Chorley Council criticised for telling ‘intimidating’ football fans they are not welcome in town centre

Fans travelling to watch their team play Bolton, Blackburn, Burnley, Preston and Wigan often visit Chorley town centre on their way to games but are no longer welcome

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Football supporters have been told they must stay away from a Lancashire town centre where travelling fans often visit after a councillor received complaints of ‘intimidating’ behaviour.

Fans travelling to watch their team play Bolton, Blackburn, Burnley, Preston and Wigan often visit Chorley town centre on their way to games, but Councillor Danny Gee has told football clubs that supporters are no longer welcome.

“Travelling away fans will no longer be welcome in Chorley Town centre for day-time matches due to the wider impact it has on our town centre business,” Gee said in a letter.

The letter attracted criticism from football fans, with one Football Supporters Federation caseworker being left “genuinely speechless.”

Chorley Council explained in a statement that the letter could have been “better worded” but upheld concerns about supporter behaviour in the town centre.

“One of the many reasons they [supporters] call here is that it is more and more difficult for away fans to get into pubs close to the grounds with many not admitting away fans and for certain games alcohol is not served to away fans in the stadium,” said Chorley Council in reference to the local Football League clubs.

“That in turn has led to large groups of fans visiting Chorley town centre and on occasions spilling out of pubs on to the streets, drinking and intimidating people in town who are doing their shopping.

“If the clubs themselves see fit to stop away fans entering some of their local pubs and don't sell alcohol in the ground why should that perceived problem be passed on to our town centre to deal with?”

The Football Supporters Federation caseworker, Amanda Jacks, replied to the statement and called on Chorley to embrace the travelling fans. “All they want to do is have a pint or two, maybe a bit of a sing song and then be on their way having contributed to your local economy,” she wrote.

The Council added: "It is a small minority of people that have been spoiling it for others in the past and it is the unruly fans who are causing anti social behaviour that are not welcome."

The initial letter made reference to a video of hundreds of Wolves fans celebrating their potential promotion in the town centre. Coaches brought around 200 supporters of the then Championship club to the town where police observed a ‘good-natured’ atmosphere, with the only issue being a broken glass inside a pub.