CITY BACKS PL PYRO CAMPAIGN
At Cardiff City Football Club we’re big on creating a vibrant match atmosphere – and over the years, right here and before that at Ninian Park, we’ve left some fantastic games talking about the buzz around the ground, naturally generated by fans to take it to a whole other level.
There are however, as we all know, common sense lines that shouldn’t be crossed in the attempt to generate an exciting atmosphere. Make some noise, YES! But don’t discriminate, alienate or endanger fellow supporters in the process.
We are proud of what supporters have built here; a key component in our winning match-day experience awards. In line with these achievements, and with a view to ensure all supporters feel safe to enjoy supporting Cardiff City in full voice, we are fully behind the new Premier League and Football League initiative, educating fans on the dangers and pitfalls of pyrotechnics at games.
In short, flares or smoke bombs are by no means welcome here. Those who illegally bring them to Cardiff City Stadium should know that they could face jail time and banning orders.
Key stats to consider: Recent research, which was conducted among 1,635 Premier League supporters, found that 87% of fans believe that pyrotechnics such as flares and smoke bombs are dangerous at matches and that 86% were concerned for their safety. The same number (86%) also think flares and smoke bombs are a fire risk and 79% consider them to be a health hazard. More than half of fans have witnessed pyrotechnics at a match, and 36% have been directly affected. 24% have had their view of the match obscured, 10% have suffered from smoke inhalation and 2% have been affected by heat from a flare.
The campaign has an online presence facepyrofacts.co.uk. There are real-life examples of how pyrotechnics are not, as pyro users attest, “innocent fun”, but can have serious repercussions.
“We have launched this education campaign because we want fans to be fully aware of the dangers of pyrotechnics and realise the harm they can cause to other supporters," Cathy Long, Head of Supporter Services at the Premier League, said. “Pyrotechnics are not innocent fun, they can be very dangerous and there are victims. Fans, club staff and match officials have already been injured, some of them severely, and supporters who bring them are doing so illegally and can face jail and long bans. We don’t want that, we just want everyone to be safe and able to still come to the game.”
At Cardiff City Stadium we want you to enjoy yourself. We appreciate that peer pressure can be a factor to pyrotechnics being brought in, so have added amnesty bins around the ground. You can also hand unused flares or smoke bombs to stewards OUTSIDE the ground before the game without fear of consequence or police involvement.
Everyone involved in football – supporters, players, officials, leagues and police - even pyrotechnics manufacturers are opposed to pyrotechnic use at games. Pyrotechnics are banned from grounds for good reason, to maintain a safe and hazard-free environment so that everyone can enjoy the match. Let’s keep it that way.
For More info: facepyrofacts.co.uk
