a horrible incident in the toilet.

[Dannyctid]

this topic is getting hidious the bottom line is

if you smoke your breaking the law
if you swear your breaking the law
if you drink in excess your breaking the law
infact if you take in a flag attached to a cane your breaking the law

so the swearer shouldnt bollock the smoker and the drinker shouldnt bollock the man with the flag if you are guilty of any of these offences you have no room to bollock others

Bollocks!!!

 

[marco]

this topic is getting hidious the bottom line is

if you smoke your breaking the law
if you swear your breaking the law
if you drink in excess your breaking the law
infact if you take in a flag attached to a cane your breaking the law

so the swearer shouldnt bollock the smoker and the drinker shouldnt bollock the man with the flag if you are guilty of any of these offences you have no room to bollock others

Bollocks!!!

whats bollocks

 

[SalfordCityBlue]

Smokers will smoke no matter what City do? What a load of shit.

If City get tough with them they will soon stop - make them choose. Smoke or watch City. Soon see them stop then.

And to suggest that the stewards cannot do anything for fear of a 'hammering' in the toilets? Ridiculous. If I worked at City I would see that as a fucking challenge, because they are being made to sound clueless in this thread, and way too incompetent to be in charge of running a stadium.

 

[Dubai Blue]

If you do suffer from an illness it would probably be advisable to use a less smokey toilet - just a suggestion.

Why should they have to?

As smokers, people like me and you are the minority and we're the ones doing something that is potentially harmful to others. It should be us who have to go out of our way to feed our filthy habit, not the vast majority of people who just want to have a piss without coughing up a lung or stinking like shit.

I would also like to know, what the moaners used to do when you could smoke anywhere... i.e in the pubs before games adn certainly in the toilets at away games ? Becuse from what i remember they were particularly smoke filled.

I'm sure they hated it just as much back then, but they didn't have any right to complain. Now, they quite rightly do. Just because something horrible used to happen, doesn't mean people should just put up with it now. It's called progress, and preventing non-smokers from having to participate in our habit is most definitely progress.

 

[Bluebird1]

If you do suffer from an illness it would probably be advisable to use a less smokey toilet - just a suggestion.

Why should they have to?

As smokers, people like me and you are the minority and we're the ones doing something that is potentially harmful to others. It should be us who have to go out of our way to feed our filthy habit, not the vast majority of people who just want to have a piss without coughing up a lung or stinking like shit.

I would also like to know, what the moaners used to do when you could smoke anywhere... i.e in the pubs before games adn certainly in the toilets at away games ? Becuse from what i remember they were particularly smoke filled.

I'm sure they hated it just as much back then, but they didn't have any right to complain. Now, they quite rightly do. Just because something horrible used to happen, doesn't mean people should just put up with it now. It's called progress, and preventing non-smokers from having to participate in our habit is most definitely progress.

Sounds like you guys aren't able to use any toilets that aren't smoke filled!

In reply to the question about what we used to do before the ban, as an asthma sufferer, I used to suffer quite badly. Going out and the length of time I could be out was limited to where was the least smoke filled!

BTW my original post ended by saying I thought you should be able to smoke on the spirals, so hope that wasn't aimed at me!

 

[Esteban de la Sexface]

something constructive is needed for the smoking problem.

People smoke as is their right, so should be accommodated for as they have paid legal tender to procure the smokes. And denying them a smoke at half time will lead to aggro, especially as their is drinking involved.

If smokers were left out at half time to do their thing and left back in, everyone would be happy. As it stands with noone left out they have to smoke somewhere.

I don't smoke anymore but wouldn't mind fellas having one in the jacks..

 

[MouldensChippy]

a horrible incident in the toilet.

The only horrible incident in our toilet usually follows a night of Vindaloo and Guinness! :-)

Certainly leaves you smoking.

 

[Montgomery Burns]

Mr Montgomery 'i need to get a life' Burns.......

Do you not think that the club or whoever are not fully aware of this problem and have tried to sort it numerous times ?

