“Drunken Idiot” Sets Off Road Flares at Philly Union Game

Three diehard Celtic FC fans allegedly set off road flares in the middle of a packed PPL Park Wednesday night. It was quite a spectacle — sending flames into the air and endangering those around them, police said. They’re all from New York and face charges of reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct, according to Philly.com Sports. Kerith Gabriel writes: According to a source close to the situation, the three, all said to hail from New York, were arrested. Two of them were arraigned on charges of reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct. For them, bail was set at $50,000. The third man, dubbed by Union president Tom Veit as “the drunken idiot,” spent some time in the clink. Veit said the man was allowed to sober up and was given a notice to appear in court at a later date. The New Yorkers lit up the stands when their team was trailing in the second half. Then, instead of putting ’em out like security asked, the guys broke into a little dance in the stands, according to Gabriel. Good times? Not to Veit, who told the paper, “We want everyone to come here and have fun, but when you get some drunken idiots that bring in flares, which have the potential to burn and maim people, we have zero tolerance for that, and we agree with the actions of the Chester Police Department wholeheartedly.” In Europe and South America, setting off flares is part of the whole experience for fans, but not in the U.S.