Mark Smith

Mon 3 January 2022 9:10, UK

Leeds United are set for a “PR disaster” as pitch invasions continue to rise at Elland Road this season in the Premier League.

That’s according to reliable journalist Beren Cross who insisted that stewards and safety chiefs are facing a tough balancing act.

Young children continue to run on the pitch at full-time looking for the shirts of their heroes, something that is getting worst as each week passes.

Writing for Leeds Live, Cross shared that the club are currently stuck between a rock and a hard place at this moment in time.

“Stewards are being tied in knots by young fans who make their way onto the field as the players do a lap of honour after the final whistle,” he wrote.

“It’s a tough balancing act for the safety chiefs at the ground because, while it’s only children making memories for themselves and their families, they will be concerned about the precedent it sets for more and more children, if not adults.

“It’s also a PR disaster if the club is seen to be clamping down too hard on harmless young children looking to steal a moment with their heroes.”

How do you stop it?

Obviously, we all want our young fans to meet their heroes, but there is a time and place to do it outside of Elland Road.

The parents of these children need to be held more responsible, obviously, with one led away from the pitch after the full-time whistle.

It is becoming too much when there are more than five every single week running on the pitch, more measures are going to be brought in to stop it.

It was Stuart Dallas who embraced one young supporter and made sure he didn’t face any action from stewards against Burnley, but that won’t happen every week.

Would fines be too harsh for the responsibly adult? They come with bans too if it is an adult, so maybe it is time for all those involved to be made more accountable – time will tell what happens.

In other Leeds United news,  the Whites are ready to make major January signings with unexpected deals to force action