whats the problem with flags Mr Smith???

[caley89]

i've made a 6.5ft x 4.5ft blue and red striped flag which was to be held up on a approx. 6ft dowling pole.

now DJS thought this might be a problem and got in touch with mike smith. DJS just afew minutes ago got back to me and said i can't take it because it has a pole. "eehhh!!!".

red ultras, blue order, green brigade all have bigger flags than mine on poles. so how come it's a problem with me??

is this mike smith being abit OTT again or has he been told from higher authority that poles aren't allowed in the ground.

i'm pesonally just fed up with the whole attitude towards fans of the scottish game these days. you can watch fans all over the world on youtube having a great time waving flags, banners, scarfs, creating extremely loud noise and STANDING. most "importantly" theyre doing it safely!!!!!!! however us fans in britain must sit down, shut the **** up, and not have fun but ofcourse we must pay out extreme amounts of money.

why are we letting this happen??

[CaleyD]

Caley4life, the only thing I can suggest is that you go over the head of MS as I know that support for the bringing of banners and flags to games exists further up the chain and they would be more than happy to assist fans with the logistics of using poles etc which are, as a rule of thumb, banned from most grounds due to the potential risk of them being used as a weapon (although you'd need one heck of a strong arm to be a threat to the away support from the North Stand).

[Guest couchpotato]

(although you'd need one heck of a strong arm to be a threat to the away support from the North Stand).

Unless the away support was in the North  stand  :004:

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

If you do manage to see Mr Smith I have a suggestion on what you can do with the redundant 6ft dowling pole.  :018: Oh and you had better be sitting down and completely sober when you do meet him.

[Scotty]

As CaleyD mentioned, there is a ban on flag "poles" in grounds and has been for a few years now. I imagine that MS is only quoting the rules at you. suggest you establish a dialogue with him or other officials of the club to see if some compromise can be reached.

It may also be worth contacting one of the groups you mentioned to see how they got round this rule.

[caley89]

mike smith has phoned my house in the last half hour or so and is willing to meet with me 2mo afternoon before the game about the flag and the pole. he stated how the problem may lie with the police because the pole might be potentially used as a weapon or an object to throw on the pitch at players.

so it's all good and hopefully you'll see me 2mo afternoon bottom of the north stand waving my flag, fingers crossed!!

[+Gringo]

...due to the potential risk of them being used as a weapon...

Maybe they'd best get rid of all those seats then as they could be ripped out and used as weapons... :004:

I recall we (the Highland Marchers) had the same problem with the HM flag. A compromise was reached to allow us to walk around the pitch with it but we had to ditch the pole if we took the flag into the ground.

[caley89]

As CaleyD mentioned, there is a ban on flag "poles" in grounds and has been for a few years now. I imagine that MS is only quoting the rules at you. suggest you establish a dialogue with him or other officials of the club to see if some compromise can be reached.

It may also be worth contacting one of the groups you mentioned to see how they got round this rule.

good idea   :022: aberdeen have big flags at th front at every game and liverpool are famously known for it so ye that would be good idea cheers!

[CaleyD]

I recall we (the Highland Marchers) had the same problem with the HM flag. A compromise was reached to allow us to walk around the pitch with it but we had to ditch the pole if we took the flag into the ground.

We've had no trouble the last 2 years as I've cleared it before hand, and of course we have the new lightweight fibreglass pole which you couldn't do damage with even if you wanted too...lol

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

On a positive note it is brilliant that we have people creating such symbols of support.  We have to be realistic about the potential danger of poles and hopefully there is a solution. We need supporters with this commitment. The players want it too.

[Guest TinCanFan]

This is just another example of the British nanny state gone mad.  There was loads of Bayern flags on poles at the Aberdeen game last night and I also seem to recolloect people with flags on poles at the game at Hampden against Dunfermline.  And why is it always this country?  They do it all over Europe and beyond and they don't seem to have many problems.  It's just madness.

[Alex MacLeod]

The flagpole issue is a police one. I've seen older persons buying flags outside Hampden and the police asking them to leave the cane pole outside the turnstyle yet those same police allowed a small child in with his cane. When questioned about this apparent inconsistancy the policeman said he took the decision that the small child would not be likely to use his flag and cane offensively.

