Source: Telegraph
FA to crack down on fans' abusive chanting
Disorder in football grounds has once again raised its ugly head, the latest episode as a result of Emmanuel Adebayor's now infamous celebration in front of Arsenal fans.
The Manchester City forward ran the length of the pitch to celebrate his goal in front of supporters of his former club, provoking unrest within the stand and resulting in injury to a steward.
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The FA have handed Adebayor a £25,000 fine and two-match suspended ban until Dec 2010 for his part in the furore, denouncing his actions as "unacceptable".
However, in mitigation, the FA also cited the "extremely provocative nature of the abuse he received", and Watmore is now turning his attentions to the vitriol dished out to footballers on match days.
He told the Times: “What we have seen this season are the tentative signs of some issues on the fans’ side of the equation.
“There are areas of chanting that go beyond what’s technically illegal, like racist or homophobic chanting, into what I think of as vile chanting.
“We in football should think about ways in which we can exorcise that from the game - but without glorifying it - because it puts the average person off.
"They don’t like it when it’s their own crowd doing it and, to the players, it can be declared as a hostile and abusive act as much as being racist or homophobic.
“It’s about clubs working in a dialogue with their fanbase and it’s about fans regulating their own behaviour.
“It’s about a holistic approach to behavioural change and that’s something the FA can orchestrate.
"We have had improvements in a lot of areas, but where we haven’t got high standards, we need to come down on it.”
