Football has unfortunately always been associated with violence.
Violence in football was brought to the forefront recently when a spectator was able to run onto the pitch and escape the football stewards and hit Aston Villa player Jack Grealish during a match.
This recent incident called into question security operations during football matches, the role of the stadium staff and how they could have better managed this security breach and violent incident. And, do they need more security training to function in their role?
What is a football steward?
Football stewards ensure the safety of spectators attending a football match, but also the safety of the players on the pitch.
An NVQ Level 2 Spectator Control is a qualification that all stewards of a designated football field must acquire while working.
What is an NVQ Level 2 Spectator Control qualification?
Spectator Safety Qualifications provide the knowledge and experience required to work as a steward at sports fields, music festivals, marches and any other event that requires spectator safety. Those with this qualification learn how to manage accidents and emergencies, control the entry, exit and movement of people at spectator events, and manage crowd problems.
However, even if spectator safety qualification covers a wide range of disciplines and procedures, does it cover enough to justify a security operations role at a football match that may have thousands of fans present at any one time?
Should football stewards be trained as door supervisors?
Being a football steward and a door supervisor are in fact very similar roles, but undergo very different types of training.
It is a legal requirement that those working in the security industry take SIA license training and hold a valid SIA license. Those who are trained as door supervisors undergo conflict management training, as well as intense physical intervention, and are evaluated through multiple-choice exams and a practical assessment.
Door supervisors are confronted daily with intense and often dangerous incidents that can range from drunk and disorderly customers to violent and aggressive encounters.
Door Supervisors are, however, highly trained professionals who are equipped to deal with these types of incidents.
These are the kinds of skills that an active football commissioner could use in their role on the sidelines of a football pitch and could help prevent future incidents such as the one that occurred with Aston Villa player Jack Grealish.
What does the future hold for football safety?
The Birmingham City fan who attacked the Aston Villa captain was imprisoned for 14 weeks. The incident also led the Football Association to question whether it is doing enough on the issue of player safety and their approach to hooliganism in football.
An FA spokesman said “a line had been crossed” and strongly condemned the attack.
Birmingham City also issued a statement on the incident, saying the club had begun to review all its management, safety and security procedures “as a matter of great importance”.
“We will put in place additional measures in our stadium to ensure the safety of players and fans,” the statement said.
With football security now at the forefront of public attention and the Football Association now admitting that there are problems with their security procedures, perhaps an SIA partnership might be in order?
What do you think? Do you think we could see SIA-trained football stadiers managing security on the football pitch in the future?
