Police officers detain Everton fans celebrating avoiding demotion from the Premier League during post-match pitch invasion via Reuters / Karl Lessines
The Premier League will introduce enhanced security measures to prevent crowd fraud prior to the start of next season, said Thursday, the club will offer additional stewards for away matches by visiting teams. I unanimously agreed.
Aston Villa’s Swedish goalkeeper Robin Olsen was attacked when Manchester City fans broke into the pitch at Etihad Stadium last month to celebrate the Premier League title.
Everton fans broke into Goodison Park’s pitch with the last whistle to beat Crystal Palace 3-2, following the late winner of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Patrick Viera, the palace manager, was also involved in a quarrel with fans as he walked towards the dressing room away after the last whistle, urging the British Football Association to begin an investigation.
The league also said it hopes to tackle the missile and fireworks issues that disrupted last season’s game.
“It’s important for everyone to feel at ease in the match,” said Richard Masters, Premier League CEO.
“Supporters should remember that it is illegal to get on the pitch at any time … this area is obvious to football and players, managers, matchmakers or staff will keep their safety in any situation. Don’t be afraid-fans stand.
“In addition, the use of fireworks and missiles is on the rise, both of which are not only criminal offenses, but can also lead to serious injuries,” he said.
West Ham United coach David Moyes added that pitch invasion is a “problem” and Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta added that the invaders pose a danger to players and staff.
The league said that as a first step, the club unanimously agreed to the requirement to visit the club to provide an away match steward to improve the safety of its supporters.
He added that he would work with game stakeholders to further address the issue. (Report by Shrivathsa Sridhar, edited by Toby Davis in Bangalore)
