Fighting at the Footy

[TroyGFC]

What a bloody good idea!! Ban drinking at football and really destroy SANFL football. Alot of you chaps have no idea that is why manya people go to local games still and not AFL. Get over it as its life, will not stop, and just respect people around you and don't abuse people who will fire back at you.

[JAS]

Kinda agree with Troy. Here in the UK you have always been able to get alcohol at rugby matches and you never hear of trouble, however it has been banned at soccer matches for ages and there is still trouble. Obviously some is fueled by alcohol but some will also be down to individuals who can't control their anger/agression...might as well call it footy rage. I think the arrest/fine system would be a better way to go and strip them of membership (if they are members) of their club. Of course on a lighter note...public floggings might make an enjoyable half-time spectacle

Regards
JAS

[smac]

Nice choice of % there tas.

Don't ban the booze, ban the d!ckheads. Simple solution (with complex implementation, I understand).

Get real security guards who will forcefully remove them and start deterring them from returning.

Well 4/4000 is 0.1% 2/4000 is 0.05%...assuming the crowd figure of 4000 quoted on here for the Unley crowd is correct....

And I thought you were cleverly linking to the prescribed blood alcohol limit whilst driving!

[Dirko]

If it was a Westies "person" as quoted earlier in the thread, they perhaps shoulda played for the Bloods on Sunday at leat that way they might have shown a bit of 'fight"
Down at the Bay yesterday, didn't see any Westies people cause trouble, actually didn't see any Westies people at all!!
Anyhow...not good enough..watch the game and if ya can't enjoy it without going the biff, stay home, or contact your parole officer for help

[Cambridge Clarrie]

Certainly don't agree with morons going at each other after a game but let's not blow this out of proportion. If there was a group of people involved it might be considered an issue but given (from the accounts on this site) that it was an incident between a couple of pissed idiots, who really cares. Like the last post says, if you're really worried about it go to the family friendly area (which I often do if I take my wife and son). BTW hats off to the SANFL for that initiative.

[am Bays]

And I thought you were cleverly linking to the prescribed blood alcohol limit whilst driving!

Pfft, you should know I'm not that clever having read my illogical rants (aka my posts) for the past 18 months.....

[Sam_goUUUdogs]

banning alcohol will get people drinking more before the game, it will just mean alcohol fueled incidents will happen in the 1st qtr rather than the last.

[Punk Rooster]

Macgowan calls for Sturt to pack punch
From: The Advertiser
June 14, 2007
FORTY years ago there was hardly enough room at Unley Oval to house the fans who fought for a front row seat to watch Sturt play Port Adelaide.

More than 20,000 hysterical fans regularly watched the SANFL giants in the minor round games in 1967.

Tomorrow there won't be as many spectators at Unley as in the SANFL's heyday but the passions - and the stakes - are equally high.


So, it would seem Rick Macgowan incited the crowd violence on Saturday!
And we all know which club he's from....

[heater31]

So, it would seem Rick Macgowan incited the crowd violence on Saturday!
And we all know which club he's from....

Yeah, he started at North Adelaide

[Dogwatcher]

But originally came from Port's zone......

[CENTURION]

BAN ALL ALCOHOL & JUST SELL METH & GOOGS! Then everyone will be happy, will stay up all night partying & the clubs can make their money by selling water & pretty coloured lights!

[Strawb]

Kinda agree with Troy. Here in the UK you have always been able to get alcohol at rugby matches and you never hear of trouble, however it has been banned at soccer matches for ages and there is still trouble. Obviously some is fueled by alcohol but some will also be down to individuals who can't control their anger/agression...might as well call it footy rage. I think the arrest/fine system would be a better way to go and strip them of membership (if they are members) of their club. Of course on a lighter note...public floggings might make an enjoyable half-time spectacle

Regards
JAS

JAS most of them thugs of English soccer get pissed at the boozer before the game and arrange the fight with the other teams thugs before the game also. Unless you are a rangers/Celtic fan then it is religion based.
Strawbs

[giffo]

Perhaps part of the problem lays in where the bar is located at Unley behind the goals at the Northern end, as most altercations start in this general area. Unfortunately since the councils redevopment of the ground back into a park there is probably not many alternatives though.

