Flares and seats thrown as crowd trouble blights Stevenage v Swindon Town

With Town a goal down at the Lamex Stadium, a small section of away fans appeared to clash with Stevenage stewards in the final five minutes.

Seven chairs were broken and thrown onto the pitch and towards the stewards, while five bins and their contents were thrown in the same direction too. A number of advertising boards and signs were ripped from their places.

Caption: Debris lay on the pitch at the end of the game.

In the same instance, two flares were thrown onto the pitch towards Jojo Wollacott, narrowly missing the Swindon stopper who at the time was stood on the edge of his six-yard box.

The unsavoury scenes came days after Town released a statement asking fans not to bring flares to matches due to the pyrotechnics being banned at UK stadiums.

It is currently unknown what caused the disagreement in the stands on Saturday, but the way some Town fans handled themselves was a throwback to the 1970s when hooliganism was rife on the terraces.

In a statement published by Swindon Town on behalf of owner Clem Morfuni and CEO Rob Angus, the club condemned the behaviour of some of its fans.

The statement said: “Swindon Town Football Club would like to issue the following statement on behalf of Owner, Clem Morfuni and CEO, Rob Angus.

"We were very disappointed by the events that unfolded in the away end towards the end of the game this afternoon.

"While we are incredibly grateful for the large following we have away from home, the events that took place today are unacceptable and cannot happen again.

"Due to the damage that was done to the away end, the club could now face further action from the EFL for this.

Caption: A number of seats near the back of the stand were ripped out and thrown towards the pitch.

"We urge all of our fans to treat visiting stewards, officials and property with the utmost respect at all times.

"Your passion and love for the club is what makes you so special, but you must behave in a responsible and respectful manner.

"We also want to once again stress that the use of pyrotechnics is prohibited within any stadia in England.

"As we've stressed before, the Football Club could face action from the EFL if pyrotechnics are set off at games.

"We also want to take this opportunity to apologise to Stevenage Football Club for what occurred today. Today's events are not an accurate representation of what the Football Club is all about.

"Please work with us to ensure that going to games is an enjoyable and safe experience for everyone. We want to thank you all for your unbelievable support both home and away this season and long may it continue.

"Clem and Rob."