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Flare hits fan at Bradford City

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Flare hits fan at Bradford City

Postby Dan » Sun Aug 14, 2022 10:22 pm

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62540778

Bradford City chief executive Ryan Sparks says the use of pyrotechnics inside Valley Parade is "abhorrent" after a flare struck a home supporter.

It was thrown from the upper tier of the home Kop stand, injuring a fan in the lower section during Saturday's League Two win over Newport.

Sparks said those responsible would face "the strongest possible action."

In 1985, 56 people were killed when the ground's main stand burned down during a match against Lincoln City.

Sparks told the club website: "Given our history, and what many of our supporters have been through together, it was utterly sickening to see a pyrotechnic deployed inside Valley Parade.

"After what our club has experienced, it is abhorrent to think one of our own supporters would show such a disregard for our history, and such disrespect to fellow supporters.

"Yesterday's events will have no doubt affected a number of people who were made to witness them. For that, on behalf of the football club, I would like to apologise."

The club are reviewing CCTV footage and are seeking witnesses to help identify those responsible.

Before the season started the Premier League and English Football League announced a new crackdown on supporter behaviour, including pitch invasions and flares.

Under the new rules individuals who carry or use pyrotechnics or smoke bombs will be banned, and those identified will be reported to the police.

On the opening weekend of the EFL season a Crewe fan required "urgent medical attention" for breathing difficulties after a flare was let off in the away end at Rochdale.
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Re: Flare hits fan at Bradford City

Postby Spiritater » Mon Aug 15, 2022 6:27 am

No place for flares or indeed smoke bombs at a football match. If you want to play with such thing then go join The Army
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Re: Flare hits fan at Bradford City

Postby Sandy Pate Best Stag » Mon Aug 15, 2022 6:33 am

A pertinent point in the middle of the drought.
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Re: Flare hits fan at Bradford City

Postby ParisStag » Mon Aug 15, 2022 9:29 am

.
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Re: Flare hits fan at Bradford City

Postby Sneag » Mon Aug 15, 2022 9:41 am

Spiritater wrote:No place for flares or indeed smoke bombs at a football match. If you want to play with such thing then go join The Army


I agree, smoke bombs are totally bloody anti social. If you want to stand all game, arrive drunk, shout & swear all game, I'm fine with that. I can find a spot where your behaviour will not impact on me much.

Let a flipping smoke bomb off 50 yards away & I'm still getting a lung full of it.
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Re: Flare hits fan at Bradford City

Postby Sandy Pate Best Stag » Mon Aug 15, 2022 9:42 am

ParisStag wrote:.


Very droll. I really wish I had the intellect to have thought of that.

Would you like to actually make a point instead of just posting one?
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Re: Flare hits fan at Bradford City

Postby ParisStag » Mon Aug 15, 2022 10:13 am

Sandy Pate Best Stag wrote:
ParisStag wrote:.


Very droll. I really wish I had the intellect to have thought of that.

Would you like to actually make a point instead of just posting one?


I thought it was a good point well made actually.
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Re: Flare hits fan at Bradford City

Postby Big yella » Mon Aug 15, 2022 2:19 pm

Don’t get the flare and smoke bomb thing and never have.

But on a lighter note:-

“Sparks complains about flares” come on that’s made for the red tops. :lol:
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Re: Flare hits fan at Bradford City

Postby halifaxstag » Mon Aug 15, 2022 3:28 pm

The fan hit by the flare was a 5 year old girl attending only her second match. She is obviously quite shocked and scared. She may never attend another match and her father is considering returning his season ticket.
Smoke bombs(flares) may look good but, even when they are not thrown, can have a serious affect on other fans.
I’m not a killjoy (it doesn’t bother me) but attending matches should be enjoyable for everyone even when the football isn’t!
We have a group of mainly younger supporters who have helped create a brilliant atmosphere at both home and away matches but it seems to be a habit that at least on smoke bomb is set off per game. As has been done with other issues ( e.g. not invading the pitch at play-offs) maybe they should get together and discourage the use of smoke bombs. It is easy to smuggle many things (illegal or otherwise) into grounds because not everyone can get searched so it has to come from within before someone gets more seriously affected.
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Re: Flare hits fan at Bradford City

Postby Bradders » Mon Aug 15, 2022 3:34 pm

I'm not keen on smoke bombs either, but if people are smuggling flares into football grounds then they really are reckless. They are much worse than the smoke bombs we commonly see used by Stags fans. I don't know how they get away with it, because you hold a flare so it's obvious who the culprit is.
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Re: Flare hits fan at Bradford City

Postby Stoney » Mon Aug 15, 2022 3:39 pm

I remember one being launched from one side of the fan zone to the other end near me at Wembley. It missed a young girl about 4 years of age by about 6 inches. It would have knocked her clean out had it hit her in the head. I don't know what goes through people's heads sometimes.
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Re: Flare hits fan at Bradford City

Postby Bradders » Mon Aug 15, 2022 4:39 pm

Stoney wrote:I remember one being launched from one side of the fan zone to the other end near me at Wembley. It missed a young girl about 4 years of age by about 6 inches. It would have knocked her clean out had it hit her in the head. I don't know what goes through people's heads sometimes.

Yes, it just missed me as well. Although that one wasn't a flare, it was an incredibly stupid thing to do.
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Re: Flare hits fan at Bradford City

Postby halifaxstag » Mon Aug 15, 2022 6:57 pm

Bradders wrote:I'm not keen on smoke bombs either, but if people are smuggling flares into football grounds then they really are reckless. They are much worse than the smoke bombs we commonly see used by Stags fans. I don't know how they get away with it, because you hold a flare so it's obvious who the culprit is.


I doubt if many/or any of the ‘flares’ are actually that. It seems to be that officials are using the terms pyrotechnics and flares as a catch-all phrase. The only times I can recall seeing such items inside a ground are by clubs themselves prior to major matches or celebrating a trophy/promotion. I’ve seen (on tv) flares used by fans outside grounds, for example, Liverpool v Real Madrid.
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Re: Flare hits fan at Bradford City

Postby Sandy Pate Best Stag » Mon Aug 15, 2022 8:00 pm

halifaxstag wrote:
Bradders wrote:I'm not keen on smoke bombs either, but if people are smuggling flares into football grounds then they really are reckless. They are much worse than the smoke bombs we commonly see used by Stags fans. I don't know how they get away with it, because you hold a flare so it's obvious who the culprit is.


I doubt if many/or any of the ‘flares’ are actually that. It seems to be that officials are using the terms pyrotechnics and flares as a catch-all phrase. The only times I can recall seeing such items inside a ground are by clubs themselves prior to major matches or celebrating a trophy/promotion. I’ve seen (on tv) flares used by fans outside grounds, for example, Liverpool v Real Madrid.


Unfortunately that’s not correct.

The example that stands out for me is the death of a Wales fan at a World Cup qualifier in Cardiff in 1993. He was killed by a distress flare discharged from the other side of the ground.

I agree that flares are less common these days but if they do appear they are deadly as they can’t really be put out and just continue to burn through flesh.

Authorities were extremely worried during Euro 96 as some nation’s fans just discharged them as a matter of course, particularly Turkey.
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