Two men charged over Middlesbrough pitch invasion

Two men are accused of going into the playing area at Middlesbrough's Riverside stadium (file photo)

Two men have been charged with running on to a football pitch during a Championship game.

The pair, aged 19 and 22, are accused of going into the playing area at the Riverside Stadium during Middlesbrough's 1-0 win over Birmingham City on Wednesday.

Cleveland Police said both men are due to appear at Teesside Magistrates' Court on 20 October.

It was Boro's first match since manager Chris Wilder was sacked on Monday.

In July, it was announced that pitch invaders at Premier League and English Football League matches would receive an automatic club ban.

As part of a drive to tackle fan behaviour and improve safety at football grounds, the Football Association also brought in tougher sanctions for clubs.

In recent days, Everton, Huddersfield and Port Vale have all been fined over mass pitch invasions.