DCI_Gene_Hunt
Well-known member
Thinking about the reports of the behaviour of some of our away fans and having seen a few stories like this one I got to wondering about the perception of football fans behaviour.
Do people think things are getting worse at games?
Report below from today's Times.
Martyn Ziegler, Chief Sports Reporter, Tom Roddy
Monday January 24 2022, 6.45pm, The Times
Premier League
Football
Two Villa players were hit by plastic bottles as they celebrated their side’s winner against Everton at the weekend
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/...hold-crisis-talks-over-fan-disorder-0r6dtlqb2
The Premier League will hold urgent talks with police chiefs and other football authorities this week after a spate of incidents involving crowd disorder.
There has been growing concern about the conduct of supporters, and the UK’s football police chief has said that fans’ behaviour is “getting worse”. There have been 802 football-related arrests this season — an increase of 47 per cent from 547 arrests in 2019-20.
This weekend, in the Premier League, missiles were thrown at players in two matches, there was a pitch invasion by three Manchester City fans, flares were set off at Southampton and a drone halted play at Brentford v Wolverhampton Wanderers after being spotted above the stadium.
In response, Premier League chiefs will meet their counterparts at the FA and EFL and will speak to top-flight clubs about the disorder this week. They will also hold talks with the United Kingdom Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) on how to prevent and handle future incidents.
The move comes after two men were arrested after objects were thrown at the Chelsea defender Antonio Rüdiger from the away section at Stamford Bridge during Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur yesterday. The referee, Paul Tierney, paused play in the 73rd minute and requested that more stewards be stationed in the away end. Rüdiger and Tierney are also believed to have cleared a cigarette lighter and bottle opener from the pitch.
The Chelsea head coach, Thomas Tuchel, subsequently called for a clampdown on unruly behaviour and the FA has opened an investigation and is liaising with the Metropolitan Police.
The incident came a day after the Aston Villa players Lucas Digne and Matty Cash were hit by plastic bottles thrown by Everton fans as they celebrated Villa’s winner in their 1-0 triumph at Goodison Park. Merseyside police have charged Roger Tweedle, 19, of Walton, Liverpool, with assault and throwing an item on to the pitch.
There have been 802 football-related arrests this season — an increase of 47 per cent from 547 arrests in 2019-20 and the highest number of arrests since the unit started collating data in the 2015-16 season.
There have also been 759 reported incidents of disorder — including flares, missiles and hate crime — up 36 per cent from 560 in 19-20. Incidents of disorder have been reported at almost half (48 per cent) of all games across the top divisions — compared with 34 per cent in the 19-20 season. There are no comparable figures from last season as matches were played in empty stadiums.
Chief Constable Mark Roberts, head of the UKFPU, said the increased levels of disorder were “concerning”, particularly among younger fans.
Tuchel had previously recorded a message to Chelsea supporters urging them to behave, and made clear that he would back a nationwide crackdown on offenders.
“I sent a message to our supporters that we love to have them close to the pitch, that it is a brilliant atmosphere that they are not behind fences or nets,” the Chelsea head coach said.
“Everybody needs to show respect and behave to certain guidelines, there is no doubt about it. If this is the new trend we should act together so that it stops as soon as possible to protect the atmosphere and the environment of this game, because it is absolutely unique here in England.”
Incidents not confined to England
Crowd disorder has not only been a problem in the Premier League this season. Two matches in France involving Marseilles have been abandoned this term, on both occasions after Dimitri Payet, the former West Ham United winger, was struck by a water bottle — while playing against Nice in August and Lens in November.
In September, also in France, the second half of Lens’s derby against Lille was held up after fans invaded the pitch and threw objects.
This month, the Copa del Rey match between Real Betis and Seville was abandoned after Seville’s Joan Jordán was struck by a pole.
On Saturday in Brazil, a knife was thrown on to the pitch by a São Paulo fan during an under-20 cup semi-final against Palmeiras.
