LONDON, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 12, 2013: No Pyro No Party. Liverpool supporters set off red smoke bombs during the Premiership match against Fulham at Craven Cottage. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

“Childish” or “Nanny State Nonsense”? Fans react to ‘dangers of pyro’ in stadiums

Liverpool and football fans have taken to Twitter to respond to a new government-backed campaign to prevent flares and pyrotechnics in British football stadiums.

LONDON, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 12, 2013: No Pyro No Party. Liverpool supporters set off red smoke bombs during the Premiership match against Fulham at Craven Cottage. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

A report by David Ornstein for the BBC today suggests the rise in pyro returning to British football grounds his causing growing concern:

Children as young as eight are being used as “mules” to smuggle flares and smoke bombs into Premier League matches, according to new research.

A survey found a third of supporters have been directly affected by pyrotechnics at a stadium and that 86% are concerned for their safety.

Liverpool are among nine Football League clubs who’s fans have been involved in four or more incidents with flares this season, according to the UK Policing Unit.

Ornstein continues in his article:

The Premier League-commissioned survey of 1,635 supporters found more than half of fans had witnessed pyrotechnics at a match, 24% had had their view obscured, 10% had suffered from smoke inhalation and 2% had been affected by heat from a flare.

The argument for the use of pyro at football matches is increased atmosphere – a ‘football is meant to be fun’ attitude.

So where do you stand on it? Here are a selection of Liverpool and football fans’ views on the subject. We’d love to hear yours too, in the comments below, or on Twitter @thisisanfield.

05.03.2011, Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt, GER, 1. FBL, Eintracht Frankfurt vs 1.FC Kaiserslautern, im Bild Anhaenger von Kaiserslautern suenden Pyro Technik, EXPA Pictures (C) 2011, PhotoCredit: EXPA/ nph/  Roth       ****** out of GER / SWE / CRO  / BEL ******

And these from non-Liverpool football fans:

More from This Is Anfield

Fan Comments