Oxford United coach Matt Bloomfield has caused a stir in English football by accusing Southampton of placing advertising boards near the touchline in a way that exposes players to danger and gives the home team an unfair advantage.
Bloomfield’s objection came before the two teams’ match in the English Championship League at St. Mary’s Stadium, where he submitted an official protest to referee Ben Toner, pointing out that the locations of the signs did not adhere to the required safe distance around the stadium.
As a result of this objection, Southampton officials moved the boards back using measuring tapes, two meters away from the touchline, in order to provide a safer space for the movement of players, especially on long balls and throw-ins.
“Bloomfield” said after his team’s loss by two clean goals that the safety of the players should be the highest priority, stressing that it should not be risked for any reason. He added that he would have understood the matter better if soft foam advertising boards had been used instead of hard boards with sharp edges, noting that two of his players fell during the match because of them.
This case comes a few days after a serious accident occurred at Anfield, which increased the sensitivity of the debate about safety standards in English stadiums.
Although Southampton won the match and strengthened its winning streak, this time the controversy went beyond the result, and raised questions about how the stadiums’ perimeter was prepared and whether some details were turning from an organizational element into a real source of danger for the players. (Russia Today)
