Saturday’s Sydney Derby produced a lot of great talking points; the crowd, the goals and the atmosphere.
But one of the things the anti-football media in this country surprisingly didn’t pick up and run with was the use of illegal flares by both sets of fans during goal celebrations.
Flares are normally used for dangerous situations on the high seas, they are designed not to be extinguished easily or quickly. They contain chemicals and can burn at temperatures of 1600°C – the melting point of steel.
Smoke bombs are mainly used recreationally in paintball and war games. They also burn at high temperatures and are designed to be used in wide open spaces.
With Football Australia still not budging on flares, the ‘safe smoke’ option is something that is legal and would start giving football in Australia a much needed boost of colour and atmosphere.
What do you think of flares at the football? (Photo by Vladimir Rys/Getty Images)
The smoke used is electronically ignited and burns warm (unlike flares). Legibility wouldn’t be a problem, but the tens of thousands of dollars cost to the cash-stricken clubs could well be
To use these specific smoke bombs which are imported from Europe, A-League clubs would require a licensed pyrotechnic to supervise the fans and the fire service to be nearby with fire extinguishers and buckets of sand just in case.
Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Central Coast and Adelaide have all used safe smoke at some point this season with varying degrees of success.
Many fans will argue that the light and smoke from pyrotechnics add atmosphere to games, but on the flip side, they can burn at extremely high temperatures.
There have been cases all over the world of players being struck by flares thrown from the crowd and of fans being burned or even killed, especially when pyrotechnics are hurled during fights between rival supporters.
Flares and safe smoke can also be very problematic to people with respiratory issues. Having been to many derbies in Serbia and Russia, I am definitely no stranger to flares and smoke bombs going off throughout a match and the side effects that can come with them.
The smoke can be quite dense and tends to linger, causing you to cough, your eyes to weep and your nose to run. In a country like Australia, where the amount of asthma sufferers is quite high, this could be a recipe of disaster for fans.
However, all around the world clubs are looking at different options in terms of changing the legislation of pyrotechnics for their fans.
Danish club Brondby have spent several years trying to develop a type of flare which could be used legally by its own fans.
The devices, which are less bright than typical illegal flares, were first used at a Danish league game in 2020 and the reports of them were positive.
In Sweden, fans can apply for permission to use pyrotechnics, which is some form of progress as they were previously banned.
Norwegian fans have the right to legally light flares inside stadiums, provided that they use approved fire devices and not run any pyro shows during games.
Orlando City are one of three US teams that allow fans to use any smoke devices in designated smoke areas (though not regular flares), along with Portland Timbers and New York Red Bulls.
Like many people, I loathe seeing smoking when I’m eating out at a restaurant, however at a football match, it’s a completely different story.
Winter A League is Awesome
Guest
Lol nice
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Go watch the fireworks and stop being a spoilt kid. From within the supporters area if your stuck in a cloud of smoke it doesn't look like anything, it might look great from the sidelines and thats what they want to big note themselves and produce photo opportunities. I would prefer they choke the people in the corporate boxes and leave the supporters area to watch on. I saw this guy on a hot summers day in Newcastle with this big jacket, sweating and looking nervous come and head up the stairs because I was right at the back. Never seen him at a Sydney FC game before or since and the upstairs was Newcastle corporate . Next thing I know down comes the flares from the upper stand .The police were right next to me at the time as well. The fines for flares on clubs are absurd, catch them and jail them is the solution not fining the clubs. The moment you do it will stop, because no one is going to jail for a flare in Australia.
Midfielder
Roar Guru
AA Missed your article yesterday.... work and no spare time... I been to watch Orlando in the MSL play and the use of smoke bombs added IMO to the match day experience. The mind set, by some that it must be a flare and a smoke bomb is somehow hHHMMMMaaaRRRgggEErrrr say inferior or sissy I struggle to understand... Personally would love to make smoke bombs at matches...
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
Vaping is "safe smoke" its still harmful though lol
Nick Symonds
Guest
Not long ago, vaping was being touted as a form of "safe smoke".
Philbert
Guest
"Fire! Oooooooooooohhhhhhh". You caveman.
