From the BBC website:
All supporters have been banned from a League Two match between Gillingham and Swindon Town following a row over policing costs. Medway Council said that a prohibition notice had been issued for the game on 21 April due to "serious concerns" over public order at the Priestfield ground. Kent Police said the provision of appropriate numbers of officers in the stadium was "essential".

I imagine by the time of the game this will be resolved, but can you imagine if it was a City game and no one from either team was allowed in!
I know we were banned from Millwall and they from Maine Road, but fans did sneak in using Dick van Dyke mockney accents on the night, but this is another level.

Are they saying that no amount of police/stewards would stop trouble so they are banning everyone ? or is this a Wigan scenario where they are refusing to pay high policing costs so the council have refused to allow them to open the gates. If it is the first we really have lost it.

Are the 2 clubs still banned? If memory serves, we haven't played them since that season in any cups so... Or would it just be decided on if we were to say draw them in the cup there and then?

Think it's the costs

-- Wed Apr 11, 2012 3:34 pm --



We haven't played them since, you are correct. If it was a cup game, I doubt a ban could be enforced as that clearly would give the home team a huge advantage, where as doing it at both league games cancels that out (though we did the double over them that season lol).
I think it was based on the trouble the previous season so if they got promoted (or we got relegated!!) i couldn't see the ban appearing again.

Slightly off topic, there were a fucking shit load of Police speeding around Spotland last night for the Rochdale/Sheff United match. It was kicking off all over the place, full of Sheff U fans.

Housemate went last night (Blade) and he didn't say anything about it kicking off...

Think there were more than double Sheff fans than Rochdale 3800 to 1500 or something.

I went up past the ground about 6:30ish en route to the tops, (scran at Fishermans retreat), and it reminded me of Maine Road back in the day. Vans going down side streets full pelt with the sirens on every 5 mins, dodgy fuckers everywhere and all in all a very nasty atmosphere indeed. Said to the Mrs about Sheff U being the most intimidating away ground I've been too. She could see why.

it's all to do with how the fans of gills and swindon have conducted themselves in the past. according to meridian tonight it goes back forty years when it kicked off big time and again at other matches.

the police say they need to police it better and the club are saying it will be fine.
now the council have stepped in and it will be assessed, if found that the club and police do not agree this game will be behind closed doors.

Strange that we were banned from each others ground. I'm sure millwall had it a lot worse with Birmingham a few years later. Don't think they banned away fans for that one?

Leeds and Millwall have done a similar ban I'm sure. And Wolves banned Cardiff a few seasons ago for a home game