Flares: same offence, different rules once more?

Posted on by WalterBroeckx

By Walter Broeckx

I thought the flares issue had been extinguished on the night but now I see a rather strange thing happening.

I base this article on what I read in the Belgian newspapers so if they have spread wrong information I can only apologise. But for now I still trust them more than I trust some of the English media.  But what they tell me is very worrying and strange.

Everyone who was looking at the match live will have seen the despicable images of Galatasaray supporters lighting flares in the stand and throwing them on the pitch. I was there when Everton supporters did this last year and I sat above them. And I don’t like to inhale smoke in to my lungs at any time. I admit when I was young I have smoked cigarettes myself but once I got to the years of wisdom (around 21 that was) I decided to quit smoking and never touched another cigarette again.

So if I go to a football match I certainly don’t want to inhale smoke of flares. I wonder how people who have serious breathing problems would react to such things. So just for health reasons I find it unacceptable to light up flares in a stadium.

But as you might know by now Galatasaray wasn’t the only club who misbehaved like that this week. To my big amazement the usually excellent Borussia Dortmund supporters did the same when they played their match at Anderlecht.  You can see a picture of this if you click on this link

According to the newspapers they use woman and children to smuggle the flares in to the stadium as they cannot be searched completely and in Belgium no police officer really wants to do a body search of a child. A post-Dutroux trauma we suffer collectively.  The people who work at the Football cell of the Internal Affairs (a committee erected post Heysel disaster) said that it is almost impossible to find the flares. The only real option would be a nude search of every supporter but well… nobody really wants to go that far.

Now Uefa has opened a disciplinary investigation about the flares both in the match Arsenal – Galatasary and Anderlecht – Dortmund.

Both matches had to be stopped for a while. Because of the smoke entering the field and also because in both matches flares where thrown on the pitch.  So you could say the same thing happened in both stadiums.

And now comes the real strange thing.

For the match Anderlecht – Dortmund it is Dortmund that is risking a sanction.  Because Uefa clearly seems to have identified it was them who did the wrong thing. There is no talk of punishing Anderlecht.

But for the match Arsenal – Galatasaray it is Arsenal that is being accused of lacking organisation and as a result allowing the events to happen as they did.

So we have two similar cases. Almost completely identical. But it is only Arsenal that is being accused of lacking organisation and Anderlecht who faced the same thing seems to walk off free.

If this really would be the verdict of Uefa about those incidents it seems that they use different sticks to beat the clubs with. And of course Arsenal seems to be once again the one that gets the harder beating up from Uefa.

Now I don’t even dispute the fact that one could accuse Arsenal of lacking organisation. Because after all it is Arsenal that should have made sure that no flares were smuggled in to the ground.  But then why doesn’t this also apply for Anderlecht?

This is as if a tackle of a foul that should get a red card is only being punished for one team and not for the other. Oh wait a minute. That did happen on the night also.

Fact is that about the flares thing we can only accept that both the home and away clubs are punished and prosecuted in the same way.

If UEFA wants to say that it is the home club completely responsible for this then they should punish Arsenal AND Anderlecht in the same way.

If UEFA wants to say that it is the responsibility of the away club to make sure their supporters behave than they should punish both Dortmund AND Galatasaray in the same way.

In my opinion the only way to bring this to a fair end is to charge both Arsenal and Anderlecht for their lack of organisation and fine them. No problem at all.

But they should make sure that most of all the club whose supporters have lighted the flares are punished most. They have created the problem with bringing in the flares.  So they should get the biggest punishment. And then the home clubs for not doing enough about it.

And that something need to be done is clear for me.

The verdict will be on October 16. So we will know before Dortmund come to the Emirates. I suggest that in the event that we as home club only get punished and not Anderlecht that the people responsible for the security take drastic measures. I wonder what will happen if the police declares that no visiting supporters are allowed in for safety measures.   What would Uefa do about it?

After all that would be making sure that you have it all organised. Isn’t that what they accuse us of? Lacking that organisation.

