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Statement on unrest in the stands at the Chorley v Hereford match after footage emerged

A statement has been made regarding unrest in the stands at Chorley's v Hereford game at the weekend after footage emerged on social media.

Chorley's Chief Operating Officer Craig Dootson spoke of the deplorable and anti-social behaviour that took place during the National League North match, which was not racially segregated.

The two teams played out a 1-1 draw on Saturday, but fans were seen throwing bottles and cups. Stewards soon attempted to defuse the situation as more and more fans got involved.

OPINION:

DEAR supporters,

On behalf of myself and the entire team at Chorley FC, I would like to sincerely apologise for the deplorable and anti-social behaviour that took place during today's match against Hereford FC.

At Chorley FC we place great importance on creating a family friendly environment where our fans can enjoy the game in a positive and welcoming atmosphere and we deeply regret that this standard was not fully met today.

Our decision not to split the game was based on the expected low number of spectators and was aimed at promoting cohesion and shared enjoyment of the game.

Unfortunately, the actions of a few have marred this experience for many. Rest assured that we will take all necessary steps to ensure that such scenes are not repeated in future games. Separation is key where necessary.

We value feedback from our fans and community, if you would like to share your thoughts or make any further comments on today please feel free to contact me directly on [email protected].

Thank you for your continued support and let us work together to maintain the high standards that Chorley FC is known for.

Sincerely,
Craig Dootson
Managing Director
Chorley FC

Chorley: Urwin, Henley, Ellis, Wilson, Blakeman, Calveley, Horbury, Nolan (Bird 87), Hewitt, Carr (Touray, 74), Hall.

Unused submarines: Clarke, Rice, Smith.

Hereford: Chapman, Hudson, Campbell, Preston, D'Ath (Rose, 63), Gibson, Babos, Williams, Ceesay (Teixeira, 63), Robinson, Howkins.

Unused submarines: Skinner, Bitemo, Matwasa.

Chorley broke the deadlock after about half an hour. The hosts described it as an absolute blast from Adam Blakeman with his “weaker” right foot. Chapman had no chance as the ball sailed into the right corner from 20 yards.

Hereford were able to reduce the deficit in the 77th minute: Akeem Rose shot from close range for the visitors, who almost took the lead in the 80th minute: the ball went to Williams, but the Hereford striker missed the target.

In the 84th minute, Hereford were awarded a penalty. Henley was sent off for knocking down his opponent in the box, but Urwin saved Williams' penalty to keep the score at 1-1.

Chorley then went on the counterattack and forced a mistake, Hall then tried a shot from distance that shook the net.

As the game neared its end, Sammy Robinson received a yellow card for an apparent pull back on Hall, while Blakeman and Gibson received yellow cards for an off-ball incident.

This is how fans reacted online to a statement about unrest in the stands during Chorley v Hereford when footage emerged…

@bcb1878: All bastards!

joep940: It was the whole moderate Chorley crew that got going!!

Subscribe: Luckily, those invisible walls were there to keep the guys from getting any closer to this guy

_bruno.c3lla: The invisible wall cannot be stopped 👏👏

Rhys Rothwell: Bad setup today, should have always been separate and makes us look like idiots because we can't control our fans, was a fair result based on the performance, was a relief to hear the final whistle as they pushed hard

Martin Hill: Rhys Rothwell, not our fan Rhys! The middle-aged morons from Hereford caused the trouble!

Rhys Rothwell: Martin Hill exactly, and he makes the club look bad because they didn't plan properly for it

Martin Hill: Rhys Rothwell, I completely agree with you. The problem is that the clubs decide among themselves how many fans will travel with them. Unfortunately, many of them came from Hereford by train or on foreign buses.

Mick Brotherton: Martin Hill I feel that at this level separation should always be a last resort. There are obvious reasons like Chester and Southport and logistical reasons like Scunthorpe. It's such a shame that this game is now put on the list thanks to some idiots from Hereford.



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