Sorry for expressing an opinion that offends you - but hey I guess that's the beauty of being able to express opinions that upset the cliques... For what it's worth (though I see it as no relevance whatsoever - and while you're so keen on trawling through previous posts, you can probably find where I declare my religious beliefs, not that it's anyone else's business...) I'm not a Methodist, I like a drink as much as the next person, but I work in an environment where I see the affects of excessive alcohol both in an anti-social environment & in the context of the damage it does to people young & old. I have formed my opinions on that, on the people I have known killed or seriously injured as a result of alcohol and on the states of people (including family members) I have picked up from the streets after attending sporting events.

Maybe the club would lose revenue from the sales of alcohol but maybe more families would be inclined to watch the match at the ground offsetting that loss? Yes the pubs would have more people drinking in them, but the rate that pubs are closing down that may help their business and will allow police & security staff to deal with them in smaller locations than 8-10,000 in the stadium.

I'm delighted for those who can hold their drink, who know when to stop or who don't feel the need to get tanked up to watch a match - perhaps you would be happy to explain how you don't think there is a problem at the HJ to the family of the lad from Halifax currently in Walton Hospital waiting to see if he lives or not?

Yours seems to be a very idealistic view. Banning alcohol in the ground wouldn't stop trouble. If people are set to cause trouble they will. They will rush in more pints in a shorter amount of time to get suitably tanked up before they head into the ground - the chances of the outcome being any different are slim.

If someone arrives in the pub at 12.30 ready for an early evening kick off they can drink a fair amount in that time if they are that way inclined, the few they would possibly miss in the ground would do nothing to counter the problem realistically. And of course we all know there are ways around getting drink into ground anyway.

On the other hand you have your family who go to the game together, arrive slightly before kick off Dad isn't driving so decides to have a drink? why shouldn't he?

I'm going to the grand final on Saturday and me and thousands of others will have a drink or 3 with no problems. Yes you will get some idiots (drink fuelled or not) but its up to the stewards and police to take swift action to stop problems. Punishing the masses won't solve anything.

Unfortunatly people get injured as a result of drink related violence on a regular basis but I am assuming you wouldn't call for an outright ban on alcohol so why after one incident are you calling for it banning at grounds?

Wasn't smoking banned due to it being unpleasant to be sat/stood next to or near to a smoker as well as being harmful not only to the smoker, but those close to them.

Being sat/stood next to or close to someone who is bladdered and can't 'handle their drink' is particularly unpleasant. If you are unlucky then coming into contact with an aggressive drunk can be far more harmful to your health than any amount of passive smoking!

I was there on Sunday, this is an irrelevant discussion, there was no trouble with drink in the HJ until after the second game, when the Halifax/Featherstone people arrived. he same ones who had been drinking in town since at least 12 o'clock. I remember when Featherstone came in the cup and there was trouble.

has anyone been on the fax board to see the thread on this there?

Someone saying it wasn't alcohol fuelled violence but a prank that went wrong, someone jumped on this fella's back and he fell awkwardly hitting his head.


I'm sure it was there yesterday,

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=472639&start=45

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=472639&start=45

its funny how the top poster posts the facts then people still carry on about out of control fans.

it wasnt a prank gone wrong the police have said it was an attack and sealed the site off hope the lad gets well and fax have said in the blog they do that some concrete evidence will be released soon but as far as am aware all newspapers are treating it as a attack which dont suprise me walkin past fev fans and listening to them sing w***y halifax

The main problem is the late kickoffs. A lot of Fev fans were kicked out of pubs close to the groud around 2pm as their coaches arrived at 10am and they had been drinking since then. A lot were not allowed in the ground. I don't think it helped that none of the Fev fans heard the tannoy announcement about the fire, so all they saw was a load of Fax fans invading the field when their team was in our 20 with 4 tackles to go.

I saw the imediate aftermath of the incident and I cannot honestly say I saw any Fev fans running away, however I also didn't see anyone jump on his back.

what trouble in the cup game?

Wasn't sure about that, but seem to remember them arguing with the stewards, because they couldn't get into the west stand. It's the flat caps I remember. I think We made a mistake that time by not opening the West Stand.

If your not sure then why make potentially damaging accusations like that, arguing with stewards will go on at every sports ground in the country, wearing flat caps does not mean your out for trouble.

You have absolutely no idea how many Fev fans did or didnt get in the ground, again potentially damaging accusations,

Why on earth where coaches allowed to arrive at 10am

Have you ever been to featherstone? There is more to do in Longford on sunday morning at 6am than there is to do in featherstone! I bet they couldn't wait to get out of the damn place,that's why they arrived at 10am!

i also work in an environment where i see the impact of alcohol every night of the week (A&E) i'm a clinical nurse specialist in the management of substance abuse and have over 22 years working in the field however i do not agree with your opinion, should we ban hang gliding, mountain climbing, parachuting?
people take risks, that's their choice, we have a criminal justice system to deal with people who break the laws including drunken fighting at matches, just because it's not enforced properley does not mean i should be stopped from taking my weekly risk of having a few beers at the match! no one denies there was a problem in the streets adjacent to the ground at the weekend but your making the assumption the perpetrator was in any way intoxicated, he may just have been a psychopathic thug!
alcohol does have a social, health and financial impact on people and society but so does boxing, hill walking and shopping in asda!

my point is we have freedom of choice and reducing that freedom should never be an option unless we break the law.

There is a lad fighting for his life and you come out with that rubbish

I recall some aresnut with a ludicrous rosette on the back of his flat cap kicking off because there was no room in the South on the day in question. He arrived well passed kick off and ed to high heaven. He looked like trouble and his actions supported it. No place in SL for the likes of him, irrespective of daft cap.

Hear hear.

I can't wait for the clearly deluded Magic Piano to present with seven stigmatas at your A&E ward Slim. Put him in line with the other wits.

We await your civil action claim for defamation with baited breath. Seriously, jog on.

Personal insults

- very intelligent and adding to an overall enjoyable debate with two very different opinions being expressed, which is after all the very basis of free speech & debate.

Good point & I understand about freedom of choice and being able to take risks in personal life & activities, but of those activities you list they generally are a [ipersonal[/i risk. Alcohol misuse & abuse provides a risk not only to the person involved (and they take that risk on their own head...), but to innocent bystanders who have not necessarily signed up to that risk. In your job more than mine you will see the impact on those innocent bystanders & surely you have some sympathy towards them & their lives potentially changing as a result of some drunken behavoiur from someone unable to control their actions due to alcohol?

You could argue that car driving undertakes a similar risk to people other than the one undertaking it & I agree - however the laws are there again to control the misuse of cars when unable to drive them safely. Maybe they are enforced more stringently than antisocial behaviour as a result of drinking; maybe it is that being lairish after a few pints is more socially acceptable than driving over the limit; I don't know the answer but I do know that when I am out with my family in town or at a match why should I & they be made to feel uncomfortable and unsafe because of the actions of people who have not had their alcohol intake controlled & limited to a safe amount?

What [ihave[/i you got against Magic P's faith?

Fear of the unknown & ununderstood usually causes such reactions... That and coming up against an argument contrary to their own.

Any update on how the man is? Fingers crossed, he is making a full recovery.