Well, Liverpool fans let off flares when Gerrard scored a pen the other week! Can't see a problem myself but, as far as I'm aware we do have notices outside the ground saying.. " Anything which may cause damage or is a danger to other fans will be confiscated" The only problem I had was I did'nt see the far end of the pitch. ENJOY the game on Saturday lads!
When that "bomb" went off at Saints, I thought the stand had collapsed! It was very loud. The most disturbing thing about the whole "blue smoke" incident at Saints was the fact that some numpty Chav thought it was a good idea to throw an incendiary over the heads of his fellow supporters and on to the pitch. It was, at best, an act of incredible stupidity. I was quite close to the incident, and looking towards the North End at the time that it was thrown, and I could see that it came from about half-way up the stand. The act is also likely to constitute criminal behaviour, and I am sure that if the police were able to arrest someone for it, they'll be facing charges under the Public Order Act, if not under the common law.
Where do you draw the line? Fans will try to outdo each other. I was at a Wales match when a fan got killed by a marine flare. As far as I am concerned anyone who sets off flares/fireworks in a crowd should have the book thrown at them. Zero tolerance is the ONLY answer.
