Pitch invasions - the end of an era
- Thread starter Allen
- Start date
‘More to the point, while dealing with the very rare violent offender, why should we feel the need to panic about people taking back football for fun?‘
Very good. Most pitch invasions I have seen have been an exuberant expression of joy and/ or relief.
There are always the outraged who jump on such things. The small minority that commit offences can be identified. The modern pitch invasion (since it became a criminal offence) is a sign that people won’t obey ridiculous rules. Good.
The football I grew up with has been sanitised, and much of that is for the better, but there must be some rough edges. I feel the same about gigs, everyone has to be so compliant. Some years ago I went to the BIC to see Leonard Cohen. Brilliant night. During the interval I went to buy a bottle of water and the person serving took the lid off. I asked why. Health and safety.
Now I don’t have a problem with being safe and healthy. But….. I asked what she thought might happen, she said people might throw bottles. I suggested that a bunch of mostly old people (I was in my 50s and one of the youngest there) paying £50 a ticket would refrain from throwing very expensive water bottles at an old bloke on stage.
I didn’t but the water but went over the road and bought a couple of cans of red stripe to meet my thirsty needs.
Very good. Most pitch invasions I have seen have been an exuberant expression of joy and/ or relief.
There are always the outraged who jump on such things. The small minority that commit offences can be identified. The modern pitch invasion (since it became a criminal offence) is a sign that people won’t obey ridiculous rules. Good.
The football I grew up with has been sanitised, and much of that is for the better, but there must be some rough edges. I feel the same about gigs, everyone has to be so compliant. Some years ago I went to the BIC to see Leonard Cohen. Brilliant night. During the interval I went to buy a bottle of water and the person serving took the lid off. I asked why. Health and safety.
Now I don’t have a problem with being safe and healthy. But….. I asked what she thought might happen, she said people might throw bottles. I suggested that a bunch of mostly old people (I was in my 50s and one of the youngest there) paying £50 a ticket would refrain from throwing very expensive water bottles at an old bloke on stage.
I didn’t but the water but went over the road and bought a couple of cans of red stripe to meet my thirsty needs.
Your story re: Leonard Cohen and bottles reminds of festivals back in the 1980's, when there seemed to be a phase of people drinking from plastic litre bottles (usually cider), refilling the bottles with piss, and then throwing these bottles at the stage. One time I saw someone doing this, but his aim was rather poor, and the bottle smacked into the back of the head of someone stood a few feet in front of him. This bloke, irate at being hit on the head and the piss now splattered on the back of his coat, looked around angrily. Instead of looking behind him to suggest he was trying to see who threw it, the first guy apologised - and the "recipient " of his bottle proceeded to beat the crap out of him, much to the amusement of those stood nearby.
I've never been to festivals but the company staff association held a 'family day ' on company owned playing fields in Dulwich.
In preparation would mix a litre of vodka with two litre bottle of Coke.
What's not to like ,three litres of vodka and coke,well apart from the toilet queue.
This company day eventually got stopped after several stores getting into fights with rival stores during the football tournament.
When I say fights ,this not only included the players but their supporters(store colleagues).Absolute total chaos, and blood everywhere.
In preparation would mix a litre of vodka with two litre bottle of Coke.
What's not to like ,three litres of vodka and coke,well apart from the toilet queue.
This company day eventually got stopped after several stores getting into fights with rival stores during the football tournament.
When I say fights ,this not only included the players but their supporters(store colleagues).Absolute total chaos, and blood everywhere.
