Blues boss hopes stands closure will kerb antisocial behaviour from 'tiny fraction' of Carlisle fans

Carlisle United manager Paul Simpson has said he hopes that recent decision to close a section of Brunton Park to fans will nip antisocial behaviour in the bud.

Parts of the Paddock terraced area immediately behind the home and away dugouts will be cordoned off to fans from Saturday 5 November as the club faces an FA investigation into alleged bad behaviour amongst fans.

"I've been on the receiving end of this abuse and for me there's no place for it," he said.

"This sort of thing would not happen in any other walk of our life, I don't understand why people think it's acceptable to do it in a football ground.

"Whatever money we generate as a club goes into a pot to make the club better.

"If we're going to get punished by the FA, that money has to come out of the pot and that's going to have a negative effect on our football club.

"It all has to be spent in the right way so let's not go wasting it on some silly thing that goes on in the crowd."

He added: "If somebody questions my team or my tactics, I totally accept that because they've paid their money, they are perfectly entitled to do that. When you start getting other things being questioned, then it crosses a line.

"I've had people questioning things about my wife and about my mum. That's not acceptable."

The Blues boss was keen to stress that the overall number of fans exhibiting antisocial behaviour has remained low.

He said: "We are talking about a tiny fraction of people because our fans on the whole have been magnificent from the day I came back last February."

The cordons will be in place from Carlisle's Saturday game against Tranmere in the first round of the FA Cup.

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