Following on from Botswana7's post yesterday, there seems to be a marked difference between football authorities and those entrusted with safeguarding cricket (and many other sports come to that).
Football treats people as children. Cricket (and other sports) assume their customers have a brain.
One might argue that football fans have brought some measures upon themselves. For example, at rugby and cricket, one can enjoy a beer alongside unsegregated fans and there will never be a problem. Those who watch football must be forbidden to drink within sight of the playing area due to past indiscretions.
It may be chicken and egg, but do the football authorities not realise that by allowing their customers more privileges, they might engender a modicum of self-determination and personal responsibility amongst those who choose to attend?
Smokers are prohibited from smoking, not only in the seats at football grounds, but also anywhere within the stadium. In most stadia, there is no option for going outside as re-admittance is not permitted.
The sign above is prevalent all around the concourse at The Oval. It announces that all cricket fans are welcome, and accepts that all have differing needs/wishes during their matchday experience. Smoking is not allowed in the seats, but the ground regulations booklet that accompanies all despatched tickets explains the reasoning in a calm and generous manner.
Smokers don't ask for the world on a stick, just a bit of respect. Cricket offers that in spades, football doesn't.
4 comments:
Is it a class thing Dick? Why are the cricket loving public treated as human beings but football fans treated as morons, no matter their past indiscretions.
Dick, nice to see smokers accomodated in some form, most are following anti smoking dogma to the extreme.
I must admit I have never been a particular fan of cricket, however I must congratulate the cricket authorities on their even handed stand on the smoking issue. That they show some humanity toward a much maligned section of the population says a great deal in favour of the sport of cricket.
Thank you for your courtesy toward smokers.
Smoking ban, It just aint cricket, is it?
(I just had to say it, didn't I.)
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