How long before there are fences separating football fans from the pitch?

The events of the 18th and 19th of October 2008 could still have an impact upon the future of football in this country. On Saturday the 18th, Aston Villa entertained Portsmouth.

The game was relatively uneventful until it entered its final period. With both sides tied at 0-0, someone in the crowd chucked a coin which struck the linesman on the head.

The fact that a fan is potentially able to blind an official, manager, or player at a football match where children are in attendance is a disgrace. It is events such as these that could force the top dogs of the beautiful game to consider whether it would be worthwhile introducing Italian-style barriers which would separate the crowd from the pitch.

It would surely be terrible for English football if this happened. If people want to see a screen in front of the players, they will stay at home and watch the match on TV. Many people still choose to stand at Premiership games despite the all-seater stadiums but the introduction of barriers obstructing a clear view of the action may simply put people off attending matches.

However, with disgusting behaviour by some parts of the crowd being displayed during matches, the FA and UEFA may need no excuse to introduce a crowd separation barrier between the stand and the pitch.

The events of Sunday the 19th of October did not help the situation. The Sheffield derby saw United and Wednesday compete in an eventful game. Although the fans appeared to keep their coins in their pockets during this game, a player on the pitch did not behave so well.

Sheffield Wednesday winger, Jermaine Johnson, was substituted in the second half. He decided subsequently to vent his frustration on a water bottle, which was sent flying into a section of fans. This could have done serious damage to one of many unsuspecting fans.

Pitch invasions also provide another argument for introducing barriers. Sunderland famously beat Newcastle recently and after the game, large sections of fans invaded the pitch. This kind of behaviour does not help the club or the reputation of the nation and could be avoided.

In Italy, clubs have put up ice-hockey style glass barriers which separate the crowd from the pitch. It is obviously much harder to throw a coin at an official or kick a water bottle at the fans if there is a barrier.

Fans, players, and officials could all argue that there is a real need for crowd separation barriers. If the world of football is not careful, a major injury will soon be seen and the repercussions of this could be extreme.