Or maybe if we could find the idiots that lighted the flares and bring them to court and give them life long bans from entering football grounds that might help a bit also? After all it is them that do it and it is them that we should target most of all.

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71 Replies to “Flares: same offence, different rules once more?”

  1. I did hear about arsenal getting done but this is real piss take now, totally getting out of hand!

  2. Not surprised. I am sure this was under direct orders from Platini who is little better than Blatter. Expect the agenda to continue against us for as long as Arsene is manager

  3. I couldn’t agree more – but I also want to know will THFC be punished for the Besiktas fans lighting flares? Trouble is, we are and always have been the most hated club.

  4. I also saw pictures showing that the Galatasaray supporters destroyed seats at the Emirates and I wonder do Arsenal firstly send Galatasaray the bill for repair and secondly the next time we play them we do not allow them any tickets. Surely that is fair enough?
    Mind you there are a lot of Galatasaray supporters in the stands elsewhere which I also thought was worrying.

  5. Not at all surprised!!! Problem is what can we do about it; much like the slaves way back when, who were being shipped from one continent to the other – they knew it was strange (being chained up,beaten, having their freedom/life removed aggressively from them), but could they do much about it? The answer seems to be exactly the same for Arsenal vs UEFA/FA (slave drivers?).

  8. PV4

    I said the same thing about the Spurs match.

    On the terraces or thrown on the pitch, surely that is irrelevant with regard to the charge of a ‘lack of organisation’.

    Has the matter even been raised with regards to the events at WHL?

  11. @Jambug 11:09 – probably not as they are the blue eyed babies of football where no wrong is ever witnessed.

  12. @PV4
    October 4, 2014 at 11:08 am

    Is there a positive word in any language which would be associated with Butcher Barton?? I doubt it very much.

  14. Indeed! There seems to be an imbalance of justice! But could it be because of reports from the referees or UEFA officials on site at each match? If that’s so, then there should be more standardisation of assessments in reports. Whatever it is, again football seems to be fine with unequal treatment of circumstances and behaviour. Just look at the two-footed challenge on Sanchez! If that’s not a red card, what is?! And again, this bring the question of football’s governing bodies being bloody old-fashioned and outdated. Look at how rugby has introduced video challenges, and they do stop time for some stoppages. And the end of matches is not, dare i say ‘again’, up to human subjectivity. C’mon Bigwigs…who has the courage, the b***s, to lift football into the 21st century!

  15. @apo/vacong – Joey is indeed a specialist in many things, sadly for him football isn’t one of them. He truly is a headline desperate bell end!

  16. It just shows to the depths to which the media will sink to.

    Everyone with the requisite half a brain cell knows how bad JB was as a footballer and what a vacuous void his head is, yet, as long as he’s having a pop at Wenger they’ll give him air time to spout his mindless drivel.

    What a cesspit of odious dullards our media is.

  17. Morning Sir. In my own opinion, there should be only one punitive way to judge this matter by Uefa. Any Club whose fans were proved to be disruptive and destructive beyond any reasonable doubt, in any UCL games should be decisively dealt with to serve as deterrent to others. Why are Uefa trying to rope the hyena with the monkey for eating the bananas. Uefa are unjustifiablely accusing Arsenal of not been security proactive. Whereas, Arsenal did put in place the necessary primary security safeguard to saveguard that UCL game with Galatasaray. But the match security safeguard was flagrantly breached by Galatasaray fans. I think for a start, Uefa should ban Galatasaray away fans in their two away games to Dortmound and Anderlecht FC. And in fairness, they should be surcharged to pay for the seats and any properties which they have wrecked or damaged at the Emirates stadium.

  18. jambug
    October 4, 2014 at 11:35 am

    Come to think of it – who on this planet would offer him any job…even the simplest of jobs?

    Let lone an analyst!!!

