Crackdown on pitch invasions and flares

[Heathrow Green]

PL & EFL pitch invaders to get automatic club ban

Pitch invaders at Premier League and English Football League matches will receive an automatic club ban under new measures to tackle fan behaviour.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[bigalf]

Lengthy article on the Argyle App reference the subject. Seems that bans and prosecution will now be the norm rather than the exception for pyrotechnics, pitch invasions and being under the influence of South American Sherbert Powder. Parents and guardians of minors who commit these offences will also find themselves in the doodoo. Of course, some on here will claim they are 'Crimes of Passion'.

 

[Biggs]

Yeah, SOME will say it's a crackdown on having a laugh, I'm sure.

Love Football. Protect the Game | Plymouth Argyle - PAFC

www.pafc.co.uk

 

[pastiesforlife]

Reminds me of 1975. Argyle getting promoted and plenty of flares thanks to the Bay City Rollers.

 

[Heathrow Green]

Reminds me of 1975. Argyle getting promoted and plenty of flares thanks to the Bay City Rollers.

Well if you’re wearing those sorts of flares now I’d expect you to be banned.

 

[Fergy]

I’m looking forward to the Plymouth Magistrates Court dishing out 5,000 Football Banning Orders if we win promotion leading to a pitch invasion. It won’t happen.

 

[MGM]

I’m looking forward to the Plymouth Magistrates Court dishing out 5,000 Football Banning Orders if we win promotion leading to a pitch invasion. It won’t happen.

l think Argyle will tighten security to the point that if you want to get through your going to have to make some effort because l wouldn’t be surprised if they introduced netting around the pitch. Or something to that effect.

Make no mistake. They will fine / ban you. The problem is the minority who behaviour caused some ugly incidents. This is now the result.

l doubt magistrstes will care if it’s 10 or 5,000. It’s just more money to them. And remember they will be filming it all so if they don’t get you on the day, they will get you later.

They had to do something because of the fear something stupid will happen because of the way a minority of people been behaving seen covid. They can’t take the risk.

You can’t say now you haven’t been warned.

 

[Tugboat]

if the rule is that you don’t go onto the pitch or do not carry flares into the ground then simply abide by it.

It’s really not difficult.

If you choose not to, live with any punishment that comes your way.

 

[bd1981]

The vast majority of pitch invasions at HP last year came from teenagers trying to look cool in front of their mates...I can't see them being prosecuted or fined but certainly the parents should be held account and teaching them the right way to behave...

 

[rsp4]

Not so worried about flares, I actually don't mind them but I know they cause concern for others so tight control is the right thing to do.

Now onto pitch invasions. Ahhhhhhhh! Last season with the kids running on at daft times was just tedious. Additionally there is no need to invade. I can have a dad dance and celebrate like a loon amongst my mates on the terraces when we get promoted. If I measure how I react to a late winning goal you had better not sit near me when we get promoted🤣🤣

Oh and yea please stay off the pitch👍

 

[Barrie Davis]

I think there are many who are unaware of the current advances in facial recognition technology. A court appearance and punishment will not depend on some security personage or police person getting hold of you.

 

[Fergy]

l think Argyle will tighten security to the point that if you want to get through your going to have to make some effort because l wouldn’t be surprised if they introduced netting around the pitch. Or something to that effect.

Make no mistake. They will fine / ban you. The problem is the minority who behaviour caused some ugly incidents. This is now the result.

l doubt magistrstes will care if it’s 10 or 5,000. It’s just more money to them. And remember they will be filming it all so if they don’t get you on the day, they will get you later.

They had to do something because of the fear something stupid will happen because of the way a minority of people been behaving seen covid. They can’t take the risk.

You can’t say now you haven’t been warned.

I’ll believe it when I see it in the content of the above example. It’s inevitable that it will happen at a handful of stadiums across the FL next season. The Courts are under the cosh as it is, the administrative upheavals of prosecuting for that particular offence would be ridiculous and disproportionate. People with flares and on too much gear are obviously easier to identify and deal with.

