Drunken antics spoil fun for some at Bombers game, fans say

Blue and Gold fans say they're disappointed by drunken antics at a recent home gameafter a fan swore at and poured beer on a nine-year-old boySaturday during the Banjo Bowl.

"The last Banjo Bowl I went to, it looked like a big brawl on the other side of the stadium because they were trying to take people out because they were too intoxicated," said April Vandal, addingshe hasdecided against attending the annual grudge match against Saskatchewan in recent years.

Vandal's comments cameafterJanelle-Marie Emond told CBC News thata fan harassed her nine-year-old son in the stands duringSaturday's game at Investors Group Field.

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Edmond's son happened to bewearing a green sweater, which she said two female Blue Bombersfans mistook as support for the Roughriders.They lashed out at at the boywho was attendinghis first football gameand one of them then dumped beer on her son, Edmond said.

The BlueBombers organization has since reached out to Edmond, giving themfree tickets to future games, Bombers T-shirtsand other merchandise, as well as an invitationto meet players to make up for the bad experience they had last weekend.

"The sort of behaviour identified in this incident is not condoned, nor does it represent the way the vast majority of our fans behave," a spokesperson with the football club told CBC News.

Vandal said the last time she was at theBanjo Bowl,she ended up leaving before the end of the game.

"When you are there to watch a game and have people screaming in your ear because someone iswearing a Riders jersey or shirt or green, it's annoying," Vandal said.

Win streak played factor in hype: fan

Heather Milne was at the game Saturday with her husband and saidthings alwaysget rowdier at the Banjo Bowl compared to other regular-season games.

"I think drinking is not typically an issue at football games," Milnesaid."The Banjo BowlI thinkhistorically hasbeen known to be a little bit crazier because of the rivalry betweenthe Bombers and the Riders."

Every year,Winnipegand Saskatchewan play back-to-back games on each team's home turf;the Banjo Bowl takes place in Winnipeg, followingthe Labour Day Classicin Regina.

Ithink it was just a bad apple or a couple of bad apples.- PaulaKilgour

While the Banjo Bowl is typically noisier than other games, Milne saidfans seemed even more worked up this year compared to past years.

"I think it was particularly hyped because of the recordgoing into the Banjo Bowl," Milne said.

The Bombers are riding a six-game winning streak and beat the Riders 28-25 a week earlier in the Labour Day Classic the first time Winnipeg has come away from that game victorious since 2004.

'Bad apples'

Paula Kilgour, a former Winnipeggerwho isin town fromSacramento, said NFL football fans in California are also known to cross lines at games.

"If you go to a Raiders game in the wrong colour jersey there,you're going to get ina lot of trouble," Kilgour said, adding that it's not an excuse forwhat happened to Edmond's son.

"Anyfootball game or hockey game, you're going tohave people drinking, and Ithink it was just a bad apple or a couple of bad apples."

Bomber fan Murray Moffatt said he thinks the Bombers responded to what happened in the right way.He thinks whatEdmond experienced was an isolated incident and does notreflect the true character of most Winnipeg fans.

"It's not representative of 35,000people, that's for sure," he said.

"There's always somebody in there that's not thinking right. Could bealcohol or could be an issue.It must be an issue to do something thatstupid."

Some fans calledfor the Bombers to have an alcohol-free area at games, but the football club pointed outan alcohol-free family zonehas always existed at Investors Group Field and even at the old Canad InnsStadium.