Hull City make plea as club faces serious sanctions and stadium closure

Hull City make a desperate plea as the Championship club faces serious sanctions and a stadium closure due to the number of arrests at games.

The Tigers are pleading with supporters to stop thinking that legging it onto the pitch is anything other than dangerous after seeing a rise in those doing so.

This happened at home to Luton, a young fan running onto the pitch to take a picture with shot-stopper Matt Ingram, seen as one of a number of issues since supporters were allowed back to the stadium.

Hull say they’ve been forced to issue more bans to fans so far this season than at any point in the stadium’s two-decade-long history.

One of the reasons include a Dad who was drunk with his child and deemed it a good idea to run onto the field of play.

And on that subject. Here’s a column. #hcafc https://t.co/Hj6qLOgHA8

— Baz Cooper (@bazdjcooper) March 31, 2022

CLUB STATEMENT:

Hull City notes with increasing concern the number of anti-social incidents happening in the stands at football grounds across the country and specifically at the MKM Stadium this season.

Since the start of the 2021/22 season, the number of incidents leading to sanctions against fans has steadily increased, resulting in 17 stadium bans having been issued so far, more than the past five seasons combined. The bans range from six months to five years for offences including anti-social behaviour, criminal damage, throwing items towards or onto the field of play, and entering the field of play, and have been issued to fans of all ages, including offending minors and their responsible adults.

Incidents of fans entering the field of play are an increasing problem up and down the country, in particular the number of young fans. The club would like to remind all supporters that entering the field of play at any time is a criminal offence, regardless of the age of the individuals involved.

Speaking to the Hull Daily Mail, club CEO James Rodwell said: “Anybody that is caught doing this will be banned. You cannot come on the pitch, it’s a criminal offence. It also potentially puts our players and the opposition in a very difficult position when approached on the field of play, which is ultimately their place of work. The last thing anyone wants is anybody getting hurt.

“We understand that it’s a tiny minority egging people on, but it just cannot happen, regardless of the age of people running on the pitch, this is not a joke for the football club, it really isn’t. We’ve got to stop it happening, we’re appealing to our supporters to not go on the pitch.

“The football club could end up being hit by sanctions whether that’s a fine, whether that’s ground closure, I don’t want to be dramatic about it but that is the ultimate sanction.”

We thank the vast majority of our fans who have attended matches at the MKM Stadium this season and conducted themselves impeccably and shown their support for the team, head coach and owner in the right way.

You can read the full interview with CEO James Rodwell on the Hull Daily Mail website here.

Paul Woodford, head of operations, said to Hull Live: “People don’t realise there are real consequences. We had a child run on against West Brom. We detained him and the police arrested him. Everyone thinks nothing happened, and that’s the public consensus, but he’s being dealt with.

“He could get a three-year police football ban – he’ll be banned from here for a year anyway for a pitch invasion which is standard – he can be given an unlimited fine which his parents would have to pay because he’s a minor, he could be sent to a juvenile detention centre if he’s seen to do it again after he’s been caught. There are all sorts of things that could happen to him. His case is ongoing and is being dealt with by the police, I think he’s only 14.”

“We made two arrests at the last match (against Luton) for throwing items, we made another arrest the game before (against West Brom). We’re having regular meetings with the police to decide how to get on top of this,” says Woodford. “In September, we were facing huge sanctions from the SGSA (Sports Ground Safety Authority) because of fan disorder, too many people in E2 – and part of our mitigating factors have been in reducing police costs and allowing us to take control of the situation and doing some communication with fans. This is not a bit of fun which inconveniences us all.”

anything gonna come of this? pic.twitter.com/3Wpm6qRXhz

— jaymes (@JaymessR) February 12, 2022

Fans reacted as Hull City make a plea as the club faces serious sanctions and even a stadium closure…

@GeorgeBell0561: Try getting the stewards to do their jobs! Twice in the South West corner I have witnessed the stewards stand by doing nothing to stop the half-time mascots run onto the pitch at the final whistle! What the hell’s wrong with them? 😡😡😡😡😡

@Ambraneri: I think allowing fans out of the south-east corner exit at the end of the game is an issue..fans then congregate at the bottom of the east stand which makes it harder for stewards to spot a potential pitch invader if one runs on.

@Dansmith_HCAFC: Problem is the stewards don’t spot anything, look at the fans that pass by us to get into the next block, they have to go by stewards 😂 they don’t do anything about it

@MattyHC5: I’ve mentioned it before and I will say it again…. A complete brand new membership / season pass scheme is needed because people are moving to seats they don’t want to be in. People who want to be in E2 will have the opportunity to be there permanently 🤷‍♂️

@TigersEarly: If spectators are bringing bottles in from the concourse, then stop selling bottles in the ground & improve stewarding. Visiting fans in N stand in particular seem to be allowed to throw objects while police box behind them watches on

@KimSykes1: No steward stopped the child running on the pitch last game. They all found it funny. Wait for some more to do it….

@OneRyanMason: Make your stewards steward properly then, last 2 matches my bag hasn’t been checked; not even acknowledged. So I’m not surprised people with bad intentions are doing what they’re doing, because it’s so easy to get past stewards

@RP2218: Need better stewards. They either act like they are forced to be there, or are on some sort of power trip.

@jwhcafc: Yes fair enough but please sort out the stewards

@LittleRob: Better TRAINING for stewards, all that CCTV use it to identify those responsible both home and away. Complete ban on attending all grounds. Just a thought

@SimonWattsHull: The stewarding in sections is at best poor, ive noticed of late the amount of folk drinking alcohol whilst watching the game for example, but ultimately why are some bellends intent on running onto the pitch or throwing stuff in the first place? Thats not the fault of a steward.

@VegasSoup: I’ve seen ‘stewards’ on their phone most of the games turning a blind eye to people doing wrong, I’ve told some about smokers & taking Coke in the toilet at HT but they looked too sheepish to do anything. Personally, I don’t blame them. Why would they want to cause a scene?

@Soley23_: Stop having 25 stewards sit between E3 and E4 who just sit and watch the game for 90 minutes. Utilise them elsewhere and actually try to stop people getting on the pitch. If they do, be heavy handed. No point preaching to the converted. Make examples of the idiots who run on.

@Willy_Turner: The stewards are absolutely useless though, the amount of people I’ve seen drinking beers in the stands this season is ridiculous. One of the stewards couldn’t even work out how to put on a rain poncho, that should tell you enough about the standard of who you employ