Fireworks, or “pyros” as their supporters call them, are common in the Czech Republic, especially on soccer pitches. The most common are overhead flares, which, if done correctly, become a spectacular part of the choreography of many fan clubs, for example. Thus, from the standpoint of the fireworks user, there is no reason to regulate fireworks. If we are serious about safety, shouldn\’t we start by tightening regulations on alcohol sales at stadiums, tightening admission restrictions, and putting names on tickets? After all, fireworks in stadiums are still rather the least of the problems. Besides, the problem is that fireworks cannot legally be brought into the stadium. So, instead of a blanket ban, shouldn\’t we be looking for a solution to regulate the use of fireworks in stadiums? Maybe giving the official fan clubs the possibility to report in advance who brings how many fireworks into the stadium and confiscate any that are brought into the stadium by other than “legal” means?
The problem, of course, is that no one can be completely certain that this material will be used sensibly. The club\’s resistance to stadium pyros stems from bad experiences with fans throwing flares into the pitch and hitting players and others. It is not surprising that many officials are hesitant to allow this type of cheering, especially when emotions and alcohol are flying around during the game. Indeed, if everyone would just calmly wave flares, it would probably work.
But as long as there are those who use flares as weapons, the stadium rules will not be significantly relaxed. What do we make of this? Simply, how fireworks are viewed depends largely on the people attending the games. If they can be used sensibly, clubs can at least turn a blind eye and perhaps be more tolerant of discussion.
