Fans use explosives during FC Lahti match prompting police investigation in Finland

Last Saturday’s match between FC Lahti and HJK saw fans resorting to the use of fireworks, flares, and loud explosives. In response, the police have launched an investigation into two violations related to explosives.

FC Lahti’s CEO, Juho-Matti Heikari, stated that the security checks in Lahti are among the strictest in Finland. However, he expressed skepticism that increasing the number of security personnel would effectively prevent incidents like those that occurred over the weekend. “We will still be unable to catch everything, for instance, firecrackers the size of a fingertip. It’s simply impossible. We cannot influence everything,” Heikari noted. He added that the club also has no control over events occurring outside the match venue.

It is likely that the Football Association of Finland will impose a fine on FC Lahti for a breach of conduct since the club is responsible for security during the match. The exact amount of the fine is still unknown but could range from hundreds to potentially significant sums.

Heikari mentioned that banning individuals who used explosives from future club events would require identifying them, which might be challenging given the large crowd at the game. “We have a protocol and communication channels with fans. I believe solutions will be found,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Veikkausliiga condemned the fans’ actions during the recent match, affirming that the use of explosives will not alter security protocols for upcoming games. Timo Marjamaa, the league’s CEO, explained that a security plan for the entire season has categorized matches into various risk levels, determining the number of security personnel required.

The Hämeen police have expressed a preference for risk matches not to be held on weekends, and while Marjamaa noted that this request has been taken into account, scheduling on weekdays isn’t always feasible. He reiterated that the league is looking for solutions to avoid holding risk matches at peak times, although this is not always possible. FC Lahti also does not support the notion of entirely forgoing weekend matches. “I hope it’s not a hard rule that we can never play on weekends,” said Heikari, acknowledging the unique atmosphere such games generate.