Written by A recent football match in France was stopped midgame due to fans throwing objects at athletes, storming the field, fighting with athletes, and because of their overall behavior. It was extremely sad to watch and unfortunately poor fan behavior has become a frequent occurrence. Is this behavior going to continue to get worse and put athletes and teams in even more precarious positions?
While the stadium in Nice announced for fans to stop throwing objects onto the field, it is unknown what else stadium security or the home team did to stop the behavior. However, we do know that Dimitri Payet, from the opposing team Marseille, was repeatedly hit with water bottles, with eventually one hitting him in the back of the head. Once Payet threw the bottle back into the stands, that is when the Nice fans rushed the field.
Both teams retreated to the locker rooms and Marseille refused to retake the field due to the abusive treatment by the Nice fans. Ultimately, the home team won the game by forfeit. It can be said that the fans won this game because of their unsportsmanlike, abusive, and unsafe actions. This type of behavior will become a factual way for fans to continue to win games for their teams if Ligue 1 does not only change their rules, but takes action on stadiums, teams, and fans who act like this.
As a coach, general manager, president, or team owner, would you condone this type of behavior towards your athletes? Would you also approve of this behavior towards opponents? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then as a parent, would you be fine with fan behavior like this at a youth sports event where your child was an athlete? Denise Harvey recently wrote about parents behaving badly, where a 13 and under rugby league game in Australia resulted in a 59 year old woman being knocked over and a 35 year old father requiring reconstructive facial surgery.
This behavior must stop. Other than police enforcement, it is really up to sports organizations and leagues to step up their game when it comes to the safety of their athletes, coaches, staff members, and teams. If all teams do not start taking ownership of this issue, then they will be sending the message to their fans that this behavior is not only acceptable, but also is encouraged since poor fan behavior might result in another win for their team.