TheScrum.co.uk

[Stan Tigers Fan]

BULLDOGS rugby league fans have been forced to sign a code of conduct agreement for all home and away games to curb behaviour problems.

All Bulldogs season ticket holders and semi-regular attendees have been urged to sign the conduct code, put in place with the support of the majority of the club's fans.

It goes further for members of the Bulldogs Army, the club's official supporter group.

Every person sitting in the designated Army bays must carry a registration card and abide by the code of conduct. The move will make it easier for authorities to identify troublemakers.

It is hoped the initiative will lead to more opposition fans at Bulldogs home games, after the club revealed yesterday the number of away team supporters attending the matches had dropped by about 3000 per game.

Bulldogs spokesman Chris O'Brien said the code had been signed by about 3500 fans, including the vast majority of season ticket holders.

"Most of the fans were happy to sign it because they've been getting a bad rap due to a few rotten eggs," he said.

Bulldogs fans must agree to follow a specific list of demands placed on them by club officials. These include:

 NOT engaging in activities that embarrass or inhibit others from enjoying the game;

 NOT taunting opposition fans;

 NOT using foul or abusive language; and

 NOT displaying banners with inappropriate messages.

Last season, die-hard Bulldogs fan Todd Dennis was banned from attending any NRL match for 18 months following a drunken incident at a home match.

Tonight, he will join his fellow Bulldogs Army members after being granted a reprieve. The 23-year-old has promised not to consume alcohol before or during any Bulldogs match this season, in return for his ban being lifted.

"I'm so thankful to the club for letting me come back because I realise I've been an absolute idiot and I've stopped drinking," he said.

Fans have also vowed to "dob in" any person who does not abide by the code