Port Vale CEO – true fans need to report individuals damaging the club’s good name
Port Vale CEO Colin Garlick says he will guarantee anonymity for any supporters reporting incidents of bad behaviour by fellow Vale fans.
Garlick has gone public over an FA charge for sexist comments in an attempt to stamp out poor behaviour by some supporters.
If you have any information, at any time, that you think will help us identify individuals that are damaging the good name of our football club, you can let me know and we will work together…
Vale have been charged by the FA for abusive comments by some fans towards a woman at the away game at Crewe in September. The Valiants have pleaded guilty to the FA charge of failing to control their fans and will find out their punishment at an FA hearing on Monday December 3. CEO Garlick revealed the club had been charged at a Port Vale Supporters’ Club meeting and said that the comments were of a sexual nature and the club have apologised to the person concerned.
How to report an incident
If you have been the victim of abuse or have witnessed an incident of discrimination or harassment, Port Vale FC have a designated reporting email address [email protected]
Garlick told the meeting: “We were charged because the comments came from our supporters, and they clearly came from our supporters, we know that.
“I was really disappointed because of the amount of work we put in to try to stamp out racism, sexual comments, religious comments, anything that is making attending a football game unpleasant for any one individual or any group of individuals.
“I have to go to a London on a week on Monday for a hearing where I am looking to mitigate us as a club, and the positive things that we do, to try to mitigate against that particular charge from that game.”
“So, there is a lot of negative time that I have spent and others have spent trying to help me just to defend ourselves when really we shouldn’t be defending ourselves because we work so hard in the community – people in this room, the supporters’ club, club officials, police – in trying to create an environment where we can all go to a football game, feel safe, not intimidated and enjoy the game. But sadly we can’t.”
Garlick said he had decided to go public about the FA charge because he wants to encourage supporters to help stamp out bad behaviour from fellow supporters. Vale have suffered crowd trouble at Grimsby Town last season and Garlick has also revealed a racist incident in the Bycars End around 12 months ago.
He added: “I want to send out a message that we have set up guaranteed anonymity . I believe all the people in this room are true Vale supporters and do not want the name of our club damaging. But that is exactly what is happening by a number of individuals.
“While we can have stewards and police in place to try to deal with it, I think sometimes the best people to deal with it are your good selves.
“I appreciate you don’t want to be put in a risky position so we guarantee anonymity by giving my personal guarantee, my contact details, that if you have any information, at any time, that you think will help us identify individuals that are damaging the good name of our football club, you can let me know and we will work together. That’s particularly us and the police, to try to re-educate these people.
“That’s what they need and, if they are not going to be re-educated, then we particularly don’t want them anywhere near our club because it is damaging our club, make no mistake about it.”
How to report an incident
If you have been the victim of abuse or have witnessed an incident of discrimination or harassment, Port Vale FC have a designated reporting email address [email protected]