Port Vale have been found guilty of “misconduct in relation to crowd control” by the FA and fined £25,000.
The action was taken after the club was determined to have an “absence of a pitch incursion plan and a stewarding plan” in place when a supporter ran onto the pitch to confront the referee during the home game against Portsmouth in January. The FA concluded that the club’s “response to this incident was non-existent” and that the club failed to follow FA guidance that anyone entering the pitch should be apprehended.”
The supporter involved, Ted Piolunowicz, was given a five year football banning order in May but his actions have now also cost the club a significant sum.
An independent Regulatory Commission imposed the club’s fine following a hearing earlier this month.
The panel noted that the Valiants had been fined £15,000 following the pitch invasion after the play-off semu-final against Swindon Town commenting that “this is not the first time that the Club has faced a charge of this sort.”
The panel also commented that “In our view this was a very serious breach. As the FA observe, the spectator was able to enter the field of play with apparent ease and made his way across the pitch without any reaction. It is of course fortunate that no physical harm was caused.”
Port Vale have a right to appeal the decision.
The full commission decision can be read here
Practically any spectator can enter the pitch just look at the champion league final at Wembley. The mass of security and it still happened.
Difficult to stop someone running on to the pitch if they are determined but the Club should at least have had a plan in place.
And the culprit should have had a lifetime ban especially considering he was chasing after the referee
@Peter Brown I think that second point is the issue. The FA seemed very unimpressed with Vale’s stewarding and the lack of planning. So, I think it’s less to do with not stopping him but more about the fact that this incident highlighted the lack of forward planning and training in place.
Take him to court & claim it back?
It’s a joke 1 supporter ran on the pitch.does not justify a 25000
Pound fine.the f a
Is a joke.
Seen as the majority of our stewards seem unable to speak English it’s not surprising no one attempted to intervene
That’s bad.
Just typical like everything else in this country…. fine those easy to catch and fine and the big boys like Man City keep getting away with it..
Farsical……