Following the Carlisle v Burnley game on 7 March 1997 I wrote a letter to both clubs about the trouble at the end of, and after, the match. To date I have only received a reply from Carlisle United. I will add further correspondence to this page as it occurs.
| 8 March 1998 | Letter from David Atkinson to Carlisle United and Burnley. |
| 13 March 1998 | Letter from Carlisle United to David Atkinson |
| 14 March 1998 | Letter from David Atkinson to Carlisle United Safety Officer. |
8 March 1998
| Mr M Knighton, | Mr F Teasdale, |
| Carlisle United AFC, | Burnley AFC, |
| Brunton Park, | Turf Moor, |
| Warwick Road, | Brunshaw Road, |
| Carlisle CA1 1LL | Burnley BB10 4BX |
Dear Sirs,
It is with some regret that I feel that I have to write this letter. I am a Cumbrian who lived in Burnley with my brother from 1988 to 1990 and as such I have friends in both areas and so have no problem associating with either set of fans. However, the actions of a few brain-dead morons from both sides at the Burnley match ruined the day. My brother was up from Burnley with the son and nephew of his neighbour. Now these boys (11 and 13) are Burnley fans but had to come into the Carlisle section with us and my season ticket seat is in the East Stand up against the away fans. At the end of the match the Burnley fans were throwing coins at us and we had to shield these boys from their own fans. I was hit by one coin in the back, the gentleman next to me got hit in the face and I understand that the female steward near us was also hit. To add to this, when we got outside there was a fight right next to us on Warwick Road. Since I did not see this start, I cannot ascribe blame.
However, I am not saying that these events can be blamed entirely on the Burnley fans. There are several issues which have been a constant concern for those of us in the East Stand :
| 1. |
The decision to seat away fans in the East Stand, while commercially sound, will always increase the risk of trouble because it provides a focus point for troublemakers. |
| 2. |
Every week it is the same idiots seated in the Carlisle section who try to cause trouble by antagonising the away fans. While I am not saying that these people should be banned from the ground, perhaps banning them from the East Stand may defuse future incidents. |
| 3. |
The level of stewarding at the point where the fans meet is pitiful. For the Burnley match there were only four stewards on the Carlisle side of the divide. |
| 4. |
Whenever there is a large contingent of away fans the ludicrous decision is made to place them right up against the mesh which divides the two sets of fans. The security stewards are then sat in amongst the away fans thus giving them no reaction time should these fans decide to cause trouble. |
| 5. |
The mesh which divides the fans is woefully inadequate and could easily be traversed by determined individuals. |
| 6. |
The away fans must exit the ground along the same roadway as the home fans, allowing troublemakers to plan an ambush. |
| 7. |
While fighting at Brunton Park is rare in recent years, the two boys with us from Burnley say that it is a common occurrence at Turf Moor. |
Now, I am not saying that verbal jousting between fans should be banned, I enjoy it as much as anyone, but unless some of the issues I have raised are addressed I fear that it will only be a matter of time before there is a major incident at Brunton Park.
Yours Faithfully,
David E W Atkinson
13th March 1998
Dear Mr. Atkinson
Thank you for your letter of 8th March 1998 which has been passed to me for attention.
I am sorry you experienced such problems at the Burnley match and that your day was spoiled by the actions of a minority from both sets of supporters. With regard to the specific matters you raised, I comment as follows:
| 1. |
We are aware that visiting fans seated in the East Stand will provide a focus for troublemakers, as they do in whichever area of the ground they occupy. The reason for placing them there is not merely a commercial one, it is felt that the Petteril end of the ground is inadequate and visiting supporters should be offered good seated and covered accommodation with good ancillary facilities. |
| 2. |
We are determined to take a strong line against troublemakers in the ground and the Carlisle people involved are no exception. I have already briefed the stewards' supervisors to give these individuals attention and they will, if necessary, be banned from the ground. |
| 3 & 4. |
The level of stewarding placed on each side of the mesh barriers is judged by the potential for trouble which is expected. You state in your letter that fighting at Brunton Park has been rare in recent years, and certainly there have been no incursions from the Carlisle to visiting area, hence fewer stewards on the Carlisle side of the mesh. This does not mean that we are not prepared to deal with such a possibility and supervisors often reinforce areas of perceived weakness during the match. For the Burnley match, one complete row of seats was kept clear between their fans and the mesh, Stewards occupied that row to prevent any attempted "forays" across the mesh - there were none. |
| 5 |
Whilst I originally shared your scepticism about the mesh divides, there has been no breach of it throughout the season, despite some boisterous supporters. It is not easy to cross, as has been proved at other grounds, but we will continue to monitor the adequacy of the system. The last thing we want is a return to metal fences if this can be avoided. |
| 6. |
Unfortunately, access and exit from Brunton Park is limited, and despite the best efforts of ourselves and the Police, determined adversaries will seek each other out with a view to fighting either near the ground or elsewhere. We must be prepared for this and are now ensuring that stewards give attention to focal points on the exits from the ground. Unfortunately we are not permitted to "hold back" visiting supporters, which can cause more disorder problems in any case. |
Please be assured that we are addressing the problems you have raised, We will attempt to strike a balance between "verbal jousting" and disorderly or loutish behaviour - which is sometimes difficult to achieve but the main aim of the Club is to maintain a safe environment for all supporters who attend events at Brunton Park.
Should you have any further comments, please do not hesitate to contact me direct.
Yours sincerely
G M McCrone MBE
Safety Officer
14 March 1998
Dear Mr. McCrone,
Thank you for your prompt reply of 13 March 1998 to my letter of 8 March 1998. I have not, as yet, received a reply from Burnley FC regarding the points I raised.
With respect to your responses, I accept your explanations and I can appreciate what a difficult task it is to "police" a soccer match. However, there were a couple of points I would like to return to. In response to my points 3 & 4 you stated
For the Burnley match, one complete row of seats was kept clear between their fans and the mesh, Stewards occupied that row to prevent any attempted "forays" across the mesh - there were none.
This is not correct. The Burnley fans were sat directly next to the mesh, the stewards were sat at intervals of perhaps four or five rows down the column next to the mesh. If there had been trouble, these stewards would not have had time to intervene.
Whilst I originally shared your scepticism about the mesh divides, there has been no breach of it throughout the season, despite some boisterous supporters. It is not easy to cross, as has been proved at other grounds, but we will continue to monitor the adequacy of the system. The last thing we want is a return to metal fences if this can be avoided.
While I accept that the system has worked to date, I feel that if fans are to be sat against the mesh, then in future the stewards and external security personnel should be predominantly on the Carlisle side where they can intercept encroaching fans. Some personnel could be left in the away section as a "snatch team", perhaps near the tunnel. Certainly I would feel happier if there were at least 5 stewards on the upper section of the Home side of the mesh.
Unfortunately we are not permitted to "hold back" visiting supporters, which can cause more disorder problems in any case.
While I accept your word on this, is this a local decision? At some away games I have been prevented from leaving the ground.
Finally, thank you again for your time. I will be including these letters on my website as proof that good clubs listen and respond to their fans comments.
Yours Sincerely,
David E W Atkinson
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