Norwich City fan says education is key to stamping out abuse of footballers
A union representing players found that the vast majority want security to be toughened up at stadiums
A Norwich City fan is telling us that education must be at the front and centre of efforts to stamp out physical and verbal abuse of footballers.
It's after a union representing players across the world found that the vast majority want security to be toughened up at stadiums and clubs to root out bad behaviour.
"We all have a moan, groan and give a bit of stick"
Chris Newby is vice chair of the Canaries Trust - a fan group who are the 3rd largest shareholder in the club:
"There has to be that accountability there and lots of people can think that they go to game and say what they like to players. We all have a moan, groan and give a bit of stick, that's just part of the game, but any sort of abuse crosses the line.
"I've always thought that Carrow Road is quite a safe ground compared to others up and down the country. I think everyone at Norwich City, from what I've seen, do all they can to try and prevent this behaviour. I think the fan-base is great in how it treats players on the pitch."
"It's just not okay to do this"
"There are always ways to improve things though. We can always look at surveillance at the ground, amount of security and policing. But beyond that I don't think there's a big switch that can be hit to change things overnight.
"Stamping it out is key. It means making sure all the right things are in place.
"But it's also about fans taking responsibility and realising that it's just not okay to do this."
The report from world players' union FIFPRO shows:
Sixty-three per cent of the 41 national unions surveyed said the standard of security guards and stewarding was not high enough and needed improving, with 71 per cent saying security checks on supporters entering stadiums were inadequate.
Sixty-eight per cent said technology in stadiums which could help identify perpetrators, such as CCTV and facial recognition tools, was insufficient, while 56 per cent said there were too few security guards and stewards present on match days.
Eighty-eight per cent of unions felt clubs needed to be more aggressive on banning fans who attack players, with 78 per cent saying a failure to properly sanction individuals was a contributing risk factor to further incidents of abuse.
Seventy-one per cent of unions felt players were reluctant to speak out on the issue for fear of harming their careers or causing a social media backlash. Seventy-six per cent said workplace safety was a growing concern for their members.
One player, quoted anonymously in the FIFPRO report, said: "I have this feeling that this constant access to the real me as a player has lowered the threshold for fans in the stadium to a point where some think they are entitled to do things which they really aren't."
"Possibility of an indefinite ban from attending our games"
A spokesperson for Norwich City said:
"We would like to remind all supporters that the Club has a zero-tolerance policy regarding discrimination, clearly outlined in our Ground Regulations and the terms and conditions of season ticket purchasing.
"Any supporters found guilty of discriminatory behaviour face the possibility of an indefinite ban from attending our games."