Bolton Wanderers Football Club CEO Neil Hart is committed to clamping down on recreational drug use at home games.
Speaking at the Bolton Wanderers Football Club Supporters Trust’s annual general meeting on Thursday, February 2, Mr Hart explained that the club is determined to deal with it “head-on”.
He said: “We are aware of the issues. We have increased our stewarding at games in terms of quality and quantity.
“We have dealt with a number of individuals in certain areas of the ground who have been dealing and taking drugs, and that is an ongoing issue which we are committed to.
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“I would hope that over time we can iron that out. What I would ask people to do, however, is to report it to us, please.”
Vigilant members of the fanbase are being asked to ensure any incidents of drug use are being flagged to the appropriate departments.
Mr Hart added: “You can report it via the Wanderers reporting line which is up in the corner of the stadium - which is why they advertise in the club programme - or just report it to the main reception or through the Supporters’ Trust and we will deal with it.
“Any information or incidents we will look into, and we have a safety and security team here to do that.
“It is a wider issue of fan behaviour by a minority, which continues to cause us some issues, but we are dealing with them in a head-on way.”
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Last month, both the club saw fit to issue statements on fan behaviour, which they both concurred that a “small minority” of Wanderers supporters were behaving inappropriately.
“This is costing the club both financially and reputationally and is incredibly disappointing when so much is being done by so many to ensure Bolton Wanderers is a stable and sustainable football club, continuing its positive journey forwards,” a club spokesperson said.
The statements came in response to a warning and sanctions by the Football Association, with the club announcing a "Fan Sanction Policy" was being written up in collaboration with the trust.
The Supporters Trust doubled down on this message, releasing their own statement on the same day.
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It said: “We will work with the club and also take onboard recommendations from the Football Supporters Association and the English Football League.
“Both these organisations recently collaborated in producing a Supporter Sanctioning Guidance document which contains the following words in the opening summary: ‘While the vast majority of fans display their devotion to their team in the right way, the behaviour of a minority presents a challenge for Club officials across the country.’”
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