FS
Guest
The beauty of Flares is that they are illegal, its what so damm cool about it. To look for other options defeats the purpose of igniting them in the first place I like that Football Fans are brave enough to break some rules in order to create a visual for their environment. Too many out there have easily submitted and are minions to an already over regulated authority.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
Roar has used them, upsets a few people's breathing on a still day Bundesliga looks a little overdone My point is, I'm over it, kiddy's games for kiddies. I wouldn't object if they are used regularly but my personal preference is for singing and chants over flares.
Pepito
Guest
All better ideas than co-opting someone elses. Make no mistake, I'm not having a crack exclusively at Euro culture on football. I detest the US influences on the NRL (including the outright stealing by the Raiders of the viking clap). Buddy's example was great. There are things that can be done in the A-league that are original. Europe has flares/smoke, the US has tailgating, US college sport has marching bands etc...Australia can create some of their own traditions, surely?
Buddy
Roar Rookie
AA -I went to a Portland Timbers game season before Covid and what a show they put on! - after The Timbers scored there was safe smoke which shrouded the home active supporters end and there is no way they could have seen Colorado Rapids score at the other end! The main thing is that after a goal is scored a great big burly guy in lumberjack style clothes starts up his chainsaw and slices off a piece from an enormous tree trunk in front of active support. Then he lifts it high in the air as part of a scoring celebration. It whips up the crowd and is great fun. Been to a few others with hooters, cannons and the like but found the Timbers as something quite unique!
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
absolutely, but im talking not in the careless hands of a 18 year old eshay. my whole argument is, what if there are designated people in the active support area? several a league clubs have used safe smoke this year and there hasnt been any issues
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
what about a light emitting jar of vegemite? or a giant lamington that explodes, and the fans can be covered in cake, jam, chocolate and coconut.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
I didn’t think there were any illegal flares at the game on Saturday. Definitely nothing in the SFC end whatsoever. There was smoke at the northern end and I got the impression it was all sanctioned material. Certainly the second half kicked off under a dense cloud of smoke and that came from the half time entertainment not the fans. There has been nothing from WSW on behaviour. Are you sure you have correct info here as I’d be surprised too that there was nothing in mainstream media!
Pepito
Guest
So again, you just want to copy what someone else does. How about create a home grown organically driven way of watching football in Australia?
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
we used them in the military for many purposes, usually to mark the spot, as in a target for an airdrop or a bomb aiming point or landing zone or a friendly position, or as a guide to wind direction and strength, also as a survival aid, usually contained in survival packs in aircraft or in dinghies or life rafts. We would practise annually by firing time expired flares. Can be dangerous in careless hands.
Punter
Roar Rookie
Pepito, Plenty on NRL & AFL players do illegal things, doesn’t seem to affect the sponsorship$$$ there for long.
Punter
Roar Rookie
David, the correct comment is hardly anyone gives a .... about the A-League in this country. Not Football, it's huge here.
chris
Guest
Its true we are very sedate in watching our sport. Go to a Rugby game for the ultimate in sleepy support. A-League seems to be coming back from the dead insofar as active crowd support. There are some new shoots of green with WSW, SFC and ...Melb City! and Victory leading the way.
Pepito
Guest
I respect the fact you don’t like flares, I do. But burying your head in the sand and screaming, “It’s illegal!” is an odd approach to the issue. You mean stating an obvious fact? If you want to work around this, change the law. I'm not burying my head in the sand. You are just one of the people wanting to transplant European football culture onto Australia. I bet your probably one of the same people who would like to see European style beach clubs on Bondi. Look, each country has their unique way of watching sport. Flares is European. Perhaps the more intelligent discussion would be around creating some kind of home grown organic tradition instead of the cheap transplanting of cavemen activities elsewhere.
Pepito
Guest
Even in the states you can regularly watch an MLS match on tv and the camera will pan to the pyros in the crowd. In the US, be grateful it's a flare and not an AR-15. If you need flares or "safe smoke" to improve the atmosphere at an A-league game, then it's what's going on the park that is the problem, not in the audience. The need to act live a caveman to enjoy sport? Really? there’s more chance of you “sinking 6-7 beers over the course of a match” causing a scene, Perhaps. But then, I haven't. I know where the line is and I respect public property.