Rise in violence at football matches drives fans away from stadiums

As the new professional football season kicked off this weekend, an increasing number of football fans are avoiding Dutch stadiums due to a surge in misconduct and disturbances. A recent RTL Nieuws panel, published on Friday, revealed that 35 percent of supporters now either attend matches less often or avoid them altogether due to incidents that occur during and around the games.

The Netherlands has recently seen a significant rise in football-related disturbances. In the two seasons following the Covid-19 pandemic, the Dutch football association KNVB issued 167 penalties to clubs, amounting to a total of 919,875 euros in fines. These penalties were for a range of offenses from supporters, such as vandalism, harassment, and classes with the police.

Last season, there were several prominent incidents. Ajax player Davy Klaassen was injured by an object thrown by a Feyenoord supporter. A match between FC Groningen and Ajax in the Eredivisie was permanently stopped after FC Groningen fans threw firecrackers onto the field. A week later, riots broke out at the AFAS Stadium following AZ's semi-final loss to West Ham United in the Conference League.

More recently, violent incidents occurred during the match between FC Twente and Hammarby IF in the second preliminary round of the Conference League. Supporters of both clubs clashed in the stands immediately after the duel, exchanging heavy blows.

According to a survey from the RTL Nieuws Panel, many supporters have cut back or stopped attending football games because of the disturbances from the last season. 34 percent of those surveyed now go less or not at all. 25 percent see these incidents as an inevitable part of the game.

Many participants believe certain measures can help improve the situation. 66 percent of respondents support banning alcohol at games, 46 percent favor deducting points from teams for misconduct, and 29 percent suggest prohibiting away team fans from attending matches.

Participants were also asked what they expect from the measures introduced by the KNVB. In April, KNVB tightened its regulations regarding fan interference in matches and required referees to immediately suspend matches if an object thrown by spectators struck a player or referee or if objects landed on the field. If such incidents repeated, the matches were to be permanently stopped.

This rule has been adapted for the upcoming season. The match will no longer be stopped if the offender is immediately apprehended and if the player or referee hasn't suffered any injuries.

66 percent of respondents believe that pausing a match temporarily during disturbances is effective. A larger portion, 79 percent, think that permanently stopping matches is an effective way to address misconduct.

RTL Nieuws contacted the KNVB for comments on the survey findings but did not receive a detailed response. The KNVB did, however, note that they are "intensively" working "to address the problems caused by fake supporters.” They aim to make sure that “real football fans can enjoy this beautiful sport in a hospitable and safe manner in the stadiums, while those causing disturbances are identified, apprehended, and punished.”

The survey was carried out on August 8 and 9, 2023, and involved approximately 18,000 members of the RTL News Panel. Among the respondents were over 2,800 people who have visited stadium games in the previous two years.