Bury fans avoid ban for Forest Green Rovers pitch invasion

Three Bury fans have escaped a banning order after invading the pitch during a game at Forest Green Rovers in January.

Lewis Tansey, his father Sean Tansey, and friend Antony Grindrod, admitted the offence at a hearing in February.

In court police said the men were at risk of causing future violence and applied to ban them from matches for the next three years.

But the district judge at Cheltenham Magistrates' Court said that would be "draconian" and instead fined the men.

The three men claimed they had been been taunted by fans from rivals Bolton Wanderers who had been invited to watch the game.

They were arrested after running on to the pitch and smashing a stool against a barrier following a Forest Green Rovers goal.

Forest Green Rovers chairman Dale Vince defended his decision to invite the Bolton fans and said the three Bury fans would be welcome back at the club.

"Any fans which aren't banned are welcome back here," he said.

"I guess emotions got the better of them on the day but it is football and it needs to be a safe environment for everybody and we all know the rules."

The district judge told the fans it "defied logic" that they had got so concerned over the actions of rival fans as it was "just a game".

They were also advised by the judge to avoid going to any Bury v Bolton matches and to be more restrained in the future.