Policing a hobby – who pays?

So, the police have suggested that football clubs pay for the policing of matches. When I heard about this on the news last night I was preparing dinner and so it just seeped around my consciousness without causing any ripples, then they interviewed people, mainly football fans and utensils, plates and saucepans bore the brunt of my anger. These, obviously unbiased members of the public, were saying that the clubs shouldn’t have to pay as it would increase the cost of tickets. In my family there are several footie fans so I do appreciate that following the ‘beautiful’ game is expensive, but hang on a minute, it is not compulsory. People choose to attend a match, it is a pastime, a hobby. Unfortunately some of the attendees at matches cause problems, football is a very sectarian thing, there is huge rivalry and tempers will be lost and aggression shown. I don’t go to matches, it isn’t my hobby, gardening is one of my hobbies. I don’t expect the tax payer to contribute towards, or subsidise my hobby, why should I contribute toward the policing of a football supporter’s hobby? We are not talking here of an exceptional occurrence, Live Aid; the Queens birthday celebrations; a State funeral, we are talking here about something that happens several times a week, over 10 months of the year, countrywide. We are talking about millions of tax-payers money, the majority of whom don’t go to football matches, being spent to ensure that a minority can enjoy their hobby. We are subsidising either the fans, so ticket prices aren’t increased, or the clubs themselves who are paying their players so much that they can’t think of paying to improve the fans safety. There is something very wrong with a ‘game’ where someone playing for a club can earn in a week what it costs to police a clubs matches for the year.

We are always happy to discuss how it might be possible to further reduce costs, or indeed how football can help the police tackle youth crime, but we fail to see why football fans should pay twice for policing

Dan Johnson, Premier League

Well, Mr Dan Johnson. I also pay tax and I don’t see why a portion of my tax should go toward policing a hobby where clubs are prepared to pay millions for someone to kick a ball around. Why should I even pay once? Out Mr Johnson comes with the clubs have all paid taxes………yes, so have most of us, it’s the law that if you earn money, live in a house, buy petrol, drive a car, buy non-perishables etc. etc. you pay tax. If you fly you also pay tax, you, the person flying pays tax, I don’t pay tax for other people to go on holiday.

Come on you Premiership clubs, pay for the policing.

Afterthought – What happens on the continent, who pays there?

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