Disorderly Conduct
Policies

Disorderly Conduct

The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) has an initiative on unacceptable conduct.

This initiative makes it the responsibility of the club at both home and away games regarding the conduct of their supporters. This initiative first came into being on 1 August 2007, under the auspices of the Scottish Premier League (SPL).

Motherwell Football Club will not tolerate unacceptable conduct at Fir Park or at any other stadium. Unacceptable conduct is conduct which is violent or disorderly. Violent conduct includes any actual, attempted or threatened physical violence against any person, or intentional damage to property.

Disorderly conduct includes conduct which stirs up or sustains, or is likely or is designed to stir up or sustain, hatred or ill will against or towards individuals or groups of people because of:

  • Colour, race, nationality (including citizenship) or ethnic or national origin
  • Membership, or presumed membership, of a religious group or of a social cultural group with perceived religious affiliation
  • Sexual orientation
  • Transgender identity
  • Disability
  • Using threatening, abusive or insulting words or conduct
  • Displaying writing or any other things which is threatening, abusive or insulting
  • Using words or conduct or displaying any writing or other thing which indicates support for, or affiliation to, or celebration of, or opposition to an organisation or group proscribed in terms of the Terrorism Act 2000.

“Presumed” means presumed by the person or persons engaged in the conduct.

“Religious group” means a group of persons defined by reference to their religious belief or lack of religious belief, membership of or adherence to a church or religious organisation, support for the culture and traditions of a church or religious organisation and/or participation in activities associated with such a culture or such traditions.

“Transgender identity” means any one or more of transvestism, transsexualism, inter-sexuality or change of gender.

“Disability” means physical or mental impairment of any kind.

The rules of the Scottish FA define Unacceptable Conduct in a similar way, adding a specific reference to encroachment onto the pitch or pitchside area and possession or use of pyrotechnic devices.

UEFA disciplinary regulations also specify the following conduct, which is prohibited under those regulations and would be considered to be Unacceptable Conduct:

  • Racism or other discriminatory conduct;
  • Use of gestures, words, objects or any other means to transmit a provocative message that is not fit for a sports event, particularly provocative messages that are of a political, ideological, religious, offensive or provocative nature;
  • Invasion or attempted invasion of the field of play;
  • Throwing of objects;
  • Lighting of fireworks or other objects;
  • Use of laser pointers or other similar electronic devices;
  • Acts of damage;
  • Any disruption of national anthems; and/or any other lack of order or discipline inside or around the stadium.

A person at a stadium on the occasion of a match involving Motherwell Football Club engages in Unacceptable Conduct where their conduct is violent and/or disorderly, as described above. Please note that the regulations of the Scottish football authorities do not define “violent” or “disorderly” exhaustively. The type of behaviour that may be considered to constitute Unacceptable Conduct is wide and may include singing songs or chants, and displaying banners and flags, if the message breaches the rules summarised above, or entry or encroachment onto the pitch, throwing objects, damaging seats or other parts of the stadium or the possession or use of pyrotechnics or fireworks of any kind.

Please also refer to the ground regulations applicable at the stadium in question as failure to comply with the ground regulations may also be considered to be Unacceptable Conduct.

Any person engaging in unacceptable conduct may be subject to any, or a combination of, the following:

  • Removal from the stadium
  • Suspension from attending official matches involving the club
  • Indefinite ban from attending official matches involving the club
  • Report to the police and possible criminal proceedings

This list is not exhaustive and must be read in conjunction with the stadium regulations. Upon determining that a breach of, or failure to fulfil the rules has been established, a number of options are available to the SPFL, including:

  • Reprimanding the club
  • Imposing a fine on the club
  • Imposing a deduction of points

ENTRY TO STADIA – SEARCHING

All persons either seeking entry to or whilst in the stadium are subject to the condition that they may be required to submit to search. Bags will be searched before entry is permitted; please avoid bringing bags wherever possible. If it is suspected that a person seeking entry to or within the stadium may possess any flag(s), banner(s) and the like which may contain offensive or otherwise unacceptable material and/or flares, fireworks, devices capable of emitting smoke or the like and/or any other object which may cause or be part of any incident of Unacceptable Conduct then that person shall be requested to be searched. Any such items identified shall be confiscated and delivered to the police.

Any person having any such any items in their possession or any person refusing to be searched shall not be admitted to the ground and any the season ticket or ticket held by him/her shall be liable to be confiscated without compensation and he/she shall be liable to such other proportionate sanction(s) as the club may determine.

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