Pantomime villainy can stay but Elland Road missile throwing problem and mistreatment of Leeds United fans must stop

The atmosphere inside the old ground is so intense at present that it's an almost weekly talking point, something opposition players and managers are keen to highlight and appreciate.

Sean Dyche loved it and, quite rightly, put the bottle-throwing incident and the bottle-thrower in their rightful place. Far more important to note, for the Burnley boss, was the way tens of thousands of others chose to express their passion and their emotions, than the one who struck Matthew Lowton on the forehead.

And other than the egg Lowton sported, which will have by now subsided, the thrower has succeeded in guaranteeing only two things - negative press for their club and a stadium ban. Police action may also be a consequence. It should all be a bit shameful and embarrassing, really, no matter the age of the culprit.

If they are identified, which seems likely given the club's ability to monitor the entire crowd with CCTV, they will lose - at least temporarily - the right to experience live, in the flesh, football as good as the stuff Leeds played against Burnley and an atmosphere as good as the one generated at Elland Road this season.

It's better than it was in the promotion season, before the pandemic struck, and superior to anything experienced so far this season on Leeds' travels around the country.

Against Wolves it was close to frightening, such was the urgency it created, and there's little doubt it played a part in Leeds' dramatic late comeback. Moments like Joe Gelhardt's run into the area to draw a foul and Rodrigo's corner-flag decimating celebration are to be cherished, they're too good to miss for the sake of lobbing something at a player.

You could say Lowton also had Maxwell Cornet to thank for his bump, given the goalscorer's decision to run to the Leeds fans to celebrate. What felt most unwise about Cornet's actions was the secondary celebration he delivered after riling the home support the first time, but was it any worse than Patrick Bamford striding across the front of the silenced Luton fans at the Kenilworth Road End, fingers to his ear? Was it any worse than Raphinha's dance in front of the Chelsea supporters in the Matthew Harding Stand, after the initial celebration of his successful penalty with his team-mates?

Those moments of player interaction felt quite in tune with the Leeds United reputation, the one Gjanni Alioski grasped, the one Mateusz Klich embodies, so to take such umbrage when others give it back is a little on the hypocritical side.

No one would ever want to rid Elland Road of its pugnacious, irreverent in-your-face nature, nor should we rid the game of pantomime villainy that adds edge and colour. If you merrily indulge in the boiling or extraction of urine, you cannot be too offended if someone boils or extracts your own.

What we should be focused on stamping out is conduct that crosses the line, like missile throwing, like discrimination. Happily, Leeds fans have been doing their bit to eliminate the latter from Elland Road - two instances of racist abuse were quickly reported to stewards and the police by disgusted home supporters during the Arsenal game. The aiming of bottles, coins, lighters and e-cigs can be similarly self-policed and might only take a chorus of strongly-worded disapproval from those in the vicinity of the thrower to help show them the error of their ways.

What we could also do with is a more forensic light shining on the general treatment of supporters by those running the game and those charged with keeping fans safe.

Chelsea declining an opportunity to comment on the serious nature of complaints stemming from the stewarding of Leeds fans at Stamford Bridge was disappointing but equally so is when authorities, both footballing and policing, who are so lightning quick to investigate and take action when supporters are in the wrong, shrug and pass the buck just as quickly when supporters are wronged. That was painfully apparent when asking for comment on events outside the Shed End following Leeds' last visit to London.

Some supporters affected by what happened felt like the welcome prepared was one more befitting an army of bottle-throwing yobs, than people from all walks of life intent on nothing more than singing songs for 90 minutes.

Fans don't seem to matter as they should.

The scheduling of games at times when public transport is simply not an option for thousands of match-goers and the alterations of kick-off times with more regard for the whims of broadcasters than the logistics and finances of the people giving the English game its atmosphere and soul, like Leeds fans, are shameful. Endorsing messages that encourage fans to consider ditching the car on match days to improve football's carbon footprint while failing to ensure they can actually get to stadia by greener means is embarrassing.

This Sunday will see several thousand Whites battle their way to the London Stadium for a 2pm kick-off, with rail travel nigh on impossible for many. A week later thousands will have to do it all again.

It's right that we highlight and talk about incidents such as the one that impacted Lowton last weekend, but football cannot continue to ignore its crimes against supporters.

Leeds fans have been responsible for making wonderful occasions of so many games in so many grounds this season. Their match-going experience should be so good that no one would risk being locked out.