If it had been published on April 1, your PoO team would have had a good chuckle and credited Stuff with posting a splendid spoof.
Not just a spoof, but a spoof spiced by a raunchy headline:
But this was published yesterday, telling us that hundreds of footballers are preparing to kick off at a tournament in Queenstown.
Players will be expected to comply with the usual rules of football, of course – but they must also constrain themselves from kicking balls too high.
The reason: local authorities are anxious to ensure against endangering low-flying aircraft.
Stuff reported:
The three-day Queenstown International Football Cup at the Queenstown Events Centre begins on Friday, and comes with a warning for junior footballers.
On Wednesday, organisers noted that several fields “sit under an active flight path“.
“Low-flying aircraft may pass directly overhead during games.”
The screenshot above illustrates the article.
Because of the proximity to the local airport, players and management have been advised:
- 'No kicking balls high or playing with balls on surrounding grass areas.'
- ‘No casual kick-arounds on the sidelines before or after games.'
- ’Referees may pause play when aircraft are approaching.'
Those rules “are in place to keep everyone safe”.
Carla Rogers is relationship manager with Global Games, which runs the event.
She told Stuff:
“We’ve been running events at the Queenstown Events Centre for over 15 years, and aircraft flying overhead has always been part of the environment given the proximity to the airport”.
Photographs illustrating the Stuff report (one of them kicks off this article) affirm that aircraft might be part of the environment because of the proximity to the airport.
But we remain bemused that pilots might have to dodge footballs, as well as avoid bird strikes and unauthorised drones and be on alert for lunatics intent on disabling them with lasers.
Teams, players, and referees will be briefed so “everyone is aware and can respond appropriately if needed”, Rogers said.
“It’s a well understood and well managed part of operating at the venue, and we work within the existing guidelines to ensure everything runs smoothly and safely.”
Queenstown Lakes District Council sport and recreation manager Alex Martin said the warning sent to all Global Games participants was standard procedure.
He also explained that it arose from a 2023 incident involving a different tournament.
In that incident “a ball was kicked in an attempt to hit a low-flying plane”.
Oh dear – but what were the chances of scoring?
One in 10 or one in a million?
Whatever the chance, the council has “worked with the airport to come up with a solution to minimise the risk of it happening again,” Martin said.
The warning, the signage around the field and the potential for play to be stopped when aircraft are landing are implemented as usual practice for safety reasons.
Players with an urge to demonstrate their high-kicking prowess have something more than the referee to deter them:
Tournament organisers added that “interfering with aircraft is a legal offence under NZ aviation law”.
Not just a red-card offence, then. Interfering with an aircraft, its components, or equipment is a serious offence under the Civil Aviation Act, punishable by fines up to $10,000 for individuals.
PoO supposes the rule applies to all ball sports.
We therefore were reminded of rugby radio commentator Winston McCarthy and his gift for telling us what was happening after All Black fullback Don Clarke – or someone of his ilk – had just taken a penalty or conversion kick.
As the ball soared towards the posts, his famous catch-cry was “Listen … listen .. it’s a goal!”
What would he have said if a bloody aircraft had got in the way?
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.
Carla Rogers is relationship manager with Global Games, which runs the event.
She told Stuff:
“We’ve been running events at the Queenstown Events Centre for over 15 years, and aircraft flying overhead has always been part of the environment given the proximity to the airport”.
Photographs illustrating the Stuff report (one of them kicks off this article) affirm that aircraft might be part of the environment because of the proximity to the airport.
But we remain bemused that pilots might have to dodge footballs, as well as avoid bird strikes and unauthorised drones and be on alert for lunatics intent on disabling them with lasers.
Teams, players, and referees will be briefed so “everyone is aware and can respond appropriately if needed”, Rogers said.
“It’s a well understood and well managed part of operating at the venue, and we work within the existing guidelines to ensure everything runs smoothly and safely.”
Queenstown Lakes District Council sport and recreation manager Alex Martin said the warning sent to all Global Games participants was standard procedure.
He also explained that it arose from a 2023 incident involving a different tournament.
In that incident “a ball was kicked in an attempt to hit a low-flying plane”.
Oh dear – but what were the chances of scoring?
One in 10 or one in a million?
Whatever the chance, the council has “worked with the airport to come up with a solution to minimise the risk of it happening again,” Martin said.
The warning, the signage around the field and the potential for play to be stopped when aircraft are landing are implemented as usual practice for safety reasons.
Players with an urge to demonstrate their high-kicking prowess have something more than the referee to deter them:
Tournament organisers added that “interfering with aircraft is a legal offence under NZ aviation law”.
Not just a red-card offence, then. Interfering with an aircraft, its components, or equipment is a serious offence under the Civil Aviation Act, punishable by fines up to $10,000 for individuals.
PoO supposes the rule applies to all ball sports.
We therefore were reminded of rugby radio commentator Winston McCarthy and his gift for telling us what was happening after All Black fullback Don Clarke – or someone of his ilk – had just taken a penalty or conversion kick.
As the ball soared towards the posts, his famous catch-cry was “Listen … listen .. it’s a goal!”
What would he have said if a bloody aircraft had got in the way?
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.
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