There have been a number of spectator acts of violence against players in England in recent weeks. The unpleasant side effects of festive humor must be addressed, writes Jussi Vainikka of Urheilun.
23.5. 13:45 • Updated May 23rd. 13:48
When the whistle rings, everyone runs to the field.
In recent weeks, the guideline has been widely used by supporters of various football clubs in Europe. Most recently, Manchester City supporters took over the field after the Premier League championship ended dramatically in the final round on Sunday.
The history of field invasions, or so-called pitch invasions, dates back to the early 20th century. They have been seen especially in English and German football, as well as in the university series of various sports in North America.
This is not a new phenomenon, but an unfortunate feature has emerged in the field during the spring. Several supporters in various clubs have been guilty of violence against the opponent’s players and coaches.
On Sunday in Manchester, several of the supporters who ran to the field rushed straight to the goalkeeper of Aston Villa Robin Olsen to attack. Earlier in the week, the head coach of Crystal Palace was subjected to similar behavior Patrick Vieirawith Everton supporters taking over the field.
The worst violence came in the Premier League promotion when a Nottingham Forest supporter pushed for Sheffield United captain Billy Sharpin down. The moment was recorded on TV images and shown live on Sky Sports. You can see the situation in the videos below.
If the going continues on the English fields is the same, it’s only a matter of time before something even more serious happens on the field.
Admittedly, supporters of the perpetrators of the violence can be effectively identified, banned and taken to police investigation. A Nottingham supporter mentioned above was sentenced to four months in prison.
However, punishing individuals does not change the overall picture. Running on the field is, of course, prohibited everywhere. The audience is just about impossible to control as thousands of people rush over the fences from every corner of the stadiums. Individuals should not be able to run on the field under any circumstances.
Field fencing is no longer an issue in England following the 1989 stadium disaster in Hillsborough. That’s when 97 Liverpool supporters trampled on and squeezed into real deaths as authorities let the crowd get too full in the FA Cup semi-finals.
In most situations, clubs and authorities know how to predict matches and situations where spectators run in large numbers on the field. Law enforcement officers do their best and strive to isolate players from supporters as quickly as possible. This spring has shown that current action is not enough.
So something more robust needs to be done.
Means could be, for example, reducing points or playing in empty stands. No player or coach should be subjected to violence in the workplace anymore.