West Ham Vice Chairman has announced in the Sun newspaper that she is setting up the Premier League London supporters’ charter to combat the trend of violence against players She explains that when Robert Snodgrass took a corner when West Ham faced Crystal Palace recently, a man in the front row repeatedly shouted obscenities at him.
Brady continues that: “Supporters need to remember they are ambassadors for their clubs.
At West Ham, our players and officials are protected to the max. We have 52 pitch-side stewards and take immediate action if anything like this happens. Our approach is to name, shame, hope the courts imprison — and ban.
I’m not forgetting, by the way, the bad old days of the Seventies when hooligans gave football a bad name. But with proper seating, family stands, proper policing and CCTV, a lot of that was eliminated.That’s why it’s really important to seriously nip in the bud any toxic behaviour — such as racist abuse and homophobic language — that is threatening to make a comeback.
So what is the answer? Some people talk about physical barriers as a solution. But we can’t bring back the cages — that is unthinkable after Hillsborough.
Others suggest closing off the first two rows to reduce access. But that ruins the atmosphere.
So I’ve had another idea, inspired by a letter the Chelsea chairman wrote to supporters after Raheem Sterling was racially abused. I’m setting up the Premier League London supporters’ charter. The Premier League London supporters’ will have an education programme for those who engage in abuse. West Ham and the other London clubs — including Arsenal, West Ham, Chelsea, Spurs, Crystal Palace and Fulham — are developing a charter together of how we want our supporters to behave.
That will include a zero tolerance policy of any abuse of footballers and on racist, homophobic and anti-social behaviour.
We will have an education programme for those who engage in abuse. We will train the stewards better to deal with incidents.
And we are mounting a campaign in which players will explain exactly how unpleasant and disturbing it feels to be shouted at and abused. That is the preventative stuff. And then there are the consequences: anyone who comes on the pitch — whether to protest or to punch — should go to prison. And going to prison changes your life.
You are likely to lose your job, not permitted to work in certain professions and banned from travelling to places such as the US.
“
And if they can’t grasp the basics about how to behave, that’s what people need to understand.”
