Eddie Howe has warned of a “potential tragedy” if fans keep invading pitches after games.
The Newcastle boss and his players face a high-stakes end of season game at Burnley on Sunday that will determine the Lancashire club’s Premier League status. At Turf Moor there is no easy escape route for players and coaches because the tunnel is on the opposite corner of the pitch to where Howe will be standing.
After disgraceful scenes at Nottingham Forest when Billy Sharp was assaulted by a fan, and Patrick Vieira kicking out at a fan who taunted him during a Goodison Park pitch invasion chaos, Howe says it is time to act. The Toon chief said of his trip to Turf Moor: “It is something we have to act quickly on to avert a potential tragedy.
“I am concerned for the safety of everyone connected with both teams. It is not something you want to see on a regular basis. Safety of players referees, managers, is paramount and we have to find a way to guarantee that safety. We are there to do a job to the very best of our ability and we should be dealing with those scenes.
“The scenes at Nottingham Forest were shocking to see and Everton as well. I think we are going into dangerous territory where we are going into games where something could happen that has terrible consequences. The authorities have to act quickly to make sure we make the grounds a safe as we can.
“I don’t mind the celebrational aspect. Embracing success is part of football. It is the aggression towards the opposition. It is swarms of people around one or two people. That doesn’t sit well with me.” Asked if Newcastle will have extra security on the bench at the end of the game, Howe replied: “I don’t know the end of game brief yet but it is something we will discuss.
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“The logistics of the stadium unfortunately mean you don’t have a quick exit from my perspective as the manager and the coaching staff. I obviously know the stadium well (he was manager there) so that is a concern but I don’t want to build it up too much. I hope things are put in place that we can guarantee the safety of not just me but my players. Really the focus should be on our focus and making sure we give our best.”
Howe said the Vieira incident was “hugely concerning”. He added: “I’m not going to lie and sit on fence and brush it off. We have to act now to avert a potential disaster. I thought it was a concerning moment for everyone connected to football. You’ve got a manager, a Premier League manager, surrounded by supporters of another team, a very dangerous moment potentially.
“I think we have to act now to avert a potential disaster because no-one would want to see that. The safety of everyone should be the first priority when going to a football match.” Asked if he understood Vieira kicking out at the fan, Howe said: “It’s difficult. You can’t condone the reaction. That’s difficult for me to do and I’m not condoning that but I think he’s put in a very, very difficult situation.”
