no smoking!!!!

[Matty's Caddy]

i was ejected from the ground at half time on sunday for smoking in the concourse.

i know what all you goody goodies are gonna say and maybe quite rightly so, but, after queueing for a beer for ages and the game about to restart, i found a quiet corner away from everybody else and what i thought was out of sight of the gestapo and tried to have a few quick puffs.

big mistake, over came half a dozen of the clubs finest and threw me out.

i had a few choice words for him, (i'd had a few beers) but went fairly quietly.

this brings me to my point

i've been finding it pretty easy to miss games as it is, can't make evenings, quite a few on tv etc, you get out the habit, but as i said at the start of the season, i will not go untill i can go for a fag at half time in a designated smoking area.

obviously, i let that one slip a bit but now i am determined not to set foot in there untill i am catered for.

[norwaysaint]

Oh, stop whining, you pathetic ****.

[mynameisthehulk]

Oh, stop whining, you pathetic ****.

 

Thats a bit much! How much is a beer in Norway these days?

[Weston Super Saint]

i was ejected from the ground at half time on sunday for smoking in the concourse.

i know what all you goody goodies are gonna say and maybe quite rightly so, but, after queueing for a beer for ages and the game about to restart, i found a quiet corner away from everybody else and what i thought was out of sight of the gestapo and tried to have a few quick puffs.

big mistake, over came half a dozen of the clubs finest and threw me out.

i had a few choice words for him, (i'd had a few beers) but went fairly quietly.

this brings me to my point

i've been finding it pretty easy to miss games as it is, can't make evenings, quite a few on tv etc, you get out the habit, but as i said at the start of the season, i will not go untill i can go for a fag at half time in a designated smoking area.

obviously, i let that one slip a bit but now i am determined not to set foot in there untill i am catered for.

 

Which bit of the No Smoking sign were you struggling with?

[Saint_Jonny]

I do agree that you should have somewhere to deal in your cancer stick wafting, theres enough of you that do it so it should be something that the club concider. Dunno how they could implement it tho... I dunno if any other clubs have got something sorted.

 

On the flip side, its fecking annoying (as a non smoker) having it blown in your face, had a pair of w^nkers in the northam sat in front of me on sunday, thought they were pretty sodding hard hiding there fags from the F.B.I.

[Weston Super Saint]

Thats a bit much! How much is a beer in Norway these days?

 

Small bottle of beer 50kr.

 

http://www.expatfocus.com/expatriate-norway-currency-costs

[EastleighSoulBoy]

While I appreciate that you need to satisfy a craving you do know that this ban is not going to go away. So you need to find a way around it because no matter how much Saints need fans they will eject you time after time for breaking the law.

 

I've never smoked so I don't fully understand the need, but maybe getting some of that nicotine gum for during the match might help?

[buctootim]

no matter how much Saints need fans they will eject you time after time for breaking the law.

 

Thats it in a nutshell. Its now illegal to smoke in a public building and if Saints dont enforce the ban they can be fined or worse. Direct your complaint to the government, not the club.

[Matty's Caddy]

Oh, stop whining, you pathetic ****.

 

nice!

you miss the point entirely (hardly surprising for a neanderthal)

this has now cost the club my entrance fee at a time when every penny counts

every pub and club has managed to implement something because they've had to to survive.

if lowe could charge for the use of said designated smoking area, i'm sure he would implement something

i wonder if you'll whinge when all we do is sell our best players in the jan transfer market and the crowds dip below 10k as we slide into oblivion

cant wait till the cricket season!

[Weston Super Saint]

nice!

you miss the point entirely (hardly surprising for a neanderthal)

this has now cost the club my entrance fee at a time when every penny counts

every pub and club has managed to implement something because they've had to to survive.

if lowe could charge for the use of said designated smoking area, i'm sure he would implement something

i wonder if you'll whinge when all we do is sell our best players in the jan transfer market and the crowds dip below 10k as we slide into oblivion

cant wait till the cricket season!

 

Your just using the finances as an excuse to be fair.

 

If you REALLY wanted to go and spend money you would!

