Footballers have told their union there can be “no excuses” for any repeat of the pitch invasions which marred the end of last season and put their safety at risk.
Players were warned by the UK’s football police chief on Thursday they cannot have “carte blanche” to assault pitch invaders, and while the Professional Footballers’ Association accepts that is correct, it says its members feel like they have been left to be responsible for their own safety and security on the pitch.
Sheffield United striker Oli McBurnie was cleared last month of stamping on a pitch-invading fan after his side’s Championship play-off semi-final against Nottingham Forest, with the English Football League stating after the court case he “should never have been put in this position”.
The PFA said in a statement: “Nobody has suggested that players shouldn’t be subject to the same rules as everybody else.
“Given the events at the end of last season, though, when there were multiple incidents where players and staff were subjected to violence and harassment on the pitch, it would be wise for the focus to remain on making sure that players aren’t put in these situations in the first place.
“Our members have told us they feel isolated and vulnerable when surrounded by thousands of fans on the pitch and are, essentially, left to look after their own safety and security. That’s just not good enough, and it shouldn’t be happening.
“We’ve always been clear that the measures introduced at the end of last season are welcome, but success will be judged by how the authorities manage similar incidents going forward.
“There is a lot of work still to be done. It requires detailed planning and, crucially, investment is going to be needed. Players have been very clear to us that there can’t be any excuses for repeats of what happened at the end of last season.”
Clubs and leagues say fans found to have entered the pitch will face bans, while the police and the Crown Prosecution Service say they will investigate and charge in the most serious cases.
Chief Constable Mark Roberts, the UK football policing lead, told the PA news agency on Thursday: “We would all agree that players should not be put in the position of being confronted by spectators on the pitch, absolutely, but equally, it can’t be that players – and I’m not referencing (the McBurnie) case, I’m making a general point – it can’t be that someone runs on the pitch and there is carte blanche for players to assault them.
“Fans shouldn’t go on the pitch, players shouldn’t go in the stands, that makes it all really simple. When that gets blurred then it makes it a bit more difficult to unpick.”
PA understands the EFL intends to raise the McBurnie case at its next meeting with the authorities, having called for a police review after his acquittal.
Chief Constable Roberts added: “There has got to be a degree of responsibility on the part of fans to do their bit and recognise that the pitch is off limits, it’s a workplace for the players.
“We do need to take a hard line and where people are going on the pitch to threaten, provoke, abuse, then that’s a criminal matter and needs to be dealt with that way.
“When someone runs on, you don’t know whether they’re going to ask for a shirt, pat someone on the back, punch someone, threaten them, spit at them, run up and antagonise the opposing supporters. By the time you know what they’re doing, it’s too late and there’s generally a reaction from someone.
“We’ve got to get to the stage where it’s just understood and respected that we don’t have fences, we don’t have moats (and) the quid pro quo is you don’t go on the pitch. We need all supporters to get behind and endorse that message.”
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