West Ham to hand lifetime bans to individuals involved in London Stadium crowd trouble

Image: West Ham intend to hand lifetime bans to the fans who invaded the pitch during the recent defeat to Burnley

West Ham have confirmed they will hand lifetime bans to those fans who invaded the pitch and threw missiles during the 3-0 defeat to Burnley on Saturday.

Four separate pitch invasions interrupted the game at the London Stadium, and co-owner David Sullivan was hit by a coin and forced to leave the directors' box, as hundreds of supporters congregated below in protest at the club's board.

The Football Association has given West Ham until the end of the week to provide their observations on the unrest, and the Hammers have vowed to work alongside the authorities in order to identify those involved in the violence.

A statement released by the club on Wednesday morning read: "West Ham United are committed to taking decisive and positive action with the primary focus of ensuring London Stadium is a safe, comfortable and secure environment for supporters attending future matches.

"Following the incidents which marred the second half of the Premier League fixture with Burnley on Saturday 10 March, the Club is conducting a full and thorough investigation and has attended a series of emergency meetings with London Stadium stakeholders.

Advertisement

"The Club is working in close conjunction with the Metropolitan Police to identify those individuals, who entered the pitch during the second half, and with stadium operator LS185, using London Stadium's high-quality CCTV footage, to identify those who threw missiles, both of which are specific offences under the Football (Offences) Act 1991.

Image: Hundreds of supporters congregated below the directors' box in protest at the club's board

"Any individual found guilty will be banned from attending any West Ham United fixture, home and away, for life and the Club will request the courts serve a banning order to prevent these individuals attending any football matches in the future.

Also See:

"West Ham United maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour of this nature, with the safety of all supporters always the Club's number one priority."

Outbrain