'General admittance' in Montreal away supporters section

[prizby]

Do I think smoke and flares add substance to displays and look pretty cool? Absolutely!

Would I like to see more of them? Absolutely!

Do I want to break MLS and stadium rules in order to enjoy these? Absolutely NOT!


Think about it for two seconds:

Would you rather use flares and smoke and then have Garber and MLS clamp down on Toronto away support like they did to Houston?

or

Would you rather be able to go to any and all away games, support the team with flags, banners, two-sticks, drums, singing etc?

Do you really want to be part of the small, small minority that ruin away game experiences for everyone else because MLS made a statement at the beginning of the season with Houston and I am willing to bet that if we weren't already on a short leash for past episodes, we are now going to be on a short leash.

I think smoke and flares are great, but I MUCH rather be able to go to away games and wave flags and hold 2-sticks and reveal banners and have a drum to keep chants to a beat then to RISK losing these and I really hope those that are inclined to light a flare or smoke think about the future and not so much the present

[stuart.mac]

Just call up the FO (front office) for tickets and tell them you want to sit with the TFC supporters.

Okay cool thanks!

[Shakes McQueen]

There's drama in here and nobody invited me? I feel so unloved.

I went to my roof and flashed the Roogsy Signal in the sky, but I guess you were on the can or something.

@AL-MO - Yeah, I know. Wishful thinking. This is the internet, after all.

- Scott

[AL-MO]

Until then, you (J.) are just another oooltra-old-world-wanna-be who can't organize sufficiently to get your (J.) own message board and organization off the ground.

Be careful what you wish for.



^ Now that is stirring the pot.

[Ryan1984]

Nothing pisses me off more then going to my seats and someone is in them. If games are GA then my ticket should say GA not have a section row and seat number on them. I have had some bad experiences with people saying an event is GA but others kick me out with there seat numbers. Then when i go to the seat on my ticket my group was escorted out of the supporters section and forced to sit elsewhere. This seem fair to anybody. Since then home or away I will sit where my tickets say. My suggestion is to contact the front offices around the league and get them to change away supporters sections to GA. If they do not don't get all pissed off if someone wants to sit in there assigned seat.

[Phil]

Do I think smoke and flares add substance to displays and look pretty cool? Absolutely!

Would I like to see more of them? Absolutely!

Do I want to break MLS and stadium rules in order to enjoy these? Absolutely NOT!




Think about it for two seconds:

Would you rather use flares and smoke and then have Garber and MLS clamp down on Toronto away support like they did to Houston?

or

Would you rather be able to go to any and all away games, support the team with flags, banners, two-sticks, drums, singing etc?

Do you really want to be part of the small, small minority that ruin away game experiences for everyone else because MLS made a statement at the beginning of the season with Houston and I am willing to bet that if we weren't already on a short leash for past episodes, we are now going to be on a short leash.

I think smoke and flares are great, but I MUCH rather be able to go to away games and wave flags and hold 2-sticks and reveal banners and have a drum to keep chants to a beat then to RISK losing these and I really hope those that are inclined to light a flare or smoke think about the future and not so much the present

Great post.... seriously.

[Oldtimer]

The charter is very specific... the RPB follows all local laws. Do we necessarily agree with all of them? Of course not.

Since it's part of the charter, I expect that all of the executive abide by that, just as I will. Nobody should be calling out anyone for upholding the document that we democratically adopted, anymore that a Prime Minister or a President should be criticized for following their country's constitution.

Those who are not members of our group, but guests on our board should understand that we will uphold our current charter until such time as the membership democratically changes it.

[DOMIN8R]

Just call up the FO (front office) for tickets and tell them you want to sit with the TFC supporters.

Well, we're going to have to bring an end to that - aren't we? We can't very well be expected to self-police when the barn doors are swung open. Thanks for the heads up, Alx.

[DOMIN8R]

Be careful what you wish for.


^ Now that is stirring the pot.

You would be doing us all a favour! What can we do to help?

[MartinUtd]

Well, we're going to have to bring an end to that - aren't we? We can't very well be expected to self-police when the barn doors are swung open. Thanks for the heads up, Alx.

Impossible to enforce though. How can you take responsibility when half the travelling support treats the section as GA.

[ryan]

Do I think smoke and flares add substance to displays and look pretty cool? Absolutely!

Would I like to see more of them? Absolutely!

Do I want to break MLS and stadium rules in order to enjoy these? Absolutely NOT!


