All clubs were all well warned about this, yet there's always one that thinks it won't be them.

Pyro at Elgin: Following reports from the recent Elgin City match with respect to bringing and discharging of Pyrotechnic devices in breach of SPFL/SFA regulations and more seriously the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 and a subsequent investigation by the club into the allegations, regrettably we have had to issue one of our supporters with a Club Ban from attending both a number of home matches as well as from the supporters buses for away games for the same period. 

CLUB STATEMENT

Maybe action could also be taken on the so called stewards? Why are these things getting into grounds? Get rid of them.

1 hour ago, Gringo said:

Maybe action could also be taken on the so called stewards? Why are these things getting into grounds? Get rid of them.

Easier said than done though Gringo. They can be tiny. So easy to hide

I understand the point you make gringo, however I have a problem with a complete stranger wanting to do a body (pat down) search of me, or ask me to show what’s in my pockets when I approach a turnstile. I’m in the decrepit broken down retired camp, cheering a rare Billy Mac goal is enough excitement for me. Another example is women asked to open their handbags to check for flares.

My points /comments are-

1) There needs to be a balanced position on who and what is checked. Understand the club not wanting to be fined by the authorities. Call it profiling or discrimination if you want, but the likelihood is young males in a group entering will be the flare carriers.

2) Searches at turnstiles is just another put-off for me to discourage (cheers in the background) going to matches. What you need to do / provide to get a ticket is a grind. Adding more grind makes the prospect less appealing IMO.

3) Paradox - We want / need more fans and atmosphere. That ain’t going to come from old gits like me. Our fans are battered with ‘behave yourself’ announcements, such that it must be like going to church to watch ICT. The atmosphere as such is church like. No wonder 20 odd Stenny fans can be heard over our fans yelling WASHS!

I don’t know the answer to the problem, however we need to be alert to making attending a match unappealing.

bc

Edited August 23, 2025Aug 23 by big cherly

1 hour ago, big cherly said:

I understand the point you make gringo, however I have a problem with a complete stranger wanting to do a body (pat down) search of me, or ask me to show what’s in my pockets when I approach a turnstile. I’m in the decrepit broken down retired camp, cheering a rare Billy Mac goal is enough excitement for me. Another example is women asked to open their handbags to check for flares.

My points /comments are-

1) There needs to be a balanced position on who and what is checked. Understand the club not wanting to be fined by the authorities. Call it profiling or discrimination if you want, but the likelihood is young males in a group entering will be the flare carriers.

2) Searches at turnstiles is just another put-off for me to discourage (cheers in the background) going to matches. What you need to do / provide to get a ticket is a grind. Adding more grind makes the prospect less appealing IMO.

3) Paradox - We want / need more fans and atmosphere. That ain’t going to come from old gits like me. Our fans are battered with ‘behave yourself’ announcements, such that it must be like going to church to watch ICT. The atmosphere as such is church like. No wonder 20 odd Stenny fans can be heard over our fans yelling WASHS!

I don’t know the answer to the problem, however we need to be alert to making attending a match unappealing.

bc

Totally agree with all of the above

The club is required to make the safety announcements: you even get them at Highland League games. I assume it is part of the licensing requirements.

Pyros are tiny and easily concealed, so it comes down to education and, sadly, punishment for those who break the law (the maximum penalty is imprisonment).

Sadly a tiny minority of our (young teenage?) fans are causing issues at away games.

We read on here about the damage caused at East Kilbride and now the flares at Elgin. I’m sure the club will have had to pay for the repair of the damage, money it can ill afford.

It is not that long ago that a child was hurt by a flare in our ground, and where a club has a plastic pitch the repairs can be very expensive.

11 minutes ago, Robert said:

The club is required to make the safety announcements: you even get them at Highland League games. I assume it is part of the licensing requirements.

Pyros are tiny and easily concealed, so it comes down to education and, sadly, punishment for those who break the law (the maximum penalty is imprisonment).

Sadly a tiny minority of our (young teenage?) fans are causing issues at away games.

We read on here about the damage caused at East Kilbride and now the flares at Elgin. I’m sure the club will have had to pay for the repair of the damage, money it can ill afford.

It is not that long ago that a child was hurt by a flare in our ground, and where a club has a plastic pitch the repairs can be very expensive.

Yes, understand Robert, so???

bc

35 minutes ago, big cherly said:

Yes, understand Robert, so???

bc

Not sure I understand the question, and I don’t claim to have the answers to the problem, other than trying to educate those fans who may pose a risk and, sadly, taking action against those who choose to flout the rules. I know that’s not as easy as it sounds though.

I want atmosphere at games, but not behaviour that risks fans’ safety or can cause damage, and bring financial penalties on the club.

