ACT NOW OR THERE WILL BE A TRAGEDY
++ Toon boss Howe fears the worst after rise of pitch invasions ++ FA launch probe ++ Vieira to be charged for kicking fan ++
EDDIe howe fears football could be heading for a tragedy if it doesn’t get tough and clamp down on pitch-invading supporters who have brought shame on the game.
The newcastle manager delivered the stark warning after a week of ugly scenes that have marred matches across england, culminating in a post-match altercation when Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira was confronted and provoked into a furious reaction by an evertonsupporting yob on Thursday.
Following a recent spate of unsavoury incidents, Sportsmail can report that:
lPolice chief Mark Roberts has warned clubs may now need to put up barriers to prevent fans getting on the pitch.
lVieira faces an FA charge amid Palace fury about the behaviour of everton fans and handling of the first pitch invasion.
l everton are also in the dock and the subject of a wide-ranging investigation into the behaviour of their supporters.
lThe FA pledged to review their rules in a bid to tackle the growing crisis and challenged clubs to step up their efforts in the fight to tackle the escalating crisis.
l Players and managers have expressed fears about their safety, lack of security in grounds and concerns about what else fans can smuggle in as well as sneaking in flares.
lSheffield United and Scotland striker Oli McBurnie was arrested and interviewed after appearing to stamp on a supporter during a play-off pitch invasion.
Recent matches have seen fans storm the pitch, with emotions boiling over this week.
As well as the Goodison Park incident, nottingham Forest’s Championship play-off victory against Sheffield United also concluded with a pitch invasion — and a headbutt from a Forest fan during the melee that left Blades striker Billy Sharp needing stitches.
howe is now concerned about his own safety as he prepares to take newcastle to his former club Burnley, who will learn their relegation fate tomorrow and with Clarets fans expected to enter the pitch regardless of the outcome.
The dugouts are on the opposite side of the stadium to the tunnel, and newcastle are seeking urgent reassurance over security arrangements. howe said: ‘We have to act very quickly because we want to avert potential tragedy. We have to find a way to guarantee that safety, to avert a potential disaster. ‘We’re going into dangerous territory where something could happen in a game that has terrible consequences.’ ‘The scenes at nottingham Forest were shocking, and at everton as well. I thought it (the Vieira incident) was hugely concerning. I’m not going to lie and sit on the fence and brush it off. I thought it was a concerning moment for everyone connected to football.’
Mark Roberts, the Cheshire chief constable and the national lead for football policing, raised the prospect of putting up barriers as one preventative measure.
‘It is incumbent on us all to look at a range of measures and some might be physical barriers,’ he said.
Footage emerged providing a clearer incident of what sparked Vieira’s fury as he tried to walk off the pitch at Goodison Park after his side’s 3-2 defeat on Thursday.
A supporter filmed himself goading the Palace manager — who was initially attempting to ignore and walk past the fan — into a reaction with an obscene gesture in the Frenchman’s face.
Palace will stand by Vieira, who is now likely to be charged, although it is unclear exactly how the incident will be dealt with.
The FA will seek Palace and Vieira’s observations and the club, who reviewed footage yesterday, will highlight a number of concerns in response.
West ham manager David Moyes yesterday said he, too, has ‘reacted badly’ to being accosted by a supporter like Vieira, admitting he is concerned that stewards in football are not properly trained.
‘I’ve had incidents,’ Moyes said. ‘People have goaded me and I’ve made some wrong decisions and hit out and I wished I had maybe turned away.’
everton’s game with Palace had already been halted due to an earlier pitch invasion following Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s late winner — during which Palace striker Christian Benteke was slapped and other players were pushed and jostled when supporters swarmed onto the pitch. A picture also emerged of Wilfried Zaha being sworn at while Joachim Andersen was hit and abused at one stage by a female fan while he attempted to retrieve the ball.
Palace plan to question why the game was able to continue without a proper break to diffuse the situation after the first invasion. They are also concerned that the atmosphere created could have also impacted the game’s outcome.
everton are subject of an FA investigation, including the circumstances of the pitch
invasions but also other incidents including suggestions that flares were thrown into the Palace section.
Merseyside Police are looking into Vieira’s fan altercation.
Three men were also arrested on suspicion of entering or attempting to enter the ground while in possession of a flare, smoke bomb or firework, while another was arrested for a breach of the peace.
Chief inspector Andy Rankine said: ‘One officer was treated for smoke inhalation after a pyrotechnic was set off close to his face. Those who brought smoke bombs, flares or fireworks into Goodison Park will be dealt with robustly by the police, the club and the courts.’
A further seven arrests were made for incidents outside the stadium after the game, where a group threw bricks and bottles at a police car — described as ‘despicable behaviour’ by the force.
The FA have put the onus on the clubs to prevent pitch invasions, but also pledged to review their own rules in a bid to eradicate anti-social behaviour.
Ahead of tomorrow’s final day, the Premier League issued a reminder to clubs of their protocols.
Meanwhile, Blades striker McBurnie was arrested and held on suspicion of assault on Thursday before being released after a video emerged of him appearing to stamp on a fan during the pitch invasion after the defeat by Forest.