The Nanny State

hotbovril

hotbovril

Well-Known Member
Feb 8, 2011
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Gordon Taylor says we need netting in grounds to protect players - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20666119

Well, I'd just like to put some perspective on things. Last season, 13,148,465 people attended Premier League matches http://soccernet.espn.go.com/stats/...g.1/year/2011/barclays-premier-league?cc=5739. A further 18.5m attended the football league fixtures. Throw in cup matches and European nights and I should imagine that we are getting on for 35m attendees in total. Of those 35m attendees, an unfeasibly small minority threw coins or ran on the pitch. I'm not sure what the exact figure is but let's say 100?

As a percentage, 100 instances out of 35,000,000 is....... Well, it's so small and so far below .001% that my calculator won't even tell me! This is just yet another example of bureaucracy being completely removed from reality isn't it? What do we get after nets? Bars? We did that before didn't we and I don't remember that ending up happily at all so how about we get a grip, identify the people who do these things at grounds and ban them. There are enough CCTV cameras in place to do so or are the authorities as reluctant to use this as they are TV footage to tackle issues on the pitch!?
 
I would be livid if nets were put up between the fans and the pitch. There have been no pitch invasions at St Mary's (apart from, of course, at the end of each season but those invasions were fun and the players were mobbed rather than attacked). Why put nets up when these events are so few and far between?
 
tomw19 said:
I would be livid if nets were put up between the fans and the pitch. There have been no pitch invasions at St Mary's (apart from, of course, at the end of each season but those invasions were fun and the players were mobbed rather than attacked). Why put nets up when these events are so few and far between?
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There was a small group of mongs who ran on the pitch during the derby last year. :p
 
To be fair to the...erm, state, it's not likely to happen. It's just one man's suggestion.
 
SFCJordi said:
There was a small group of mongs who ran on the pitch during the derby last year. :p
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Yes, but they got carried away with the celebrations, which, although it was wrong, is understandable. Invading a pitch with the intention of attacking a player is a complete disgrace.
 
I am totally against this. Millions of fans behave themselves...why should we have netting in front of us. In fact, it may cause more trouble as fans will grab it and start shaking it and it may even encourage bad behaviour. Deal robustly with the guilty and leave the rest of us alone. By the way, how many footballers have been injured by fans?
 
I'm totally against the fencing off of fans as was done in the 1980's. You go down that route and you might as well bus in the supporters for free because it is an insult in the modern world and I'm pretty sure most people would have no part of it. Football supporters are not cattle, to be fenced off, they are people. You wheedle out the trouble makers, not accuse everyone of being capable of the same by fencing them in.
 
I think the idea has potential. The intention obviously isn't to trap the fans, it's to stop people throwing things at players. You can easily put up netting that will stop a coin but will break in the (highly unlikely) event the fans need to escape the stands.
 
Gordon I must lick players arse Taylor. He shouldn't even be in charge anymore, he has lost his way.
 
have you tried to throw a coin at something ? its almost imposible to hit anything 20 metres away. The net would have to be really fine and then Joe yob would smuggle in ball bearings or marbels. Mountain out of a molehill
 
To be fair to the....... erm..... state.......When ever has the ....erm...... state got it one hundred percent right? It was only one mans suggestion at some time about the standing area's at football grounds should be abolished!!
Now what do we have...... no bloody standing area's at top level football grounds in this country. They start doing things like that again I certainly will call it a day for watching football alive as much as I like saints.
all because of some little toe rags..........
 
If they can make it safe, nothing wrong with a proper standing area. However, it should be a designated area. I bet the vast majority prefer to sit. Apparently the average age of football fans has increased probably because of us baby boomers, but also because people feel safer going to matches now with hooliganism generally a thing of the past.
 
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