It’s getting worse – Bolton boss Ian Evatt calls for clampdown on disorder

Bolton boss Ian Evatt fears football is “going back to the days of the 70s and the 80s” after trouble marred matches over the weekend, including alleged racist abuse being aimed at his players and staff.

Wanderers’ 1-1 League One draw at Morecambe on Saturday was stopped for around 10 minutes late in the game by referee Ross Joyce after Evatt reacted furiously to comments allegedly made to the Bolton bench by supporters behind the dugouts.

The following day a spectator invaded the pitch and appeared to attack Nottingham Forest players during Leicester’s 4-1 FA Cup fourth-round loss at the City Ground.

Asked if these events had left him feel increasingly concerned about the safety of players and staff, Evatt said at a press conference on Monday: “100 per cent.

“We see at all these fixtures, the amount of policing and stewarding that is surrounding supporters, especially away supporters. But some of these stadiums, the dugouts and technical areas are built into the stands, so you are literally sat with supporters.

“How are these supporters vetted? Are they checked, security checked? I don’t know. This is extremes, but any one of these could have a weapon. What’s it going to take before we start bringing in more measures and being more stringent with our policies?

“It’s happening more and more often. You’ve seen it with the racism side of it, the social media side of it, people entering the field of play – it’s just not good enough, it’s not acceptable.

“This is a family sport – I want to be able to take my children to enjoy football matches. Would I be taking my kids to a football match at the moment? I’d have to have a lot of thought, to be honest, because we seem to be going backwards.

“We seem to be going back to the