 

Do you forfeit the weekly shopping because Tescos won't allow you to smoke in side?

[Matty's Caddy]

Thats it in a nutshell. Its now illegal to smoke in a public building and if Saints dont enforce the ban they can be fined or worse. Direct your complaint to the government, not the club.

 

i'm not complaining about the legislation, i happen to think its a good thing, i'm talking about the club resting on their laurels.

they should be trying to do everything possible to get people through the turnstile.

[Micky]

As an ex smoker I can sympathise with your plight and agree that the club should afford it's smoking customers some kind of facilities that can be used at half time at least. I work away from home a lot of the time in Germany where they have just introduced the smoking ban into public places, much the same as over here, however in a lot of places it has not worked.

 

In the region in which I work, I'm led to believe that after only a couple of months trial it has all but been dropped because business premises, (pubs, clubs and restaraunts) were all losing too much.

 

As I was flying out of Schipol Airport in Amsterdam the other day - I also noticed that they have once again started to install smoking boothes in certain parts of the building.

 

If it can be done there - I see no reason why sensible smoking arrangements cannot be made at SMS.

[mynameisthehulk]

While I appreciate that you need to satisfy a craving you do know that this ban is not going to go away. So you need to find a way around it because no matter how much Saints need fans they will eject you time after time for breaking the law.

 

I've never smoked so I don't fully understand the need, but maybe getting some of that nicotine gum for during the match might help?

 

The inhalers are quite good, I managed to give up using one, unfortunately I started again You can also get these http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-cigarette

[Matty's Caddy]

Your just using the finances as an excuse to be fair.

 

If you REALLY wanted to go and spend money you would!

 

Do you forfeit the weekly shopping because Tescos won't allow you to smoke in side?

 

no, tescos let me out into the carpark if i want a smoke, rubbish analogy

nothing to do with finances either, i can afford to go and take my lad if i want to

i've probably been to 95% of home games in the last 28 years

[.comsaint]

Complete & utter toss that there isn't a small little out-of-the-way area for us smokers at SMS. I laugh at the amount of pubs going out of business. The whinging landlords bleat that it's due to superstores selling beer really cheap & they can't compete. Bollix. The reason so many pubs are going out of business is twofold; 1) the service a lot of pubs offer is complete CRAP! and 2) the smoking ban. If I walk down the High Street & there are 2 pubs - one with a sign in the window saying 'STRICTLY NO SMOKING PUB' - and the other with a sign saying 'DIRTY OLD SMOKERS WELCOME' - I have the freedom to choose which one I want to drink a pint in. Alas though - that isn't an option anymore as your good old 'New Labour' have seen to that. So now - pubs are closing at an alarming rate (damn shame) and I spend my money instead at Morrisons where I can buy a crate of 20 bottles of Becks for a bloody tenner!

 

You may well scoff. But I watched tonight's BBC News where there was a report that the government is "considering" introducing speed restrictors in your average car - in order to prevent you breaking the speed limit!!! And they're also "considering" rating every internet site with a certificate - just like the movies!!! And 2009 sees the very first introduction of - wait for it - a licence to go...sea fishing!!! It's only "optional" at the moment - but how long before it becomes compulsory? I think we know the answer to that. So yes - you may not have a gripe about us smokers not having just a tiny segment of concrete to stand in at SMS during a game - but isn't life "supposed" to be all about freedom of choice??? Apparently not...

[N/West Saint]

Did you have any weed in your cig?

Would need something more stronger then a normal cig at St Marys this season lol

[JustMike]

no smoking in public places means just that. To have a designated smoking area would have to be in a non public place. perhaps an underground hole or similar?

 

I for one am glad its banned, have taken my kids to a few games in the past and they have been burnt by the rebel smokers trying to hide their fags by their sides and walking past people, stupid thing is, smoke rises!! everyone can see who it is thats smoking.

