Wigan Athletic got the chance to host Manchester United at the DW Stadium in a competitive match in over a decade in the FA Cup third-round clash.
The Latics allowed the Red Devils to bring a whopping 7,000 fans to help fill up their 25,000-capacity DW Stadium and put on a Monday Night spectacle for fans, despite succumbing to a 2-0 loss.
However, something strange that happened before the game even kicked off became viral on social media for all the wrong reasons.
As the players were about to head onto the picture, the ITV cameras decided to show off some fans waiting in anticipation for the game.
At one point, the cameras caught a glimpse of three young Wigan fans sitting together ready to watch the match together – but the seemingly eldest of the lot acted a bit strangely.
The cameras were able to catch him put something into his mouth, which looked awfully similar to a vape.
A vape, also better known as an electric cigarette, is an alternate method of smoking that has started to replace cigarette consumption among some people.
Vaping is an alternative to smoking, with a battery-powered vape device creating an aerosol that contains nicotine and different flavouring too.
Vaping is legal in the UK, but seeing how a child was openly vaping inside the stadium without anyone to reprimand him shocked many.
The clip showed the Wigan fan was clearly taking a puff out of the vape, while trying to do his best to hide the device, but the ITV cameras moved away from him just as he was about to blow a smoke.
What is the most shocking aspect about this is the child in question does not look like he’s older than about 10 or so.
But the fact that he feels that it’s okay to vape in a stadium packed with cameras and people, including other little kids, around him shows how vaping has become a dangerously normalized thing in parts of the UK.
Vaping is actually illegal on Premier League grounds and match-going supporters are not allowed to take a ‘break’ during matches, exit the stadium to blow off some steam by vaping and then re-enter either. They have to either wait until full-time or smoke before a match begins.
Some clubs, like Manchester United and Manchester City, have warned their fans that they will be ejected from the stadium if caught vaping during a match – while Everton have a right to take away your season ticket for the same.
Vaping might not be illegal, but is an extremely harmful thing to do. It can cause major heart diseases and also lung diseases, including cancer.
That is why the top-flight clubs have made it a habit to do everything they can to advise against this type of smoking, especially in their stadium.
However, it isn’t exactly clear whether the DW Stadium has any anti-vaping rules.
Their security personnel obviously don’t check the fans well considering how a child was able to take it to the ground.
While this clip might have caused a few laughs on social media, it only goes on to show how vaping is becoming shockingly normalized in the UK and why prominent organizations like football clubs have to do more to educate their supporters about the harms of vaping to stop stuff like this from happening.
