Ahead of Walsall Football Club's final home games of the 2016/17 season, the club have issued a reminder about their, and the Football Association’s policy on mass pitch incursions by supporters.
Released via Saddlers.co.uk, the club confirm; We appreciate your fantastic support once again this season and understand how a passionate-fuelled stadium creates a better and more enjoyable atmosphere for everyone in attendance. We’ve seen some amazing final moments of games here at the Banks’s Stadium, moments which has lifted all of us out of our seat.
However, we ask you to keep off the field of play at all times. Traditionally fans have viewed the last game of the regular season as an opportunity to take to the field of play once the game has concluded.
Emotions undoubtedly run high but in order to comply with the rules and regulations set out by the Football Association, this sort of action cannot and will not be tolerated.
The FA has viewed with concern a number of incidents at this stage of the season involving pitch incursions by spectators.
As a result, such incidents have resulted in clubs being charged and subsequently fined up to £200,000 by Regulatory Commissions. A fine of this magnitude would be extremely damaging to Walsall FC.
A small number of supporters entered the field of play during our recent home game with Southend, leading to the club having to explain our actions and procedures. The club would like to ask supporters to refrain from entering the field of play at any time during the course of the games.
Regardless of the outcome, and our final league standing, supporters are required to remain in the stands to ensure the safety of the players, officials and both sets of spectators.
The Fleetwood game is also live on SKY and we would ask supporters to behave accordingly. There are appropriate measures in place to deal with such incidents should they occur. However, the club do not envisage having to implement such measures should supporters act in the sensible and respectful manner demonstrated by the majority of supporters for the majority of the season.
We may well have additional Play-Off fixtures and the damage caused by a large number of supporters entering the field of play would be irreversible at such short notice.
The pitch will also be playing host to a number of football matches and activities outside of football throughout the summer and will need to be maintained during this time. We thank you for your understanding and co-operation on this matter.