Prem bosses fear ‘tragedy’ will occur unless pitch invasions are stopped

PREMIER LEAGUE bosses fear a ‘tragedy’ unless ugly pitch invasions are stopped.

Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira kicked out at a fan who taunted him on Everton’s pitch.

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And now players, managers and officials on red alert going into tomorrow’s final day of the season.

• Eddie Howe says there could be ‘terrible consequences’ if fans are not stopped

• Jurgen Klopp criticised fathers who are taking their children on to pitches

• FA chiefs have told clubs they will face serious consequences if invasions aren’t stopped

• The head of football policing blasted the ‘unacceptable rise in incidents

Newcastle boss Howe is dreading another invasion at Burnley on Sunday if they avoid relegation.

The dugouts at Turf Moor are on the other side of the pitch from the safety of the tunnel.

And Howe, who managed Burnley a decade ago, said: “The logistics of the stadium unfortunately mean you don’t have a quick exit.

“I’m concerned for the safety of everyone connected with both teams.

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“We are going into dangerous territory where something could happen in a game that has terrible consequences.

“We have to act very quickly because we want to avert a potential tragedy.”

On Vieira lashing out at the abusive Everton fan, he added: “It was a concerning moment.

“You’ve got a Premier League manager surrounded by supporters of another team, a very dangerous moment potentially.

“You can’t condone the reaction but he’s put in a very, very difficult situation.”

‘IT’S DISGRACEFUL’

Liverpool boss Klopp is bemused that some fans are taking their young children on to the pitch during chaotic invasions.

He said: “When I saw fathers with little sons on the pitch, I’m not 100 per cent sure what you are thinking.

“It’s OK that you lose your mind for yourself, but to lose it for yourself and your son, it could have been really dangerous.

“These kind of things should not be happening. We should be able to celebrate things without threatening ourselves and our opponent.”

West Ham boss David Moyes says fans have gone too far but doesn’t want nets or barriers installed at matches to stop invasions.

He said: “It’s really difficult when people are abusing you and coming up to your face. It has to change. It is disgraceful.

“I’ve had incidents in my career and my life where people have done that to me and I’ve reacted badly. I’ve made some wrong decisions and hit out and I wished I had maybe turned away.

“What we never want to do is go back to the days when we were all caged in.”

FA chiefs opened probes into the shocking scenes at the end of Everton’s win over Palace on Thursday.

They are also investigating Port Vale’s League Two shoot-out win over Swindon, whose  players were surrounded on the pitch with reports of injuries.

The incidents come on the back of the awful events at Nottingham Forest on Monday when Sheffield United’s Billy Sharp was deckedby a fan, who was jailed for 24 weeks.

The FA want to hold clubs more accountable for any future situations.

Its statement read: “Football stadiums should always be a safe and enjoyable space for everyone, and these incidents are completely unacceptable and have no place in our game.

“It is illegal to enter the pitch area in any stadium and these actions are putting players, fans and people who run the game at great risk.

Vieira faces a potential three-game ban for violent conduct but he could escape with a warning as he was acting in self-defence.

PFA STANCE

The PFA urged clubs to combat out of control crowds, saying: “While the majority of fans may be celebrating, it is clear that for a minority, this behaviour becomes toxic, aggressive and dangerous.

“This scenario has resulted in an unsafe environment for players and club staff. People are at risk of being seriously hurt or worse.

“The football authorities need to be tough and send a clear message. These are predictable events, it is a criminal offence, and it is unacceptable.”

Cheshire Chief Constable Mark Roberts, the national lead for football policing in England said:  “The pitch is the players’ place of work and like everyone else, they should be able to feel safe.

“I know emotions are running high when clubs are getting promoted or avoiding relegation. But having large numbers of fans rushing on to the pitch at the end of the game is a safety risk for everyone.”

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