(Reuters) – Premier League clubs unanimously agreed on Wednesday a series of new measures to tackle anti-social behaviour including tragedy-related chanting, gestures, graffiti and online abuse.
The clubs decided at their Annual General Meeting to adopt measures focusing on prosecution, the regulatory environment, law enforcement, education and communications.
An inter-football working group was set up in December to explore the options available to challenge the normalisation of such behaviour and incidents.
“The issues have continued to cause significant distress to the victims’ families, survivors and affected-club supporters, in addition to damaging the reputation of the clubs involved and football in England and Wales,” the clubs said in a statement.
A Tottenham Hotspur fan was banned on Tuesday from attending matches for three years and fined after making gestures mocking the Hillsborough stadium disaster during Spurs’ game at Liverpool in April.
The 25-year-old, who was charged with intentionally causing harassment, alarm or distress, pleaded guilty.
Details of the new measures will be announced ahead of the season, as part of the Love Football, Protect the Game campaign launched last year.
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City, editing by Ed Osmond)
