YORK City Supporters’ Trust said there was “absolutely no excuse” for the behaviour of some fans after a pitch invasion and chairs were broken following the club’s play-off victory.
A large number of fans stormed the pitch after York City’s 2-1 National League North play-off quarter final win over Chorley at the LNER Community Stadium on Wednesday - which saw the club’s biggest home attendance in more than 15 years with more than 6,300 fans.
A few fans even made their way onto the pitch while the game was still being played - and had to be escorted away as the match was paused.
Chairs were damaged during the game in the south stand of the ground - where the majority of singing and chanting from York fans takes place during home games - and flares were thrown onto the pitch.
Jim Calverley, board member at the York City Supporters’ Trust, said there will be consequences for the actions of the fans, both after and during the game.
Mr Calverley said: “The football went exactly as we wanted it go in what felt like a full stadium. That was incredible to see. It showed us how much of a positive that stadium can become for the club.
“Unfortunately we can’t ignore what happened at the end of the game.
“Pitch invasions before the final whistle, we’re going to get pulled on that and there’s going to be consequences. There’s going to be consequences for that as well as the flares and the damage to the stadium.
“If the club is fined for the actions of the fans or have to pay for repairs, that’s money being kept away from the first-team.
“That’s not good and it’s not we want. That’s not what any York City fans want to see.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said officers were in attendance at the game, but no arrests were made.
They said: “We are aware of the pitch invasion at the York City vs Chorley match. Officers were in attendance at the ground and worked with the club’s stewards.
“There were no arrests made. Supporters dispersed from the ground soon afterwards.”
There were also issues with pre-match transport, as some fans said they were late to the game due to a lack of buses.
Jack Biggins, a York City fan, said: “The traffic through from town to the stadium was horrific.”
He said some of the queues to enter the ground close to kick-off were long and time-consuming, stretching round as far as the M&S store near the east stand.
The Press approached York City, York Stadium Management Company, Chorley FC, City of York Council and The Vanarama National League for comment, but had received no comments at time of publishing.
York City will now go on to play Brackley Town in the National League North play-off semi-final at 3pm on Saturday.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel