English Football League announces new policing project
- New project is researched-based and aims to improve match day safety
- EFL will support project for next two years
The English Football League has announced a new crowd management project that could transform the way football matches are stewarded in the future.
Project Enable brings together leading academics, police forces, football clubs and supporters in an innovative approach to match day safety and security in the football league. It is designed to help police forces and football clubs to create effective and financially sustainable methods to crowd management.
The project will be supported by the EFL for the next two years, will look in detail at match day policing and stewarding used by several police forces and Clubs. Currently, Lancashire Police, Staffordshire Police, West Yorkshire Police, South Wales Police and West Midlands Police
Geoff Pearson, expert in football policing at the University of Manchester, said: “The aim of this project is to change the way football crowd are managed, by using evidence-based tactics, also it will look at better communications between police forces and fans, which is fundamental.”
The Football Supporters’ Association will also be integrated into the project through a place on its steering committee
Crowd safety enterprise delivery fellow at MMU Ben Cowcill said: “Project Enable will make the match day experience friendlier, by using better policing methods and more intelligence led risk management.”