
The Premier League is taking steps to bring an end to poor crowd behaviour that has been seen at some football matches in England recently.
At the Premier League’s Annual General Meeting, clubs discussed the issue of fan behaviour and agreed to introduce enhanced measures ahead of the start of next season, underlining the importance of a safe matchday environment.
The new set of actions will tackle a range of challenges - including missiles, pyrotechnics and pitch invasions.
Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said:
It is vital that everyone feels safe at a football match. Supporters must be reminded it is illegal to enter the pitch at any time. To be clear, this area is unequivocally for football and, under no circumstance should players, managers, match officials or staff fear for their safety - just as fans should remain protected in the stands.
In addition, we have seen an increase in the use of pyrotechnics and missiles, both of which are not only a criminal offence, but can cause serious injury. Supporters must be reminded it is illegal to enter the pitch at any time.
Richard Masters, Premier League CEO, added:
These types of incidents must stop and new measures for next season will make that clear – the League fully supports club and football-wide bans for offenders. It is the minority who are behaving unacceptably and they risk ruining the matchday experience for the vast majority of law-abiding fans.
Crowd behaviour is an issue we and our clubs are addressing as a matter of urgency, in collaboration with partners and relevant authorities.
As a first step, clubs unanimously agreed the requirement for visiting clubs to provide stewards for away matches in order to improve safety for fans and provide support for the home club.
The Premier League will continue to work with The FA, EFL, PFA, LMA and FSA, as well as other authorities, to address the issue.
@PanStadiaArena
PSAM editor John Sheehan caught up with Yves De Cocker, Managing Director of PitchTecConcept, who explains how his company bridges the gap between sports organisations and the technology used in the playing surface industry.
PSAM Presents... PitchTecConcept from Hemming Group Video on Vimeo.
The interview covers:
Yves 20+ years industry leading experience in the evolution of hybrid grass, trends he has noticed and some of the notable projects he has been involved with
The key reasons for Yves launching PitchTecConcept
Common mistakes often made with playing surface management
The steps he offers as a bridge between the industry and the end user
Advice to clubs looking to maximise their event calendars without compromising on the performance of their playing surface