Politicians and soccer representatives discussed stadium safety on Friday. VfL Bochum also took a stand.
The results of the security summit with politicians and professional soccer officials in Munich on Friday were eagerly awaited.
However, fans do not have to prepare for any major changes. The introduction of a central stadium ban commission was decided upon. A permanent joint commission with representatives from football, politics, and fan groups was also agreed upon.
The meeting did not produce any further innovations; three points were discussed primarily: the central stadium ban commission, the proposal from politicians to sell only personalized tickets, and the ban on pyrotechnics.
In the afternoon, VfL Bochum commented on these three issues. The Bochum club is critical of the idea of personalized tickets. These are already largely personalized through online sales. However, 100% traceability cannot be guaranteed in the standing area. “The demand for exclusively personalized tickets would therefore inevitably lead to the abolition of standing room,” writes VfL, warning: “This would not only be unattractive for the active fan scene, but also for (television) viewers, as the atmosphere in the stadium could suffer.”
Regarding the ban on pyrotechnics in the stadium, which remains in place, the Bochum club emphasizes: “The misuse of pyrotechnics is often cited as an argument for a feeling of insecurity in stadiums. It is true that the use of pyrotechnics has increased since the coronavirus pandemic and that heavy fines have not yet had a deterrent effect.” However, data from recent years prove “that going to a soccer stadium is very safe overall: less than one percent of crimes related to soccer happen in the stadium itself, with the majority occurring on the way to and from the stadium.”
VfL Bochum: Independent stadium ban commission already exists
With regard to the introduction of a central stadium ban commission, VfL pointed out that it had created an independent commission over ten years ago – the first German club to do so. This commission works well. “Nevertheless, we naturally accept the decision of the security conference and will continue to closely monitor and observe its concrete implementation in the future.”
The club added to its statement that “as a club, we are by no means opposed to measures, but only to measures that have a lasting effect and are supported by all parties involved.” The debate needs a solution-oriented and fact-based approach that involves all relevant stakeholders, rather than populism.