We all remember the incident involving the young supporter and the Cardiff player. Everyone had an opinion but what did we do and why this approach?
It is important to explain the role of the PST and how we respond when incidents of this nature occur. Now that emotions have, to some degree, settled, we believe it is appropriate to explain what the PST did in response to this incident.
Almost immediately after the incident, which attracted considerable attention on social media and through footage shown on Sky Sports, we received numerous messages from angry supporters calling for action.
While we fully understood the strength of feeling prompted by the footage circulating publicly, our immediate and overriding concern was the welfare of the young supporter featured in the clips.
With this in mind, we contacted the club immediately through its CEO, Andy Cullen. He confirmed that safeguarding protocols were already in place to protect the young supporter and that the incident was being investigated by the police.
We continued our discussions with Andy Cullen and were reassured by both his response and the club’s approach to the young person’s welfare and safeguarding.
It is important to distinguish between the club’s response to the safeguarding concerns and the wider investigation into the incident itself.
Our discussions with the club focused specifically on the welfare of the young supporter and the measures being taken to protect him. We were satisfied that the club took these responsibilities seriously from the outset and responded appropriately.
The incident itself was subject to investigation by the police and the Football Association (FA). We considered it important to respect those processes and allow the relevant authorities to examine the available evidence before reaching their conclusions.
We recognise that many supporters remain unhappy with the outcome of the police investigation and what they perceive as leniency on the part of the FA. These concerns are also reflected in the differing views held by members of our own board.
The PST does not dismiss these concerns. Equally, our satisfaction with the club’s safeguarding response should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the subsequent decisions made by the police or the FA.
We must also recognise that the authorities had access to evidence and information that may not have been available to supporters viewing the footage circulated publicly. Any assessment of their decisions needs to take that wider evidential picture into account.
The role of the PST is not to prejudge investigations or seek to replace the processes of the relevant authorities. Our responsibility is to represent our members and the wider Pompey fanbase, hold the club to account where appropriate, and ensure that supporter welfare and safeguarding remain central to our engagement.
In this instance, we were able to contact the club almost immediately and maintain an ongoing dialogue about the safeguarding concerns. We believe this direct engagement was important and helped provide reassurance to us that the young supporter’s welfare was being taken seriously.
To be clear, our position is not that every aspect of the incident was handled perfectly by everyone involved. Rather, we were satisfied with the club’s initial safeguarding response while recognising that supporters may reasonably continue to question the wider outcome.
We understand the strength of feeling among Pompey supporters and respect their right to express their views. We also recognise that there may be differing opinions about how the incident was handled and the decisions that followed.
Our responsibility is to approach matters of this nature thoughtfully, independently and fairly. Above all, we must ensure that the welfare of those involved is not lost amid the wider debate, while continuing to represent our supporters and hold the club to account where necessary.
PST Board
17 October 2026