MCG Crowd - Friday Night

[GoEagles]

Was anyone from BigFooty at the game on Friday and can they comment if the situation was out of control or was it a media hype-up?

I read in the paper that the first eviction of the game was after the 2nd over! Sheez! What a waste of money to get kicked out after seeing 12 bowls of action. Interesting to hear the MCG's CEO saying "It's always bad after the first one day international" - Is that an excuse or a reasoning for the actions that took place?

 

[raboyle]

250 evicted people can't be wrong.

No offense to the Melbourne cricket lovers, but why is it that all the hooligans are at the MCG and not anywhere else?

 

[TheRealBuzz]

I like Stephen Gough saying that alcohol was not the only reason for the crowds bad behaviour.

The 'Victorian Bitter' sponsorship logo in the background made me a little suspicious about that particular comment.

 

[play on]

Originally posted by raboyle
250 evicted people can't be wrong.

No offense to the Melbourne cricket lovers, but why is it that all the hooligans are at the MCG and not anywhere else?

I didn't go, but they showed it on the news, and bottles, were being thrown on the ground.

Also, I may be wrong, but I believe that the SCG crowd is no better.

 

[play on]

They were talking about the MCG losing one day internationals if this sort of thing continued. Do you think that this is a scare tactic by the ACB, or do you think that they are serious?

 

[JUBJUB]

Originally posted by raboyle
250 evicted people can't be wrong.

No offense to the Melbourne cricket lovers, but why is it that all the hooligans are at the MCG and not anywhere else?

Actually the MCG & the SCG both have crowd problems.The other grounds don't.
I suppose its hard to have crowd problems at the WACA when no one goes.

They should take the Melbourne final away from the MCG & play it at either the GABBA or Adelaide Oval [which ever is available on the day].

 

[JUBJUB]

Originally posted by TheRealBuzz


The 'Victorian Bitter' sponsorship logo in the background made me a little suspicious about that particular comment.

I find it amusing that in the lead up to the 1st one-dayer at the MCG we have the police warning people about drinking too much.The only problem with that is that the cop has the VB sign behind him when he says it.

 

[GOALden Hawk]

Well I was at the game Friday, and the behaviour was pretty poor to say the least.

Funnily enough, I have to agree with Stephen Gough, I don't think alcohol is the main factor in these crowd problems. We were sitting on the top level and could see most of the stuff going on below, and to tell you the truth most of the people seemed to be aged 15-18.

Every single year this occurs, and they say they are going to crack down, yet nothing happens. I don't really know what they can do about it - most of the stuff was plastic cups that can be purchased at the ground. It's the stuff like tennis balls and apples that cause problems, but how can you stop people bringing them into the ground?

As for banning ODI's from the MCG - absolute rubbish, and there will be an outrage if it happens. The ACB cleans up half it's revenue from the games there. Friday's crowd was a 'disappointing' 47,000, yet that's still 5,000 more than the SCG even holds.

I don't think the situation was helped by some absolutely pathetic cricket by the Australians either!

 

[dogboy23]

I often sit in the area where the trouble occurs and really all I can say is who cares?They are not hurting anyone but themselves.The people know that if you sit in the bay 13 area you will be covered with things during the wave and you will have chants going on the whole time.

 

[gPhonque]

WELL.

If the stupid fuuckwit cops didn't ruin every bit of FUN the crowds tried to have, then THEY WOULDN'T FUUCKING WELL MISBEHAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've boycotted one-dayers after watching an 8 year old kid (who had been sitting quietly with his mum all day) get thrown out last year about 5mins before the end of the game for apparently "inciting a riot". Sorry, i mean "attempting to start a mexican wave".

The funny thing - IT WASN'T EVEN HIM! The little kid ended up crying when he was told by a security guard to leave the ground. His Mum told the moron security guard to go away (and rightly so) and an even bigger meathead cop was called in to finish the business.

I WONDER - why do people think the MCG crowds misbehave?

Should people be thrown out for splashing water around on a 41 degree day?

Or should they be thrown out for starting a mexican wave?

What about for punching a beach ball around?

I don't beleive so. People never used to be thrown out for these trivial little things at the MCG - and there was never anywhere NEAR as much trouble as there is now.

If the police continue to take away peoples FUN at one day cricket matches, then the yobbos are only going to find something else to do!

For example, run onto the pitch, or throw things onto the arena - THEY are the things we DON'T want happening. When was the last time a beach ball or a bit a water hurt somebody?

Why can't the police work this out?

It should be obvious that if you don't allow 60,000 people to have a bit of fun during the day, then you're going to end up with a whole lot of pissed restless people by the end, right?

 

[Bomber Spirit]

Originally posted by play on
Also, I may be wrong, but I believe that the SCG crowd is no better.

I stopped going to one-dayers a few years ago after a similar incident up here - except it was Pat Symcox who got hit. The year before I saw the Norths rugby league team go home in the back of the divvy van.
Most of it's great fun. Singing and beach balls and a real party atmosphere. Unfortunately there's always a few f---wits who don't know when to stop. And as gFonque has pointed out, the security is overbearing.
Most of the cops and security people are great and have a sense of humour, but there's always a couple of wannabe rambos among them who get everyone offside. And that's when the trouble gets out of control.
Prime example there was the Australia v U-Are-Gay soccer game. If the cops had stuck to the original agreement and let the vocal fans behind the goal stand and sing without welshing on it, there'd never have been any trouble.

 

[Jethro Q Walrustitty]

Originally posted by gPhonque
WELL.

