Tigers ban three fans
Castleford Tigers have banned three fans from the Jungle as a result of obscene chanting which took place at the Tigers v Crusaders game in March this year.
The Club has been working hard to identify the people involved in the chanting and has had some success resulting in three fans being given an immediate ban. The Club will continue to search for others and would welcome information from fans if they know of anyone else who was involved.
Tigers CEO Richard Wright commented: “Our investigations have led to three people being banned from our stadium immediately and more will be banned if we can establish who they are.
“We are determined to ensure that the Jungle remains a great place to be for a family day out and it is hoped that banning people who behave inappropriately will make anyone think twice in future about offensive chanting of any kind, or any other anti-social behaviour.
“During the Crusaders game there was evidence on the DVD of offensive chanting but it was not clear and did not last long. It took a while for spectators to work out what was chanted and most fans did not hear anything. As a result it was not possible to identify the perpetrators on the day.
“The people banned will have a right to appeal at the end of the season but in these cases there is a likelihood of the ban being extended.
“Chanting is part of the game and long may it be so but it should be positive and encouraging. Hopefully, home and away the fans will respond in the right manner.
“We also hope that respectable fans, who form the vast majority of the support base at The Jungle, will help us by reporting any obscene behaviour through the well-established mechanisms that we have put in place.
“The Tigers are one of the most robust in Super League at promoting an inclusive environment for all sections of the community and we pride ourselves on this fact.”
Castleford Tigers have stated their intention to appeal against the £40,000 fine handed out to them by the Rugby Football League (RFL). The Club do not condone homophobic chanting in any situation but feel that the fine is disproportionate to the charges put forward at the Tribunal.