Football disorder is not tolerated

Football fans who are hoping to follow their football heroes are warned not to jeopardise their fun through anti-social behaviour.

Football clubs are responsible for monitoring and upholding ground regulations. Football fans are responsible for behaving correctly.

The Eastern Police Area have teamed up with Rushden & Diamonds Football Club as part of the Police & Clubs Together Against Violence scheme (PACT) to stamp out trouble in and around Nene Park. All fans are being urged to be on their best behaviour when attending any football event. Misbehaviour would mean missing their favourite players in action, due to a lengthy ban, if they are caught causing disorder on match days.

PACT is a formal agreement between the Eastern Area and the Rushden & Diamonds Football Club, which will share information between all police officers and the football club, regarding so-called fans who are involved in causing persistent trouble or anti-social behaviour. Under the PACT scheme; troublemakers can be barred from football grounds by clubs involved in this initiative for up to five years. However, if the civil order is breached, an offender could face the courts and receive a total football banning order. As part of the agreement, information and photographs will be passed to the Rushden & Diamonds Football Club to ensure anyone who is subject of a football banning order or a PACT ban does not attend any matches at Nene Park.

Other police forces that have set up the PACT scheme with their local football clubs will also share intelligence and information with Northamptonshire Police and The Rushden & Diamonds Football Club.

The most frequent problems which cause offence and possible arrest are:-

         The throwing of any object within the ground without lawful authority or excuse

         The chanting of anything indecent, homophobic or racialist in nature

          The entry onto the playing area or any adjacent area to which spectators are not generally admitted without lawful authority or excuse

If you need clarification then contact Police Sergeant 348 Phil Holton, on 08453 700700 ext 4730 or email phil.holton@northants.pnn.police.uk