An example of where modern football is going wrong...

[Essex Yid]

An Arsenal supporter has admitted throwing a banana at Tottenham Hotspur star Gareth Bale during the north London derby last month.

Thomas Flint, 23, a carpenter from Enfield, threw the missile during the game at White Hart Lane on 3 March.

Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court heard Flint also admit to using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause alarm.

Arsenal had said anyone found guilty over the incident will receive a ban.

District Judge Rebecca Crane said the "disgraceful" actions could have led to violence.

She went on: "You have let yourself down.

“This was more than foolish - it was disgraceful behaviour”

"You have good references but you allowed your passion for football and the game to boil over into hostility for a single player and the opposing team."

Flint was sentenced to a three-year football banning order, fined £250 and ordered to pay costs of £85.

His solicitor, Christopher Wright, said: "He has been an avid supporter since childhood and attended many dozens, if not hundreds, of matches without incident.

"He wishes to apologise through me for his actions and utter foolishness and apologise to the opposing team. He let his own team down by his conduct.

"It is not a racially aggravated offence."


I know it's a scum fan, but this was NOT 'disgraceful' behaviour. I actually found it quite funny. If he threw a banana at a black player, or something more harmful at Bale, that is a different matter. But football has completely lost any sense of humour or fun.

To be banned for football for 3 years for doing that is just sad.

 

[Spursalot]

I think it's the fact that he's thrown something at the players that led to the ban, rather than the fact that it's a banana.

 

[braineclipse]

What do you think would have been an appropriate punishment Essex?

Out of curiosity, was this guy white? They explicitly pointed out that this wasn't racially aggravated, but if he's white could it be considered racially aggravated?

 

[Craig_J]

I don't really agree with the fact he's been banned for this when the footballing orginisations take little to no action over fans being racist in numbers. But at the same time it is in the rules. If you throw something you get banned. I've come close many times to throwing stuff at Nasri because of his snarly attitude at corners. One time it was going to be my lighter, one time it was going to be my asthma pump I was using to calm myself down during the Danny Rose game. But I knew if I did so I'd be bannedfrom football, even though my throwing is awful and it would've been lucky for me to reach Nasri, let alone hit him.

Throwing something is silly as it's not exactly going to destroy the players career and unless it's a coin it's not going to do them much harm. The players going to ignore it or forget about it within 20 seconds and your going to end up with a very lengthy ban.

 

[Neymar]

I can't believe people are attempting to justify this kind of behavior. Throwing objects such as coins, lighters, bananas etc can absolutely be dangerous if they catch the player off guard and in the eye for example. Also, if the authorities do not tackle this type of behaviour harshly in the manner that it should be, people will then throw even more dangerous missiles as seen in south america (that's why players need riot police to shield them when they take corners in s.america). Another high profile example is the pigs head that got thrown at luis figo.

And i also don't think non-football fans would be surprised by this punishment, as this type of punishment is normal for this type of behavior in society. It seems only in football do you get people trying to justify this type of behaviour. Imagine if i went to an opera, theatre, concert, musical etc etc, and i threw a missile (ie. a banana) at the act/performers, i would rightly be punished in a similar manner to that arsenal fan. and for me, that would be absolutely justified. In addition, imagine if someone threw a banana at andy murray at wimbledon. you can only imagine the furore. I just cant understand why football fans think they are any different to the rest of society. and why unsocial behviour is justified in football grounds.

 

[parklane1]

Any brain dead macaron who throws things onto the pitch should be banned, i am amazed then anyone would think otherwise.

 

[Modric THFC]

Its nothing to do with football its to do with the laws of the country.

 

[lurker of old]

I agree with the thread starter. 3 year ban for hurling a banana, Jesus wept this country has gone soft. It's a banana, not a coin, not a missile, just a nana.
One year ban fine, but 3 years, crazy. Political correctness gone mad. I would rather all 36,000 entering the Lane were issued with bananas and told to throw them wherever they liked!

 

[parklane1]

I agree with the thread starter. 3 year ban for hurling a banana, Jesus wept this country has gone soft. It's a banana, not a coin, not a missile, just a nana.
One year ban fine, but 3 years, crazy. Political correctness gone mad. I would rather all 36,000 entering the Lane were issued with bananas and told to throw them wherever they liked!

Thankfully we do not have 36,000 brain dead macarons going to the lane.

 

[Spursalot]

I agree with the thread starter. 3 year ban for hurling a banana, Jesus wept this country has gone soft. It's a banana, not a coin, not a missile, just a nana.
One year ban fine, but 3 years, crazy. Political correctness gone mad. I would rather all 36,000 entering the Lane were issued with bananas and told to throw them wherever they liked!

It's supposed to deter fans from throwing things. One year ban would not do so obviously, in fact a three year ban doesn't seem to deter them because they are still doing it.


Shows that they need to raise the bar in my mind. If you're stupid enough to throw something then you deserve the punishment.

 

[Superhudd]

I agree with the thread starter. 3 year ban for hurling a banana, Jesus wept this country has gone soft. It's a banana, not a coin, not a missile, just a nana.
One year ban fine, but 3 years, crazy. Political correctness gone mad. I would rather all 36,000 entering the Lane were issued with bananas and told to throw them wherever they liked!

What exactly do you get when throwing a banana.. for example for you is it better than sex!?

 

[milo]

I agree with the thread starter. 3 year ban for hurling a banana, Jesus wept this country has gone soft. It's a banana, not a coin, not a missile, just a nana.
One year ban fine, but 3 years, crazy. Political correctness gone mad. I would rather all 36,000 entering the Lane were issued with bananas and told to throw them wherever they liked!

What has this got to do with political correctness?

 

[Gutter Boy]

I think there's a difference between mocking and intended to hurt (and the choice of item suggests the former). In particular there's a difference between lobbing it full pelt at his head vs an underarm chuck to land by his feet. I don't know the details of this.