Facility and Events Paper Assignment

Abstract

Sports events are a great source of entertainment and livelihood for many people. However, even as people come together to enjoy these events, violent and non-violent situations threaten the safety of fans, players, and other key stakeholders in the sports sector. It is worth noting that violence can result from external causes or even internal causes. Regardless of the case, it is incumbent upon sports organizational managers and facility managers to ensure that violence is curbed before it escalates to crisis levels. Most of the crises that occur in sports events are related to the large crowds that show up during significant events: Facility and Events Paper Assignment.

For instance, football events usually attract huge crowds, which is a potential trigger of critical situations. Most crises that have occurred in football matches are characterized by stampedes, a non-violent situation that occurs due to poor crowd management. Sports organizations can manage these situations by implementing training programs and making the necessary financial arrangements to secure venues on matchday.

This paper will delve into news articles’ content covering sports event crises and management best practices, including some of the most remarkable crises in sports history. Besides, the paper will offer academic and Biblical perspectives, all aiming to give recommendations on how best to deal with violent and non-violent situations in sports facilities/events before they escalate.

Overview of Crisis Management in Sports Events

The topic of crisis management in sports events is related to class content on sports event hosting and management. In the course, sports organizations are viewed more as contemporary organizations, a shift from the tradition where sports organizations were viewed as non-profit organizations. As sports events take the mainstream stage, managers should embrace market dynamics to ensure successful operations. To that end, aggressive behaviors that risk threatening the day-to-day operations of an organization should be checked (Usman et al., 2022).

If left unchecked, such behaviors can escalate and threaten the capital and reputation of the organization (Usman et al., 2022). A good example is an organization whose employees fight regularly while at work. It is the responsibility of top managers to take the necessary steps to not only stop the aggressive behaviors and teach employees how to coexist harmoniously, but also put precautions in place to avoid loss when disturbances occur. In the same breath, managers of sports organizations must actively implement measures to prevent violence in sports events, or risk the team or facility losing its reputation to the extent that fans will give their events a wide berth.

Usman et al. (2022) aver that violent disturbances in sports events and facilities violate the competitive objectives of sports. As learned in class, sportsmanship is crucial since sports are not expected to create enmity, but rather to foster unity. Regardless of the outcomes of a competition, both parties should embrace oneness at the end of an event. Therefore, just like organizational leaders, sports organizations/facilities managers should implement measures that will go a long way to ensure disturbances do not exacerbate sports avoidance.

Among others, the role of sports managers includes predicting and preventing the prevalence of a crisis, coping and intervening in a crisis, and purifying after the occurrence of a crisis (Usman et al., 2022). Also, crisis management in a sports organization can be viewed as a pre-planned rapid response capability, which also incorporates a myriad of organizational measures geared toward organizational success. To that end, leadership, information management, and communication capability all go a long way to ensure the successful implementation of the competitive objectives of sport, an industry standard.

News Sources

Referees’ Assault

Kearns (2025), through BBC, delves into measures implemented by the Italian government to protect referees from spectator violence. Following a spate of attacks aimed at referees in the recent past, the government decided to review the penal code to give referees similar protection granted to police officers. The laws, which were implemented barely a week ago, mean that anyone who hits or threatens a referee risks facing tougher punishment, including jail time and hefty fines. The revision of the penal code to punish individuals who use violence against referees was motivated by the fact that violence violates the fundamental rules of objective competition, which include loyalty and love.

The Italian Soccer Referees Association played a critical role in the implementation of the measures. The push to have referees protected was due to increased attacks across the country against football referees, and in particular, a recent attack against a 19-year-old referee (Kearns, 2025). The young referee was assaulted while officiating a match involving youth teams in Sicily. The attack on referees, especially in football, is not new.

When a football team loses a match, it has become normal for fans to be disgruntled, given the emotions they attach to football. Many referees have historically sustained life-threatening injuries during games, with some even losing their lives in the process. It goes without saying that when faced with an unfriendly atmosphere, it is difficult for them to make objective decisions. To that end, violence against referees threatens the integrity of the game.

Sports organizations’ leaders and facility managers have a huge role to play in preventing violence against referees. On the one hand, facility owners can recruit and train sufficient stewards and stadium security personnel. On the other hand, managers of sports teams should, among others, sensitize their fans against engaging in violence, given the reputational harm such violence subjects clubs to.

Deadly Celebratory Chaos

Al Jazeera (2025) reports that two people perished and hundreds more were arrested following riots that followed PSG’s Champions League triumph over Inter Milan in Munich. During the euphoria that followed PSG’s win, thousands of fans flocked to the streets across France to celebrate PSG’s victory. However, the celebrations turned into a violent riot as police officers and fans engaged in confrontations (Al Jazeera, 2025).

Two people died in the melee, with one being stabbed, and another fan on a scooter being hit by a car. Even though these events did not take place in a sports facility, they point to the risk of hosting large sports events and the fact that peaceful celebrations can easily turn into violent encounters.

Given that the violence took place outside sports venues, there is a need for facility managers to also consider enhancing security around stadiums. In this specific incident, over 48,000 people gathered around PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium awaiting the outcome of the match (Al Jazeera, 2025). Among others, the fans were found in possession of fireworks, which is illegal. To that end, there is a need for facility managers to regulate the items that fans can bring to a sports stadium.

For instance, some types of fireworks pose a significant risk, since they can easily explode and cause a large-scale inferno. To ensure safety, the stadium leadership should train the stewards to, among others, frisk fans before entering the stadium, to prevent them from carrying along items that could potentially threaten the safety of other fans. The ultimate goal is to ensure that fans feel safe around stadiums, such that they can bring their families along, including young children. To ensure safety, facility managers should collaborate with law enforcers to implement security requirements.

Stampedes

The Independent (2024) reports that 56 fans, including children, died following violence orchestrated by police intervention following a controversial referee decision that led to a pitch invasion. The fans of the visiting team, Labe, were irked by an unfavorable referee decision made by the referee and started throwing stones onto the pitch. Subsequently, the fans invaded the pitch, leading to police intervention. It is argued that the police were responsible for most of the violence because they hurled teargas canisters onto the pitch, leading to confusion and the stampede.

Although it is argued that police contributed to the melee, there is a lot that the stadium’s management could do to avoid casualties. As stated earlier, one of the key roles of sports event organizers and facility managers is to predict such situations and prepare adequately to deal with them. For instance, erecting metallic barriers to separate fans from the field of play will secure players, allowing them to be evacuated in the event of violence escalation.

Another way facility managers can prepare for high-stakes sports events is by deploying enough stewards to secure the field of play and prevent fans from accessing the pitch. The stewards can collaborate with security officials, who should only intervene once the stewards have been overwhelmed. In the Guinean case, the interference by police was a little too quick and inappropriate (The Independent, 2024). By throwing teargas canisters onto the pitch, the police disoriented fans, leading to the stampede.

The Guinean incident is just one of the multiple stampedes involving football fans that have led to fatal outcomes. Football violence is always expected; hence, the need to implement necessary measures to alleviate the risk of injuries and deaths. One of the best practices that could be implemented to prevent stampedes is by ensuring sufficient demarcation such that fans cannot access the field of play en masse.

Review of Academic Research

According to Genovard et al. (2025), sports entities should embrace modern governance practices to align with the needs of a modern organization. One such effective governance practice is risk planning and management. Risk management is vital to avoid the cost that comes after a tragedy occurs. For instance, the failure by a sports club to anticipate violence may turn costly, since such violence leads to destruction of stadium facilities including seats and electronic devices, which are expensive to renovate or purchase.

Genovard et al. (2025) aver that risk management entails shaping the culture of an organization positively and making the necessary structural changes to avert crises. Shaping the culture of a team as a community may involve increased communication, with calls for peace targeting fans. The leadership should emphasize why it is crucial to uphold peace even in the face of defeat. Persistent calls for fans to avoid violence will go a long way to create a culture where fans can tolerate losses and accommodate referee decisions even when they are unfair.

From a sports facilities dimension, sports entities are encouraged to adopt technology that will go a long way to alleviate risks. Technological interventions may include cameras and tracking devices that record the proceedings in the field of play, such that in case of conflicts, referees can check past actions to make fair decisions (Genovard et al., 2025). For instance, most footballing clubs across Europe have adopted the video assistant referee (VAR) technology, which entails cameras that record footballing action from different angles.

VAR technology has bolstered sports integrity since the most controversial referee decisions have to be rechecked. Such a technology would have prevented the stampede like the one in Guinea that claimed multiple lives. If the referee makes a wrongful decision, they can counter-check the system and change their mind if necessary.

Moreover, Shipway and Miles (2019) offer insights into how sports facilities managers can benefit from existing best practices in disaster management and resilience. From the outset, the authors define resilience as the ability of a system to bounce back to its original state after a disturbance. One of the disturbances that is beyond human control but which can significantly affect sports events is unfavorable weather conditions. In some cases, bad weather can escalate into a deadly situation, depending on local conditions.

For instance, the ongoing 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the US has shown how bad weather can disrupt matches, with players being forced off the pitch due to thunderstorms, lightning, and extreme heat. To protect athletes, stadiums should install safety structures such as cooling pools where players can take breaks to shelter from extreme heat and freshen up. Such a structural change is a resilient strategy that can help athletes cope with extreme weather conditions.

Another resilient intervention that can be implemented by sports facilities managers is to adopt a comprehensive risk management structure. Just like a local government has fire management machines and staff, a stadium should also consider having such facilities. By closely harnessing risk management teams, it is easier to respond in case of a crisis; hence, a resilient measure.

Alongside acquiring the necessary tools to respond to crises, scenario planning and simulations are necessary. By conducting multiple simulations, stewards will develop effective response strategies they can leverage during a crisis. For instance, stewards can be trained on how to secure players and key members of staff during an invasion to alleviate the need to deploy police officers.

Biblical Principles

One of the Biblical principles that applies to sports events and facilities crisis management is planning and preparation. According to Proverbs 21:2, the Bible says, “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty” (Holy Bible, 2015). This verse emphasizes the need to prepare adequately for events that are likely to host many attendees. Among others, facility managers should recruit enough crowd management staff, medical personnel, and the necessary gear that can be used in the event of a fire.

That way, the facility will avert the losses occasioned by disasters. For instance, if a fire occurs in a stadium, the presence of a firetruck near the stadium will go a long way to avert potential loss. In the same breath, leaders of sports organizations should prepare their staff by offering training programs to ready them to respond during crises. As the Bible emphasizes, it is critical to avoid haste and focus on ensuring that every element of safety is considered before a sports event begins.

Another core Biblical principle that can be applied to crisis management in sports facilities and events is stewardship and leadership. According to 1 Corinthians 4:2, the Bible says, “Now it is required of servant managers that each one should prove to be trustworthy.” The verse emphasizes the key role that team leadership and coaches undertake to ensure the safety of athletes. Among others, team leaders should harness key resources such as human capital in the form of stewards to prevent games from deteriorating into violence.

Also, leaders are responsible for putting together the financial resources that may be required to facilitate safety and disaster response. Having conducted predictive analysis, team managers can determine high-stakes events likely to attract huge attendance and implement the necessary measures to avert a crisis.

Conclusion

In summary, crisis management should be at the center of facility and/or event management. Among others, crisis management ensures the safety of fans, athletes, and match officials. Also, crisis management is core to ensuring the integrity of sports events, besides protecting key resources such as stadium facilities. From the recent celebrations by PSG fans that turned tragic, to the multiple fatalities in Guinea during a stampede, and spectators assaulting referees in Italy, it is clear that the failure to prepare for crises could lead to devastating outcomes.

Crises in sports events and facilities range from extreme weather conditions, internal and external violence, and euphoric celebrations in high-stakes matches. With the right measures in place, managers of sports entities will not only safeguard lives but also ensure sports integrity.

References

Al Jazeera. (2025, June). Two dead, 559 arrested in France clashes after PSG Champions League win. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2025/6/1/two-dead-hundreds-arrested-in-paris-clashes-after-psg-champions-league-win

Genovard, F., Muñoz, J., Petchamé, J., & Solanellas, F. (2025). Risk Management Approaches in Sports Organisations: A Scoping Review. Heliyon, 11(3), e42270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e42270

Holy Bible. (2015). Modern Literal Version Old Testament. https://dir.sermon-online.com/english/Bible/The_Old_Testament_Modern_Literal_Version_20151029.pdf

Kearns, S. (2025, June 21). Italy cracks down on violence against match officials with law change. BBC Sport. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cy0wl0716xwo

Shipway, R., & Miles, L. (2019). BOUNCING BACK AND JUMPING FORWARD: SCOPING THE RESILIENCE LANDSCAPE OF INTERNATIONAL SPORTS EVENTS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR EVENTS AND FESTIVALS. Event Management. https://doi.org/10.3727/152599518×15403853721376

The Independent. (2024, December 2). Dozens crushed to death in stampede at Guinea football match as pitch invasion ends in tragedy. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/guinea-football-stampede-nzerekore-labe-casualties-b2657172.html

Usman, M. E., Otu, T. M., Olumba, M. O., Ohuruogu, B. N., Ngwakwe, P. C., Amuche, O. S., Okechukwu, A. C., & Onuenyim, N. (2022). CRISIS MANAGEMENT IN SPORTS AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT. European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science, 8(6). https://doi.org/10.46827/ejpe.v8i6.444

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Facility and Events Paper Assignment Instructions

Overview

This paper is the key assignment for this course. This paper is an opportunity for you to investigate and demonstrate an understanding of a topic related to facility and/or event management, and to make practical applications. For examples of topics, see the textbook, course module learning outcomes, or discuss the paper with your professor.

Instructions

This is a formal paper and must be written in current APA format.  It must include a title page, abstract, and reference list per current APA guidelines. The body of the paper must be at least 8 pages, using Times New Roman 12-point font, with 1 inch margins all around. The title page, abstract and reference list are not considered in the page count.

A third-person writing style (impartial voice) should be used. The primary focus of the paper is to present information on your selected topic and current academic research related to that topic. Each of the following should be included in the paper:

• Title page
• Abstract
• Brief overview of your selected topic with connection to the textbook/class (1 page)
• Detailed explanation of the topic based on trade/news sources (3 pages)
• A review of relevant academic research based on peer-reviewed journal articles (2 pages)
• A description of biblical principles that can be applied to the topic (1 page)
• Conclusion (1 paragraph)
• Reference list

The paper must include a minimum of 6 references (at least 2 of which must be peer-reviewed journal articles), in addition to the course textbooks and the Bible. The main ideas for the paper need to be supported by these sources. The library web site has a good tutorial on what peer-reviewed sources are, and how to find them.

While you are encouraged to use as much reference material as possible to find your information, the entire written project must be your own work. Severe penalties will be enforced for plagiarizing information which includes cutting and pasting, copying from internet sources, or failing to cite your sources. All information used (articles, websites, etc.) should be referenced using current APA format.

The paper must be submitted as a Microsoft Word document.

Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.