Town backs down on telling football fans to stay away

A TOWN has told football fans to stay away as they are disrupting business and “intimidating” the locals.

Coaches full of away fans often visit Chorley, Lancs, on their way to watch their teams play in nearby Bolton, Blackburn, Burnley, Preston or Wigan. But, the council has said that their behaviour is anti-social and has sent football clubs a letter saying that fans were “not welcome” any longer.

The letter, signed by Danny Gee, a Chorley councillor, stated: “It was decided to advise football clubs that their travelling away fans will no longer be welcome in Chorley town centre for day-time matches due to the wider impact it has on our businesses.”

The letter was widely criticised on social media and the Football Supporters’ Federation said it was now seeking legal advice on the matter.

Mr Gee has since had to clarify the position of the council, admitting the letter “could have been worded better”. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live he said: “Football fans are welcome. What we’re not welcoming are large amounts of coaches pulling into Chorley with 100 to 200 fans to congregate outside pubs and disrupting the town centre.

“This has come not from myself or Chorley council but from residents and shopkeepers. They’re saying that on match days their takings have dropped because fans cause a nuisance within the town centre.”

Following criticism, the council was also forced to release a statement saying: “In the letter it stated that travelling away fans would not be welcome in Chorley, this is not the case. We do welcome football fans and we apologise for this comment and any offence this may have caused.”

But it added: “What we can’t have, and which is what triggered the concerns from traders, is a situation where large groups of fans are gathering in pubs, spilling out onto the streets and intimidating, or being seen to be intimidating, other people using the town centre.”