Paul Davies, our safery officer, also sent us this message to share with fans: It is a big game on Friday and emotions will be running high, especially at the end of the game irrespective of the result. Barnsley Fc was pleased with all our Supporters remaining in their seats at the last home game. It enabled the manager, staff, and players to walk around the pitch safely and thank you all for your support. Barnsley FC are asking for the same behaviour on Friday. There will be an article in the program highlighting what could happen if Supporters come onto the pitch at the end of the game. It will point out the following. It is an offence for a person at a designated football match to go onto the playing area, or any area adjacent to the playing area to which spectators are not generally admitted, without lawful authority or lawful excuse (which shall be for him to prove). Think about how having this conviction may affect your employment & future prospects. Even going onto the trackside is a criminal offence. A conviction will probably also lead to a football banning order which would legally prevent you from attending all football matches for a minimum of 3 years. When England plays an away game, you will have to hand your passport in regardless of whether you are going to the game or not. In addition, you will receive a club ban and so please take time to consider the impact and what consequences it may have if you enter the field of play. From a Club perspective, they will probably be charged with failing to control their spectators. This would lead to Barnsley FC receiving yet more fines and the possibility of ground closures. The FA and EFL currently take these crowd incursions very seriously after the incidents last year and more recently at Leeds. Final Message. Please come along to Oakwell and give us your vociferous support. At the end of the game please remain in your seated area and allow the manager, staff, and players to walk around the playing area safely and acknowledge your tremendous support this season! Can we ask fellow supporters reading this to pass it on to your Family, friends and social media contacts, so we can get this message out to as many supporters as possible?
Safery. The ancient art of making people safe. It's a bit like Tai Chi but with more hitting people with sticks.
I will be watching the match with Kaht Junior tonight. I have warned her that on no account is she to encroach on t'rug in front o' t'hearth at t'end of t'match.
There have been some large fines for pitch invasions in the last few years—another reason to stay off the pitch. We don't want that to cost us the signing of a player over the summer.
Never been on the pitch myself, but I do struggle with how the messaging is mixed from different sources. The club, rightly, take it very seriously because of the repercussions. But after a big cup upset, making a final, squeezing into the promotion spots on the final day etc, tv networks seem to love a pitch invasion. They’ll lap up the players being carried aloft by fans on the pitch, give some fans close up shots celebrating on the pitch, make the fans feel like they’re harmlessly celebrating their club. Then they get a banning order in the post. Basically if they’re pushing this message so hard on the fans, then they ought to be pushing it to the networks too. It’ll only work if it’s condemned from all sides.
BFC will love me, I’m not even going. I’m a model supporter. Stays at home & behaves himself. If it’s ok with the club, I’m going to listen on Radio Sheffield. I’d better give them a ring & see if that’s allowed..
Ive run on the pitch about 15 times ! But I was either lining or refereeing in various competitions at the time.
Irrelevant. All it needs is for someone to run into a player or official and we could be looking at serious punishment.
I really don't understand this attitude of 'well others do it, so why can't we'. I'd be surprised if FA sanctions are levied at one club and not others. Maybe they don't publicise it as much as they're more than happy to take the fine on the chin. Our club is operating a no tolerance stance on it, so all you can do is respect it. Particularly with the fragile financial state of the club at the minute, it's the last thing we need. I honestly couldn't care less what actions Wednesday, Luton etc may face, they're not my club.
Funny you should mention about the cameras zooming in on offenders celebrating wildly on the pitch. If one numpty jumps the fence during the game and runs on the pitch the cameras make a point of avoiding it at all costs. Depriving the idiot of publicity I suppose? So why do they gleefully picture the mass invasions, with players being jostled, or slapped on the back, or worse. Seems like that is "good television". Very strange values the tv companies have.
Sick of this skinting the club mantra. Our owners are minted. Parekh's a billionaire. I don't get this financial "woe is me" attitude. Some people have been well and truly hoodwinked. The money the owners are putting in is money they should have been putting in all along. No favours at all. Rant over.
I was on the pitch for about 20 minutes after Newport at Oakwell, promotion season 1980. So I have more minutes under my belt than Obbi Oulare, and covered more yards.
We've been fined for sexist chants at an opposing physio. We've been fined for the IRA/Pope chant. No doubt the two bottles being launched onto the pitch recently (Ipswich?) will have some action to come. The fines eventually add up. Why should the board keep footing the bill for the bad behaviour of others? Also, the fines will eventually stop. They'll turn into stand or ground closures which robs the club of income and means that the majority of fans who do behave have to suffer not watching the matches. Stay off the fuçking pitch. Stop the pathetic chant. Get behind the team.