Flares at Football

[South Yarra Seagull]

In Australia, a great deal of football supporting heritage is from Europe and that heritage includes the use of flares on the terraces.

The league in which Melbourne Victory is only 2 years old and is only just starting to make in roads into destroying the perception that football = violence.

On Wednesday night during a pre-season friendly between Melbourne Victory and South Melbourne a flare was thrown onto the pitch and the media (who have many millions invested in other codes of football) are having a field day with the flares = violence equation.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/socce...matches-at-risk/2007/06/21/1182019274681.html

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21947287-2883,00.html

I have never seen a flare at a game in England. Ever. Have you? A number of people on the MVFC forum have commented that flares are a part of football culture and to deny a fan a flare is to deny him the right to support his team.

http://melbournevictory.net/forum/showthread.php?t=33729

Do you agree with this? When was the last time a flare was lit at an Albion game? In Oz, it is a criminal offence to be in posession of a lit flare. Is it possible to have safe flares?

 

[Stumpy Tim]

I remember going to an FA Cup game at Peterborough when Micky Adams was manager, and some C.U.N.T. let off a flare right next to me... he posts on NSC, though I can't remember who it was now. Killed my ear, but looked top notch

 

[South Yarra Seagull]

that is the problem - the look great but sadly (as i am sure you know) your average Aussie in the street equates a flare with sokka violence

Why did it hurt your ear?

 

[Stumpy Tim]

Why did it hurt your ear?

Because he let it off right next to my ear and it was very loud... flares are great!

 

[ditchy]

In Australia, a great deal of football supporting heritage is from Europe and that heritage includes the use of flares on the terraces.

The league in which Melbourne Victory is only 2 years old and is only just starting to make in roads into destroying the perception that football = violence.

On Wednesday night during a pre-season friendly between Melbourne Victory and South Melbourne a flare was thrown onto the pitch and the media (who have many millions invested in other codes of football) are having a field day with the flares = violence equation.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/socce...matches-at-risk/2007/06/21/1182019274681.html

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21947287-2883,00.html

I have never seen a flare at a game in England. Ever. Have you? A number of people on the MVFC forum have commented that flares are a part of football culture and to deny a fan a flare is to deny him the right to support his team.

http://melbournevictory.net/forum/showthread.php?t=33729

Do you agree with this? When was the last time a flare was lit at an Albion game? In Oz, it is a criminal offence to be in posession of a lit flare. Is it possible to have safe flares?

Yarra do you still get the association of football clubs with ethnic or country groups .. i do believe one of the Melbourne teams was very big in Greek following and they tended to clash with the Serb, Croats of other local teams .. correct me if im wrong

 

[South Yarra Seagull]

Ditchy, the new National competition has done away with the previous ethnic alliances to clubs, to the point where they actively discouraged applications for a franchise form the likes of South Melbourne and i think an Italian based club in Sydney. They all still exist but cos they play in the State Leagues no one cares anymore.

South Melbourne used to have the word "Hellas" in their name and the club colours are blue and white. You can get a great souvlaki at half time.

There is also Preston Macedonia, Melbourne Croatia and so on and so on. It invariably kicks off between the rival fans...

 

[Beach Hut]

I used to wear flares to football matches in th '70s.

 

[ditchy]

Thanks Yarra .. have you spoken to Ben recently ?

 

[severnside gull]

How does wearing dodgy retro clothing equate to violence............

unless of course it's dodgy ITALIAN retro clothing cos that's where the other sort of flares really are part of the culture (ditto Greece/Yugoslavia/FYR Macedonia etc) and given the ethnic base of a lot of football in Oz that certainly makes sense.

Personally I think it's well dangerous in fuelling violence and you seem to have a great opportunity with the help of the press to help put a stop to it

 

[Gully]

I like the sound of Souvlaki at half time...far better than a botulism burger!

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Ditchy, the new National competition has done away with the previous ethnic alliances to clubs, to the point where they actively discouraged applications for a franchise form the likes of South Melbourne and i think an Italian based club in Sydney. They all still exist but cos they play in the State Leagues no one cares anymore.

South Melbourne used to have the word "Hellas" in their name and the club colours are blue and white. You can get a great souvlaki at half time.

There is also Preston Macedonia, Melbourne Croatia and so on and so on. It invariably kicks off between the rival fans...

when I lived in south africs, most teams were ethnically based ( no black players allowed to play at that time or black teams)

You had Hellenic FC ( greeks) Durban Spurs ( mostly English) Northern Suburbs ( Turkish) ....Dad took me to see Highlands Park ( our team - White English only) away at Northern Suburbs and it all kicked off even then!( I was only 7 and scared to death)

 

[ditchy]

when I lived in south africs, most teams were ethnically based ( no black players allowed to play at that time or black teams)

You had Hellenic FC ( greeks) Durban Spurs ( mostly English) Northern Suburbs ( Turkish) ....Dad took me to see Highlands Park ( our team - White English only) away at Northern Suburbs and it all kicked off even then!( I was only 7 and scared to death)

No different from a new year day's tear up between Celtic and Rangers then !

 

[csider]

Not a flare fan.........they get caught up in by bike chain.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

I was tempted to take one to an away game this season.

Will I get BANNED for doing so?

 

[Publius Ovidius]

I was tempted to take one to an away game this season.

Will I get BANNED for doing so?

Yes....although remember the fun we had with the megaphone at Wycombe


" its over there.....its over there"

:yahoo::yahoo::yahoo::yahoo::yahoo:

 

[Tesco in Disguise]

does anyone know where this is?

 

[Gully]

Is it Donny Rovers?

 

[Tesco in Disguise]

the price is right

 

[Lankyseagull]

I have never seen a flare at a game in England. Ever. Have you?

Yes. Yes I have.

 

[Skaville]

In Australia, a great deal of football supporting heritage is from Europe and that heritage includes the use of flares on the terraces.

The league in which Melbourne Victory is only 2 years old and is only just starting to make in roads into destroying the perception that football = violence.

On Wednesday night during a pre-season friendly between Melbourne Victory and South Melbourne a flare was thrown onto the pitch and the media (who have many millions invested in other codes of football) are having a field day with the flares = violence equation.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/socce...matches-at-risk/2007/06/21/1182019274681.html

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21947287-2883,00.html

I have never seen a flare at a game in England. Ever. Have you? A number of people on the MVFC forum have commented that flares are a part of football culture and to deny a fan a flare is to deny him the right to support his team.

http://melbournevictory.net/forum/showthread.php?t=33729

Do you agree with this? When was the last time a flare was lit at an Albion game? In Oz, it is a criminal offence to be in posession of a lit flare. Is it possible to have safe flares?

I thought South and Victory merged? They hated each other when I lived there. Melbourne Croatia vs Melbourne Greece. Always going to be trouble. "Go South!" as they say at the Bob Jane Stadium.