Caborn plea to football: Be firm

Richard Caborn, the Sports Minister, today urged the football authorities to act firmly to prevent missile-throwing, pitch invasions and other disturbances.

Caborn, a former director of First Division Sheffield United, said he was disgusted by the events of the last five days, which have seen incidents at Cardiff, Chelsea and Millwall.

He said: "Football has come a long way since the 1980s and can genuinely claim to be a family game.

"Football and its supporters have delivered massive improvements in the way fans are treated, the quality of facilities and products on offer and the use of some of the enormous sums of television money to benefit the game at the grass roots.

"The incidents of the last week are serious. But what I think is needed is some cold analysis of what is wrong and what needs to be done. The football authorities must lead that. They are the guardians of the game's reputation. They need to act quickly, but not hastily.

"But Government has shown in the past that it is willing to help and if the FA or others want me to facilitate meetings then I make them that offer."