Football / Bristol Rovers
‘Crowd behaviour’ blamed as Mem capacity is reduced
Bristol Rovers have to play their first two home matches next season at a reduced capacity due to “crowd behaviour”.
Sanctions have been placed on the club by the Safety Advisory Group and local authorities amid incidents last term at the Memorial Stadium.
The team were promoted on the final day of last season after beating Scunthorpe United 7-0.
is needed now More than ever
But the match was disrupted after fans ran onto the pitch after the seventh goal.
It was a similar story when Bristol Rovers played Forest Green Rovers and invaded the pitch at the end of a 0-0 draw with their south west rivals who secured promotion.
?️ “ASTONISHING STUFF”
Bristol Rovers score SEVEN goals for the first time since 1964 to secure promotion to League One ?pic.twitter.com/qHunY7yiHe
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) May 7, 2022
In a statement, the club said fans must abide by regulations and keep stairways clear to be able to return to full capacity for the rest of the season.
Bristol Rovers CEO Tom Gorringe said: “As a club, these sanctions hit us hard. 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.
“At this time, we ask all supporters to work with us during the ticketing process and on these matchdays to help us move past this and ensure that we can have as many supporters as possible attending matches safely in the future.”
Matches affected are against Forest Green on the opening day of the season on July 30 and Oxford United on August 13.
Some fans will be moved from the Thatchers Terrace into the South Stand and others relocated onto surrounding terrace areas.
Main photo: JMP
Read more: Bristol Rovers promoted thanks to sensational 7-0 win
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