Could the appalling behaviour of fans during and after the Glasgow Rangers v St Petersburg in Manchester this week be repeated at Valhalla in September ?
Golf and The Ryder Cup in particular, has been subject to problems during recent times. "The War on the Shore" in 1991 at Kiawah Island and the scenes at Oakland Hills Country Club during 2004 spring readily to mind. A very tense atmosphere dominated the 2002 match at The Belfry and only skillful handling by the police and stewards averted serious trouble.
Paul Azinger and Nick Faldo must exercise great care with words and deeds in the months ahead.
Every comment and nuance they make will be exploited by the media, always keen to maximise TV ratings and increase newspaper circulations.
Both teams are not yet finalised, however those who are almost sure of a final place and those who have played in previous matches must also use common sense when commenting on the fixture.
Europe, it seems, will have several rookies in the team and this alone will present opportunities for intimidation, prior to and during the game.
Samuel Ryder, presented the trophy, to foster goodwill and fellowship between the professional golfers in Great Britain & The United States of America.
The commercial success of the venture and the huge crowds it attracts may well put his noble gesture in jeopardy, if the officials, players and media let things get out of hand.
comments (0) write a comment »
write a new comment
This article has no comments.