[EastleighSoulBoy]

nice!

you miss the point entirely (hardly surprising for a neanderthal)

this has now cost the club my entrance fee at a time when every penny counts

every pub and club has managed to implement something because they've had to to survive.

if lowe could charge for the use of said designated smoking area, i'm sure he would implement something

i wonder if you'll whinge when all we do is sell our best players in the jan transfer market and the crowds dip below 10k as we slide into oblivion

cant wait till the cricket season!

 

With all respect, I think you have missed the point. You were doing something which is illegal. As I pointed out earlier, and supported with a fuller explanation by others, Saints do need your money. However, they are not going to let you smoke in a public place which is under their responsibility. I don't know what their fine would be but I'd hazard a guess that it will be much more than they get from your entrance fee and drinks bill!

 

What you are effectively asking is for the club to risk a large fine in exchange for the c.£40 you'll spend with them.

 

The maths don't work mate.

[NickG]

As an ex smoker I can sympathise with your plight and agree that the club should afford it's smoking customers some kind of facilities that can be used at half time at least. I work away from home a lot of the time in Germany where they have just introduced the smoking ban into public places, much the same as over here, however in a lot of places it has not worked.

 

In the region in which I work, I'm led to believe that after only a couple of months trial it has all but been dropped because business premises, (pubs, clubs and restaraunts) were all losing too much.

 

As I was flying out of Schipol Airport in Amsterdam the other day - I also noticed that they have once again started to install smoking boothes in certain parts of the building.

 

If it can be done there - I see no reason why sensible smoking arrangements cannot be made at SMS.

 

 

not looked into the legislation as non smoker but guess its cos they don't have our laws. Pubs aren't allowed to add booths it has to be outside, so would think St Marys would have to allow people outside of the stadium, which would be ridiculous to manage as loads would want to go in and out within 15 mins, what is your solution as you raised the complaint?

[dubai_phil]

The trouble is WHERE do you put a secure smoking area? You have 4 sides to the ground, you can't have people walking round from the Northam to say the Chapel for a quick fag, so you end up having to build 2 or 3 secure "pens" out in the car park. Those of course will cost money which at the moment the club doesn't have. Cost for planning, health & safety approval, security/stewards to man it, emergency entrance etc. Then it gets in the way of an official "safety exit". So all in all it becomes something that costs us 50k or more and that's the salary of a couple of youngsters.

 

Was lucky enough to go to a Test Match in Sydney once - there they had no smoking, but had built their turnstiles away from the main stadium leaving open areas where you could go for a smoke. SMS never had enough space (or thought).

 

So yep, I found that a round of nicotine gum between the lads at half time is the only way. Mind you, may be why our players get so edgy towards the end of the second half - maybe they all need a fag as well!

[Weston Super Saint]

Complete & utter toss that there isn't a small little out-of-the-way area for us smokers at SMS. I laugh at the amount of pubs going out of business. The whinging landlords bleat that it's due to superstores selling beer really cheap & they can't compete. Bollix. The reason so many pubs are going out of business is twofold; 1) the service a lot of pubs offer is complete CRAP! and 2) the smoking ban. If I walk down the High Street & there are 2 pubs - one with a sign in the window saying 'STRICTLY NO SMOKING PUB' - and the other with a sign saying 'DIRTY OLD SMOKERS WELCOME' - I have the freedom to choose which one I want to drink a pint in. Alas though - that isn't an option anymore as your good old 'New Labour' have seen to that. So now - pubs are closing at an alarming rate (damn shame) and I spend my money instead at Morrisons where I can buy a crate of 20 bottles of Becks for a bloody tenner!

 

You've kind of disproved your own theory there

[Hatch]

The match only lasts 105 minutes from start to finish FFS.

[Saint_clark]

You've kind of disproved your own theory there

 

I thought that too

[trousers]

i was ejected from the ground at half time on sunday for smoking in the concourse.

i know what all you goody goodies are gonna say and maybe quite rightly so, but, after queueing for a beer for ages and the game about to restart, i found a quiet corner away from everybody else and what i thought was out of sight of the gestapo and tried to have a few quick puffs.

big mistake, over came half a dozen of the clubs finest and threw me out.

i had a few choice words for him, (i'd had a few beers) but went fairly quietly.

this brings me to my point

i've been finding it pretty easy to miss games as it is, can't make evenings, quite a few on tv etc, you get out the habit, but as i said at the start of the season, i will not go untill i can go for a fag at half time in a designated smoking area.

obviously, i let that one slip a bit but now i am determined not to set foot in there untill i am catered for.

