More classy behaviour from Chelsea fans with the two Reading players involved in the injuries to Petr Cech and Carlo Cuddicini receiving death threats. Ibrahim Sonko and Stephen Hunt have apparently been receiving the threats for a number of days at the clubs training ground. Out of the goodness of their hearts, Chelsea have agreed to help police “if – and we stress if – there is any evidence linking theses threats to any of our supporters”, according to a club spokesman quoted on the BBC’s football site.

So let’s get this straight. From that statement, Chelsea Football Club will only help Police with their inquiries if these letters are linked to the club. Well, that’s a nice community spirit to have. I can understand this attitude – I do not condone it – for following on from the incidents that led to the retirement of Anders Frisk, there is a very real possibility that not just a book but a whole library could be thrown in their direction. For this to happen once can be categorised as idiots on the loose. For it to happen more than that indicates that the club have completely no control over the actions of their supporters. Which is the truth of the matter in any case. Whilst a crowd can be controlled inside the stadium, there is little the club can do outside of it. The only sanction they have is to ban someone from the stadium if the actions of the individual are found to be unacceptable, legally or otherwise. And in this era of blanket media coverage, is banning a real deterrent? After all, if banned the individual can watch the whole match on Sky if it is live or extended highlights on Football First, without even touching on the “free” coverage available through various Chinese Websites or unsanctioned coverage through Scandanavian satellite broadcasts shown in an increasing number of pubs, despite the Premiership and Sky’s best efforts to halt this.

It is important to differentiate between acts of public disorder in and around grounds, obviously within the remit of clubs control, and those actions well away from the stadium environs. For the former, there can be no doubt that these are or can be directly influenced by clubs; punishments for any breaches should be quite readily handed out. However there is a strong case for the second sector to be the responsibility of the individual not the club. It is difficult to see how the club can have any direct influence, other than the banning order threat or demanding exacting standards of behaviour from their fans. What else is there left for them to do?

The major influence that can be had over individuals is by their own behaviour. In this instance, Chelsea’s Corporate behaviour leaves much to be desired. Surly players, outspoken manager, Corporate Greed and a public image of riding roughshod over the rules all breed an arrogance that is fuelled by having more money than anyone else. In short, Corporate Bullying. It is little surprise therefore that the supporters noted for violence in the 1970’s have an equal disregard for the rules of society in general. The nature of the reported comments in their press statement regarding these events is indicative of their attitude; purely defensive. They are seeking to understandably distance themselves from these events yet to state they will only help if evidence emerges of a link to Chelsea fans is unco-operative in the extreme and indeed counterproductive for it makes the club appear disinterested in these events. What are they going to do if the Police come a-knocking and asking for information? Deny those requests on the grounds that it is not their problem? Surely not. Indeed to take this attitude makes the club seem guilty without anyone implying as such. A better worded statement would have been to condemn, state disbelief that any Chelsea fan could be involved in this lunacy and promise full co-operation, in any way possible. Now the Release has immediately put them on the back foot, nowhere to run in terms of manouevering space publicly at least.

The Football Authorities will no doubt be taking a dim view of such events, both by the fans and tfhe clubs statement of intentions. Would it be right though to punish them in this case? Much as it pains me to say so, it would appear to be against natural justice for them to be held accountable on this occasion. Much as I would love a points deduction for continued misdemeanours (and they do deserve a severe punishment for the cumulative actions – failing to control players, transfer indiscretions, etc.) these can be dealt with at future dates when more come to light.