Friday, October 17, 2014

Football Drone?

Skysports


Daily Mail: October 14

Cited

'Serbia says UEFA should award THEM 3-0 win after match against 'terrorist' Albania abandoned after drone used to fly flag over the pitch leads to violent scenes (and arrest of PM's brother) UEFA banned away fans from attending the Serbia vs Albania clash at the Partizan Stadium in Belgrade

There are long-running political tensions between the two countries over the Kosovo region

A drone carrying the Albanian flag was flown above the pitch late in the first half

The flag showed a map of Kosovo and the message 'autochthonous' (indigenous)

Serbia's Stefan Mitrovic pulled the flag down and was confronted by Albanian players Brother of Albanian PM arrested in VIP Box for allegedly instigating stunt Police surrounded the field in a four-deep cordon as English referee

Martin Atkinson led the players off

But some fans were able to storm the field, one throwing a chair at Albanian players

The match was abandoned after half-an-hour delay

Aleksandar Kolarov helped the opposition from the pitch as fans threw objects at them UEFA say they will now investigate the incident'

Cited

'Olsi Rama, the brother of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, was arrested in the VIP box for allegedly instigating the stunt, confirmed CNN.

He was arrested on suspicion that he masterminded and executed the incident in which a flag with a map of greater Albania was flown over the pitch and the terraces, after which the match between Serbia and Albania was abandoned,' Serbian state television said on its official website (www.rts.rs).

UEFA have also launched an inquiry into the violence.

Serbia refuse to recognise Kosovo as an independent nation - an issue that is hotly disputed by Albanians who dominate the population.

English referee Martin Atkinson interrupted the match in the 41st minute after Mitrovic grabbed the flag and Albania's players tried to protect it. Several Serbian fans invaded the pitch and clashed with Albanian players.'

A key problem in this situation, observing from a far and having not viewed the match on television or the web (why would I watch non-Euro or World Cup contenders Serbia and Albania?) is that the players becoming involved made the situation far worse.

In my view, to maintain law and order (Romans 13) the reasonable and common sense approach would have been for the players, both from Serbia or Albania, having seen the drone, to leave the incident for UEFA or FIFA officials to deal with, and/or for Serbian  police and security authorities to deal with the incident.

For players to become involved with their clearly marked uniforms, indicating sides, was to spark potential violent behavior and rioting from the primarily pro-Serbian crowd and from whatever away Albania supporters were present.

This was foolishness in approach from the players that did not stand back and let the authorities take care of the 'football drone', and even worse behaviour from the violent, rioting spectators.

Philosophically and psychologically, I state this is largely by the spectators involved an excuse to be violent, appealing to sinful nature (Romans 1-3) and the anger and frustrations of life which could include long held political ones, which may not even largely effect those individual persons today.

As I noted on Facebook

'Certain people, in my opinion, use these events as excuses to possibly be violent.'

Football shenanigans strikes again...

Daily Mail
Daily Mail