Football

What place do pyros have in football?

FOR many years, flares and other pyrotechnics have been a key figure of European terraces.

One of the many sights for Champions League matches has been the site of terraces illuminated by billowing colourful smoke, and when done properly it is a very cool thing to see.

Yet over in Britain, the arrival of smoke flares has not been met with similar discussion.

The law states that flares, fireworks and similar devices are illegal to carry into sporting stadiums, with a three month jail sentence among the punishments likely. Nevertheless, such pyrotechnics are now frequently found illuminating terraces.

Fans have had several debates over the place of these things, and in particular the safety aspect – not least given some fans seem to think it is a good idea to throw these devices.

Such incidents reared its head a few times last season, with Manchester City and Sunderland fans throwing flares into the home section at Newcastle during the 2012-13 campaign.

City fans had thrown flares on the field during the chaotic scenes at the end of the Manchester Derby in 2012, while Liverpool are currently in trouble after flares were thrown into the home end during a Capital One Cup tie at Manchester United.

Liverpool fans are particularly notorious for letting flares off. Several away games in the 2012-13 season saw travellers from Merseyside let off the devices, with one game at Fulham seeing a multitude of flares turn the air red before kick-off.

The “No Pyro No Party” group are particularly passionate of the use of these smoke bombs, with games all over the football spectrum an avenue to release.

This has led to condemnation from clubs. Yeovil Town issued warnings of their use after a smoke bomb was thrown onto their pitch by QPR fans, Bristol City fans were arrested for trying to smuggle them into a game at Milton Keynes Dons and even some non-league games have seen smoke bombs used.

The debate appears all set to re-occur after the Aston Villa v Spurs game. Shortly after Andros Townsend scored the opening goal, a flare lobbed out of the celebrating Spurs fans hit the assistant referee on the head and got wedged beneath an advertising board.

The game had to be delayed while dark blue smoke was expelled from the device into the West Midlands sky, while two fans have consequently been arrested.

Admittedly this provided an interesting talking point for Sky, with Spurs grabbing a routine win in a fairly dull game.

But as is usual with modern day football, this will no doubt lead to hyperbole, recrimination and draconian regulation. Just like normal then.

It was ridiculous when Newcastle were given a UEFA charge for letting off pyro in the Europa League last season, so it does seem like a fairly ridiculous charge to make.

There is nothing to suggest that reasonable use of flares is a problem. But lobbing them onto the pitch is disruptive and hitting officials with them is particularly dangerous.

It leads to a bit of a dilemma really. The outright ban is slightly mad as it robs games of an excellent tool for atmosphere, yet the fans should be responsible enough not to lob them onto the pitch.

Somewhere, a line has to be drawn. Though at the rate things are progressing, its likely a drunk idiot will lob a flare at a player and cause an even further crackdown.

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