Ahead of the 2023/24 season, new measures are being taken across all of football to help ensure the sport remains safe and enjoyable for all.
Preston North End are backing the introduction of strong measures across the professional and grassroots game to help improve the behaviour of players, managers and coaches on the pitch, and the sport as a whole is also aiming to address the unacceptable issue of football tragedy abuse in the stands.
Under the new participant charter, match officials will be empowered to take more robust action, while the players will receive cards for any confrontation, surrounding or invasion of the match officials’ personal space. Academy scholars will also undertake refereeing courses to improve players’ education into officiating.
To challenge the totally unacceptable presence of football tragedy abuse, regulation changes and tough new measures have been introduced for the 2023/24 season which will see people who are found guilty of offences face stadium bans and criminal prosecution.
This builds on measures to address dangerous and illegal crowd behaviour which were introduced last year and continue through the 2023/24 season, including bans and reports to the police for activity such as entering the pitch without permission, carrying or using smoke bombs or pyrotechnics and throwing objects – as well as drug use and discriminatory behaviour.
These acts are dangerous, illegal and have severe consequences. They have no place in football, or anywhere.
Football should be a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone in the stadium whether on the pitch, on the line or in the stands.
We thank you for your ongoing support and look forward to seeing you at Deepdale and on the road with us during the 2023/24 campaign.