Sunderland clamp down on missiles thrown from Stadium of Light away end a success - plus bizarre list of objects highlighted

It comes as Sunderland announced they had decided not to move away supporters from the North Stand Upper at the Stadium of Light following an 'extensive review'.

The club raised the possibility of moving travelling fans after a number of incidents in which home supporters were targeted with missiles from above.

Some supporters felt that moving the away fans to the lower bowl will have a positive impact on the matchday atmosphere, though the club say safety has been the main motivation of their review and the eventual decision.

The issue was discussed at the recent supporter collective meeting, held on February 23 at the Stadium of Light.

The regularly meeting is a chance for a number of fan groups to discuss issues with club bosses, including the Red and White Army, Branch Liaison Council, Senior Supporters’ Association, Spirit of 37, SAFC Supporters Liaison Group.

At the meeting, fans were updated on the club’s success in cutting missiles thrown from above in the away end.

The minutes, which can be read here, state: “The consultation began after missile throwing by away fans at the Stadium of Light had become a developing issue over the past two seasons, culminating in a head injury being sustained by an 8-year-old Sunderland fan when a vape battery was thrown by a visiting fan at our home match against Burnley on 22nd October 2022, and after concerns raised by supporters to the club via the supporters’ collective.

“The club introduced a process of seizing coins, vapes, and power banks, agreed by the supporters’ collective, and the Safety Department has since introduced an enhanced search regime for visiting supporters.

"Coins, vapes, and power banks are now not permitted in the away end subject to assessment by the Safety Department. All coins seized have been donated to a charity of the visiting club’s choice.

“Vapes and power banks are placed in envelopes with the owner's details, put into a safe, and then returned after the match. There has been significant positive feedback from away supporters as the process has prompted questions and engagement between visiting supporters and stewards.

"This tactic has proved to be successful with the only missiles thrown by away fans since it was introduced on 5th November has been 3 boiled sweets and 3 coins.”

The report stated permanent netting was re-considered, but the club still believe the “best approach is to eliminate the potential missiles as the first line of defence.”

It also added that the club is currently researching options in relation to academic research into missile throwing by supporters.

Meanwhile, the meeting also highlighted some of the wider issues around objects thrown at the Stadium of Light – by both home and away fans this season.

The minutes, which can be read here, state: “The club has been placed on FA Report 6 times this season.

"3 of these reports have been for missiles thrown at the pitch at the Stadium of Light by home fans, 2 reports related to behaviour by SAFC fans away from home and 1 report related to missiles thrown by Burnley fans at the Stadium of Light.

"The total number of missiles thrown by home supporters on the above 3 reports is over 15. The most missiles thrown at any one match is 9, thrown at the Fulham FA Cup replay match.

“Objects include vapes, coins, plastic bottles, plastic cups, a toy rubber dog, and a bingo dabber. Objects are mainly thrown from North Stand Lower and South Stand. There are ongoing investigations into offenders from 4 incidents captured on CCTV.

“These reports only represent the number of incidents reported by match officials - the actual number of missiles thrown by Sunderland fans at the Stadium of Light is significantly higher.

"Most recently at the Sunderland v Bristol City match, there were 4 incidents of missile throwing at the pitch by Sunderland fans which were not noted by the match officials, these missiles were thrown from the South Stand and North Stand Lower and included a glass bottle.

“The club has been warned by the league about the behaviour of our supporters. Sunderland is not the only club facing such problems. SD [Steve Davison] raised the issue because it needs to be addressed or the club will face fines and / or restrictions on allocations at home and away games.”

A club statement last month regarding the decision to keep away fans where they are read: "Sunderland AFC today confirms that visiting supporters will continue to be situated in the North Stand Upper at the Stadium of Light.

"The club has conducted an extensive review to identify the most suitable long-term location for away fans, during which it frequently consulted with local authorities in addition to meeting with the Supporters’ Collective on several occasions.

"All parties unanimously agreed throughout the process that the safety of all supporters attending fixtures at the Stadium of Light is of paramount importance and this was ultimately the determining factor behind the decision taken.

"The ongoing implementation of enhanced safety measures in the North Stand Upper, including an increased stewarding capacity complimented by enhanced training, an upgraded stadium CCTV network and enhanced lighting system, and the banning of items such as coins and vapes, was also considered.

"These measures have had an extremely positive impact on away supporter conduct and dramatically reduced the incident rate to ensure it is now in line with other areas of the stadium.

"The installation of a protective netting was also explored and several UK and overseas options were evaluated, but following the implementation of the measures above, it was determined that they would not further reduce the risk of missiles due to the items commonly used."