  19. Samuel Akinsola Adebosin
    October 4, 2014 at 11:49 am

    YES, but they (UEFA) won’t come close to those sanctions 🙂

  20. Morning Sir. In my own opinion, there should be only one punitive way to judge this matter by Uefa. Any Club whose fans were proved to be disruptive and destructive beyond any reasonable doubt in any UCL games should be decisively dealt with to serve as deterrent to others. Why are Uefa trying to rope the hyena with the monkey for eating the bananas. Uefa are unjustifiablely accusing Arsenal of not been security proactive. Whereas, Arsenal did put in place the necessary primary security safeguard to saveguard that UCL game with Galatasaray. But the match security safeguard was flagrantly breached by Galatasaray fans. I think for a start, Uefa should ban Galatasaray away fans in their two away games to Dortmound and Anderlecht FC. And in fairness, they should be surcharged to pay for the seats and any properties which they have wrecked or damaged at the Emirates stadium.

  21. Talking of Spurs related transgressions did any of the missile throwing Tottenham morons at last seasons FA cup match, where objects and coins were thrown at Walcott and the medical staff, ever get brought to justice? As far as I know there have been no repercussions at all, or am I mistaken.

  22. This is not relevant to this article, but it’s very much relevant to UA.
    I just read this on BBC,

    http://m.bbc.com/sport/football/29469397

    It’s an article by robbie savage something to do with spurs not being top four material yet, but that I presume is not untold.
    But what’s interesting is the the following stats:

    Best Premier League defences 2014-15

    Shots conceded

    1. ARSENAL & Southampton (48)
    2. Liverpool (57)
    3. WBA (60)

    On target faced
    1. Stoke (12)
    2. Southampton (17)
    3. Man City (18)

    Goals conceded
    1. Southampton (4)
    2. Stoke (5)
    3. Swansea & Sunderland (6)

    Clearly Southampton stats standout and stoke (as should be for stoke)

    I also noticed Arsenal in there.
    From the 48 shots coceeded Arsenal have leaked 7 goals in six games. In those 6 games we have faced really offensive minded teams such as Man city (H), Everton(A), Totenham(H) and still we hear that Arsenal defense is not good enough or is not a defense that can win the Premier league.

  23. Mick, Oh Mick, don’t you know that the incidents you just mentioned happened only in the imagination of Arsenal fans? How can anybody investigate let alone punish what took place in somebody else’s imagination? Stange things happen in these days. Even tv cameras and tv sets now show what they imagine rather than….

  24. Forgive people in your life, even those who are not sorry for their actions. Holding on to anger only hurts you, not them.
    ~—Unknown—~

  26. This issue of flares and the fact that UEFA isasking Arsenal questions is very strange. Why are there two different rules? UEFA should be ashamed of themselves and they should either query Anderlecht and Dortmund too, or apologise to us. As for Joey boy, what is there to say? Why give precious time to such a lost cause? He ought to be ignored….and pitied. Looking for relevance and not finding it.

  27. Stan The Man

    Re Joey Barton.

    Yes he is an irrelevance, but doesn’t the fact he gets media air time say more about them than it says about JB himself?

  28. Galatasaray are being charged also for the behaviour of their fans. We don’t know the details of this one, but I assume UEFA have some policies for safety that need to be adhered to. If we prove that we did indeed carry out agreed procedure then we have no worries. Don’t understand why Anderlecht are not being charged though.

    As for Joey Le Barton… lets not forget little Gervinho bitch slapped him to the floor and made him cry, so poor Joey just feels inadequate as a man and has to talk a lot. Best to just ignore him.

  30. This bloke came on to Untold and posted this.

    Well, I said to him, you come on here and post this, You F***ing F***ing C**t.

  31. Agreed BB from your 10.47 post. This agenda is not so much against the club, or players, it may well be against our manager……and I would add…..quite likely against our coach Boro Primorac.
    Now what could these two have possible done against UEFA…..apart from their part in exposing a scandal said body wanted kept quiet of course.
    As for the flares, time,for our legal team to earn their money, like they did over Eduardo when they took on UEFA and a powerful Scottish mafia within…and won, further enhancing our popularity with said body!