I can assure you police and stewards have tried it on occassions to stop the smokers and have FAILED and they will continue to do so untill an official smoking area is designated. They have tried removing individuals and been forced out empty handed by the sheer number of fans in there.

Fan power is something i dont think you appreciate fully sir and the smokers will continue to smoke regardless of your letters etc......do you remember the first couple of seasons in the stadium ? when it was their objective to get fans in the south stand and east corner seated throughout the game (council regulations not just the club being kill joys) fan power prevailed in that case and it was accepted, just like smoking is/will be accepted in a specific area in the ground.

You know your fighting a losing battle dont you ?

Right Loren - it is Loren I take it:

i am on my boyfriends profile as i am desperate for 2 tickets for the match next week, long story short i usually have a season ticket but had a massive accident this year that made me unable to go to matches... as i dont have my season ticket or citycard i am struggling to get a ticket for the game and i CANNOT miss out on the derby... would be much appreciated guys, also listen to blue tuesday on bbc radio manchester next week as i am the city fan guest speaker :)
Loren x

My goodness you are foul mouthed for a lady - I had assumed I was dealing with a rough hairy bloke judging from some of your earlier comments!

Anyway, as I don't have a life at the moment (recuperating from major surgery) I have a lot of time on my hands to deal with stuff like this, so thank you for giving me an alternative to sneering at the 'people' on the Jeremy Kyle show.

I know you think I'm fighting a losing battle (isn't that what being a City fan is all about?!) but hey ho, I said I'd write to Peter Fletcher so I have. Here's what I put:

Dear Mr Fletcher,

I am a season card holder in East Stand Lower. Like many supporters I try and avoid going to the toilet particularly at half time because of the foul stench of the cigarette smoke and the intimidatory attitude of the smokers if you ask them to stop.

I have been left in little doubt on a number of occasions over the years that I would be assaulted if I pressed the point. As a consequence I have often asked stewards to intervene only to either be met with reluctance (which is understandable, as an individual steward would also face the risk of assault) or be told a team was coming along to deal with the problem (who invariably would arrive too late, that is, after the smokers had finished and dispersed.

Whilst I am sure this problem would have been brought to your attention on many occasions the reason for me writing to you is the incident described on the Bluemoon forum during Sunday's game with Birmingham by ban-mcfc. Apologies in advance for the choice language!


<a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=170945&start=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">viewtopic.php?f=1&t=170945&start=0</a>

half time came i went for a piss, now the usual was going on everyone smoking which im not arsed about. but it was towards the start of the second half and most had left.

a small young black steward came in and was clearly told by his superviser to tell everyone to stop smoking, then about 6 or 7 grown men started pushing him and telling him to "get a proper fucking job".

so he replies "this is a proper job", they then tell him to "shut his fucking mouth" actually screaming in his face to the extent that one man was actually spitting in his face. this guy looked terrified and left.

he then came back in a minute later, clearly been given orders to. as soon as he walked in he was surrounded and pushed around. the guy looking terrified backed away and held his hands to his face.

i told them to leave him alone and got told to "shut the fuck up you little twat". which being only a teenager i complied with the wankers request. now this kind of behaviour to other fans who are going to do it back is one thing but this was disgraceful.

if anyone on here was involved in this incident you should be ashamed. anyway what a fantastic result today well done boys. (end)



Clearly the above incident, which I would suggest is common based on my past experience, is wholly unacceptable. Putting the threats of violence to once side for a moment the simple fact is the act of smoking in an enclosed public place is illegal and is presumably in contravention of the club's safety certificate issued by Manchester City Council.

Whilst I am sure you have done a lot of work in this difficult area this state of affairs cannot be allowed to continued given it is not far off three years since the smoking ban was introduced in the UK. In fairness I believe you have not been helped on occasions by the attitude of the stewards supervisors who for example allow or even instruct lone stewards to enter what is a potentially dangerous situation on their own - in this they are failing in their duty of care to their employees.

To my mind the way forward would be to send teams of officers into problem areas and for these officers to issue warnings to people caught smoking (taking their details of course) and if these same individuals are caught again then they should be banned for an appropriate period. After all, why should the club's safety certificate be put at risk?