The club clearly wants the support of younger fans, with the plan mentioned at the Fans Meeting for a singing and standing area in the West Stand.

Edited August 23, 2025Aug 23 by Robert

Fans need to help clubs in stamping this out by not turning a blind eye to it and/or protecting the identity of those responsible.

If you know who or how they're getting these things into the ground and you're not speaking up you can't then moan about being searched at the turnstiles.

Couldn’t agree more - likewise causing damage at away grounds. Maybe start on the supporters bus!

bc

Edited August 24, 2025Aug 24 by big cherly

It is utterly stupid playing with fire. However, those amongst us who are 'old' know that we did some silly things when younger although not on the scale we have seen. In the absence of parents having instilled commonsense into their off bring it is then up to other supporters to point out offenders and hopefully stop this dangerous practice.

There needs to be a change in mindset IMHO. We were all kids once as noted above and all did some silly, stupid or downright dangerous things. Pyro at football is a real thing thanks to images from where it is tolerated or even encouraged, and unlikely to go away. I posted a long time ago about how MLS / Toronto FC handle it and perhaps it is time to look at similar here?

At Toronto, we had the same problem, people smuggling in road flares or other articles with either red-hot burning flame or pungent, acrid, and potentially lung damaging smoke. for a few years it was a game of cat and mouse as stewards and police tried to identify, eject and/or arrest the perpetrators. Then one of the supporters' groups addressed the elephant in the room at a supporter meeting with the club. Why not have "approved" pyro?

End result is that the club worked with the supporters (and the league) to train up nominated individuals in the use of legal and safe pyro/smoke and now, there is literally no need for anyone to try and bring anything in. The trained people let it off at specific or appropriate times and it encourages the crowd but endangers no-one. If anyone does try to bring anything in (and I have not seen that happen in years), then they are subject to the old rules, but if the safe pyro and smoke is used, the fans can enjoy it. Best of both worlds.

It's not up to the clubs. It's the law.

1 hour ago, STFU said:

It's not up to the clubs. It's the law.

Laws can be changed ... unlikely to happen I know but just highlighting how the same problem was looked at from another angle and the issue pretty much resolved.

31 minutes ago, Scotty said:

Laws can be changed ... unlikely to happen I know but just highlighting how the same problem was looked at from another angle and the issue pretty much resolved.

Agree. There does seem generational divide here.

Not saying should be unpoliced but looking at different solutions would be good

1 hour ago, Scotty said:

Laws can be changed ... unlikely to happen I know but just highlighting how the same problem was looked at from another angle and the issue pretty much resolved.

That's not the culture here unfortunately. On one side you have those who don't want to adhere to any rules and on the other a system that thinks the answer to people not following rules is tightening the rules.

30 minutes ago, old caley girl said:

Agree. There does seem generational divide here.

Not saying should be unpoliced but looking at different solutions would be good

Sadly I agree. Common sense and respect for the safety of others definitely does seem to be a generational divide. Doesn't excuse it though.

It's quite ironic ... As youngsters we screamed 'give us freedom', 'give us choice', 'the old ways don't work' ... then as we get older, we impose the old ways on the next generation who say 'give us freedom', 'give us choice', 'the old ways don't work'!

At TFC it works because there is a fan culture built up over 18 years where the club and fans do talk regularly to discuss challenges as well as successes. We have had that off-and-on at ICT over the years but never consistently. The fan groups have around 2-3000 members combined, which is a small number compared to the average crowd, but the supporter's area is the only area where standing and (latterly) pyro is allowed. The fan groups self-police to keep this privilege and unlike the UK/Scotland, there is nothing in law to specifically ban pyro, just the local equivalents of anti-social behaviour, breach of the peace etc that can be applied to almost any situation if needed.

Its not perfect, and someone can and may come along to mess it all up (one group frequently does walk a tightrope) but for now it works ... It will be interesting to see if any new rules get applied for the World Cup next year as we have over the years seen the trickle-down effect where measures in place for one event stay in place for others as the stadium operates as a separate entity to the team.

2 hours ago, Scotty said:

At TFC it works because there is a fan culture built up over 18 years where the club and fans do talk regularly to discuss challenges

This is the nub of it Scotty. And possibly a way, (not the full answer for sure), that can help generate an alignment between the younger fans and the old guard. There is no point club officials and leaders ‘telling the young team not to do …….). - That will go nowhere!

As you rightly mention, it needs buy in and engagement by those interested. Your always going to the thicko that will ignore everyone’s view expect his own. He’ll never change. Catch, bar and jail the cretin.

Extend the invitation to see what could be done to give the young fans the room and space to come up with ideas to improve the atmosphere, that whilst the established gentry might grumble, may be completely legal and acceptable and worth trying out.

Just my tuppence worth.

bc