[Albion] Marseille fans

[Colonel Mustard]

If they're going to do absolutely nothing about multiple Marseille fans holding lit flame flares, but go after 1 in the home end for a non lit smoke bomb.

I think that is totally hypocritical and out of touch.

Punish an over exuberant Albion fan on our biggest european night, after we scored winner in last minute......... an unlit matchstick offence, whilst ignoring the bloody great big burning logs at the other end.

I don't condone it, but there's zero lack of proportionality, or fairness. If Barber could read the room, they'd put out a statement reiterating that it isn't acceptable, but understand the circumstances and the occasion/timing and not go all Stasi over it.

I agree with your point but I wonder if it’s because the smoke bomb was thrown onto the pitch? Also, it would relatively easy to quickly identify the Brighton fan but less so the away fans.

 

[Stat Brother]

I agree with your point but I wonder if it’s because the smoke bomb was thrown onto the pitch? Also, it would relatively easy to quickly identify the Brighton fan but less so the away fans.

It's probably more to do being unable to buy a ticket without agreeing to 'no pyros', among other things.
Walking past numerous 'no pyros' signs.
Trying to evade the elite team of pyro sniffer dogs. (we'll gloss over that one)

This isn't on Barber-out.

Don't worry though the club will put on a pyro display, in the near future, making the whole thing rather 2-faced.

 

[peterward]

I agree with your point but I wonder if it’s because the smoke bomb was thrown onto the pitch? Also, it would relatively easy to quickly identify the Brighton fan but less so the away fans.

I don't disagree. It's low hanging fruit.

If the person did it in a home PL game of course.

But it was last minute in europe, we'd scored as as he did it, multiple Marseille fans had lit fire in their hands, and not for the first time, which is infinitely more dangerous than a chemical generated smoke bomb (if that's what it was?), similar to what many of us may have used at paint ball days. If it is similar to those, you cannot compare how dangerous the one is v the other which is an actual real Pyro.

Of course PB and the club are within their rights, and I don't condone it, the guy who did it, shouldnt have, but a reiteration of policy and review of security and how it got in, seems far fairer than making an example of one in the Albion end that has no relation to which end of ground was the real safety/danger.

The police could nick you for going 35 mph down the road and be within their rights, but if they do whilst witnessing at the same time a drunk driver plowing through people's gardens, but do nothing because he's foreign. That doesn't seem proportional?

 

[Guinness Boy]

If they're going to do absolutely nothing about multiple Marseille fans holding lit flame flares, but go after 1 in the home end for a non lit smoke bomb.

I think that is totally hypocritical and out of touch.

Punish an over exuberant Albion fan on our biggest european night, after we scored winner in last minute......... an unlit matchstick offence, whilst ignoring the bloody great big burning logs at the other end.

I don't condone it, but there's zero lack of proportionality, or fairness. If Barber could read the room, they'd put out a statement reiterating that it isn't acceptable, but understand the circumstances and the occasion/timing and not go all Stasi over it.

Hang on, @TomandJerry ’s post said the bloke had been arrested. That means it was a police matter, not a club matter doesn’t it?

If so then the issue is luzzing it, not having it. I’d agree if he’d just held it up and got nicked that would be massive double standards.

Beyond that, as I’ve said before, it’s a shame English football is so sanitised now. Some of the pyro overseas looks fantastic and you can read an unfortunate note of worry in some of the posts on this thread.

 

[TomandJerry]

If they're going to do absolutely nothing about multiple Marseille fans holding lit flame flares, but go after 1 in the home end for a non lit smoke bomb.

I think that is totally hypocritical and out of touch.

Punish an over exuberant Albion fan on our biggest european night, after we scored winner in last minute......... an unlit matchstick offence, whilst ignoring the bloody great big burning logs at the other end.

I don't condone it, but there's zero lack of proportionality, or fairness. If Barber could read the room, they'd put out a statement reiterating that it isn't acceptable, but understand the circumstances and the occasion/timing and not go all Stasi over it.

The chap from Lewes was arrested because he threw it onto the pitch

 

[southstandandy]

2 years on, I'm still pissed off that my bag of wine gums was confiscated by a steward as he claimed I might throw them on the pitch!

I would have thought flares used in the away end the other night were far more dangerous than my wine gums, but what do I know?

