I think the whole ground is slowly being 'sanitised'. A couple of matches ago there was a tannoy announcement that swearing in the Family Stand would not be tolerated and there was the possibility of ejection. The next home match the same announcement but it said that swearing would not be tolerated 'especially in the Family Stand'. So, anywhere else and it was a possibility. There was also that commotion about the EFC fan in corporate last season who had the altercation with Garry Cook. So swearing is something that may well be totally banned by the end of the season throughout the ground.
Not everybody who has ever been to a football match will find the need to resort to invective but I have always found it very difficult to last long into the first opening minutes, certainly if there is a kicking merchant on the opposition, or the referee on the day happens to be Crappenberg, Dowd, Atkinson, Dean, Walton, Webb, Marriner, or Mason. And the variety of lino this season would make a saint swear.
Those ejected from the ground for swearing or smoking should not, in the first instance suffer anything more than a one match ban. And in the ensuing 'inquiry' where this Fletcher guy sifts through the evidence, that same evidence should be made available to the accused. Anything less would not meet the minimum requirements of natural justice, and as the OP includes 'the treatment of fans' in his thread, the club should bend over backwards to make sure that they are treated fairly.
As for swearing, what would they do with the players swearing on the pitch, swearing at an official? And did Micah cop for it after the Villa cup match a few seasons back?
