Chairman sends festive reminder

By David Watters

EVO-STIK League Southern chairman Terry Barratt is reminding fans, players and officials to think about the next generation of fans in the run up to Christmas by cutting out foul and abusive language.

The EVO-STIK League Southern and Hitchin Town chairman, pictured, sent a festive reminder to the chairmen and secretaries at all 68 clubs on Tuesday following a number complaints about unsocial behaviour and the example players and their management teams should be setting for young supporters and their families in recent weeks.

Barratt, pictured, said: "Over the past few weeks we have received a number of complaints from supporters and clubs regarding foul and abusive Language. Can we remind clubs that it is your responsibility for controlling your players, officials and supporters.

"As you know, match officials are empowered to send off any players or coaching staff for using foul and abusive language. It was previously a red card offence for swearing at match officials. Now it is for the use of bad language irrespective of whom it was targeted.

"We have, and will continue to stress to the Football Association Match Officials Department that we as a league want to see this unsavoury action eradicated from the game.

"We all wish to encourage younger supporters, they are our future. Parents do not wish to have their children subjected to bad Language. From experience, if one person writes in, there are at least ten who vote with their feet."

Urging clubs to make every effort to publicise a zero tolerance approach, he added: "Is it in your programme and on your website that bad language is unacceptable and the perpetrators will be ejected? It is in all our interest to stamp out this unsavoury behaviour."

Follow the EVO-STIK League Southern on Twitter at @SouthernLeague1

Where next?

Wednesday's Premier Division action review Tony Lee had an almost perfect debut for EVO-STIK League Southern Cirencester Town in Wednesday night's only top flight fixture, writes Pitchero's Steve Whitney.
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