Club launch new Unacceptable Conduct Policy
Club Safety Officer Graham Exley has launched a new Unacceptable Conduct Policy for the club in line with SPFL guidelines for 2017.
Supporters can view all club policies on our dedicated page, where the documents are hosted and readily available for supporters and stakeholders to download free.
The new policy can be seen in full below, or downloaded here.
From January 1 2017 the club’s new Unacceptable Conduct policy came into force. This change comes as the Government and football authorities continue to increase the focus on this subject. We ask all fans and spectators at Berwick Rangers FC home games to please fully support this policy and assist the Club in tackling any Unacceptable Conduct issues in a proactive manner.
This statement is designed to provide clear information to all officials, employees, shareholders, home and visiting supporters and indeed anyone who exercises a function for or who has a connection with Berwick Rangers Football Club PLC (“the Club”) as to the Club’s attitude and approach to the question of unacceptable conduct.
The Club fully accepts that football is a game of passion. It readily encourages supporters to express their support and add to the enjoyment of the game.The Club will not however tolerate and indeed condemns any form of unacceptable conduct at its Home Ground or at Away Grounds by its supporters. Such unacceptable conduct includes inter alia the following:-
• Any violent or disorderly conduct, including any actual, attempted or threatened physical violence against a person or persons;
• Any intentional damage to property;
• Any racist, sectarian or defamatory abuse;
• Any abuse relating to sexual orientation, transgender identity, physical or mental disability;
• Any anti-social behaviour;
• Any throwing of articles in the ground or its surroundings;
The Club reserves the right to take appropriate action if it is suspected that a person seeking entry to the ground is in possession of any article, e.g., flags, banners, and the like which may contain offensive or unacceptable material, flares, fireworks and devices capable of emitting smoke or the like which may cause or be part of an incident of unacceptable conduct.
The Club reserves the right to have such a person searched – those entering the Home Ground are deemed as per the Club’s Ground Entry Conditions to have agreed to be subject to such search procedures, and any such articles found during such a search will be removed and delivered to the Match Commander or Safety Officer. Any such person refusing to be searched will be denied access to the ground and any season ticket or ticket shall be liable to confiscation without compensation and further proportionate action as determined by the Club may follow.
The club shall make announcements over the stadium public address system at home first team official matches, where fans present exceed 250, condemning all forms of unacceptable conduct.
The Club will ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the good order, security and safety of all whether players, supporters, officials, who attend the Home Games.
It will further ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, that its players, officials, supporters and anyone exercising any function relating to the Club do not engage in any unacceptable conduct. The Club will ensure the safe passage of those who require access to the tunnel area and hereby state that it will be the decision of the Safety Officer as to who is allowed in that area. Dissention from a decision of the Safety Officer may be deemed as unacceptable conduct.
The Club will co-operate with Match Officials, match stewards and Northumbria Police in relation to any alleged incident of unacceptable behaviour. Any individual convicted of a football related offence or, who is found by the Board of the Club to have committed a serious breach of this policy, will be subject to appropriate action by the Club which may include a ban from the ground and/or confiscation, without compensation, of any Season Ticket held by that individual.
The club also refer supporters to the SFA ‘Fans Charter’, see details on www.scottishfa.co.uk
The Club expects that its fans will fully support this policy and assist the Club in tackling any unacceptable conduct issues in a proactive manner.
All full club policies are listed on the club website www.berwickrangers.com under sub headers ‘Club’ then ‘Policies’.
Graham Exley, Safety Officer BERWICK RANGERS FC PLC
January 2017
