Eddie Howe: Pitch invasions could end in 'tragedy'

Eddie Howe on Friday warned English football’s epidemic of violent pitch invasions risked ending in “tragedy” unless there was a major crackdown amid mounting panic about the final day of the Premier League season.

The Professional Footballers’ Association also called for “immediate” action to prevent a repeat of the scenes to mar Everton’s dramatic win over Crystal Palace. Clubs could face stadium closures or points deductions if pitch invasions continue.

Thursday’s invasion at Goodison Park came after Everton secured their Premier League survival, while those in the play-offs were triggered by teams reaching each of the finals at Wembley.

Sunday’s final round of Premier League fixtures will see more on the line than ever before, with Manchester City and Liverpool both going for the title, Leeds United and Burnley battling to avoid relegation and four clubs vying for European places.

Amid the fallout from another night of shame for the English game:

• Newcastle were reviewing their security arrangements for their trip to Burnley after Howe said he was “concerned for the safety of everyone connected with both teams”

• The Premier League reissued guidance to clubs urging them to use “pitch runners” – specially-trained sprinter stewards wearing football boots – to tackle invaders

• The Football Association announced it was reviewing its regulations to “stamp this behaviour out” with further flashpoints in the EFL play-off semi-finals

• Police and the FA both launched investigations after Patrick Vieira appeared to lash out at a fan after Palace’s Everton defeat

• Oli McBurnie was waiting to learn if he would face any action after being arrested and released on bail over a clip of him appearing to stamp on a supporter

Newcastle boss Howe was first to raise the alarm about the final day of the season and beyond, saying: “We’re going into dangerous territory where something could happen in games that has terrible consequences and I don’t think anyone would want to see that, so I think the authorities have got to act quickly to make sure we make the grounds as safe as we can.

“I don’t mind the celebratory aspect, embracing the success that a team has had is part of football. I’ve got no issue with that. It’s the aggression towards the opposition, it’s the swarms of people around one or two people, that doesn’t sit well with me at all.

“It’s something we have to act on very quickly because we want to avert a potential tragedy.”

Pep Guardiola, whose City side are favourites to win the title on Sunday when they face Aston Villa, issued a direct plea to home supporters to “behave”.

“We have to try to behave as good as possible, follow the protocols and have the celebration in the right moment at the right place because what happened yesterday – it’s dangerous.

“I understand Patrick… it’s difficult because you never know how people will react when there is a lot of people together.”

A PFA spokesman said that “clubs, leagues and police need to put their immediate focus on stopping large scale pitch invasions”, adding: “People are at risk of being seriously hurt or worse. The football authorities need to be tough and send a clear message. These are predictable events, it is a criminal offence, and it is unacceptable.”

Confirming it had reissued guidance including on “pitch runners”, a spokesman for the Premier League said: “The Premier League has encouraged clubs to remind supporters that it is illegal for them to enter the pitch at any time and may result in a criminal record and stadium bans. We will continue to discuss and address the ongoing issue of fan behaviour with The FA, EFL and other football partners ahead of the start of next season to ensure matches are safe environments for all.”

The FA added in a statement: “We are also reviewing our regulations to help stamp this behaviour out and to ensure the safety of everyone inside a stadium.”

The police and the FA also launched investigations into the incident involving Vieira and the pitch invasion that triggered it.

A clip posted on Twitter showed Vieira had been goaded by a fan who shouted, “Suck on that you muppet! F--- off!”, before kicking out at his abuser.

Merseyside Police also revealed they had arrested four men inside Goodison after fans entered the pitch and that a pyrotechnic had been set off close to the face of one of their officers, who was treated for “smoke inhalation”.

Staffordshire Police also launched an investigation on Friday into an assault committed on an unnamed Swindon Town player following the club’s League Two play-off semi-final defeat on Thursday night.

Britain’s top football policeman, Chief Inspector Mark Roberts of South Yorkshire Police, condemned the epidemic of pitch invasions and told BBC Radio Five it would be “an absolute failure of us all if we ever went back to a situation where there were fences around the ground”.

Meanwhile, Sheffield United striker McBurnie was waiting to learn his fate after police confirmed a 25-year-old man had been held on suspicion of assault on Thursday before being released on bail following the club’s Championship play-off semi-final against Nottingham Forest.

McBurnie appeared to deny stamping on a fan at the end of Tuesday’s second leg after endorsing a Twitter post suggesting he had simply been trying to step over the supporter during the chaotic pitch invasion that marred the game.

A police investigation was launched after a clip of the incident was posted on the social-media site.

Police urge fans to stay off pitch on final day of Premier League season

By Jeremy Wilson

The police have appealed to football fans to stay off the pitch during Sunday’s Premier League finale and have won Government backing for banning orders from next season for cocaine use.

In a week of shame across English football, first Billy Sharp was headbutted on Tuesday night by a Nottingham Forest fan and then Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira kicked out after being goaded by an Everton fan following Thursday night’s mass pitch invasion.

With the Premier League title, European places and relegation all to be decided on the final day of the season on Sunday, clubs are braced for further potential invasions at the end of a first full season of fans since 2018-19.

It comes as the Government extended the criteria for football banning to include Class A drugs, notably cocaine, which has been identified as a key factor in the overall rise this season of fan disorder.

“It has been alarming to see a rise in the number of fans entering the pitch during matches over the past couple of weeks,” said chief constable Mark Roberts, the national lead for football policing.

“This has at times resulted in assaults and altercations with players, managers and club staff – which is totally unacceptable. The pitch is the players' place of work and like everyone else, they should be able to feel safe.

“I know emotions are running high when clubs are getting promoted or avoiding relegation, but having large numbers of fans rushing on to the pitch at the end of the game is a safety risk for everyone, and I would urge all fans to remain in their seats and celebrate in the correct way.”

Statistics for the first half of the season had already shown a disturbing near 50% rise in arrests but also an increase in ‘Schedule One” offences, of which the vast majority were either cocaine or drug related.

As revealed in January by The Telegraph, the police have been lobbying the Government to let them ban fans who take cocaine and other Class A drugs at matches.

'Ugly violence has shocked all leagues'

On Thursday, it was announced that football fans convicted of selling or taking Class A drugs such as cocaine at matches could face five-year bans.

“It’s been a thrilling football season, but at some games we’ve seen ugly violence that that has shocked all the leagues,” said Kit Malthouse, the police minister.

“More and more the police are finding class A drugs at the heart of that disorder, and so we must act. Football banning orders have been a game changer in rooting out racism and violence at football, and now we want them to do the same for drug-related disorder.”

There has also been deep concern inside the police at the lack of consultation over the Government’s fan-led football review and a proposed pilot scheme that would allow alcohol during League two and National League matches.

Roberts told the Telegraph that there was a “clear nexus between alcohol and bad behaviour”.

Drug use was specifically highlighted following the shameful disorder at the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy, with the FA-commissioned Casey report finding that "ticketless, drunken and drugged-up thugs" could have caused death after they stormed Wembley Stadium.

Premier League clubs are also facing pressure from security chiefs to increase spending on policing inside stadiums following an exodus of experienced stewards.

“It is the responsibility of clubs to ensure that fans can view matches in safety and we will continue to work with clubs to see what can be done to help prevent these incidents in future,” said Roberts.