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Ian Evatt reckons football must work harder to stamp out abuse against players and staff during games.
The Wanderers boss claimed he and staff members were targeted throughout Saturday’s game at Morecambe by home fans behind the dugout – and had experienced similar problems at Accrington late last year.
Members of Bolton’s bench also maintained they had been spat on at the Mazuma Stadium but it was only when remarks considered racist in nature were aimed at players that Evatt felt compelled to make referee Ross Joyce aware, and bring his team off the pitch.
Evatt feels too much abuse towards players and staff on the touchline is being considered ‘normal’ in the game and has called for stronger punishments.
“For me, the racist remark was the worst of all remarks, but there was 89 minutes of complete abuse from minute one,” said the Bolton boss.
“It is like it is accepted in football to call us names, accepted to personally attack us. And I don’t think it is acceptable whether you are in front of someone, on social media, it just isn’t.
“We are human beings with feelings, and we don’t deserve it.
“I don’t deserve it and neither do my players. We’re a human race together and I just don’t understand why it happens.
“There is competition, of course, there club versus club, of course, but it has to be done in the right way.
“It is emotionally upsetting and has caused us some distress. But I am really pleased with the way my players reacted.”
Wanderers’ response to the abuse was to grab an equalising goal through Amadou Bakayoko once the game restarted, preserving an unbeaten run of five games.
“We wanted to do it because we feel like we’ve been targeted and we had to answer it the right way and I think we did that,” Evatt said.
“I must say that their staff and their players were first class and when this happens, we all come together as one. The game should come together as one to stamp this out and that’s what happened today.”
Evatt would like to see the authorities impose more stringent punishments to supporters who overstep the mark.
“We need to do more and the only way that we’re going to do more is by these people getting banning orders and stopping coming to what they enjoy,” he said.
“There has to be a punishment and a legitimate punishment which causes them harm and problems. It’s too easy to say things nowadays with no accountability. There has to be accountability and that’s the only way to stop it.”
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