Think about it for two seconds:

Would you rather use flares and smoke and then have Garber and MLS clamp down on Toronto away support like they did to Houston?

or

Would you rather be able to go to any and all away games, support the team with flags, banners, two-sticks, drums, singing etc?

Do you really want to be part of the small, small minority that ruin away game experiences for everyone else because MLS made a statement at the beginning of the season with Houston and I am willing to bet that if we weren't already on a short leash for past episodes, we are now going to be on a short leash.

I think smoke and flares are great, but I MUCH rather be able to go to away games and wave flags and hold 2-sticks and reveal banners and have a drum to keep chants to a beat then to RISK losing these and I really hope those that are inclined to light a flare or smoke think about the future and not so much the present

I think many rational supporters would be behind what you're saying here. Well put

[kodiakTFC]

Can't wait for May 2nd now .

[jazzy]

So did the people who brought and lit the smoke bombs in actually hold on to them or did they do the same pussy move they always do which is throw it and run?

^ this....actually they threw it and it landed at the feet of those around us , totally covering their clothes/faces/ and burning one guy's shirt ,.. not to mention the taste was in our lungs and throat the rest of the day!!!.......Hey if people want flares have a flare section and /or hold them brave lads instead of hiding and throwing them at , or where other supporters are......a perfect example is at the academy games where great supporters show up and simply warn everyone around them that there will be flares ...they don't hide them or throw them at anyone.....but own the flares themselves....and we who have bad breathing problems or simply don't want to be near them move......brilliant and PRO........unlike many I'm seeing lately.........hiding under crowd cover

[jazzy]

Does anyone actually care about the game and watching it,....just wondered, or is it a vehicle to establish penis size!......

[Yagbod]

I don't want to wade too deeply into this debate, but:

Remember those 70 or so 2-sticks that showed up in Montreal? I think we can all agree that they were pretty flipping cool. Am I right?!?

I honestly don't know who lit the smoke bombs or threw them. I really don't.

On Thursday night I spent about three hours helping to make those 2-sticks. The guys who organized that would probably be called Ultras and some of them might call themselves that as well. While I had to leave at 9:30 (married, old, early train) they stayed up until almost 4am working to get them done. Plus, they paid for this themselves.

Think of this before you disparage all Ultras and paint them all with the same libelous brush.

Or better yet, stand the fuck up and thank them for their efforts.

[jabbronies]

I don't want to wade too deeply into this debate, but:

Remember those 70 or so 2-sticks that showed up in Montreal? I think we can all agree that they were pretty flipping cool. Am I right?!?

I honestly don't know who lit the smoke bombs or threw them. I really don't.

On Thursday night I spent about three hours helping to make those 2-sticks. The guys who organized that would probably be called Ultras and some of them might call themselves that as well. While I had to leave at 9:30 (married, old, early train) they stayed up until almost 4am working to get them done. Plus, they paid for this themselves.

Think of this before you disparage all Ultras and paint them all with the same libelous brush.

Or better yet, stand the fuck up and thank them for their efforts.

Great points made here!

I don't think anyone calls into question the effort people are putting into these types of displays. Unfortunately it's the other behavior by people that ends up overshadowing these efforts.

The problem is, and seems to be the same ongoing issue, how do we support the team once we are in the stadium.

[jazzy]

I don't want to wade too deeply into this debate, but:

Remember those 70 or so 2-sticks that showed up in Montreal? I think we can all agree that they were pretty flipping cool. Am I right?!?

I honestly don't know who lit the smoke bombs or threw them. I really don't.


On Thursday night I spent about three hours helping to make those 2-sticks. The guys who organized that would probably be called Ultras and some of them might call themselves that as well. While I had to leave at 9:30 (married, old, early train) they stayed up until almost 4am working to get them done. Plus, they paid for this themselves.

Think of this before you disparage all Ultras and paint them all with the same libelous brush.

Or better yet, stand the fuck up and thank them for their efforts.

^this ....And I believe that if any one of them, that I know, used flares it was and would be always pro as mentioned in the above thread always considering others,..true supporters...and they did make the day making those banners "on their own"....the people throwing the flares were not I believe part of the so -called ultras??,...but independent .....

[Abou Sky]

Impossible to enforce though. How can you take responsibility when half the travelling support treats the section as GA.

Put up a sign at the stadium that it is not GA.

Have security tell people it is not GA.

I am not a fan of GA either, it just means the nastiest get to sit where they want and I don't really want to get in a fist fight over one square foot of real estate.

