The Colonel
Immortal
- Messages
- 41,950
No cowboy hats
By JOSH MASSOUD and GEMMA JONES
September 29, 2005
NORTH Queensland is resigned to losing one of its biggest strike weapons for Sunday's Grand Final.
In a boost for Tigers fans, the giant cowboy hats worn so proudly by North Queensland supporters during the final series have been outlawed.
Standing more than half a metre tall, the hats have provided those seated behind them with the short end of the straw.
Now, after dozens of complaints from irate fans who couldn't see the action last Sunday, the NRL and Telstra Stadium reached for the lasso.
Cowboys fans at this Sunday's Grand Final will no longer be able to purchase the visually-obtrusive hats.
"We don't have anything against the hats, but we don't want to make the problem any worse by selling more," NRL spokesman John Brady said.
Telstra Stadium officials have agreed to allow Cowboys fans to bring their hats to the match.
Wearing them for a prolonged time during the game is another matter altogether.
"If an oversized hat causes a nuisance by blocking the view of other patrons, the wearer may be requested to remove the hat," a stadium spokesman said.
"That's nothing more than commonsense and we hope fans can have respect for each other before it becomes necessary for intervention."
Already outsiders for Sunday's Grand Final, the Cowboys are expected to blow out further in betting as a result of yesterday's hat news.
If the reaction of NSW-based fan group The Southern Stampede is any gauge, the glitch could prove a major threat to team morale.
Driving to games with their cowboy hats protruding from the sun roof is all part of the fun for Dan and Colleen Haynes, from the Central Coast.
Mr Haynes says the crackdown on the trademark hats is just disguised support for the home team, the Wests Tigers.
"We always respect other fans, and 90 per cent of Cowboy fans do," Mr Haynes, who has bravely decorated his Forresters Beach butcher's shop, said yesterday.
"The cowboy hats are unique to the team, something a lot of other teams don't have." http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,20281,16754837-5001022,00.html
By JOSH MASSOUD and GEMMA JONES
September 29, 2005
NORTH Queensland is resigned to losing one of its biggest strike weapons for Sunday's Grand Final.
In a boost for Tigers fans, the giant cowboy hats worn so proudly by North Queensland supporters during the final series have been outlawed.
Standing more than half a metre tall, the hats have provided those seated behind them with the short end of the straw.
Now, after dozens of complaints from irate fans who couldn't see the action last Sunday, the NRL and Telstra Stadium reached for the lasso.
Cowboys fans at this Sunday's Grand Final will no longer be able to purchase the visually-obtrusive hats.
"We don't have anything against the hats, but we don't want to make the problem any worse by selling more," NRL spokesman John Brady said.
Telstra Stadium officials have agreed to allow Cowboys fans to bring their hats to the match.
Wearing them for a prolonged time during the game is another matter altogether.
"If an oversized hat causes a nuisance by blocking the view of other patrons, the wearer may be requested to remove the hat," a stadium spokesman said.
"That's nothing more than commonsense and we hope fans can have respect for each other before it becomes necessary for intervention."
Already outsiders for Sunday's Grand Final, the Cowboys are expected to blow out further in betting as a result of yesterday's hat news.
If the reaction of NSW-based fan group The Southern Stampede is any gauge, the glitch could prove a major threat to team morale.
Driving to games with their cowboy hats protruding from the sun roof is all part of the fun for Dan and Colleen Haynes, from the Central Coast.
Mr Haynes says the crackdown on the trademark hats is just disguised support for the home team, the Wests Tigers.
"We always respect other fans, and 90 per cent of Cowboy fans do," Mr Haynes, who has bravely decorated his Forresters Beach butcher's shop, said yesterday.
"The cowboy hats are unique to the team, something a lot of other teams don't have." http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,20281,16754837-5001022,00.html
).
