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FLARES – A Public Warning

Ahead of the season, The North West Counties Football League (NWCFL) Board of Directors, in conjunction with the FA, issue the following as a Public Warning and reminder of supporter conduct when attending matches.

Over recent times there has been several reported incidents of flares being let off at matches by supporters. The bringing of flares to matches are a breach of FA Rule E20.1, which indicates that the ‘Club shall be responsible for ensuring, amongst other things, that its supporters refrain from improper conduct’.

Supporters are reminded that the bringing of flares to games is not acceptable in line with the above FA ruling and we urge all supporters to adhere to this request to prevent incidents at the ground in future. Please take heed of this warning, which will be repeated on matchdays via the public address system and within the programme.

The consequences of not complying with the above ruling can be significant, as outlined below:

  • The NWCFL Board of Directors have indicated that it is a criminal offence and in breach of the FA Ground Regulations and therefore, in the event an injury or damage, the club would not be covered under the terms of insurance, thus leaving themselves open to litigation.
  • The NWCFL Board of Directors would be in their rights to suspend the Membership of a Club on an interim basis or taking other action as deemed appropriate, such as instructing matches to be played behind closed doors.

Be loud and proud when supporting the team, but say #NoToFlares.

For more information on this matter, please see the below Football Safety Officers Association fact sheet.

Smoke-Bombs-Flares-and-Fireworks-Factsheet-for-FSF1

#YourTown | #YourTeam | #NoToFlares | #ActResponsibly