If the stupid fuuckwit cops didn't ruin every bit of FUN the crowds tried to have, then THEY WOULDN'T FUUCKING WELL MISBEHAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've boycotted one-dayers after watching an 8 year old kid (who had been sitting quietly with his mum all day) get thrown out last year about 5mins before the end of the game for apparently "inciting a riot". Sorry, i mean "attempting to start a mexican wave".

The funny thing - IT WASN'T EVEN HIM! The little kid ended up crying when he was told by a security guard to leave the ground. His Mum told the moron security guard to go away (and rightly so) and an even bigger meathead cop was called in to finish the business.

I WONDER - why do people think the MCG crowds misbehave?

Should people be thrown out for splashing water around on a 41 degree day?

Or should they be thrown out for starting a mexican wave?

What about for punching a beach ball around?

I don't beleive so. People never used to be thrown out for these trivial little things at the MCG - and there was never anywhere NEAR as much trouble as there is now.

If the police continue to take away peoples FUN at one day cricket matches, then the yobbos are only going to find something else to do!

For example, run onto the pitch, or throw things onto the arena - THEY are the things we DON'T want happening. When was the last time a beach ball or a bit a water hurt somebody?

Why can't the police work this out?

It should be obvious that if you don't allow 60,000 people to have a bit of fun during the day, then you're going to end up with a whole lot of pissed restless people by the end, right?

Believe it or not, some people actually go to the cricket to watch the cricket!

No, didn't think you'd considered that.

 

[Dan26]

Can anyone tell me the official crowd figure?

 

[gPhonque]

Originally posted by Jethro Q Walrustitty
Believe it or not, some people actually go to the cricket to watch the cricket!

No, didn't think you'd considered that.

I didn't have to consider that as i'm one of those people.

But i'm also not so far up my own arse that i can't tolerate people having a bit of FUN at the cricket. Christ, i used to be young - (perhaps you'd say i still am - but then i'd just call you old and we'd get nowhere) - i used to punch the beach balls, spray the water around, chant "Tony's a waanker" at the pitch report, try and start mexican waves, throw (god forbid) a cup of water in the air when it was our turn to 'wave' (but only on a hot day) etc etc.

But i never hurt anyone. Neither did any of my mates.

But the very fact that we were ALLOWED to do those things meant that none of us (even the the slightly more pissed members of our party) EVER had any reason to jump the fence, throw things at the players etc.

We used to go to the cricket knowing that we'd be able to have a great fun day. These days, the younger people can't splash water on their friends on a 41 degree day without fear of being thrown out of the ground by some meathead security guard or cop.

If the police continue to treat the crowd like a group of prep school students, then people are only going to continue to look for more ways to have fun.

And that's exactly what has been happening the past few years.

Out of the 200 odd people thrown out Friday night, how many were actually causing trouble?

Do you consider trying to start a mexican wave an offence bad enough to be worthy of being ejected from the ground?

What about splashing water around on a hot day?

What about punching a beach ball?

I watched a constant stream of young teenagers get thrown out of the ground at the first one dayer last year for those very things. Let me also mention that it was a STINKING hot day, i WASN'T in the old "bay 13", everyone around us (mostly families and normal cricket watchers with a few oldies thrown in) was in good spirits, EVERYBODY was joining in whenever the beach balls came around, and everybody was joining in with the mexican wave.

And NOBODY was causing trouble. But that still didn't stop the police and security guards gradually ruining everyones day by throwing people out who really were just having a bit of fun.

No matter what you think, there are always going to be people who attend one day matches who are after a bit more than just the cricket. It's a big event to a lot of people! Just as New Years Eve is an excuse to party, so is one day cricket to a lot of people. You can't change that and neither can i.

Therefore, we, and the police, have to tolerate it. We have to let the people punch their beach balls around - NOT treat them like 5 year olds and confiscate it. Every year at the one day matches, i watch the people around me get treated like idiots. If the police actually put as much effort into watching out for the REAL troublemakers as they did chasing beach balls, there'd be no bloody trouble there at all!

EVERY YEAR i watch the police "clamp down" on the crowd behaviour only to see it get worse and worse every year.

This heavy handed approach ISN'T WORKING!

All it's doing is succeeding in creating a lot of restless angry people who aren't allowed to have the fun they used to be allowed to have at the MCG.

I love sitting around that area of the crowd. I don't throw my plastic cups full of water in the air anymore, but i still jump to my feet when the wave comes around. The day i get sick of the crowd behaviour around there is the day i MOVE to a different part of the ground to watch my cricket. I'm not going to try and ruin it for all the others who just want to have a bit of extra fun.

 

[play on]

Originally posted by gPhonque



Or should they be thrown out for starting a mexican wave?

What about for punching a beach ball around?

No, they should not be thrown out for these things, and I agree that the cops, and security guards can go over the top. But when you get covered in Beer, orange juice, potato chips and get hit with plastic bottles, like what happened to me during the Australia v South Africa match, then yes, the people who throw these things should be thrown out, fined, and banned for life, and I do mean life. No arguments. Forever. A life ban means a life ban. Can anyone justify throwing potato chips, and orange juice around?

 

[hawkfan5]

Originally posted by Jethro Q Walrustitty
Believe it or not, some people actually go to the cricket to watch the cricket!

No, didn't think you'd considered that.

Exactly, exactly.

All they do is go to cause trouble!

 

[GoEagles]

Originally posted by JUBJUB


I suppose its hard to have crowd problems at the WACA when no one goes.

Hate to go all Dan26ish on you, but what stats do you have on that? I've been to the last 3 ODI at the WACA involving Australia and they have all been sell-outs (even against Zimbabwe last February). The ODI against Sri Lanka about 4 years ago had a few seats still open in the restricted viewing areas.