Unacceptable Conduct

SLOs are ideally placed to help promote positive messages of support to fan bases and work towards stopping unacceptable conduct.

SLOs work with the safety officer and are not the extended arm of the safety officer. They work to prevent negative incidents from happening through dialogue and communication.

In this area, SLOs should ideally:

• Help the safety officer to understand fan structures
• Help the safety officer to promote mutual understanding between stakeholders
• Help the safety officer to identify trends and gauge the mood within the fan base
• Attend pre-match security / planning meetings

Some practical steps:

• Promote and encourage behaviour appropriate for the environment (Fans Charter or similar)
• Ensure your supporters are aware of the potential consequences of hate behaviour (through club messaging)
• Share cases of good practice from amongst the supporters to the supporters (club website, social media, etc)
• Hold an information sharing meeting at least annually with regard to general fan conduct and behaviours
• Build relationships with additional key partners, for example, supporter groups, residents groups, police and other organisations

What SLOs should work towards trying to achieve:

• Football matches are open and welcoming for all – no part of the community should feel excluded, and each community is of equal value.
• The match should take place in a safe environment where the facilities provided are appropriate for the diversity of the community likely to support or visit that club.
• Positive support and celebration of fan culture should be encouraged, where fan culture is defined as the right of fans to give vocal and visual support of the club and express their views.
• Songs or chants shouldn’t lead members of the community to believe, or allow the perception to exist, that they are excluded from supporting the team because of their colour, creed, gender, sexuality, or religion.
• Everyone has a shared responsibility in making football better and ensuring it grows and prospers in the coming years.