Chorley Council Tell Fans to Stay Away

[Stan]

Apparently away fans that see their teams away at the likes of Preston, Blackburn, Bolton & Wigan have been told to stay away for being too intimidating to shoppers and residents  

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45205626
 

Quote

 

Football fans have been told to stay away from a Lancashire town where travelling supporters regularly stop off on their way to games.

Chorley Council wants to stop coaches of away fans from visiting its town centre, because it says they have been "intimidating" residents and shoppers.

A letter has been sent to clubs saying fans were "not welcome".

The Lancashire town is a stop-off for fans on their way to games at Bolton, Blackburn, Preston, Burnley and Wigan.

Chorley councillor Danny Gee, who sent the letter on behalf of the council's Town Centre Team, later clarified they were specifically targeting coach loads of fans and admitted the letter "could have been worded better".

Gee told BBC Radio 5 live that congregating coaches had become a "big problem".

He added the request had come from residents and business owners, who said their takings had dropped on match days.

The letter refers to a story from April, where hundreds of Wolves fans visited Chorley before an away game at Bolton, but said they had been "relatively good-natured".

It was widely criticised on social media and the Football Supporters' Federation (FSF) said it was seeking legal advice.

"Football fans being told they're not welcome in pubs is one thing but to be told formally by a council they're not welcome in a whole town?! Wow! I'm genuinely speechless at this," tweeted FSF caseworker Amanda Jacks.

Chorley FC, known as the Magpies, play in National League North, the sixth tier of English football.

Responding to a tweet the council sent congratulating Chorley on a win, Jacks replied: "You can't have your cake and eat it. You either welcome football in your town, or you don't."

Reiterating the council's position, Gee told the Phil Williams show it was not banning anyone and it was "powerless" because of a lack of police.

He added: "Fans are welcome, but we are not welcoming large amount of coaches with 100 and 200 fans, congregating outside pubs and disrupting the town centre.

"They stand outside pubs and intimidate shoppers and families. They arrive at 12pm and leave at 2.30pm - by that time most of the shoppers have left."

In a statement, the council added: "If the clubs themselves see fit to stop away fans entering some of their local pubs and don't sell alcohol in the ground why should that perceived problem be passed on to our town centre to deal with?

"As we stated in the letter we have done a lot of work and invested a lot of time and money into the town centre and we don't want Saturdays, which are one of the busiest days for traders, to be affected by people put off by football fans causing anti-social behaviour."

 

 

[Eco]

Since when has Preston been considered a 'large' club? 

[Eco]

Wigan also, but PNE are by no means massive. 

When you haven't won shit in the a major cup comp OR been relevant for over 50 years, you aren't massive. 

They won the FA cup in 1889 and 1938, they have played 1,720 matches in the English Top division with a record of 671 | 390 | 659, and have been in top level football since 1960-61, after looking to have had a few good runs in the 50's. 
 

[Guest]

On 16/08/2018 at 14:37, Eco said:

Wigan also, but PNE are by no means massive. 

When you haven't won shit in the a major cup comp OR been relevant for over 50 years, you aren't massive. 

They won the FA cup in 1889 and 1938, they have played 1,720 matches in the English Top division with a record of 671 | 390 | 659, and have been in top level football since 1960-61, after looking to have had a few good runs in the 50's. 
 

You just google that? 

[Eco]

10 minutes ago, Gunnersauraus said:

You just google that? 

Yes., no one 'normal' would know PNE's EPL record without googling it. 

[Smiley Culture]

I read something from someone from Chorley online at the weekend and it seems most of the bother is around the Weatherspoons pubs in Chorley, of which I believe there are two of. Those places attract the underbelly of society anyway so I find it less surprising that there’s trouble associated with these pubs. 

 

[RandoEFC+]

I lived just outside Chorley for a couple of years. It's a proper Northern market town and the centre of town at the weekend the streets are usually pretty rammed with market stalls and people perusing them.

I can't remember coming across any football mobs on a Saturday but at least one Wetherspoons is very much in the fairly cramped middle section of town. The train station, main bus station and whole market area are in very close proximity with that pub in the thick of it, so I can see how large groups of football fans might cause an issue.

However I suspect it's more a case that, like when you come across a group of six hooded teenagers walking down the street after dark, it's probably just the sight of them that causes the problem and they're actually harmless.