Your reading a pre 2010-11 archived article
This is Clarkeonenil’s regular comment column, cutting through the various passing issues of football and getting to the core principle in the shortest time.
What free country?
My eye was caught by this incidental story in today’s BBC “gossip column”: Burnley fan Jason Taylor is being forced to travel 50 miles to watch his team play Blackburn next month, despite living round the corner from Rovers’ Ewood Park ground. Clarets fans have been told that they must report to Turf Moor four hours before kick-off and travel the 13 miles to Blackburn by coach. After the game, the transport then returns them to Turf Moor. Notwithstanding it was tucked away in the “and finally” section I don’t think I can truly express how annoying and depressing the story is.
Following on from the recent stories around the forthcoming Swansea v Cardiff where a fan ban is being muted, hot on the tail of the FA’s dumb-arse charges against both West Ham United and Millwall (not forgetting Leeds United go to the New Den very soon) and remembering how Leeds fans used to get treated going to Cardiff’s old ground, this seems to have gone straight into No1 as over the top response to some antagonism from years back. Whatever the thinking of Lancashire Police is it stinks to high heaven that a PL game that may not ever take place again after season’s end is now considered a “threat” rather than something for that part of the country to look forward to!
Regular readers will be aware that I choose to boycott games at any ground where either the host club or police decide to interfere with my basic human right to choose my own form of travel or where I take possession of the ticket. In this case it seems that Burnley have chosen to make money out of an outrageous decision with the provision of coaches. Even if they were to provide transport for free the fact that is both clubs and the police have stoked the fire by agreeing to this ridiculous restriction. Apparently Burnley, Blackburn and Accrington Stanley (god knows what police plans would happen if the little club draws one of its bigger neighbours in the cup) fans can stand together in an attempt to save the latter but can’t be trusted to go to a PL game without a blatant disregard for people’s rights being imposed.
No previous events, be it the 80’s or earlier this season justify the treatment Burnley fans will receive (and by definition Blackburn Rovers fans will have to deal with in the return game) or the total disregard for normal football supporters, time to fight back, don’t let the police or greedy football clubs dictate to you (especially as YOU pay for both, through taxes and excessive ticket prices) just don’t go!
