GERRARD: I’D LET MY GUYS TAKE A WALK
STEVEN GERRARD last night warned he’d take his Rangers team off the pitch if he felt players’ safety was compromised by thugs.
The Ibrox boss wants tough jail sentences for supporters who come on to the field of play and insists authorities must send out a message that keeps fans in the stands.
Gerrard admitted he’s sick of talking about the yobs but knows it’s unavoidable.
His skipper James Tavernier was confronted by a Hibs fan before Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish was punched during the Birmingham derby and Chris Smalling shoved in Manchester United’s game at Arsenal.
Gerrard said: “The only way to stop these things is to give severe punishment and make proper examples of them.
“There will be regret when they are sitting in a room with a brick wall and a tiny window that doesn’t open and they’re in there for two, three, four years.
“When they do it, straight away they think they are heroes in front of their mates don’t they? ‘I ran on the pitch and I’ve done this’.
“But then their mates don’t even come and visit them in the jail for two or three years because they realise one of their mates is an absolute idiot.
“It’d just plant that seed in every other idiot’s head not to do.
“We could be talking about players with broken jaws, broken nose, stitches and all that.
“We’re lucky, in a way, there hasn’t been much damage done. We just need it to stop.”
Asked if he’d take his players off the field, Gerrard said: “Yes, if there was a situation where I thought it was necessary.
“What we’d do is speak to police and officials and make a collective decision. It’s a decision I’d support if any of my players or opposition’s were at risk.
“The important thing is everyone’s security are on their toes because it seems to be popular over the last few weeks.
“You have to pay credit to James but also the way Jack behaved. Both were professional and deserve a lot of credit because your first instinct is to defend yourself.”