Non-league football clubs across the West Midlands are working together to try to tackle antisocial behaviour from teenagers causing trouble in and around grounds. Recent incidents include stones being thrown at away fans and an opposition team's kit man being punched. Some clubs are changing their ticket rules so under-16s have to be accompanied by an adult, while others are in talks to come up with a collaborative approach.
The Football Association (FA) said it was working with clubs to help them develop policies to safely welcome young fans, while ensuring their best interests and other supporters were appropriately considered. Stratford Town FC said it had received reports of teenagers travelling into the area from other places, who support neither the home nor away team, with the clear intention of causing trouble. The club said while they had not seen any disorder or issues inside their ground, there had been reports of "appalling behaviour" in the town before and after the last two home games.
So they had now changed their ticketing rules - under-16s would not be allowed in without an accompanying adult unless they were members of their Junior Bards supporters club. Chairman Jed McCrory explained why the club came to that decision: "We can't have what you're seeing up and down the country at the minute. Groups of [up to] 50 kids turning up in Stratford, wearing all black balaclavas, scarves, face masks," he said.
"We're not having trouble at the ground, but if I can stop the trouble within the community by setting up a membership card and by insisting that the under-16s come with a parent for the benefit of the residents, I will." Neighbouring clubs in Warwickshire are also having similar experiences. Leamington FC put out a statement saying they are aware of incidents involving young fans at two away games, and recently had police officers at a match to monitor behaviour. Meanwhile Racing Club Warwick said it had introduced extra security to try and deal with the situation.
Racing Chairman Gary Vella did not think it was a case of rival fans lashing out at each other. "Sometimes I don't think a lot of these young people really affiliate themselves with a particular club," he explained. "I think they're literally just young people looking for something to do, and maybe that's a societal thing that needs to be addressed externally outside of our remit, but we can only do what we can on a club-by-club basis." Warwickshire Police said it was working closely with neighbouring police forces, partners and clubs to gather intelligence and put plans in place for extra patrols and staffing during matches, where required.
"Specifically in Stratford, we are in regular communication with the football team," the force said. "On one occasion in recent weeks we received a report of a group of males who had travelled in by train behaving anti-socially in town on the day of a match. This was swiftly dealt with." Over in Worcestershire, other clubs are facing a similar problem.
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