Jones: Only fans can stop troublemakers

Sheffield Wednesday manager Dave Jones has called on all decent football fans to “weed out” the minority of troublemakers among them to safeguard the future of the game.

Jones was targeted with vile chants from visiting fans during Friday night’s volatile 1-1 derby draw with Leeds at Hillsborough, where Wednesday goalkeeper Chris Kirkland was attacked by one supporter who had run on to the pitch to celebrate Michael Tonge’s second-half equaliser.

Aaron Cawley, 21, from Cheltenham, has since been jailed for 16 weeks and handed a five-year football banning order after pleading guilty to assault and entering the pitch.

The incident was one of a number of ugly scenes, with Jones afterwards describing Leeds fans “as vile animals” while home supporters sang songs relating to the deaths of two Leeds supporters in Turkey in April 2000.

And Jones said today: “I’ve apologised to the good supporters and I think now we’ve got to draw a line under it, it’s getting a bit tedious, but I will say again the fans in the end are the only ones who can stop it.

“The stewards are there to help show people to their seats, they’re not there to fight or control the fans, while the police were there in force in all their riot gear and is that right?

“There’s an argument that that antagonises the situation, so for me it’s the fans who still have a responsibility to kick out the minority of hooligans.

“Neil (Warnock) said that you have to expect it, but there’s banter and there’s banter and until we don’t expect the type of things that went on, nothing will change.

“It’s down to the good supporters, and they are in the majority, to weed out the types we saw on Friday night.”