Several overseeing sports bodies announced in a joint statement today, Monday, that "English football authorities have taken a series of disciplinary measures to improve the behavior of players, coaches, and fans at all levels of the game in the upcoming season." Under the new framework, match referees will have greater power to tackle unacceptable behavior, while team leaders are expected to "take responsibility for their teammates" and promote fair play and respect towards referees. Instances where players confront referees face-to-face or invade personal space will result in at least one player receiving a card, with the English Football Association retaining the right to take further action against the offending club.
New rules have also been introduced to address chants, insinuations, and the display of offensive messages based on the tragedies witnessed in football, where individuals found guilty of such offenses will face bans from stadiums in addition to criminal prosecution. A fan who wore a Manchester United shirt in last season's FA Cup final against Manchester City bearing an offensive reference to the Hillsborough disaster, which resulted in the death of 97 fans in a 1989 crush, has been banned from attending matches for four years, a decision made in June. Additionally, a Tottenham Hotspur supporter was banned from matches for three years after making gestures mocking the Hillsborough tragedy during an English Premier League match between Liverpool and Tottenham in April.
Liverpool FC called for an end to "disgraceful chants" about the Hillsborough disaster after hearing them during a draw against Chelsea in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge in April. Douglas MacKay, Deputy Chief Prosecutor and Sports Prosecutor in the country, stated in a statement today: "We are sending a clear message that we urge fans to stop this abhorrent behavior from a minority that has a terrible impact on the victims and communities, and if they do not, they risk being excluded from the game they claim to love."
Signatories of the new disciplinary charter include the English Football Association, the Premier League, the English Football League, and the Women's Super League. Premier League CEO Richard Masters stated: "Football has an amazing power to inspire people of all ages, and professional sport is a role model for anyone who plays or watches this game. We want players, coaches, and fans to continue to show their passion, but these new measures were implemented to ensure that certain limits are not crossed regarding conduct on the pitch and in the technical area."
The measures include a code of conduct for the technical area that requires ball directors, coaches, and other technical staff to act responsibly, along with increased financial penalties for serious offenders and habitual troublemakers. During matches, only one person may stand at the front of the technical area, while another can also stand but "must remain very close to the team’s seating area." No one from the technical area is allowed to "enter the pitch to confront any match referees at halftime or after the match ends." Coaches in club academies will be required to take officiating courses to enhance players' understanding of the rules. At the youth level, points may be deducted from teams committing repeated serious misconduct violations.
