Health and Safety is a whole new industry in the UK....and football postponements due to bad weather are not what they used to be! Top clubs invested in undersoil heating and pitch covering and somehow we got to the games and back without accident. Now that is nearly all changed. I say nearly because the clubs that REALLY want the game on make sure it happens, albeit often because of the lure of TV money! It is true of course that some clubs would welcome postponements because of injuries and/or the opposition being in excellent current form.
But often it is Health and Safety reasons. Arsenal (v Everton) was not a live TV match but after their late mid-week call off against Bolton at the Emirates Stadium they worked flat out to satisfy the necessary authorities.
The Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger feels the fear factor plays a big part in the matches being postponed when there is no real need for it. Wenger says he can understand why the police express concerns for the spectators but he said that it is the price we pay for living in a society where everybody wants 100 per cent security. Nobody accepts any risk any more and everyone is always guided by fear. He added that we have gone from individual initiative to collective responsibility.
I happen to agree with him. I drove from the West Midlandsto the East Midlands and back safely enough to watch Leicester City against Ipswich Town. I chose to make the journey. The club wanted the match on and had made a huge effort with outside help. What is certain...no one can ever stop you making a journey to the supermarkets which are all open...including the ones next to football grounds!
Of course there are perfectly sensible postponements, especially at smaller clubs who have no pitch protection and at big clubs that do. But I will not accept that ALL postponements are right........Do you agree with Arsene Wenger and myself?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment