After all the hooliganism and vandalism that has been taking place in Turkish football in recent years, the Turkish FA have finally found a way of making fans sit up and take notice of them, and take responsibility for their actions.

Following fresh controversy last week in matches at both Galatasaray and Fenerbache, the Turkish FA have found a new approach to dealing with the trouble-makers – making sure that they can’t get into the stadium. Whilst similar schemes have focussed on taking out the one or two ring-leaders who might arrange all the trouble in the first-place, the latest sanction is to simply ban every single male over 18 years old.

Fenerbache were one fo the first to be forced to play a match without their usual, vocal, male support, and former Gala-coach Gheorge hagi believes it was a success, and should send strong signals to the minority who are more interested in violence and destruction than watching the game.

“I think that these types of situations [when women and children are the only ones allowd in] are good for the game. Fenerbahce got the job under way and the stadium is a very beautiful with woman and children filling it. It proves that the clubs don’t need the trouble-makers, as they can sell out their stadiums without them, and will hopefully get the thugs thinking twice before thay launch attacks at football matches.”