Do people think things are getting worse at games?
Report below from today's Times.
Premier League and police to hold crisis talks over fan disorder
Football-related arrests this season have almost doubled compared with 2019-20
Martyn Ziegler, Chief Sports Reporter, Tom Roddy
Monday January 24 2022, 6.45pm, The Times
Premier League
Football
Two Villa players were hit by plastic bottles as they celebrated their side’s winner against Everton at the weekend
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/...hold-crisis-talks-over-fan-disorder-0r6dtlqb2
The Premier League will hold urgent talks with police chiefs and other football authorities this week after a spate of incidents involving crowd disorder.
There has been growing concern about the conduct of supporters, and the UK’s football police chief has said that fans’ behaviour is “getting worse”. There have been 802 football-related arrests this season — an increase of 47 per cent from 547 arrests in 2019-20.
This weekend, in the Premier League, missiles were thrown at players in two matches, there was a pitch invasion by three Manchester City fans, flares were set off at Southampton and a drone halted play at Brentford v Wolverhampton Wanderers after being spotted above the stadium.
In response, Premier League chiefs will meet their counterparts at the FA and EFL and will speak to top-flight clubs about the disorder this week. They will also hold talks with the United Kingdom Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) on how to prevent and handle future incidents.
The move comes after two men were arrested after objects were thrown at the Chelsea defender Antonio Rüdiger from the away section at Stamford Bridge during Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur yesterday. The referee, Paul Tierney, paused play in the 73rd minute and requested that more stewards be stationed in the away end. Rüdiger and Tierney are also believed to have cleared a cigarette lighter and bottle opener from the pitch.
The Chelsea head coach, Thomas Tuchel, subsequently called for a clampdown on unruly behaviour and the FA has opened an investigation and is liaising with the Metropolitan Police.
The incident came a day after the Aston Villa players Lucas Digne and Matty Cash were hit by plastic bottles thrown by Everton fans as they celebrated Villa’s winner in their 1-0 triumph at Goodison Park. Merseyside police have charged Roger Tweedle, 19, of Walton, Liverpool, with assault and throwing an item on to the pitch.
There have been 802 football-related arrests this season — an increase of 47 per cent from 547 arrests in 2019-20 and the highest number of arrests since the unit started collating data in the 2015-16 season.
There have also been 759 reported incidents of disorder — including flares, missiles and hate crime — up 36 per cent from 560 in 19-20. Incidents of disorder have been reported at almost half (48 per cent) of all games across the top divisions — compared with 34 per cent in the 19-20 season. There are no comparable figures from last season as matches were played in empty stadiums.
Chief Constable Mark Roberts, head of the UKFPU, said the increased levels of disorder were “concerning”, particularly among younger fans.
Tuchel had previously recorded a message to Chelsea supporters urging them to behave, and made clear that he would back a nationwide crackdown on offenders.
“I sent a message to our supporters that we love to have them close to the pitch, that it is a brilliant atmosphere that they are not behind fences or nets,” the Chelsea head coach said.
“Everybody needs to show respect and behave to certain guidelines, there is no doubt about it. If this is the new trend we should act together so that it stops as soon as possible to protect the atmosphere and the environment of this game, because it is absolutely unique here in England.”
Incidents not confined to England
Crowd disorder has not only been a problem in the Premier League this season. Two matches in France involving Marseilles have been abandoned this term, on both occasions after Dimitri Payet, the former West Ham United winger, was struck by a water bottle — while playing against Nice in August and Lens in November.
In September, also in France, the second half of Lens’s derby against Lille was held up after fans invaded the pitch and threw objects.
This month, the Copa del Rey match between Real Betis and Seville was abandoned after Seville’s Joan Jordán was struck by a pole.
On Saturday in Brazil, a knife was thrown on to the pitch by a São Paulo fan during an under-20 cup semi-final against Palmeiras.