Premier League clubs have agreed to introduce enhanced measures ahead of the start of the 2022-23 season in an effort to combat the increase in episodes of fan misbehaviour at English football stadia.
The issue of ensuring a safe matchday environment was addressed at the League’s annual general meeting held yesterday (Thursday). Episodes of fan disorder have been on the rise since the return of supporters to stadia during the COVID-19 reopening process.
The culmination of the 2021-22 Premier League season saw Aston Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen attacked as Manchester City fans celebrated their Premier League title triumph by invading the pitch at the Etihad Stadium last month.
Everton’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace, which secured Premier League safety for the home club, was also marred by pitch invasions at Goodison Park (pictured), while the visiting team’s manager, Patrick Vieira was involved in an altercation with a fan as he exited the pitch following the final whistle.
The Premier League said the new set of actions will tackle a range of challenges – including missiles, pyrotechnics and pitch invasions. 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.
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.
“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.”
In other news from yesterday’s AGM, Premier League clubs have unanimously agreed to maintain the current £30 (€35/$37) cap on away ticket prices for the next three seasons. The price cap was introduced in the 2016-17 season after the implementation of the Premier League Away Supporters’ Initiative, where clubs provided a range of measures for their away fans.
The £30 level of the cap will be reviewed in 2025, when it will have been in place for nine seasons. The price cap will be added to the Premier League Rules for the first time.
A record number of fans attended matches over the course of the 2021-22 Premier League season, with the cumulative figure surpassing 15 million for the first time.
A total of 15,195,647 fans attended the 380 matches, Premier League research outlined. The matches saw an average crowd of 39,989, with the average stadium utilisation rate standing at 97.7%.
Image: Biloblue/CC BY-SA 4.0/Edited for size
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