On Monday, following incidents of missile throwing during the Fleetwood Town game, match day ticket sales for the Warwick Road End were paused by the club while future arrangements were assessed.
Click HERE to read that statement.
We explained to fans that a range of options were being considered, and we asked for information about those involved in the incidents, and appealed again to supporters to stop misbehaviour.
The immediate response from fans was fantastic - just as we had hoped. Working with police and fans we have been able to identify three young supporters responsible, and they are all now being dealt with in line with the clubs Supporter Sanctioning Policy.
Click HERE to view that policy.
From the response of supporters it is clear to everyone that fans deplore this behaviour, and they don’t want it at Brunton Park, or from fellow fans. That’s clear, and sends a really positive message to everyone.
At the same time we have been reviewing events in detail, and learning from them, and taking steps to try to both prevent and respond better in future.
We have met with police and they will support us in our actions. Yesterday evening we met with Carlisle United Supporters’ Group [CUSG].
CUSG have given full support to the measures we plan to take and are working with us to do all they can to help.
The feedback from supporters is that they wish the club stewards to step in sooner and more frequently when issues arise and are reported to them by fans.
To be crystal clear, we really welcome fan support in highlighting their concerns both in fan behaviour and how it is dealt with.
We want this to continue, please use the report line [07891 779 015] or tell a steward there and then. At the same time, we know that the stewarding response needs to be better. This is a key area of focus.
Future arrangements:
Starting with the Wigan game:
- Increased numbers of stewards and increased visibility of stewarding.
- A much tougher and robust stewarding approach to all aspects of fan behaviour. including in-stadium vaping.
- Very significantly increased searching of fans.
- Further use of body cameras and surveillance cameras.
- Far stronger messaging to fans.
- Increased police numbers.
Any fan found to be vaping inside the stadium (any area of the ground) will be asked to hand over the vape to be disposed of or, if not complied with, they face ejection from the stadium.
Any supporter aged under 18 who is found in possession of a vape, either during searching on entry to the stadium or subsequently inside the stadium, will have the vape confiscated and disposed of.
It is important to remind all those accompanying U14s that they are responsible for them while they are at Brunton Park, and must supervise and look after them at all times. They must not be left unattended.
Over the last season, we have seen the popularity of the club and the Warwick Road End take off with young fans and teenagers doing a fantastic job.
The efforts of the Warwick Road End group have been instrumental in this. We want this to continue. We want numbers to get even bigger and for more and more fans to come and be made to feel welcome by older and existing fans.
We don’t want these incidents to lead to a ‘witch-hunt’ towards anyone. If incidents arise, please contact a steward.
What fans need to do next:
- If you are under 18 - leave your vapes at home. Do not bring them to Brunton Park, or try to bring them into the stadium.
- If you vape, do not do so inside Brunton Park.
- If you see an incident, report it by phone or text to [07891 779 015] or tell a steward there and then. Don’t wait. Note the number of the steward you have informed.
- Be prepared to be searched on entry. Make sure you are prepared to enter the stadium earlier. It will take longer to get in.
Other points:
Following feedback from fans the club has taken steps to deal with turnstile scanning issues which, although they didn’t play a part in the incidents, were not as they should have been.
In the feedback from fans they raised concerns that stewards did not respond when incidents were highlighted to them. It is important for fans to know that in most cases our approach is not to send stewards into crowded areas to approach fans, so whilst they may not see immediate action this doesn’t not mean to say steps have not been taken to deal with the reports later.
The club can now confirm match tickets are again available on sale, in-person and online for the Warwick Road End for the Wigan and Exeter games.
We sincerely hope the measures the club has taken, combined with a positive response from all supporters, will mean that we can get back to having incident free games that we can all enjoy.
It does the fans and the club no good to have their reputation dragged through the mud. These measures will come at a significant cost to the club, one we can do without, when it would be far better to be spending this money on more positive initiatives for fans.
Having said all this, we must also be up front with supporters. If there are any other incidents of fan misbehaviour, no matter what these are, then we will have no alternative to revisit these measures.
This is now in the hands of all of our fans to show what they are really about.
Our report line number is - 07891 779 015
