News Archive Goodison on course to beSmokeFree stadium
Goodison on course to beSmokeFree stadium
January 21 2005 - IN THE NEWS
Liverpool Daily Post
THE first steps have been taken to make Goodison Park the UK's first completely smoke-free football stadium.
If the radical move is followed through, cigarettes would be banned not just from bars and restaurants at the ground but also the stands used by the fans.
Already, pre-match cigarettes have been banned from three restaurant lounges at the Everton ground.
Plans are now in place to stop all smoking between noon and 3pm at all 11 of the club's restaurant lounges.
Last night, a spokesman for Everton said a complete ban in future was not being ruled out, in line with plans for Liverpool to become the UK's first smoke-free city.
However, he stressed fans would be consulted before any final decision. He told the Daily Post: "This is not a draconian measure that we would impose on the ground. It is going to be much more of a drip, drip effect.
"We would never do anything without consulting the fans."
Asked if it meant the whole ground - including fans' seats - would eventually become smoke-free, he said: "We cannot rule that out."
He said: "We appreciate that Liverpool is prominent in pushing through the no smoking policy."We expect that it will be one of the major EU cities that will be smoke-free in the next three or four years.
"We know that we can't ignore the issue. We want to be pre-eminent in the campaign for better living."
The pilot ban was first proposed in February last year, after a survey found 94% of diners at Everton were in favour of a smoking ban.
It came after the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, which is chaired by former Everton chairman and now life president Sir Philip Carter, put forward a proposal for the club to become non-smoking.
Last night, Mike Unger, chief executive at the foundation, said he was pleased the club, now chaired by Bill Kenwright, was continuing the plan.
He told the Daily Post: "We are absolutely delighted that they are following it through.
"It's a massive boost for the campaign to create a smoke-free city."People forget that all enclosed public places are work places, for the bar staff, restaurant staff, the footballers and the media.
"It's very important that people are allowed to work in a safe environment."
Everton's smoke-free plans are being led by the club's catering company, Optima, which serves 1,200 sit down-meals every match day.
Yesterday, the club's hospitality and events manager Joanne McGrane said: "The issue was first raised even before Liverpool launched its plan to be a smoke-free city.
"We did a survey and it came back that 94% of the diners wanted a smoke-free zone."
Following a board level discussion, pre-match smoking was banned in three restaurant lounges, the Joe Mercer, the Alex Young, and the Vice Presidents.
The club's official spokesman said: "We discussed this at executive level about a year ago and decided to trial it at a couple of restaurants.
"We are just testing the water to see what the feedback is like. So far it's been mostly positive, but we have got to be careful.
"Ultimately this is an entertainment facility and we can't simply dump on 40,000 people that they can't smoke."If the fans don't want it, then it won't go ahead."
Anti-smoking campaigners last night welcomed the proposal.
Andy Hull, chairman of Smoke Free Liverpool, said: "It's great news for us and the campaign. Everton are riding high in the league and the campaign is riding high in the imagination of the people in the city.
"Everton and the other football clubs can provide a very positive lead to other organisations throughout the city and provide a very strong emblem of the city's intention to take a lead."
However, fans' reaction was mixed. Supporters' club secretary Keith Wilson said: "I applaud Everton's efforts, but I think they need to be careful.
"There is nothing worse than sitting down to a meal and someone lighting up a fag, so I'm pleased they are looking at a ban in eating areas.
"But it's a different thing in the stands.
"The working classes traditionally like their pint, pie and a fag at half time.
"I think it's fine to have smoke-free areas, or smoking areas, but I think it would affect ticket sales if it was to go further.
"I reckon it would be about a 50/50 split for and against among the fans." Several clubs with new grounds, including Derby and Middlesbrough, have introduced no-smoking areas, but it is understood no club has so far banned smoking outright.
Mike Crofton, secretary of the Birkenhead Everton supporters' club said: "As a non-smoker I'd personally be delighted, but you have to treat everyone equally.
"It causes a lot of bad feelings when we go to places like Middlesbrough or Derby, people forget they aren't supposed to light up.
"I think it will be very difficult to implement."
