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EFL clubs are taking part in a major campaign to stop “horrendous” crowd violence that’s shaming football again.
Pitch invasions, violence and ugly scenes marred the end of last season when emotions ran high during the play-offs and final home matches.
A Nottingham Forest fan was jailed after attacking Sheffield United captain Billy Sharp after their Championship play-off semi-final match in what was one of the worst examples.
It led to a football-wide campaign called Love Football, Protect the Game campaign which promised bans for pitch invaders, more criminal prosecutions and stadium banning orders.
The EFL are being proactive on the issue with a virtual nationwide fans’ forum and sending a clear message to clubs and fans that any repeat will not be tolerated.
It is during the run-in towards the end of the season when football is most at risk from hooligans as it is when fans have run onto the pitch, pyrotechnics are used, missiles thrown and players have been attacked.
EFL chief executive, Trevor Birch said: “You have to protect the players. Sadly an innocent person going onto the pitch, that unfortunately gives licence to a thug to come on and thump a player.”
“Generally everyone is doing a great job because we get 20 million through the turnstiles every year and we don’t want a minority to spoil it for everyone.”
The EFL attendances have never been better and they joined with the Premier League, Football Association, Professional Footballers’ Association and the Football Supporters’ Association in putting together the Love Football, Protect the Game drive.
It means any pitch invader will get a ban and any offence carries a recommended minimum 12 month punishment up to lifetime ban. There will also be more prosecutions for offences, including drugs which would mean a criminal record.
Fans have even been banned so far since implementation, including one at Middlesbrough for allowing their children to go onto the pitch. There has also been a clampdown on pyrotechnics.
The EFL say out of those 20 millions fans going through the turnstiles there have been less than 2,000 incidents but they insist while that is still “low” it is too much.
They are pushing for better stewarding, fan engagement – the virtual Match Experience Fan Forum was chaired by Sky presenter David Prutton – and clubs are sharing information among themselves as well as running campaigns to warn fans about the dangers.
Birch added: “I think it was a powerful co-ordinated message from the EFL, Premier League, FSA and indeed the PFA and we are all in it together.”
“We’ve got fantastic fans. You look at the Papa Johns Trophy, it’ll probably get over 75,000 fans and nowhere else in the world would you get that sort of attendance for what is effectively a Third Division trophy.”
“Sheffield Wednesday get over 30,000, Ipswich and Bradford into the fourth tier into the high 20,000s. That shows the importance of the EFL.”
“First and foremost, you have to ensure the safety of the players on the pitch. The prospect of fans encroaching onto the pitch can be frightening when you consider what’s happened before with players being attacked.”
“First and foremost, we have to protect them and the officials. So the message is clear: just stay off the pitch because otherwise you’re giving the green light to these idiots.”
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