Torquay United Fans Forum

[quote="hector"]I'm sure in another sphere, football fans could claim some sort of infringement of human rights or discriminatory treatment. If I can buy a pint at Sandy Park, along with 8,000 others and drink it on the terrace, whilst watching the game, and I can do the same along 85,000 others at Wembley last weekend when watching the NFL, or I can even do the same at a local league football match but I cannot when I am watching league/conference football, then I do wonder, legally, why I am treated differently because of the sport I watch?

I'm not naive, so I know exactly the reasons why this ban is in place but they might as well just say 'working class people cannot be trusted!' The very fact that you can, in many grounds, buy as many drinks as you want, so long as you don't drink them in sight of the pitch - I mean, it is so ridiculous, that one would think it was challengeable.

I do remember, many, many years ago, when we played Dundee in a pre-season friendly - probably around 1980 or 81. A group of their fans were in the Mini Stand with a barrel of beer or something similar, sort of hidden beneath coats, kilts or whatever they were wearing, with a plastic tube hooked up, so they could drink through it, like a straw.[/quote]

Yeah, bizarre isn't it? The Wembley example is the funniest. You could have a beer at an event where men played sport using an oval shaped ball, but go to an event where men play sport with a spherical ball, and you can't. As if the shape of the ball is somehow relevant to your behaviour. That's like being able to drink at Chelsea but not at Fulham, because Chelsea wear blue. Then again, nothing to do with football makes any sense. Bayern Munich being allowed standing for Bundesliga games, but not for Champions League. As if the competition being contested makes a difference to the relative safety of standing at football matches.

The problem is the need to set laws to cope with the lowest common denominator. That's why we have such laughably low standards of driving, because we revise the rules ever downward to keep the most useless 1% safe from themselves. Instead of upping the standards we demand and punishing those who do not meet the requirements.

The answer here is rather too Nazi to be worth mentioning, so I'm afraid we're stuck with it.

Which NFL did you go to?

Matt.

The police should respond to the demands of their job, like any other public service. This means that if greater police services are required in town centres on Friday or Saturday nights, then they respond to this. If there is a rally, protest, festival or other large event then they deploy their resources accordingly.

TUFC should only have to pay for any additional police officers specifically required to run Plainmoor on a match day. How the police deploy their officers elsewhere is up to them, wherever they are best needed. As the Police are funded through taxes then match goers are already paying for their presence. Bars don't get charged to employ police officers to deal with drunks in town, and criminals or victims of crime don't get charged for using police time. So why should football clubs be any different?

I'm sure in another sphere, football fans could claim some sort of infringement of human rights or discriminatory treatment. If I can buy a pint at Sandy Park, along with 8,000 others and drink it on the terrace, whilst watching the game, and I can do the same along 85,000 others at Wembley last weekend when watching the NFL, or I can even do the same at a local league football match but I cannot when I am watching league/conference football, then I do wonder, legally, why I am treated differently because of the sport I watch?

I'm not naive, so I know exactly the reasons why this ban is in place but they might as well just say 'working class people cannot be trusted!' The very fact that you can, in many grounds, buy as many drinks as you want, so long as you don't drink them in sight of the pitch - I mean, it is so ridiculous, that one would think it was challengeable.

I do remember, many, many years ago, when we played Dundee in a pre-season friendly - probably around 1980 or 81. A group of their fans were in the Mini Stand with a barrel of beer or something similar, sort of hidden beneath coats, kilts or whatever they were wearing, with a plastic tube hooked up, so they could drink through it, like a straw.

There are, what, three coppers at Plainmoor on a normal Saturday? I hardly think they are the difference between the absolute peace which exists today and the absolute anarchy described above.

If there was going to be trouble at Plainmoor, we have more than enough of our own monsters to do it without the involvement of the opposition. Policing matches at Plainmoor is free money for those tasked with doing it. If anything, they should be paying us for the privilege of standing in the sun for a couple of hours.

Matt.

Fans mix fine in other sports.........

[quote="Gullscorer"]It's in the financial interests of police and policemen to be involved as much as possible in the policing of football matches and to be paid as much as they can get. It's easy work and easy money. But the truth is that only on rare occasions, big clubs on big match days, are the police ever required. Hell, we don't even need all the stewards we see on match days.[color=#FF0000] Let the fans mingle and police the relatively small number of troublemakers themselves; they'll do it far more effectively[/color] and more cheaply than police and stewards ever could..[/quote]

Are you mad. I can just see it now. opposition fans come with the sole intention of causing trouble. Our mild mannered club is supposed to befriend these morons. only to find themselves completely outnumbered. Fighting breaks out at which a large proportion of our so called fans force fleeing for safety. leaving Matt. SG. Brucie. Wivel. et al. standing in a sea of concrete to be confronted by a vision of impending doom.. Yeah Brilliant.
Sure most fans come with the intention of good natured banter and to enjoy the spirit of the game. even having pre post and half time drinks. But there are enough idiots out there who can't take their drink. Some who don't even need it. Who are there to wreak havoc on any unsuspecting section of the crowd. Bristol City. Bristol Rovers. Plymouth. Exeter, Even Liittle Bromesgrove Rovers.(They seem to have picked up an unenviable reputation amongst the local midlands leagues. possibly cos of rejects chucked out of other midlands clubs having found a new home.) all have enough rejects who given the opportunity will cause so much damage that Plainmoor would be empty for the rest of the season.

It's in the financial interests of police and policemen to be involved as much as possible in the policing of football matches and to be paid as much as they can get. It's easy work and easy money. But the truth is that only on rare occasions, big clubs on big match days, are the police ever required. Hell, we don't even need all the stewards we see on match days. Let the fans mingle and police the relatively small number of troublemakers themselves; they'll do it far more effectively and more cheaply than police and stewards ever could..

If only there was some way of local people paying for their local police force. Some sort of tax, perhaps levied by the council. They could call it Council Tax.

Matt.

We've received the following message so I thought I would put it here so members can participate if they wish,

[b][i]Good afternoon, I am working on an article for the Western Morning News about the price of police football matches. Members of Devon and Cornwall police have complained about the cost of providing security on match days and would like to see clubs contribute more. I am interested to get the fans' perspective on the issues and was hoping a member of your organisation might offer their thoughts. Unfortunately my deadline is the end of today, so if you would be able to get back to me by phone (01752 293145) or email ([email protected]) this afternoon it would be very much appreciated. Many thanks and kind regards, Kate[/i][/b]