A dark stain on soccer in the Bay

THE senseless death of a spectator at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium during the Chippa United versus Kaizer Chiefs PSL match at the weekend has raised some serious questions which have so far been left unanswered.

What was meant to be a fun event for 44 000 spectators and two soccer teams turned into a tragic afternoon when a Kaizer Chiefs fan from Cape Town died from a gunshot wound following a scuffle between fellow spectators and police.

Because of the passion soccer invokes among supporters there have been countless incidents around the world which have ended in tragedy and resulted in unnecessary deaths.

Excited fans at big events can trigger unexpected situations which stadium security staff need to be mindful of. It is vital that the people charged with securing the perimeter of the field are highly trained and well versed in how to react when volatile situations occur.

Saturday’s match passed without incident but the emotion of the crowd boiled over as fans anticipated their heroes being handed the glit- tering Premiership trophy.

If this had just been another match when the players left the field after 90 minutes, the pitch invasion would probably never have happened.

It was in the following minutes as the podium was being prepared for the hand-over that some fans could not resist the temptation of getting within touching distance.

This is where matters went dramatically wrong as fans breached what should have been a ring of steel around the playing field. After some fans had found their way onto the pitch, others followed suit and a free-for-all ensued with security personnel clearly outnumbered and unable to control the invasion.

There are no doubt many reasons for Saturday’s events and a top level inquiry is needed to ensure this is not repeated.

Time is not on the side of stadium and security officials as they prepare for the Nedbank Cup final here on Saturday which could present a similar set of challenges. Nobody expects to die when going to watch a soccer match and this tragic death is a dark stain on soccer in the Bay.