STOCKPORT IN THE DOCK AFTER LATEST FAN ATTACK
Stockport face punishment after their fans invaded the pitch to confront opposition players during Saturday’s 3-2 FA trophy semi-final defeat by Fylde. the FA are investigating footage from Edgeley park which shows two supporters reacting to their team conceding a late goal by approaching the visiting players while they celebrated. Another home fan is reported to have got into the away changing rooms. one person present said the intruder exchanged words with Fylde players after calling top scorer Danny rowe a ‘knob’. the incident comes a fortnight after a Birmingham fan ran on to the pitch and punched Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish. the offender was jailed for 14 weeks. Dave challinor, Fylde’s manager, believes the Birmingham incident contributed to this latest clash between fans and players. ‘It just shows how big an effect football all over this country has,’ he said. ‘You have one idiot who runs on at Birmingham and all of a sudden everyone thinks it’s clever to do it. ‘It’s wrong, it really is. What you can’t do is say that’s typical of all their fans. It’s not. It’s just some idiot running on the pitch. ‘It’s dangerous, really dangerous, but people just need to self-police. We don’t want to go back to where it was years ago in this country where people are behind fences.’ Alex reid scored for Fylde in the 89th minute, less than 60 seconds after Stockport had made it 2-2. one fan invaded the pitch to confront the players. He shoved Arlen Birch from behind before another supporter from the stands followed him on to the field. Both men were ejected from the stadium. Fylde’s players continued their celebrations in the changing room after the match. It was then that one supporter shouted at rowe, the National League’s top scorer this season with 25 goals. Fylde face Leyton orient in the final at Wembley on May 19, after orient beat telford 2-1.