For the fourth night in a row, the EFL play-offs were marred by ugly scenes following a pitch invasion.
Port Vale beat Swindon Town on penalties after their League Two play-off semi-final tie had finished 2-2 on aggregate. Perhaps predictably, the victory was toasted with a full-scale pitch invasion, but like other semi-final games earlier this week, it was not without controversy.
Swindon's Harry McKirdy has claimed he was pelted with coins and bottles in the immediate aftermath, with home fans rushing on to the pitch as soon as the Robins' final unsuccessful spot-kick had sailed over the bar.
Sky Sports cameras appeared to pick up footage of the incident, with a group of Swindon players appearing to surround McKirdy as soon as the fans entered the field.
The unsavoury scenes came on the same day that a Nottingham Forest fan was jailed for 24 weeks after pleading guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm on Sheffield United's Billy Sharp. The supporter carried out an unprovoked assault on Blades skipper Sharp after a pitch invasion in their Championship play-off semi-final on Tuesday.
McKirdy, who joined Swindon from Vale last summer, wrote on Instagram : "I'll take the stick & the songs. But bottles, coins, lighters thrown @ me, running on & hitting & kicking me/team-mates. Too far. Something's got to happen @efl."
His manager, Ben Garner, was also heavily critical of the treatment of his players by some supporters, saying: "My players have been physically and verbally abused after the game, it’s absolutely disgusting.
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"It’s disappointing what they’ve had to put up with coming off that pitch. I've seen in some of the other play-off games. I don’t know where we’re going to as a country, but it’s absolutely disgusting."
Swindon defender Mandela Egbo later took to Twitter, posting a selfie showing scratches to his face and writing: "How you scummy fans get two free shots and only manage a scratch? And I'm supposed to keep my cool - if I react I'm the bad guy right?"
Vale chief Darrell Clarke, who was sent to the stands following a clash with Robins captain Dion Conroy in extra-time, added: "We don't want to see that in our game. The culprits will be dealt with. I know how Carol (Shanahan, Vale owner) feels about this sort of thing. It’s something we don’t want to see."
The incident came in a week where pitch invasions have overshadowed and tarnished what has been a typically fascinating set of play-off clashes. Monday's Championship second leg between Huddersfield and Luton saw home fans spill onto the pitch after their victory was confirmed, with Luton boss Nathan Jones branding the home support an "absolute disgrace" after claiming he was verbally abused.
Just 24 hours later came the most high-profile incident, culminating in the sickening assault on Sharp. On Wednesday, the League Two clash between Northampton and Mansfield saw fans encroach the pitch and appear to aim a flare towards players.
The prominence of such incidents led to the EFL announcing that partial or even full stadium closures could be implemented if clubs failed to crack down pitch invasions and general fan unrest. They released a lengthy statement, saying: "Further punitive action will follow for those who continue to disregard ground regulations and break the law at football matches.
"We recognise that this lawlessness is being conducted by a small minority of individuals and that the majority of people attending matches are a credit to their club. However, it is not acceptable for supporters to enter the field of play at any time given the EFL’s objective is to ensure our matches remain a safe and welcoming one for all. Therefore, over the summer we will consider what further measures are now at our disposal, including the potential use of capacity reductions or other similar mitigations."
Swindon and Port Vale have both been contacted for comment by Mirror Football .