Where to start though? I have a suggestion.

During the 'debate' on Bluemoon it became quite clear that one advocate of smoking in the toilets considered that the toilets near Blocks 110/111 were 'smoker's toilets' and that rather worringly, the use of violence against stewards who tried to enforce the ground regulations whilst not explicity advocated was perhaps suggested in a nod and a wink manner. Perhaps these toilets would be the place to start. The comments of poster dan.j.mcfc in relation to this can be found on page 5 of the thread and are reproduced below:


Stop being so soft the lot of you please, if its the same stewards that were in there manhandling people at the wigan game, then maybe they should expect some retaliation back and for all you know the op could of just been told to do one by some bloke in the toilet and has blown all this out of proportion. As far as im concerned the stewards are bullies and i could tell you of incidents where they have given blokes uneccesary grief but would you be sticking up for those as strongly as you are for these jobsworth stewards? The toilets near block 111/110 are what i consider 'the smokers toilets' now if you dont like that then please just walk 20 yards to the next one! It's football not the opera sort yourselves for god's sake. (end)


To add some more meet on the bones the same dan.j.mcfc continues on page 11 of the thread with:

Do you not think that the club or whoever are not fully aware of this problem and have tried to sort it numerous times ?

I can assure you police and stewards have tried it on occassions to stop the smokers and have FAILED and they will continue to do so untill an official smoking area is designated. They have tried removing individuals and been forced out empty handed by the sheer number of fans in there.

Fan power is something i dont think you appreciate fully sir and the smokers will continue to smoke regardless of your letters etc......do you remember the first couple of seasons in the stadium ? when it was their objective to get fans in the south stand and east corner seated throughout the game (council regulations not just the club being kill joys) fan power prevailed in that case and it was accepted, just like smoking is/will be accepted in a specific area in the ground.

You know your fighting a losing battle dont you ? (end)



That, I am afraid, is the attitude you are up against. They know full well that they are doing wrong but their arrogance is such they simply do not care what others think or want.

I simply want the law to be enforced, and believe the club, with the assistance of stewards and other agencies could make significant improvements in stamping this problem out.

If you need to contact me to discuss matters I can be reached on xxxxx. My supporter number is xxxx. (end)


Finally Loren The Girl (or Dan The Man) do I want you banned from the ground? Only if you carry on smoking in it, despite repeated warnings.

 

[Dubai Blue]

Mr Montgomery 'i need to get a life' Burns.......

Do you not think that the club or whoever are not fully aware of this problem and have tried to sort it numerous times ?

I can assure you police and stewards have tried it on occassions to stop the smokers and have FAILED and they will continue to do so untill an official smoking area is designated. They have tried removing individuals and been forced out empty handed by the sheer number of fans in there.

Fan power is something i dont think you appreciate fully sir and the smokers will continue to smoke regardless of your letters etc......do you remember the first couple of seasons in the stadium ? when it was their objective to get fans in the south stand and east corner seated throughout the game (council regulations not just the club being kill joys) fan power prevailed in that case and it was accepted, just like smoking is/will be accepted in a specific area in the ground.

You know your fighting a losing battle dont you ?

Right Loren - it is Loren I take it:

i am on my boyfriends profile as i am desperate for 2 tickets for the match next week, long story short i usually have a season ticket but had a massive accident this year that made me unable to go to matches... as i dont have my season ticket or citycard i am struggling to get a ticket for the game and i CANNOT miss out on the derby... would be much appreciated guys, also listen to blue tuesday on bbc radio manchester next week as i am the city fan guest speaker :)
Loren x

My goodness you are foul mouthed for a lady - I had assumed I was dealing with a rough hairy bloke judging from some of your earlier comments!

Loren's his missus.

 

[Montgomery Burns]

Right Loren - it is Loren I take it:



My goodness you are foul mouthed for a lady - I had assumed I was dealing with a rough hairy bloke judging from some of your earlier comments!

Loren's his missus.

Thanks for the clarification!