Return of fences NOT the answer says police chief
A RETURN to perimeter fencing is not the answer to tackling pitch invasions and would represent “a failure of us all”, the UK’S football policing lead has said.
Recent matches in the Premier League and EFL have been marred by pitch invasions, and in some cases fans have clashed with players and other club staff after coming on to the field.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has warned a failure to tackle the issue could end in tragedy, and the Professional Footballers’ Association has issued a fresh statement calling on the football and police authorities to take a tough stance on anyone invading the pitch.
Chief Constable Mark Roberts of Cheshire Police, the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Football Policing Lead, says clubs will need to look at investment in physical measures which can deter pitch invasions alongside strong sanctions for those who behave violently on the pitch.
But he said there was no way that bringing back fencing – a regular feature at football grounds until the 1989 Hillsborough disaster – could be the answer.
“No-one wants fences around the ground. That will be, frankly, an absolute failure of us all if we ever went back to a situation where there were fences around the ground,” he said.
“It’s not safe, we don’t want it and we’d like to think we can manage it without that. I think, sadly, the clubs may have to look at some sort of investment about how do you keep people off the playing surface without erecting fences?
“You see some mechanisms that are around Wembley, which make it difficult for people to get on the pitch quickly, which seems to be quite effective. They can be collapsed in need of emergency should you need to evacuate people on the pitch. So I think it’s incumbent on us all to look at a range of measures.”
Howe said urgent action had to be taken by the authorities in order to avoid “potential tragedy”.
His Crystal Palace counterpart,
No-one wants fences around the ground. That will be, frankly, an absolute failure of us all.
Chief Constable Mark Roberts
Patrick Vieira, was involved in an altercation after Everton fans invaded the pitch and goaded him at Goodison Park on Thursday night following a 3-2 win which guaranteed their Premier League survival.
The Magpies travel to Burnley tomorrow, who are also battling against relegation, and Howe said: “We’re going into dangerous territory where something could happen in a game that has terrible consequences.”
Chief Constable Roberts said it was impossible to sanction thousands of people for invading the pitch but added: “We need to start doing something to address the behaviour.”
He welcomed the 24-week jail sentence and 10-year banning order imposed on a Nottingham Forest fan who came on to the pitch and headbutted Sheffield United’s Billy Sharp earlier this week.
Nottinghamshire Police also arrested a 25-year-old man on suspicion of assault as part of an investigation into a video circulating on social media. Merseyside Police are investigating an altercation on the pitch at Goodison Park.
The PFA wants a tough line to be taken on pitch encroachment in order to ensure its members’ safety.
“While the majority of fans may be celebrating, it is clear that for a minority, this behaviour becomes toxic, aggressive and dangerous,” said a union spokesperson.
“The football authorities need to be tough and send a clear message. It is a criminal offence, and it is unacceptable.”