I READ the letter sent in by Philip Olds in the Echo, February 24, and felt compelled to respond and support it.

Likewise, I am a life-long AFCB supporter and family season ticket holder, along with close friends and their families.

Many of us regularly attend away games, including most recently the trip to Brentford, at a considerable expense, with our children and wives.

We were all physically frisked upon arrival and went into a crowded and most intimidating environment on the Griffin Park away end terrace and for good measure, with severe, restricted viewing.

The absolute gutter language, abuse, gestures, spitting and negative actions towards opposing fans and players and the referee witnessed from sections of “Cherries fans” was alarming to say the least.

I, like many decent folk at the ground, cannot fully comprehend what drives this crazy behaviour.

It seems this trait is only apparent and prevalent at football matches and has got worse in recent times.

Even in some home matches at The Goldsands, in the family stand, there is a similar undercurrent.

The authorities have eliminated racism, smoking and drinking alcohol (in view of the pitch) so begs the question, that the main culprits of this type of behaviour should face heavy penalties, be singled out and be banned from attending matches as a deterrent, otherwise I feel this issue will get worse and drive fans away.

With the modern CCTV available, match day/club stewards and police on duty and perhaps more importantly, us, the fans ourselves, we all need to nip this in the bud and extinguish this and make it anti-social and totally unacceptable and stamp it out.

ANDRÉ LINFORD,

Little Forest Road, Bournemouth