Bristol Rovers: League One club hit with reduced-capacity sanction after crowd trouble
- Published
Fans piled on to the pitch for the second time at the Memorial Ground when Bristol Rovers' promotion was secured
Bristol Rovers will have to play their first two home matches of the League One season at reduced capacity because of two pitch invasions last season.
Sanctions have been placed on the club by the Safety Advisory Group and local authorities following incidents last term at the Memorial Stadium.
The home matches against Forest Green Rovers and Scunthorpe United were cited, where fans ran on to the pitch.
"These sanctions hit us hard," chief executive Tom Gorringe said., external
"Tickets are already at a premium, so further reductions like this directly affect the number of our supporters that can attend games which, in turn, has large financial implications on the football club in what remains a difficult economic backdrop."
The affected matches include Rovers' upcoming home tie against Forest Green on the opening day of the season on Saturday, 30 July and when the club hosts Oxford United a fortnight later on Saturday, 13 August.
Bristol Rovers secured promotion in dramatic style on the final day of last season with a 7-0 win over Scunthorpe.
However, the match was held up by almost 20 minutes after fans invaded the pitch following the seventh goal, after which manager Joey Barton had to plead with supporters to return to the stands.
Fans similarly ran on to the pitch at the end of April's 0-0 draw with Forest Green - a result which saw their south west rivals secure promotion to League One.
A statement from Bristol Rovers said the sanctions would be reviewed after the first two matches of the season.
"In order to have these sanctions lifted, the club is relying on all fans inside the stadium to abide by our regulations, with a particular focus on keeping the stairways clear," Gorringe continued.
"If we can show an exemplary demonstration of this for the first two home games, then the club has every right to seek a return to full capacity for the remainder of the season."