Footy grog ban - The Bayside Advertiser

[Danzy Rocks!!!]

Sandringham football club will introduce a dry area at Trevor Barker Oval following an incident last week in which a supporter assulted a field umpire.

Zebra officials came up with the plan after the VFL directed them to do something about unruly fans.

Sandringham prestident Gary Gilchrist said that alcohol would be banned in the area extending from the main entrance to the front of the social club and the coaching boxes.

Beer will be sold at the ground's so called "CAN HILL", but a bar near the social club will be closed.

Gilchrist said the dry area was intended to "minimise exposure and any possible trouble" outside the umpires' and visiting teams' change rooms under the social club.

"We're going to do it on Saturday (for the match against Bendigo) and then we'll sit down and assess wheather it was effective," he said.

"I hope it will be, because if there's any more trouble the whole issue of crowd control will be taken out of our hands.

The VFL will step in. I daresay we'll be looking at serving only light beer if there's a problem again."

The behaviour of Sandringham's fans came into question after a long time supporter sprinted onto the ground at half time of the match against Box Hill Hawks and shoulder-charged field umpire Kieron Nicholls.

Sandringham police are likely to charge the man on summons with unlawful assault.

Gilchrist said he was a friend of the supporter, whom he described as "a very decent, responsible citizen".

"I didn't see what happened, but when I was told who had (confronted) the umpire I was totally stunned," Gilchrist said. "He's a well-respected member of the community and our football club.

I've had eight phone conversations with him since it happened and he's devastated at his actions."

The man handed in his membership of the club the day after the incident and contacted VFL cheif executive officer Ken Gannon to apologise for his behaviour.

Gilchrist said he was dissapointed at some supporters' reaction to the incident.

He said a "small element" hurled abuse at the umpires. The Sandringham president urged supporters to act responsibly. "People need to show some commen sense. We're a community football club and thios sort of thing does nothing for our image," he said.

VFL cheif exectutive Ken Gannon, who was at the ground and comforted umpire Nicholls at half time, welcomed the establishment of the dry area.

"It shows that they (the Zebras) are taking the matter seriously," he said.

By Paul Amy


~BANGER JR~

[brodie_rocks!]

hahahahahaha! That's sooooooooo funny!!!

~ANGEL~

[This message has been edited by brodie_rocks! (edited 22 August 2001).]

[Danzy Rocks!!!]

ange, do u know where can hill is???

~BANGER JR~

[brodie_rocks!]

uh, yeah. I wasn't born y/day!!! Just to prove it, it's at the non-social club end of sandy footy ground on the hill behind the goals.

~ANGEL~

[Danzy Rocks!!!]

LOL!
its the "not nice" place at sandy oval

~BANGER JR~

[junkboy75]

c'mon, can hill was great!! back in the old days, I barracked for the zebras in the VFL before melbourne took them over, and many a pleasant sunday was spent at that end of the ground. sure, the toilets there would always flood, but it was great buying VBs from the old blokes who sold them. of course, it was the most parochial part of beach road oval (apart from the members area), but of all the times that I was there, I have never seen any assaults, fights or similar.

"everyone's a winner hot pies"

[Danzy Rocks!!!]

i prefer can hill to the social club, all the snobs hang upstairs in the rooms (no offence anyone) and the food is crap as!!!

at dolphs vs coburg the dry area stayed anything but dry... lol
i even saw some snady officials who were drinking there lol

also at that match i was bout 2m away from nick daffy i had a good time shouting at him.

NICK DAFFY, U SUCK!!!