Security in stadiums must be improved and sanctions strengthened to deter physical and verbal abuse of footballers, a survey of player unions worldwide has found.
Assaults on professional players in the UK are rare but nevertheless a concern, with Billy Sharp headbutted by a fan at the end of a match while playing for Sheffield United against Nottingham Forest in May 2022.
The spectator concerned was given a 24-week prison sentence and a 10-year football banning order, but a new report from world players’ union FIFPRO published on Thursday indicates how big a concern this issue remains for unions and the players they represent.
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.”
Port Vale goalkeeper Connor Ripley spoke out last week about “disgusting” abuse he had received playing in a League One match against Carlisle.
He did also praise those fans of the Cumbrian club who had sent him messages of support after learning of the abuse. The FIFPRO survey found that 85 per cent of unions agreed that “in most instances the relationship between fans and players is very positive and should be cherished”.
Commenting on the report, Alexander Bielefeld, FIFPRO’s director of global policy and strategic relations for men’s football, said: “We cannot continue to allow a culture in which footballers are the victims of unchecked and normalised aggression in their working environment: on the pitch, during team travel, at training grounds, official events, and in their private lives.
“Given the mounting levels of violence, it is important football stakeholders, social partners and public institutions increase co-operation to identify measures that ensure the safety of players, staff and spectators.
“Clubs, leagues, and federations have a responsibility to ensure that players, as employees, have a safe working environment to perform at their peak.”