  32. I think it’s fair to say Arsenal are treated worse in Europe than in the PL; the farce at Barcelona, Wenger being told he can communicate with the bench while banned then later fined, tough group draws, easy penalties and red cards conceded by Arsenal for offences much less than what their opponents get away with, the alleged dive by Eduardo, now this flare thing….. the list is too long. In England I think I have some answers to why this might be happening, but in Europe…. it’s a mystery.

  33. Mandy,
    See your 2:02, which you posted while I was composing my 2:04, might have some of the answers to my questions 🙂

  36. Derek and Clive Live.

    Cheech and Chong.(1st Album from 1972, Dave’s not here !)

    Monty Python live at the theatre royal Drury Lane.

    Kevin Bloody Wilson (where’s me F***king bike?)

    Four funniest albums of all time.

  38. That genius at Chelsea is in the news again, among other things saying there is no racism in football.

    Well, it has long been said that there is no “I” in “team”.

    And it is true, there is no “racism” in (Association) Football. There is a “r” and a “m” needed. But guess what? If we add “Mourinho”, we now have a “r” and a “m”, and can find racism in (Association) Football. If we add “Wenger”, we cannot find racism. This isn’t to say that people with a “r” and a “m” in their name will act in a racist way when involved with Association Football. But it is true that the racism comes from the individuals involved. And philsophically, Mourinho is wrong. There is racism in football.

    —

    In terms of flares and visiting fans, I gather the allottment for Galatasaray was about 3000 tickets. How many seats were damaged? The next time Galatasary comes to the Emirates, they get their 3000 ticket allotment, minus the number of seats damaged. If they damage another 100 seats, that further reduces their allotment in the future. And so on for other teams. Of course, in the mean time the damaged seats should be replaced, but the policy is that with respect to the visiting team that damaged them, those seats no longer exist. Or perhaps what happens is when that team next comes to our stadium, the stadium staff actually remove the number of seats that were damaged in the past (as well as not selling them). The visiting fans now have “holes” in their seating, where damage had been done.

  39. While Barton is insignificant, one wonders why the BBC would go to the trouble of seeking his opinion on the eve of a match he never and will never feature in, for clubs he never and will never represent.

  41. Re Joey Barton and the Bleeb:

    Perhaps it was the association with Marseille, all that practice in licking Tapie’s toupe, that made the Bleeb mandarins believe that Barton was qualified to comment upon Arsene Wenger, Boro Primorac and The Arsenal 😉

  42. AL

    it would be interesting to ask them what lies behind them seeking his opinion.

    Is it:

    a)Because the British public value his opinion so highly?

    b)Because he once played for either of the Clubs involved this weekend?

    c)Is it because he is such a fantastic footballer?

    d)Is it because he’s proved himself an intelligent and insightful pundit?

    Or

    d)Is it simply because they knew he would have a mindless, baseless, rant at Arsenal and Wenger?

    What gets me is I have no choice but to pay money to that mindless bunch of morons at the BBC.

    Fucking disgraceful !!!

  43. Rants
    Re: the Expert bloggers unwilling to call out the excessive fouls not even called as fouls (forget about the cards!) compared with what we see in our rivals’ games and the, um, frequency of impact injuries in the squad:

    The only reasonable conclusion is that they aren’t paying enough attention to the Football! Especially the differential in the treatment dished out. Also, people do not like to admit that they have deceived.

  44. We lost a much loved and respected member of the online Arsenal community this week, Paul Brickhill from Zimbabwe. I hope Untold don’t mind this link:

    http://positivelyarsenal.com/2014/10/04/goodbye-paul-brickhill/

    Paul said in a relatively recent interview that the role of the artist is to expose the hypocrisies that exist in society. It is therefore no wonder that he admired the individual who more then any other in modernity has exposed and continues to expose the hypocrites in Football.

