ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The Turkish soccer association says some free tickets will be allocated to women and children for all league games in a bid to encourage their attendance and reduce violence at matches.
The announcement Wednesday came a day after more than 41,000 women and children flocked to see Fenerbahce play Manisaspor in Istanbul in a match that had been scheduled to be played in an empty stadium as punishment for unruly fan behavior.
Fenerbahce was ordered to play two home matches without any spectators after its fans invaded the pitch during an exhibition against Ukrainian champion Shakhtar Donetsk in July.
The Turkish association called the plans to allocate free tickets to women and children under 16 a “historic decision.”
