Subscribe to RSSCops Blame Train Users!
Come on officials -don’t blame public transport for the ugly chaos around the Eden Park league matches on Saturday.
Auckland City Police Operations Superintendent Brett England has issued a statement in which he makes the curious comment:
“The fact that public transport brought people into the grounds along with a lot of alcohol for them to consume will be addressed. A debrief will be held later in the week. Clearly there are some factors that will require closer scrutiny as a result of the issues that arose through the unruly crowd behaviour.”
As I reported on Saturday night, I have never seen so many drunk people wandering around before the game - and some were the worst type of aggressive drunks. There were moments even I got worried because some of them didn’t take well to the fact I was sporting a camera around my neck or wouldn’t let me pass until they did a ‘brown eye’ for the camera (I didn’t publish those shots!!).
I saw very drunk people walking to the game from the New North Rd end and from Kingsland bars or maybe some were just excited.
People who left the train and crossed Sandringham Rd directly to Walters Rd did not seem to be swaying the same way - but although I have no idea if any had consumed alcohol. I saw no one leaving the train carrying alcohol.
So it’s just nonsense for the police to now be pointing the finger at train users for causing the problem.
Kingsland was awash with drunk people before the game -see earlier photos. I also saw people clearly drunk parking their cars where they were allowed in neighbouring streets and walking to the stadium continuing to drink out of bottles.
There was not enough or maybe no monitoring of people going into the gates to stop the already clearly inebriated, inside the stadium there was inadequate crowd control to stop bottles being thrown or streakers making it onto the field and there is clearly a push inside the stadium to sell as much full strength alcohol as possible.
Yet the Cop’s statement continues: “Overall Police were not happy with the behaviuor of the crowd and the amount of alcohol consumed. Police and Eden Park were generally satisfied with the way the facility handled the event and the RWC aspects that were tested.”
If that’s what he really believes, and thinks it’s just the fact people came in by train, he and the Eden Park management have their head in the sand.
This is not the first time that there has been a big match in which thousands have used the trains but the first time there has been this ugliness.
14 Comments
This is not usual for a big game at Eden park usually there’s not too much trouble. Might be a while before the leaguies are invited back after this display.
This whole end of the world reporting is really getting stupid. Lots of exaggeration and negativity from our idiotic media.
Even John Key has weighed in. What is he going to do, pass a new law under urgency or what?
I was there and it was a hell of a lot more orderly than any cricket match I have been to. I have sat in the terraces at a 20-20 and it rains bottles and debris and anything that will fly with some of it directed at the fielders. Drunkenness is a way of life there but very little is said about those matches.
Not once did I fear for anything or have any regrets except wanting my money back from an utterly inept display by the Kiwi’s
The media have yet again over hyped what was a very small amount of disorder into some kind of mid 80′s English hooligan filled match.
This kind of crap reporting has made me believe almost nothing I hear or read from our awful journalists.
@Kurt It’s not just the media - it’s idiotic officials such as a cop who seems to be strangely pointing the finger at people who used public transport. I didnt see any problem with the people arriving by train and would like to see the police evidence before they rush out such a statement.
This is hardly new. Sport plus liquor outlets in close proximity is a pretty potent brew. I wonder where the police are coming from at times like this.
If the trains were to blame, then why does this sort of carry on never happen at Westpac Stadium in Wellington?
Or does it?
My comments were more pointed at the whole reaction rather than blame being placed on train users which is in itself is ridiculous.
“Even John Key has weighed in. What is he going to do, pass a new law under urgency or what?”
You mean to counteract his liquor licensing law changes that will make it EASIER to sell booze during the RWC? Pot promising to whitewash the kettle!
I dont think the bottles thrown were the problem. It was the supporters general attitude in the match. Disrespect towards the Australians and the residents properties around the stadium. Trying to invade the pitch and bottle throwing are a lot less disturbing and is easily dealt with by security. The disrespect is worse as it is a direct result from pre-match drinking.
Would the police prefer that everyone got drunk and then drove to the match?
the issue here is really just new zealand’s excess drinking culture, which is really starting to get embarrassing
Well said Kurt, I have seen more chaos at a T20 or ODI Cricket game. More people thrown out of the stadium, more fights, more streakers(real ones). More mess from the Mexiwaves. Its just a beat up.
Rugby, beer. Goes together. If a couple of tossers spoil having a beer and watching the game then arrest them. Actually that’s what happened didn’t it?
I`m pretty sure for major rugby games in the past and for the RWC games next year that if you are inebriated you can be denied entry as part of the ticket T&Cs. If security actually started doing that at some sports events in NZ the guys who are pissed before the event might get the drift that it`s not worth it if they want to see the game. Or maybe they mightn`t buy tickets in the first place. It`s not like anyone would miss dickheads at sports matches.
Either way, it would go a long way to preventing similar things happening again. And if the drunk guys had a problem with not being let in and started getting threatening, then have some cops stationed at the turnstiles to throw their bums in the back of a police van to cool off.
That`s the problem with NZ society. Everyone can do as they want. Sure we`ve got some rules but everyone knows they can get off someway or the other so often if they bleat hard enough. Set the rules and enforce them clearly - when people know where the line is and know what happens if they cross it, there is less likelihood crap will happen.
I agree Simon. We need more enforcement, and less education.
But instead we have people like Sensible Sentencing trust concentrating on getting ever harsher sentences for the the 1% of criminals that 99% of all of us will never have any contact with.
Enforcement and harsh on crime shouldn’t mean waiting until somebody does something like stab somebody until they feel the force of the law. The real problem is that we are letting the little things go - like some drunks throwing bottles at you or your car - and that leads to a degeneration of society.