Serie A Trialling “Fan Passports”

By: Daryl | September 22nd, 2008

Italy’s fight against football hooligans will be won with… plastic. The plan is to use a card - or “fan passport” - that certifies genuine supporters as non-neanderthals.

Basically if you’re a fan you apply to your club for a fan passport and the club checks with police to see if you’ve got previous (eg stadium ban). If you get the all clear you get the plastic card. If not, then you don’t.

This season the cards are being trialled by Milan and Inter, and Udinese gave it a runout last year.

Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said the card would be:

”the best way to protect true fans and keep hooligans out”.

”We will make every effort to ensure all clubs issue the cards as soon as they can. If we want to save soccer, clubs have to step up to the plate and isolate violent fans”.

Seems like a smart play, provided clubs eventually enforce it and don’t let fans through turnstiles if they don’t possess a card. But since hooligans are in the minority, and cards could potentially be forged, wouldn’t it be easier to just tattoo the word “IDIOT” in giant letters on the foreheads of troublemakers?

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Category: Serie A

Tags: fan passport, hooligans, Inter, Italy, Milan, Serie A

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Comments   |  Add your comment

• Matt |  September 22nd, 2008 at 8:53 am

  
  
  

  I would just like to point out that ultras do not always equal hooligans.

  Posted from United States

  

• Daryl |  September 22nd, 2008 at 8:58 am

  
  
  

  Matt, no one said they did. Seems to me that the whole thing is based on your police record, not whether you’re an ultra or not.

  Posted from United States

  

• Matt |  September 22nd, 2008 at 9:12 am

  
  
  

  I have been speaking to some Torino ultras online and they have given the impression that clubs are restricting all ultra groups because of the actions of a few. Of course, it could be a one sided argument on his part.

  Posted from United States

  

• Steve |  September 22nd, 2008 at 9:54 am

  
  
  

  How is an out of town neutral supposed to watch a match then? Valid ID?

  Posted from United States

  

• MAD |  September 22nd, 2008 at 2:14 pm

  
  
  

  I think this a kind of “previous purchasing history” thing I read about English clubs using to mitigate problems.

  What I would like to know is what happens when/if you try for cards from several different clubs.

  Posted from United States

  

• mele419 |  September 22nd, 2008 at 4:28 pm

  
  
  

  What if you’re some one that rarely goes to games?
  I think it would pose problems.
  Good idea, I think, but still needs work.

  Posted from United States

  

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