 

[ChepstowGreen]

I'd be astonished if 5000/10000+ fans celebrating promotion on the pitch would all be marched through the courts. And what's more it would be absolutely ridiculous if they are. Talk about a victimless crime/gigantic waste of time. Of course it should only be in joyous celebration and not spill over into anything else. That idiot Forest fan is a prime (and exaggerated) example of when the book should be thrown at anyone who does anything other than celebrate.

 

[Southampton Green]

The offence was created by the Football Offences Act 1991. On the figures available, there have been less than a thousand arrests and prosecutions for going on to the pitch since 2010, none of which were for mass-jubilation events.

It is a defence to have a "lawful excuse". What is a "lawful excuse" hasn't been properly tested in the Courts as the only people ending up in the Courts don't have anything like a lawful excuse to argue; otherwise, on current practice they wouldn't be in Court in the first place - such as you get pushed over the fence and end up on the pitch during a goal celebration, or you need to move away from danger (an incident on the terrace).

The law was arguably designed to cover the morons who run on the pitch and attack the players or officials, and that is mostly how it has been used (borne out by the low prosecution figures since 2010). Streakers don't get prosecuted. People who celebrate an emotional moment with no hostile intent don't get prosecuted. However, there is nothing in the law that requires "hostile intent", technically the offence covers ANY encroachment. If the authorities started prosecuting more and using the law against your average fans who become overcome with emotion and run on the pitch after the final-whistle in their thousands, then some case-law would have to follow from the Courts to clearly define what exactly counts as a "lawful excuse".

One point to note, it only applies to designated football matches. Run on to a cricket pitch, or a rugby pitch, or a basketball court (even with hostile intent) does not in itself make you a criminal; step over the fence on to the pitch at a designated football match, you are technically then a criminal with all the consequences that entails. Since 1991 the authorities have used common sense. When common sense stops, then the law will need to be clarified by the Courts, because as someone has said, it would be nonsense to march 5,000+ average Argyle fans into Plymouth Magistrates Court for post-match celebrating Argyle being promoted to the Championship. Even if the Magistrates Court tolerated it, somewhere up the Appeal chain a senior Judge would see common sense and probably define "lawful excuse" as including post-match (after the final whistle) mass-celebrations of a compelling non-aggressive emotional event.

 

[Balham Green]

The offence was created by the Football Offences Act 1991. On the figures available, there have been less than a thousand arrests and prosecutions for going on to the pitch since 2010, none of which were for mass-jubilation events.

It is a defence to have a "lawful excuse". What is a "lawful excuse" hasn't been properly tested in the Courts as the only people ending up in the Courts don't have anything like a lawful excuse to argue; otherwise, on current practice they wouldn't be in Court in the first place - such as you get pushed over the fence and end up on the pitch during a goal celebration, or you need to move away from danger (an incident on the terrace).

The law was arguably designed to cover the morons who run on the pitch and attack the players or officials, and that is mostly how it has been used (borne out by the low prosecution figures since 2010). Streakers don't get prosecuted. People who celebrate an emotional moment with no hostile intent don't get prosecuted. However, there is nothing in the law that requires "hostile intent", technically the offence covers ANY encroachment. If the authorities started prosecuting more and using the law against your average fans who become overcome with emotion and run on the pitch after the final-whistle in their thousands, then some case-law would have to follow from the Courts to clearly define what exactly counts as a "lawful excuse".

One point to note, it only applies to designated football matches. Run on to a cricket pitch, or a rugby pitch, or a basketball court (even with hostile intent) does not in itself make you a criminal; step over the fence on to the pitch at a designated football match, you are technically then a criminal with all the consequences that entails. Since 1991 the authorities have used common sense. When common sense stops, then the law will need to be clarified by the Courts, because as someone has said, it would be nonsense to march 5,000+ average Argyle fans into Plymouth Magistrates Court for post-match celebrating Argyle being promoted to the Championship. Even if the Magistrates Court tolerated it, somewhere up the Appeal chain a senior Judge would see common sense and probably define "lawful excuse" as including post-match (after the final whistle) mass-celebrations of a compelling non-aggressive emotional event.

But why do you need to run on the pitch to celebrate?