[brent]

Yes yes, you shouldn't punish the many for the actions of the few....... so lets take the alternative shall we. families with young children stop attending the local footy until in a few years it is only the angry old men left attending.

the sanfl ends up wilting on the vine and crowds look like a cross between the wafl and the sheffield shield on a tuesday arvo.

but hey, as long as you get your beer champ

[Psyber]

Seriously, I don't see much problem in principal with alcohol being available at sporting events if it is used but not abused. The ones I was referring to as "dickheads" are those who don't just have a few quiet beers with their mates while they watch the game, but get thoroughly pi55ed and behave like yobs and make it unpleasant for all around them, especially other people's wives and kids. Then when someone asks them to cut it out they claim to have been picked on and turn nasty.

I just don't know how you allow the alcohol sales and get rid of them. So, I would support the alcohol ban unless a better solution is found. To get a greater police presence the league would have to pay - any state government would rather ban the booze and save the money, so the heavy drinkers cause problems for everyone.

Anyone who can't cope without a drink for 2 or 3 hours really does have a problem and probably is one of the "dickheads", and of course would be bound to call me one for even hinting at their being deprived of their next fix for such a long time!

[giffo]

Instead of a total ban, sell either light or mid-strengths only, no spirits or have a system where you can only purchase 1 drink/quarter. If you need more than 1 drink every 1/2 hour you have a serious problem.

[Psyber]

Kinda agree with Troy. Here in the UK you have always been able to get alcohol at rugby matches and you never hear of trouble, however it has been banned at soccer matches for ages and there is still trouble. Obviously some is fueled by alcohol but some will also be down to individuals who can't control their anger/agression...might as well call it footy rage. I think the arrest/fine system would be a better way to go and strip them of membership (if they are members) of their club. Of course on a lighter note...public floggings might make an enjoyable half-time spectacle

Regards
JAS

JAS, I've never been to a match of either, and although I have played Soccer at secondary school level I have never found it entertaining to watch. [Gaelic Football interests me.]

From my reading of UK papers, mainly The Spectator which we subscribe to, I have gleaned the impression that there is some social division about who attends which game, and that this may be a factor in behaviour. I guess it is possiible to turn up already drunk and aggro, or just aggro, if you are that way inclined anyway.

Crowd behaviour may dictate which sport booze gets banned at rather than the other way around.

Then there is the contention that since very little actually happens on a Soccer field the real event has to be in the crowd!
[Perhaps there could be cages under the grandstands.]

[Psyber]

Instead of a total ban, sell either light or mid-strengths only, no spirits or have a system where you can only purchase 1 drink/quarter. If you need more than 1 drink every 1/2 hour you have a serious problem.

Not bad! A few problems with the enforcement, but perhaps they could be overcome.

[therisingblues]

STURT V PORT incident

Brawling may indeed have been premeditated.
Security guards were anticipating problems from a tip off before the game started.
The guilty party was a Sturt supporter who abused the Port Adelaide cheer squad.
He was given several warnings by the security guards.
He ignored several warnings and was evicted by security
He was allowed away outside the ground, but returned.
He was apprehended by security and with the help of bystanders.
A feMALe believed to be his girlfriend or aquaintance alledgedly attacked a security guard.
Security retaliated against the feMALe
Police made some arrests.

Very interesting contribution you have made to this discussion there Mal. Where did you hear about this? If this version is correct it would impact a lot of opinions that have been put forward on this thread.

[Aerie]

STURT V PORT incident

Brawling may indeed have been premeditated.
Security guards were anticipating problems from a tip off before the game started.
The guilty party was a Sturt supporter who abused the Port Adelaide cheer squad.
He was given several warnings by the security guards.
He ignored several warnings and was evicted by security
He was allowed away outside the ground, but returned.
He was apprehended by security and with the help of bystanders.
A feMALe believed to be his girlfriend or aquaintance alledgedly attacked a security guard.
Security retaliated against the feMALe
Police made some arrests.

Very interesting contribution you have made to this discussion there Mal. Where did you hear about this? If this version is correct it would impact a lot of opinions that have been put forward on this thread.

He would have got the information from here: http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/

Look under 'U' for Unley Oval.