 

[peterward]

The chap from Lewes was arrested because he threw it onto the pitch

Fair enough, they can damage the pitch if actual pyros (was it though).

The club/OB will do whatever it decides, I have no idea who the bloke is, so it doesn't affect me, just think, considering what was happening both ends, re-education is better and more proportional than punishment in this instance.

 

[Colonel Mustard]

2 years on, I'm still pissed off that my bag of wine gums was confiscated by a steward as he claimed I might throw them on the pitch!

I would have thought flares used in the away end the other night were far more dangerous than my wine gums, but what do I know?

Crazy, isn’t it? I was at a match once where the security guy tried to confiscate an iPad that I had in the inside pocket of my coat. I finally persuaded him that I was unlikely to luzz an £800 gadget onto the pitch, especially one that contained a mass of personal data to instantly identify the culprit.

 

[TomandJerry]

Fair enough, they can damage the pitch if actual pyros (was it though).

The club/OB will do whatever it decides, I have no idea who the bloke is, so it doesn't affect me, just think, considering what was happening both ends, re-education is better and more proportional than punishment in this instance.

The club won't be involved because it's a criminal offence since he's been arrested (unless he gets a football ban)

A 60 year old chap should know better

 

[armchairclubber]

Joey Barton, obvs. (*)

(* The pusher, not the pushed)

Was she on her way to the commentary box?

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

I agree with your point but I wonder if it’s because the smoke bomb was thrown onto the pitch? Also, it would relatively easy to quickly identify the Brighton fan but less so the away fans.

….. all it needs is Marseille’s Darren Balkham…..

 

[Justice]

The club won't be involved because it's a criminal offence since he's been arrested (unless he gets a football ban)

A 60 year old chap should know better

Ageist, I guarantee many on this thread that like the pyro and a cracking atmosphere are over 50.
Football belongs to the fans. All the clubs suffered during covid they seem to have forgotten that pretty quickly.

 

[TomandJerry]

Ageist, I guarantee many on this thread that like the pyro and a cracking atmosphere are over 50.
Football belongs to the fans. All the clubs suffered during covid they seem to have forgotten that pretty quickly.

I agree, I also love a cracking atmosphere, when the Amex is rocking it's as good as any other ground in the world.

Unfortunately, laws are laws and, throwing a flare onto the field of play means you'll be arrested.

 

[RandyWanger]

Someone in the East Lower threw a bottle on the pitch after the goal and some nobber threw a water cup up in the air. Both a good 10 seconds after the goal too.

 

[attila]

66 and love standing on a terrace with a flare in one hand and a beer in the other

 

[Horses Arse]

Interesting quote from the Athletic!!!

Even Brighton & Hove Albion — one of the most benign fanbases in the Premier League — have found themselves treated as if they were likely troublemakers.

 

[Justice]

I agree, I also love a cracking atmosphere, when the Amex is rocking it's as good as any other ground in the world.

Unfortunately, laws are laws and, throwing a flare onto the field of play means you'll be arrested.

Although it was a smoke bomb you can buy those for kids parties.

 

[peterward]

Although it was a smoke bomb you can buy those for kids parties.

Exactly. And imagine if said 60 year old from Lewes had luzzed his smoke bomb from South stand right next to 6 or so Marseille fans holding burning pyros.

Go after him, but you must also seek to identify the seats and seat numbers of the Marseille fans or report them to UEFA etc, if you are going to be truly objective and not easy target selective.

 

[Justice]

Exactly. And imagine if said 60 year old from Lewes had luzzed his smoke bomb from South stand right next to 6 or so Marseille fans holding burning pyros.

Go after him, but you must also seek to identify the seats and seat numbers of the Marseille fans or report them to UEFA etc, if you are going to be truly objective and not easy target selective.

The club don’t exactly look after their own took the words of Ajax stewards as apparently they didn’t have access to CCTV evidence about the beer throwing. Surely that was an easy one to brush under the carpet. Fans move seats couldn’t identify etc.
Regards to the smoke bomb yes it’s an offence to luzz objects onto the pitch and also an offence to light flares which went unpunished. It’s the consistency we all want

 

[Mr deez]

I mean its premeditated and you know it's not allowed. If I snuck an flare/ smoke bomb in and got banned as a result I'm pretty sure I'd accept that was on me, whataboutism referencing other fans is pretty meaningless.