Huddersfield Town fined £70,000 after play-off semi-final pitch invasion
- Published
Fans spilled onto the pitch at the John Smith's Stadium after Huddersfield's Championship play-off semi-final win over Luton
Huddersfield Town have been fined £70,000 by an independent regulatory commission following a pitch invasion after their Championship play-off semi-final win against Luton Town in May.
The fine relates to the behaviour of its supporters after full-time.
An elderly Luton fan was also left with a head injury after a coin was thrown at him at the end of the match.
"The financial impact should not be underestimated," Town's operations director Ann Hough said.
"The severity of this fine is a clear indication of just how serious the events following our play-off semi-final win against Luton, alongside other similar scenes across football in that time, have been taken by the governing bodies.
"On top of this significant fine, it is possible that this can also have financial knock-on effects on the club's policing and stewarding costs if our games are now judged to be higher risk than before."
The club was charged by the Football Association with breaching FA Rule E20.1, for failing to "ensure its spectators - and all persons purporting to be its supporters or followers - conducted themselves in an orderly fashion, and refrained from using provocative, threatening, and violent behaviour whilst encroaching onto the pitch."
Huddersfield went on to lose against Nottingham Forest in the play-off final at Wembley 13 days later.
Hough added:, external "We have no choice other than to take significant action against any individual that runs onto the field of play at any point, or who acts in a provocative, threatening, or violent way.
"That will range from bans from the John Smith's Stadium to legal action. There is no place for that kind of behaviour at Huddersfield Town."