Crossing Boundaries

WE are once again set for a bumper away crowd for this weekend’s Sky Bet League Two to trip to Vale Park.

More than 600 Pilgrims will make the trip to Staffordshire as Ryan Lowe’s Pilgrims look to get back to winning ways and climb back into the top seven.

We have so far enjoyed unparalleled support in England’s fourth tier, with every away match so far this season attended by more than 1,000 members of the Green Army.

We salute you.

We thank you.

While the management and the team utterly appreciate every ounce of the noise and the passion of the Green Army, there are boundaries which should not be stepped over.

In two of our three away matches this season, some of those boundaries were crossed.

Firstly, at the Alexandra Stadium, where some behaviour obliged the match referee to report the club to the Football Association; and again at Northampton Town, where discriminatory behaviour was reported.

It is our legal duty to eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimization on the basis of age; disability; gender reassignment; pregnancy and maternity; marriage and civil partnership; ethnicity; religion and belief; gender; and sexual orientation.

Much more important than merely being a duty, it is the right thing to do – no-one should be subject to abuse or intimidation of any form because of their personal circumstances, and we have a zero-tolerance approach to anyone who thinks it is acceptable to bully, intimidate or discriminate against a fellow supporter, player or member of club staff.

We will continue to work closely with the necessary authorities to eradicate discriminatory behaviour of any kind and take the strongest possible action against anyone proven to have acted in a discriminatory manner.

There is no place in football for discrimination.

We ask the Green Army to report any instance of inappropriate comments, chanting or behaviour. There is no definitive list of what is or is not appropriate, but, if the target of the behaviour, or anyone else who hears it, feels uncomfortable, then the chances are that it is not acceptable.

What we will NEVER ask you to do is to curb your enthusiasm; tone down your passion; or stop getting behind Ryan and the boys from first whistle to last.

For this weekend, Port Vale officials have asked us to remind the Green Army of the following ground regulations at Vale Park:

• Supporters should not enter the playing area and keep the yellow walkways clear at all times;
• Fans attempting to bring prohibited items into the ground, including flares, will be refused entry;
• Please comply with requests from stewards, and refrain from throwing any objects.

So, enjoy your trip to the Potteries – be loud, be proud and be the difference.

Thank you for your support.