    “I believe the target of anything in life should be to do it so well that it becomes an art.” A Wenger

    RIP Paul

  48. Fins @ 2:43

    Sorry, but I think Barton is blessed. He’s celebrated for stubbing a cigar on a colleague, busting another colleagues eye open, committing serial career threatening tackles (and rarely gets carded for assaults on black players), continued to get football contracts no matter what he done, and got a call up for England, during which he was booked.

    His every utterance is treated like some sage, whilst in my opinion, he’s a racist thug.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLvnNRYbip4

    Blessed!

  50. Sorry to hear that news Finsbury, I have read some of Paul’s posts, clearly a sad loss to his friends and family, as well as Goonerdom in general.

  51. Rantetta

    And the BBC seek his sage !

    What the fuck. I pay for this shit.

    Collymore the wife beating, dogging, recklessly speeding driver gets paid a fortune on that other cesspit of bile and hatred, Talksport.

    We really are truly blessed with our British media personnel !!!!

  52. Barton (Thug)

    Collymore (wife beating dogger)

    And these people are seen fit to pass judgement on Arsene Wenger?

    Read it and weep my friends !!!!

  53. Always worth mentioning some of Collymores unpleasant activities on twitter when he is doing a radio show……he regularly loses it on air when this happens! A very unstable guy with a lot of issues. He never made anything like the most of his talent……you are right, he is no man to bad mouth wenger.
    I know a journalist that knows Stan C, apparently he has had reprimands, and the odd premature endings on contracts over his constant habit of showing hard core porn on his smart phone to anyone in his vicinity. This charming man.

  55. You get the impression if ‘IS’ had a bad word to say about Wenger all would be forgiven.

  60. Walter

    I’ll have a sneak peek later – after I’ve fortified myself. But, fortify with what? I don’t drink alcohol. Ginger tea may stop me from throwing up but I already feel sick as I remember the stats you produced about Atkers last 30 ish games for Chelsea.

    Blatant!

  61. Off topic, sorry for that, but the AAA’s favourite/constant suggestion for replacing AW Mr.Klopp is being panned at the moment in the German press,and they are really on his and BVBs back and BVB are losing at this moment to Hamburg.
    COYG etc

  62. rantetta/Walter

    To select a Ref with such a record could NOt of been by chance.

    You have to ask yourself, why?

    There is no other conclusion to be drawn than they, the PGMOL, have a desire for a particular outcome.

    How blatant, how sad.

  63. Blessed indeed Rants!
    Whatever you do don’t mention the “monkey” in the room. As described repeatedly by Sol Campbell, Rio Ferdinand etc.

  64. For what its worth, Arsenal did search away fans and 2 were arrested prior to the match for attempting to bring incendiary device in a sporting event. Sporting?? the event was not officiated in a sporting manner.

    I do not accept that the club whose fans behave should be liable for misbehaviour. The seats that were torn from their fixings were not brought in through the gates!!! UEFA & Galatasaray have to answer for that. Arsenal have to allow these hooligans because of UEFA rules. UEFA have to take responsibility and are liable for all additional costs.

  65. @Gord the only way is to send the bill for damage to the visiting club. In future the visiting club should have to place a bond of 2 million to cover and damage or misbehaviour.

  67. Oh Sh*t – the Monkey – reminds me of England manager Hodgson.

    Feed it, baby.

    Hasn’t Anton Ferdinand ended up abroad somewhere?
    Didn’t Dabo (ex ManC – eye smash Barton) get shipped off to a lesser league?

    What did they do?

  68. Mind you, Assley Cole ended up abroad. Am I naughty to find it amusing he’s gone to Roma – that club of immaculate equal ops?

    Ooops!

  69. OT:

    I am not watching the game, but 20 minutes left, and Villa has 1 shot on target and City has 3 on target. Still 0-0. Tie in the works?

  71. If Arsenal are to be held responsible for any dangerous incident outside the pitch, then UEFA must be held responsible for those inside the pitch!!!

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