One of football’s top policing experts spoke of “positive strides” last week when it came to crowd violence.
But this weekend appears to have seen a major step backwards as the whole of the game has been shocked by shameful incidents. Arsenal keeper Aaron Ramsdale was kicked in the back by a Tottenham fan at the end of a feisty North London derby.
Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga had a bottle thrown in his direction when he went to get the ball near a section of Crystal Palace fans. The Football Supporters’ Association has insisted there is “no excuse” for such behaviour and warned fans against such violent disorder.
The FSA said in a statement to Mirror Sport: “The stand is for the fans and the pitch is for the players - there's absolutely no excuse for attacking players and we'll continue to work with the football authorities on initiatives which challenge disorder. Any supporter entering the field of play, whatever their intention, risks prosecution and a Football Banning Order."
This weekend has again raised alarm bells and difficult questions for football even after a major clampdown last summer which has undoubtedly made an impact. It has generally not been as toxic as it was last year.
But a supporter being able to get close enough to attack a player and the worrying implications of an object being thrown show that the problem has not been eradicated.
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It was Mark Roberts, The National Police Chiefs’ Council’s football policing lead, who presented the latest figures for 2022 last week and they revealed banning orders had gone up by 230 per cent in the first half of the 2022/23 campaign compared to the same period last season.
But that must also be seen as football taking stronger action than in the past rather than purely worsening behaviour. The Premier League, EFL, Football Association and policing authorities had a summit last summer in which they promised more prosecutions, stiff stadium bans and a crackdown on pitch invasions and pyrotechnics and fireworks.
Any fan invading the pitch can expect a minimum 12 month stadium ban and supporters causing problems or found guilty of drug use at football will be prosecuted whereas before they might have had a slap on the wrists in some cases.
Football believes those measures are biting and the atmosphere around Premier League games seems to have improved from the febrile, angry days from the back end of last season. Aston Villa keeper Robin Olsen was attacked by Manchester City fans, Sheffield United’s Billy Sharp was head-butted by a rival fan and Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira was confronted by Everton fans.
That was a real low point for football and the game must also take its share of responsibility by setting the right example. The Premier League held meetings for captains and also managers before the resumption of games after the World Cup.
Players were warned specifically about not surrounding referees and managers reminded about the importance of their behaviour on the touchline. That explains why there has been a clampdown in the past few weeks because there is a view within the game that managers and players set an example for everyone else to follow.
If they are behaving badly on the pitch and touchline then it sets the wrong tone for the fans in the stands.
