Originally Posted by
d13bohs
I haven't posted on this forum in a long time but, having ploughed through all of the posts on this thread, I have been very disapppointed by the 'lock em all up and throw away the key ' attitude displayed by many posters on here.
The individual concerned is not nor has never been involved in any hooligan activity. He was a former barman in Dalymount so of course he is on first name terms with all the regular customers. He worked under a very popular bar manager who left when a new regime (the current one) took over the club and in the bars.
Guilt by association is an absolute disgrace. Where is the line drawn? If you speak to someone who used to be invovled in a few fights 5-6 years ago when they were in their late teens/early twenties but haven't done anything for years, should you be banned? If you speak to someone who wears designer label clothes to matches rather than a jersey, scarf and hat but has never been in a fight, should you be banned? It is entirely subjective and based on the whim of individual board members (and those who report to them).
I admire those who show such faith in the decision making powers of those in charge at Bohs, however, having experienced it first hand, I cannot share it. I received a call from a senior board member, telling me that I was identified and named as a member of a travelling party to the Sligo game at Easter which included some people who were banned from Dalymount. I am fairly well known at Dalymount and, to the best of my knowledge, don't look very similar to anyone else down there so the person naming me as being part of that group clearly knew who I was and intended to get me barred as part of this 'guilt by association' policy. The board member (who I know quite well) was surprised and extremely apologetic when I informed him that I was actually on holidays in Reykjavik with my girlfriend while I was allegedly on this bus with people banned from Dalymount.
Therefore it is clear that if individuals in a position of power at Bohs decide they want to bar you, they can do so indiscriminately. I just happened to be lucky enough to know a board member well enough to have the opportunity to defend my name against the blatant lies told about me. To those who say that if people do not travel on the same form of transport as banned people, there will be no problem, I think that's outrageous. One of my good friends got barred until the end of last season for encroaching on the pitch to celebrate a (practically) last minute winner from Glen Crowe against rovers in the league cup semi-final. He shouldn't have done it but I think his actions were highly understandable in the circumstances. By travelling with him to matches, the guilt by association excuse could be used to ban me or any of my friends at any time. It is an absolute outrage and to see so many on here taking the militant right-wing view supporting this action is very disappointing.