£16500 Fine for club.

Bristol Rovers has been fined £16,500 and warned for two breaches of FA Rule E20.1 and E20.2 that occurred during their EFL League Two fixture against Scunthorpe United FC on Saturday 7 May 2022.

Rovers admitted that it failed to ensure that its spectators, and all persons purporting to be its supporters or followers, conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and refrained from using threatening and violent behaviour whilst encroaching onto the pitch area, in the 85th minute of the fixture.

The club also admitted it failed to ensure that its spectators, and all persons purporting to be its supporters or followers, conducted themselves in an orderly fashion at the conclusion of the fixture.

The sanction was imposed by an independent Regulatory Commission during a subsequent hearing.

Ok so to everyone who ran on the pitch do the right thing and pay towards it, it isn't fair that Wael pays it, you the ones who ran on the pitch are at fault, you know who you are do the right thing and pay

It'll be interesting to see how much Oldham and Everton are fined.

4. The context for the disturbances is that the Club had to better their Promotion rivals

score (Northampton Town) by five goals to secure automatic promotion to League 1. In

advance of the match prospects of that happening were remote.


5. The context for the two charges of misconduct is as follows. The referee reported that in

the 77th minute, after the Club scored its fifth goal, a smoke device had been released by

a fan or fans located in the West Stand. Stewards acted quickly and dealt with the

situation before he restarted the game.


6. In the 79th minute of play after the Club scored its sixth goal a further smoke device was

released by its supporters in the North Stand. This device was thrown over the perimeter

barrier and landed on the grassed area behind the goal. Simultaneously, eight-ten of its

supporters located in the North Stand left the terrace by climbing over the barrier and

entered the grassed area behind the goal to celebrate the goal. Another two fans located

in the East Stand left the terrace by climbing over the barrier and entered the technical

area. Stewards removed the fans as quickly as possible and the referee spoke with the

Club captain and asked him to speak to his manager to try and calm the supporters down

so the game could resume.


7. The first incursion was the reaction of part of the crowd to scoring its seventh goal to

make the score 7 v 0. The goal was scored in the 85th minute of the match. That goal if

the score remained as it then was, secured promotion. It was the catalyst for what

followed immediately thereafter. Players celebrated in front of the home supporters

behind the goal in the Thatchers North Stand. In his statement the referee said this:

“However this ignited Bristol Rovers FC spectators into a major pitch invasion entering the field of

play from the Thatchers North Stand, the Somelap West Terrace & Poplar Insurance Terrace

approx. 500 plus spectators entered the field of play with several smoke devices being utilised.”


8. What is clear is that the seventh goal caused home supporters to celebrate exuberantly

and some entered the field of play. In consequence of the ‘pitch invasion’ the referee

stopped the match and took the players from the field of play. The referee said:


“Due to the large number of spectators on the field of play celebrating with the Bristol Rovers FC

players, there were also a large number of Bristol Rovers FC spectators goading/ insulting the

Scunthorpe United FC players. With players safety my main responsibility/ focus for both Bristol

Rovers FC & Scunthorpe United FC, I blew my whistle & pointed towards the tunnel to remove

the players to allow the Bristol Rovers FC stewards/ Police an opportunity to remove the Bristol

Rovers FC spectators from the field of play. Whilst leaving the field of play, the Scunthorpe United

FC goal Owen Foster informed me that he had been assaulted by a Bristol Rovers spectator in front

of his colleague Liam Feeney, no match official witnessed the incident.”


9. There were no statements from Owen Foster or Liam Feeney. The referee’s report states

that Foster told him he was a pushed by a spectator and a clenched fist made “contact

with his neck/jaw”.


10. Scunthorpe United FC submitted to The FA a letter dated 19 May 2022. The letter said

this about the assault:

“At this point, one of our players – a 17-year-old goalkeeper – is goaded, abused and then assaulted

by a home supporter as he is attempting to leave the field of play due to the pitch invasion.”




40. In the CCTV footage provided it appears principally to be filming the actual game itself

(until the incursion) and not concentrating, as it should, on the areas where, given the

previous incidents that the referee reported on in the 77th and 79th minute, it should
have been.


41. Further, as part of the 2019 Action Plan the Club was directed that CCTV Operators

shall receive enhanced training on the use of CCTV systems and identification of

“potential match day offenders”. Based on the footage provided to us, there is little

evidence that has been effective if provided.

But some will say, what about.............

Things elsewhere are no excuse, just look at the facts regarding us.

All those who went on pitch 85th min
Time to open your wallets pay up??
I wont hold my breath mind you 🤔

If I was Wael I’d put all drinks prices up until the fine is recovered.

that will take a long time now they only seem to let 10 fans into the blackthorn bar

Plus what would better CCTV have actually achieved, given the culprit who attacked the goalie was still identified and charged?

It's under to understand why Rovers have been charged & fined but the likes of Oldham, Sheff Utd & Port Vale seemed to have escaped with no action being taken. Plus Man C fans were clearly letting off pyros on the pitch.