 

Do what I did and take up masturbation instead. That's not illegal as long as you confine yourself to one of the traps in the toilet and it has the added bonus of being quicker than a fag (so to speak)

[saint hawk]

The club should do what derby do and open the outside at half time

[krissyboy31]

I am, in a way sympathetic to the fact that, maybe there should be an outer concourse, where smokers could go to feed their habit. However, this would be expensive to set-up and would have to be properly stewarded. As we have closed sections of the ground because we cannot afford to steward them, this isn't going to happen (unless we get a sugar daddy to buy out Lowe, Askham, Wilde, Crouch et al).

[lordswoodsaints]

i was ejected from the ground at half time on sunday for smoking in the concourse.

i know what all you goody goodies are gonna say and maybe quite rightly so, but, after queueing for a beer for ages and the game about to restart, i found a quiet corner away from everybody else and what i thought was out of sight of the gestapo and tried to have a few quick puffs.

big mistake, over came half a dozen of the clubs finest and threw me out.

i had a few choice words for him, (i'd had a few beers) but went fairly quietly.

this brings me to my point

i've been finding it pretty easy to miss games as it is, can't make evenings, quite a few on tv etc, you get out the habit, but as i said at the start of the season, i will not go untill i can go for a fag at half time in a designated smoking area.

obviously, i let that one slip a bit but now i am determined not to set foot in there untill i am catered for.

 

they did the right thing,you cant argue with that and they took £25 of you for your trouble :-).new year new start,give it up.

[Psycrow]

As mentioned above, the smoking area had to be in an open area. The whole reason for the smoking ban is that you can't force your employees to work in a smoke filled area, therefore you can't have a 'smoking area' inside the stadium or anywhere else, as someone would have to clean up. So the only solution is to have it outside, which as mentioned above is completely unworkable at the moment.

[Legod Third Coming]

Let's assume you're in your forties. And that you do, what, two packs a day? So that's £12 - so £84 nicker a week. So that's about £4,368 a year.

 

Let's say you've got 20 years to go - sorry don't know your current health or weight.

 

Anyway, that's £87,360.

 

So, here's what I propose.

 

Write a cheque to the club for that amount to pay for a decent striker's wages between now and the end of the season.

 

Jump off the Itchen Bridge.

 

Hopefully one of us will stay up.

 

And we'll name a seat after you.

 

Happy New Year.

[rpb]

The club should do what derby do and open the outside at half time

 

Which is what they used to do at The Dell - they did for the West Stand anyway...

[Oz]

one law for you........................

 

get a life!

[Big_Bald_Si]

Do what I did and take up masturbation instead. That's not illegal as long as you confine yourself to one of the traps in the toilet and it has the added bonus of being quicker than a fag (so to speak)

 

Class! I guess this could easily spark a discussion as to how many people have waxed their dolphin in St Marys

[TopGun]

I enjoy the occasional smoke but fully agree with the legislation. And why should the club make more hassle for itself by providing for smokers anyway?

 

Get some gum or an inhaler.

 

I can't believe this old chestnut has risen again tbh.

[Whitey Grandad]

I can understand your problem if you need to feed your addiction, but I've had over 50 years of breathing in other people's carcinogenic exhausts and all I ask is that for the few years that are left to me and for the sake of future generations you and others in your situation can find the strength to forbear for a couple of hours or better still, give it up.

[Polaroid Saint]

Which bit of the No Smoking sign were you struggling with?

 

The 'smoking' bit seems to be his main issue tbf. ;-)

 

Why not just let smokers onto the pitch at half time? center circle smoking ring. sub the butts out on the centre spot. Makes sense to me.

[Matthew Le God]

Surely you can go 2 hours without one! If not you need more help than an internet forum can give.

 

I never understand why someone would goto the concourse before the halftime whistle has blown for a drink or food let alone a fag. Just eat/drink/smoke before or after the game that you have spent £30 to watch. You won't die of thirst/hunger/cravings in the 2 hours you are watching football.

[Mole]

Britain is a ****ing nanny state. Stick to rollys in the ground as they make less smoke.

[dubai_phil]

The 'smoking' bit seems to be his main issue tbf. ;-)

 

Why not just let smokers onto the pitch at half time? center circle smoking ring. sub the butts out on the centre spot. Makes sense to me.

 

Good idea but for health and safety reasons, players could come into contact with the butts. So a much better idea at the moment would be the goal line which we attack in the second half........

[rocknrollman no2]

Funny how all the non smokers suddenly get on their high horse and think the stewards are right to go in mob handed at the first sight of a ciggie.Yet if they try and throw you out for swearing,being drunk then they are suddenly little Hitlers.Not once did i ever hear anyone complain before the ban.

For what its worth,i dont smoke and never have,but im sick to death of everyone being told what to do and when to do it.

Surely there can be an answer thats agreeable to both parties?

All of the stewards have strict orders to chuck anyone out in the concourses,yet people are openingly allowed to smoke in the corporates.Is that fair?Especially when most corporate customers arent even fans?

When i went to Derby,at half time all smokers were allowed outside the ground for a smoke,then politely told when the game was about to start.No fuss and it ran smoothly.If they can do it at Pride Park they can do it here.In fact someone i know had a meeting with our stadium manager and was told the only reason we dont allow smokers out is because our club cant be bothered.

The FA has also stated that they have no problem with smokers being allowed to smoke in certain parts of the ground,but despite this,our club continues to be heavy handed.

[sadoldgit]

Britain is a ****ing nanny state. Stick to rollys in the ground as they make less smoke.

 

So Stanley, it doesn't bother you to have people who chose not to smoke have to inhale yours?

 

This "nanny" law is here for a reason and it is here to protect people who do not want to breath in harmful fumes from those of you intent on damaging themselves.

 

It is now a pleasure to go to a pub and other public places and not be polluted with other people's smoke.

 

This is one piece of nanny legislation that should be applauded.

[rocknrollman no2]

So Stanley, it doesn't bother you to have people who chose not to smoke have to inhale yours?

 

This "nanny" law is here for a reason and it is here to protect people who do not want to breath in harmful fumes from those of you intent on damaging themselves.

 

It is now a pleasure to go to a pub and other public places and not be polluted with other people's smoke.

 

This is one piece of nanny legislation that should be applauded.

Do you complain everytime you pass a bus chucking out harmful fumes?

How about writing a letter complaining about the stuff Fawley throws out at night?

As for those pubs,it seems most are now closing down because the customers arent going anymore.

Im not saying you are wrong sadoldgit,but surely a compremise could be found?

[Whitey Grandad]

Do you complain everytime you pass a bus chucking out harmful fumes?

How about writing a letter complaining about the stuff Fawley throws out at night?

As for those pubs,it seems most are now closing down because the customers arent going anymore.

Im not saying you are wrong sadoldgit,but surely a compremise could be found?

You can't compare a bus exhaust with what the concourses were like before the ban. They were a pernicious health hazard.

[trousers]

Surely there can be an answer thats agreeable to both parties?

 

Indeed. Perhaps there should be some sort of 'give and take' compromise here. In other words, I'd be happy to allow smokers to indulge in their unsocialble habit if I can be allowed to indulge in my equally unsociable habit in return? (probably best not to divulge the details of said habit here given the proximity to lunchtime....)

 

All of the stewards have strict orders to chuck anyone out in the concourses,yet people are openingly allowed to smoke in the corporates.Is that fair?

 

Not sure about the "fairness" side of things but I would suggest that such practices are illegal? Whereabouts do the corporates smoke? Inside the ground?

[dubai_phil]

So Stanley, it doesn't bother you to have people who chose not to smoke have to inhale yours?

