FANS are going to extraordinary lengths to smuggle illegal pyrotechnics in to stadiums by concealing them around their private parts and even using children as “mules”, it has been revealed following another alarming incident in Scottish football.
A smoke bomb that was hurled onto the pitch by an Aberdeen supporter missed Pittodrie midfielder Ryan Duncan by a matter of inches during a cinch Premiership match at Tannadice on Saturday evening.
Jim Goodwin, the Dundee United manager who was also pelted with coins, appealed to clubs to start using CCTV footage to identify and punish the culprits before “something serious” happens in the immediate aftermath of the game.
Aberdeen issued a statement on Sunday evening revealing they were working with both United and Police Scotland to find the individuals responsible for the missiles which were thrown and condemning their actions.
The Tannadice match came just six days after dozens of flares, strobes, smoke canisters and rockets were set off by followers of Celtic and Rangers both before and during the Viaplay Cup final at Hampden.
James Dornan, the SNP MSP for Glasgow Cathcart, last week called for the power to award clubs the safety certificates they need to operate their stadiums taken away from councils and given to the Scottish parliament so that increased pressure can be applied.
Ken Scott, the head of inspectorate at the Sports Ground Safety Authority (SGSA), met with representatives from Holyrood, COSLA and local authorities from across the country in Glasgow last week and safety certificates were discussed.
Scott, the lead author of the definitive Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds document which the SGSA publishes, admitted the capacity of a stadium could potentially be reduced if there are persistent problems with pyrotechnics.
However, he emphasised the difficulties which both clubs and the police have in preventing devices from being taken in to grounds and set off by supporters and stressed he would prefer to see a different approach taken.
“There are many reasons why pyrotechnics should not be within a country mile of a football ground,” he said. “They burn at high temperatures, they can start a fire and they have the ability to cause appalling injuries.
“But I am all for education and persuasion rather than prescription. Education and persuasion have had a bit of an impact in England. People are realising there are better ways of showing their support for their team than a blue, red or green pyrotechnic device. Thankfully, fans are listening.
“If fans don’t listen, there needs to be a sanction, punitive measures which can be imposed. This is where the safety certificate comes in to play. The whole purpose of a safety certificate is to set a safe capacity. It sets a safe capacity against the risks which are inherent or apparent within that venue.
“If the lighting and discharge of pyrotechnics was an issue at a certain ground, the certifying local authority could reduce the safe capacity down to a level which they thought the club’s security team was able to manage.
“That would help them stop people getting pyrotechnic devices in to the ground in the first place. It would also help them identify who the people using them are, take the necessary action to catch them in possession, evict them from the ground and have them arrested.
“But I would prefer not to do that because I am a big supporter of fan engagement. It is better to convince the fans of the risks. By and large, fans are listening. The number of pyrotechnic devices which are lit inside a ground is very small in comparison with the crowd size.
“There is sufficient power there already and I don’t think handing it over to government would improve it. I think we need education of the risks and persuasion coupled with local authorities making sure clubs are aware of the need to prevent pyrotechnics coming in.”
Scott added: “The difficulty lies in stopping pyrotechnics from getting inside a football ground. They are fairly small now and are reasonably easy to be secreted about the body, particularly if people conceal them in private areas.
“No matter how good the level of searching, if you are determined to get these things inside it is possible. That makes it extremely difficult and challenging for the clubs themselves to control. That is the key issue.
“There was a big display of pyrotechnics at the cup final. There were 50,000 people inside the stadium. That is an awful lot of people who could be impacted. But that is also an awful lot of people to search.
“There are dogs which can detect the black powder which is inside these things. But they are more of a deterrent. I am not an expert, but I am told their sense of smell diminishes very quickly. They might find one, but they can’t continue for an hour before kick-off. The chances of them detecting all of the pyrotechnics being brought in is very slim.
“People also go to extraordinary lengths to get pyrotechnics in to matches. They have hidden them inside baguettes. They often put them inside the hood of a child’s jacket because they know not many grounds search children. They use kids as mules to get these things in.
“If you put them down the front of your trousers nobody is going to search you there for obvious reasons. If people are determined to get them in then they can do it. I think people have to be educated about the risks of pyrotechnics. If they still insist on using them then, sorry, but they have to feel the full force of the law.”
