Blades pair charged by the police following play-off semi-final loss
Sheffield United duo Rhian Brewster and Oli McBurnie have been charged after a police investigation into incidents during the club's Championship play-off semifinal loss to Nottingham Forest.
The Blades said they were "disappointed" to learn the duo face criminal action following an inquiry by Nottinghamshire Police.
It is not yet known what the players are accused of doing.
The allegations relate to the club's play-off semi-final second leg at the City Ground on May 17.
Forest, who went onto earn promotion to the Premier League, won 3-2 on penalties afterthetieended3-3onaggregate. Home fans then invaded the pitch in celebration, during which Blades skipper Billy Sharp was assaulted andaman later charged.
A Blades statement on Thursday said :" Sheffield United Football Club is disappointed to learn that Rh ian Brewster and Oli McBurnie have been charged following the incidents that took place at theEFL Championship play-off semifinal second leg against Nottingham Forest last month.
"Both players voluntarily engaged in interviews with Nottinghamshire Police in the aftermath of the fixture which saw their team-mate, Billy Sharp, the victim of assault in the chaos which followed the final whistle.
"Brewster and McBurnie strenuously deny the charges brought against them and football manager Paul Heckingbottom, who wrote letters to the League Managers' Association, the Professional Footballers' Association, theEFL and FA following a number of pitch invasions last month is continuing discussions with key stakeholders in a bid to better protect players and staff in their place of work."
Nottinghamshire Police have been approached for comment.
Blades boss Heckingbottom called on the game's authorities to get tougher on crowd disorder.
"You're in a place of work and you're getting attacked. It can't happen and it wouldn't happen anywhere else," he said.
"You look at the NHS, things like that, there's absolutely zero tolerance for any sort of physical intimidation anyway. We can't accept it, we can't just say 'yeah, that happens in football'. However strong we need to be to make sure it doesn't happen again, we need to be strong."