 

This "nanny" law is here for a reason and it is here to protect people who do not want to breath in harmful fumes from those of you intent on damaging themselves.

 

It is now a pleasure to go to a pub and other public places and not be polluted with other people's smoke.

 

This is one piece of nanny legislation that should be applauded.

 

Correct in most ways.

People should be able to have an environment where they are not subjected to other people's bad habits.

 

But at the same time, IMHO there SHOULD be options for the smokers as we have here. A pub SHOULD be able to be Smoking only (and only employ smokers), (so I don't go to the non-smoking bars!) but it isn't that critical an issue in my life to get worked up about.

 

Where it DOES become an issue is if like me you fly a lot on business is at airports. You have an 8 hour flight, then a 2 hour transfer at Heathrow - man THAT is an issue! Even here in Dubai you get people flying from Aus to the new terminal before going to Europe - 14 hours on a plane then 3 hour wait with no smoking and then 8 hours or so into Europe - no wonder you get air rage incidents!

 

Anyway this is a weird thread, How come nobody has blamed Lowe for the legislation in the UK?

[Mole]

So Stanley, it doesn't bother you to have people who chose not to smoke have to inhale yours?

 

This "nanny" law is here for a reason and it is here to protect people who do not want to breath in harmful fumes from those of you intent on damaging themselves.

 

It is now a pleasure to go to a pub and other public places and not be polluted with other people's smoke.

 

This is one piece of nanny legislation that should be applauded.

 

No it doesn't bother me about whingers breathing in my smoke. In Tenerife some English woman with a face like she'd swallowed a wasp came over moaning at breakfast about my smoke wafting over. I suggested she sit outside if she didn't like it.

 

P.S pubs are **** in england now hardly anyone drinks in them anymore thanks to the smoking ban. It's another example of how Brown and the lefties have destroyed the economy.

[trousers]

Do you complain everytime you pass a bus chucking out harmful fumes?

How about writing a letter complaining about the stuff Fawley throws out at night?

 

Ah, ye olde "two (or more) wrongs making a right" philospohy....

[Mole]

Correct in most ways.

People should be able to have an environment where they are not subjected to other people's bad habits.

 

But at the same time, IMHO there SHOULD be options for the smokers as we have here. A pub SHOULD be able to be Smoking only (and only employ smokers), (so I don't go to the non-smoking bars!) but it isn't that critical an issue in my life to get worked up about.

 

Where it DOES become an issue is if like me you fly a lot on business is at airports. You have an 8 hour flight, then a 2 hour transfer at Heathrow - man THAT is an issue! Even here in Dubai you get people flying from Aus to the new terminal before going to Europe - 14 hours on a plane then 3 hour wait with no smoking and then 8 hours or so into Europe - no wonder you get air rage incidents!

 

Anyway this is a weird thread, How come nobody has blamed Lowe for the legislation in the UK?

 

Everyone was smoking in the bogs in Tenerife South airport yesterday.

[belgrave]

So Stanley, it doesn't bother you to have people who chose not to smoke have to inhale yours?

 

This "nanny" law is here for a reason and it is here to protect people who do not want to breath in harmful fumes from those of you intent on damaging themselves.

 

It is now a pleasure to go to a pub and other public places and not be polluted with other people's smoke.

 

This is one piece of nanny legislation that should be applauded.

 

As a non smoker, I am now appalled that all pubs smell of stale food and body odour.

 

It's ok though, as the pub trade will gradually go out of business.

 

Nice legislation.

[trousers]

No it doesn't bother me about whingers breathing in my smoke. In Tenerife some English woman with a face like she'd swallowed a wasp came over moaning at breakfast about my smoke wafting over. I suggested she sit outside if she didn't like it.

 

 

Where do you sit in SMS? It sounds like I have a volunteer to experience my own unsocialble habit! I'd recommend bringing a gagool to the next game...

[rpb]

And why should the club make more hassle for itself by providing for smokers anyway?

 

It depends really whether they want smokers to be customers or not...

 

The Mayflower and Nuffield allow their addicted customers out during the interval, why not St Mary's?