[Red CB Toronto]

Can't wait for May 2nd now .

I am too, should be a good one. While the Big O is not the ideal place to watch, I am making my way back down to MTL for the second of three planned TFC trips to Quebec this season. The one in June at Saputo will be great, looking forward to being outside, a grass pitch and good times.

[Abou Sky]

I don't give a crap if they play in the parking lot if they win.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

Away games have always, and will always be GA. Accept it.

uh no dude. because you say it, does not make it truth.

[RedRum]

uh no dude. because you say it, does not make it truth.

You are right - my opinion means little... but it was not an opinion I was expressing. Been to about 20 or so away games and every one of them was GA. Thus, GA is what away games are. One guy complaining on a website is not likely going to change that.

[SCF1908]

Don't be willfully obtuse. The use of smoke bombs and flares at football games has been going on overseas for a long time. People longing for such a hardcore "ultra" culture here, or people who think it looks cool, see that and want to recreate it.

Smoke bombs don't go with the sport of football like hand and glove, so it's pretty much an axiomatic statement that the people doing this are being influenced by a desired to emulate "old world" football culture. But this isn't the old country, for better and for worse.

- Scott

Obtuse? Get real.

There was a ridiculous generalization made, I pointed this out, he said he was correcting his post when I pointed out he couldn't know exactly who did what factually, we both were in agreement and left it at that.

Not reading the thread would be considered "Obtuse" in my opinion.

I do find it interesting - and especially arrogant and slightly xenophobic actually - that people are saying smoke is an old world phenomenon and it is not the Canadian way when in fact there are Canadians born and bred who like it and support it and those that were born overseas and like it are thus painted as not being Canadian, as if those born here have a better and more credible opinion about a topic than those that weren't.

As I read the thread, there is some rather anti-foreign sentiment going on here. I wonder where the line gets drawn?

[Oldtimer]

I do find it interesting - and especially arrogant and slightly xenophobic actually - that people are saying smoke is an old world phenomenon and it is not the Canadian way when in fact there are Canadians born and bred who like it and support it and those that were born overseas and like it are thus painted as not being Canadian, as if those born here have a better and more credible opinion about a topic than those that weren't.

As I read the thread, there is some rather anti-foreign sentiment going on here. I wonder where the line gets drawn?

Name a North American sport where the fans use smoke bombs or flares. NFL/CFL? Basketball? Baseball? Hockey? Lacrosse? Or if you want to get even more local to Canada, curling?
It's obvious that people are imitating what they see on TV. Why can't people be original? We know that MLS will come down heavy on smoke/flares.

Anyways, how is it oultra to throw the thing? They don't do that in Europe, and it can be very dangerous. Be a man and face up to the consequences if you are fighting for your "rights." I have yet to see that happen, even once.

[SCF1908]

The charter is very specific... the RPB follows all local laws. Do we necessarily agree with all of them? Of course not.

So it is illegal to be intoxicated in public in every jurisdiction in Canada. Are you suggesting the RPB follows that to a tee? I bet a pound to a penny you're not.

So then where is the line actually drawn?

[stuart.mac]

So it is illegal to be intoxicated in public in every jurisdiction in Canada. Are you suggesting the RPB follows that to a tee? I bet a pound to a penny you're not.

So then where is the line actually drawn?

Being drunk will only get you punished
Throwing smoke bombs will get the entire support punished.

See the difference?

[TOBOR !]

I'd rather not see people banned just for simply taking up an opposing view - and I know that's not quite what happened here - but if they are to be banned, I'd like to think they received proper warning....... Do we do that ? And if anyone's listening, rather than a straight out banning, perhaps a 24/48/168 hour cooling off period can be invoked instead.

[TOBOR !]

Concerning how one supports their team, no doubt we all have our preferences on how we choose to do that... I'd argue there are many who prefer to 'see' a certain type of support without participating in it. "Ultra" support is more aesthetic on the telly than any other kind, but if you're in the crowd it's also the most obnoxious. Not everyone who likes that type of support cares to be in the middle of it.

[TOBOR !]

Treating away trips as General Admission is a great way for people to hide in a crowd. It takes a method of policing and control away from the authorities - assigned seating. If I was planning on setting off smoke bombs and flares General Admission is something I'd advocate for.

[London]

^^^ funny, i chant and jump and wave a flag, yet i still see most of the match.

there is a drastic gap between "fan" and "supporter", it's just too bad "fans" want to be in the supporters sections and feel it's the same thing.