YORK City have apologised to fans who could not get in to see the club’s relegation dogfight against Southend United at a packed Bootham Crescent.

Spokeswoman Sophie Hicks claimed the weekend lockout raised questions over the proposed 6,000 capacity at the new community stadium at Monks Cross.

It is thought hundreds of fans were stuck in lengthy queues outside the ground after the match started, and some were eventually turned away, missing York’s nailbiting victory.

One fan posted on The Press website: “Shame on the club today as they alienated hundreds of fans who could not get in, kids in tears, heartbreaking to see.”

A second supporter wrote: “We ended up with what, 500/1000 people, failing to gain entry to a ground 2,000 below capacity.”

Another wrote: “Today was a perfect example of why a 6,000 capacity ground would be a joke for an even half decent York City at football league level. We could not deal with 6,500 people trying to get into an 8,000 capacity ground.”

A fourth supporter said: “If we were playing Bradford or Rotherham or Port Vale we’d have needed a 9,000 capacity. Shocking idiocy to design a stadium so small!”

Mrs Hicks said the club would like to apologise to any fans who were turned away.

She said more fans turned up than had been anticipated, possibly because of the fine weather and because the game had caught people’s imagination.

She said the York sides of the ground were full to their 5,500 capacity, even after a part of the Popular stand which was normally kept empty was opened up to fans. The club could not under any circumstances allow the capacity limit to be breached, or it would lose its safety certificate.

She said there were only 500 Southend fans in the visitors end, where there was a 2,500 capacity, but York fans could not be allowed there.

And she added: “This does raise questions for City of York Council over whether the capacity for the new community stadium should be 6,000.

“My personal view is that the capacity should be more like 8,000, given the ambitions of both sports clubs.”

York council leader James Alexander was unavailable for comment.