Whatever happens in the future caley4life you are going about this the right way by creating prior dialogue with the club representatives and I'm sure that, provided you and your mates are showing a responsibility as well as a passion in creating the right support and atmosphere, those representatives will be sympathetic and show the same support towards you.

Never be disheartened by a refusal and always be prepared to compromise.

[DJS]

Glad to hear that MS got in touch with you C4L.  Go see him and talk it through.

Another one to watch out for in the future is large surf banners.  I believe the local police do not want to see them at the TCS because there was once an incident in the away end ( I think) when a smoke bomb was let off underneath one which I suppose could cause problems.  Thought I would mention it in case any of you Ultra boys were thinking of investing in such a thing.

[Alex MacLeod]

Depending on design, number of colours and number of letters you'd likely be looking at the best part of a grand David so I'd imagine that idea to be way down the line of priorities.

[CaleyD]

So much for the line that "Police only get involved at a match if a crime is committed".....they are happy to step in and remove a pole from a flag, but should an away fan in the home end choose to cause a disruption then they aren't in the slightest bit interested....when are some people going to realise that the fans aren't stupid.

[Alex MacLeod]

Don, we all know the stupid people.............and fans or clubs don't spring straight to mind. Politicians hire spin doctors to write legislation in such a way that no two people will interpret it in the same way. The rest of us are all left to carry out the debate.

Too much of our laws and legislation is born out of knee jerk reactions to an incident without proper thought for the consequences to the many sensible people in the country. The example I use when discussing this is Hillsborough. Because of some pitch invasions, not least the tartan army at Wembley, legislation was passed that fans had to be segregated from each other and the pitch. High cagelike fences went up at every ground. Did anyone stop and think of the consequences if an incident occured within those cages. It took a lot of lives to get that legislation rescinded.

[CaleyD]

I know, I just have zero tolerance for all the BS and buck passing that goes on.  If as much effort was put into working with people instead of trying to blame others then we'd all be far better off for it.

[Bronson]

I remember taking a lad i used to wrk with who is a wheelchair user to a big game (think it was semi final at hampden). He had an ict flag with pole, which on match days was permanently stuck between his chair and handles so flag flew behind him when pushed. As we entered the ground we were toldwe wouldn't be allowed in unless we took pole of the flag. I pointed out that the lad who the fag belonged to couldn't actually use his arms due to his disability, but alas pole was eventually removed.

Once inside the ground there was a group of women on a hen night/day (about 20) all of whom had wooden poles larger than flag pole with a picture of a certain celebritie stuck on the end (can't mind if it was Elvis or cliff richard)

Common senseappears to no longer exsist at football grounds :rolleyes02:

[Heilandee]

I mind back in the late 70's i was down in Glasgow for a Scotland game, walking down a street round Hampden with Rampant lion on flag pole,White van drives past so the bold lad waves said flag in front of van and the flag is whipped off by the wing mirror leaving me waving just the pole,I set off in hot pursuit with calls of " ya theivin weegie, gies ma flag back"...............van screeches to a halt ,doors fly open and a dozen of Galsgows finest are in the back! 2 jump out and huckle me into the back,long lecture on how to behave in Glasgow!!!! then one traumitised young footy fan is turfed back oot the van minus the flag and the pole  :007:

[RowdyBey]

:rotflmao:  :029:

[ElderBoy]

I mind back in the late 70's i was down in Glasgow for a Scotland game, walking down a street round Hampden with Rampant lion on flag pole,White van drives past so the bold lad waves said flag in front of van and the flag is whipped off by the wing mirror leaving me waving just the pole,I set off in hot pursuit with calls of " ya theivin weegie, gies ma flag back"...............van screeches to a halt ,doors fly open and a dozen of Galsgows finest are in the back! 2 jump out and huckle me into the back,long lecture on how to behave in Glasgow!!!! then one traumitised young footy fan is turfed back oot the van minus the flag and the pole  :007:

:029: :029: :rotflmao:

[Dmacca]

**** !!

[Alex MacLeod]

Could only happen to a Dundonian

[kencar]

Kids have to empty there cans/bottles of juice into paper cups before they get into the stadium. Can't see a 6 feet pole (other than Boruc) being allowed  :023:

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

What a feckin good idea DJS - Hay caley4life can you ask Smiffy if he is also OK with flares and smoke bombs.