PREMIER LEAGUE THE UGLY
The return of supporters and the atmosphere of full stadiums at the start of this season after a year of largely playing behind closed doors was and continues to be a thrill to behold. It’s almost as if match-going fans have reminded us all how their presence adds so much more to the footballing spectacle. However, some fans have taken things way too far, with a concerning rise in unsavoury incidents over recent months. After the disorder outside Wembley which marred the Euro 2020 final in July, behaviour among a small but very visible minority has spoiled an increasing number of games. In January alone, four players were struck by objects thrown from the crowd. A lighter was aimed at Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger in their win over rivals Tottenham, while Burnley’s Matthew Lowton and Aston Villa duo Matt Cash and Lucas Digne received on-field
treatment after being hit by plastic bottles against Leeds United and Everton respectively. It’s an issue not just confined to the Premier League either, as two League One fixtures saw lengthy stoppages due to offensive chants from the stands, and Cardiff City offered to pay fellow Championship club Bristol City for structural damage supporters caused to their stadium. Flares and pitch invasions are also becoming more frequent, with examples such as in the Carabao Cup semi-final between Arsenal and Liverpool, and Leicester City’s FA Cup defeat to Nottingham Forest. All this is being backed up by the statistics, as figures released in January showed a 47% rise in football-related arrests in England compared to 2019-20, before the start of the pandemic. Although the situation is far less serious than it was decades ago, a worrying trend has begun to develop and the police are set to meet with the Premier League and other stakeholders in order to address these issues.
ABOVE: Lucas Digne needed treatment after being struck by a missile thrown from the stands against former club Everton
‘FULL GROUNDS HAVE REMINDED US OF THE IMPORTANCE OF MATCH-GOING FANS’ Romelu Lukaku has taken to social media to send a cryptic message just weeks after being forced to apologise to Chelsea fans for a controversial interview. Lukaku admitted that he wasn't enjoying the tactical setup at Chelsea while saying that he hoped to return to Inter one day, with the Belgian forced to apologize shortly after. The striker posted a simple message on his public Snapchat, saying: "If you have to force it then it probably doesn't fit."
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SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022
LEFT: A lighter was aimed at Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger TOP (OPPOSITE PAGE): Wolverhampton players celebrating BOTTOM (OPPOSITE PAGE): Jesse Lingard in action
Manchester City star Kevin de Bruyne has revealed that Michael Owen was his favorite player growing up. The Belgium international midfielder cited the former Liverpool striker's 1998 World Cup goal vs Argentina as the main reason he idolized the forward. De Bruyne would have been seven years old at the time that Owen scored that goal, telling BT Sport when asked who his childhood idol was: "Michael Owen. When I was young, it was Michael.’’
