Bulgaria - Two Match Stadium Ban

[AsleepInYorkshire]

Bulgaria fans' racism: Racist abuse of England players leads to stadium ban
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50212951
Bulgaria have been ordered to play two matches behind closed doors - one suspended for two years - for their fans' racist abuse of England players in a Euro 2020 qualifier.

It hardly seems enough

AiY

[Laughton]

I suppose there's a financial consequence - but I would have thought that playing to an empty stadium is just as much a turn off for the visiting team as it is for the home.

[AsleepInYorkshire]

I suppose there's a financial consequence - but I would have thought that playing to an empty stadium is just as much a turn off for the visiting team as it is for the home.

Yes. That's a good point ... the irony is the visiting team suffer too.

However, any sort of challenge to racism within the game (or indeed any sport) is well overdue and hopefully not just Bulgaria but other countries will take the necessary steps to curtail this abhorrent behaviour.

AiY

[didds]

Does FIFA/UEFA/whoever have a "minimal standards" requirement for venues? As if its behind clsoed doors the caapcity of the ground would be meangless, so presumably Bulgaria (in this case) could if they so wanted choose to play on some very lowly provisioned ground where the showers are cold, changing facilities cramped, awaydressing rooms down in a dungeon/up in thegods requiring a lot of steps to be navigated and a pitch like a ploughed field (if such a pitch suited them themselves obvs)

??

didds

[mrbrightside]

Bulgaria fined £65k for Nazi salutes and constant abuse of black players. Two match stadium ban for a country with previous form, one suspended.
England fined £5k for fans disrespecting the Bulgarian anthem.

Yes, this decisive, radical action from UEFA is really going to address this problem. Long, deep sigh.

[didds]

England fined £5k for fans disrespecting the Bulgarian anthem.

so eg England fans could boo the English national anthem to deliberately leave Bulgaria with a 5K fine for "disrespecting the English anthem"

??

didds

[BobbyD]

I suppose there's a financial consequence - but I would have thought that playing to an empty stadium is just as much a turn off for the visiting team as it is for the home.

Home advantage exists, in theory this would dent it and be to the advantage of the visiting team although how much they gain may vary by stadium.

For a smaller FA the financial hit could actually be quite damaging, especially if it happens on a regular basis wiping out their major source of revenue, who that would actually hurt is another point but it's unlikely to be their international players, or directly their fans.

...but the idea of a stadium ban is a myth. Children are excluded from the ban if the tickets are given to schools or football clubs, and those children must be accompanied by a set ratio of adults...

England fined £5k for fans disrespecting the Bulgarian anthem.

so eg England fans could boo the English national anthem to deliberately leave Bulgaria with a 5K fine for "disrespecting the English anthem"

??

didds

You'd probably need to be a little more sophisticated about it than that and actually sit in the opponents section, but this is the major hole in most plans to levy harsh action for fan behaviour, you actually create an incentive for the behaviour from other people, and you are basically reliant on 'fan on fan' policing to stop it, which is asking for trouble when dealing with a reasonable number of terrace-trolls.

[mrbrightside]

England fined £5k for fans disrespecting the Bulgarian anthem.

so eg England fans could boo the English national anthem to deliberately leave Bulgaria with a 5K fine for "disrespecting the English anthem"

No - because UEFA observers detect who is booing what.

PS. Bulgaria were also fined £5k for booing the Ing-er-lish anthem (but it was their fans).

[didds]

No - because UEFA observers detect who is booing what.

How would they know?

If I wear a Bulgarian shirt and am somehow sat in the Bulgaria sections, who do these opbservers know I am English and not Bulgarian?

I accept this is realms of fantasy now But the question still remains.

didds

[dionaeamuscipula]

No - because UEFA observers detect who is booing what.

How would they know?

If I wear a Bulgarian shirt and am somehow sat in the Bulgaria sections, who do these opbservers know I am English and not Bulgarian?

I accept this is realms of fantasy now But the question still remains.

didds

Surely the kilt is a bit of a giveaway?

DM