Following the game against Eastleigh, York City released a statement regarding events and fan conduct while officials were being removed off.
Joe McDonnell, the goalkeeper for Eastleigh, had to make a save to stop Maz Kouhyar’s attempt, and just before the half, McDonnell tipped Armstrong’s shot over the goal. Luke Croll’s late goal allayed Eastleigh’s fears of relegation in the National League while also giving nine-man York more reason for concern.
After Ryan Fallowfield, who had already been warned for protesting, received a second yellow card and was sent off, Scott Quigley also struck the woodwork with a header, giving the visitors a double boost. Zanda Siziba was also shown a red card for a challenge on Solomon Nwabuokei.
Luke Croll’s close-range goal with seven minutes remaining for Eastleigh was the result of Quigley’s assist from a Ben Reeves corner kick.
As the clock reached the end of play, security guards surrounded the referee and other officials as they were led off the pitch.
“York City would like to remind fans of their responsibility to conduct themselves appropriately whilst within the stadium supporting the team,” the team said in a statement following the game.
“We acknowledge that during a football game, emotions can get quite high, but there is never a justification for anti-social behaviour of any kind.
“We vehemently denounce any kind of violence or abuse directed towards anyone, regardless of our disagreement with a referee’s ruling.
“We kindly ask all of our supporters to join us in our efforts to eradicate antisocial behaviour.”
As officials are removed off the pitch, fans responded as follows to York City’s statement regarding the incidents and fan behaviour.
@User 68581: To get the record straight, the staff at @YCFCStadium has stated that my friend spit on a player or official. This is absurd; the friend had almost ten security and police officers on him without cause, even though he was nowhere close to the incident. not facing the possibility of a ban. #YorkCity
@Ycfc173254: Maybe we could work together if the SMC didn’t act in a “anti-social” manner towards the supporters.
@Adamuddgren1: A little passion, as opposed to our group applauding players when they are sent off
@escrickite This is coming from a 69-year-old man who has always been nothing but nice! Never mind that the referee got a stick; it’s about time the South Stand stewards were schooled in civility! They are a complete embarrassment nowadays and we hardly ever see them during “normal times” when perhaps they should be present!
@sam_elsegood: Today, a few more beers were allowed into the East Stand. I support allowing it, but @YorkSMC There will always be problems if you don’t give your stewards enough training or don’t have enough employees. I am eager for the new catering firm to take over.
@frazleach: I told one of the stewards today about the monkey taunts directed towards Nwaboukei. I don’t believe the club was informed of anything, though.
@chipshopsteve Not us, but the players were the ones who lost.
@iowecityYCFC: Spectators hit the official
@LilyBrown2007: Spit and objects thrown at the referees
@smilerhopper York City would also like to warn its players that if they don’t get better, the majority of them will lose their jobs.
@jonny_smithson Is this related to the fact that Tweeledum and Tweeledee in the East Stand are always cursing the opposition in front of small children (using the c and f words) and are frequently ordered to stop by other fans?
@steveparker1978: This is obviously directed at our coaching staff and the players who were booked during the entire incident.
@TomPutnam11: No need to apologise; regardless of how awful the exhibition was, we will get past it. Hold on. How come?
@Hengist123: That was never Bootham Crescent.
@ajp354: Next week, the “spitters” ought to be forced to go to the hospitality lounge and watch Zaziba’s foul repeatedly on a large screen for ninety minutes.
@User 68581: A steward called me a d**khead today. Could we please resolve this?
York City took to issue a statement on incidents and fan behaviour as officials get escorted off at the end of the game against Eastleigh.
Luke Croll netted a late goal to ease Eastleigh’s relegation fears in the National League, while putting extra concern on nine-man York, who started the match better, with Eastleigh’s goalkeeper Joe McDonnell having to make a save to deny Maz Kouhyar’s attempt, with Marvin Armstrong then striking the crossbar then McDonnell tipped Armstrong’s shot over the goal just before the break.
Scott Quigley also hit the woodwork with a header, then the visitors received a double boost with a red card shown to Zanda Siziba was shown a red card for a challenge on Solomon Nwabuokei and then Ryan Fallowfield, who had already been cautioned for protesting, also received a second yellow card and was sent off.
With seven minutes left on the clock, Eastleigh finally broke the deadlock when Luke Croll scored from close range after Quigley had assisted from Ben Reeves’ corner kick.
The referee and fellow officials were escorted off the pitch with security stewards surrounding them as they made their way off the pitch at full time.
York City said in a statement after the game: “York City would like to remind fans of their responsibility to conduct themselves appropriately whilst within the stadium supporting the team.
“We understand that emotions can run incredibly high at times during a football match, but there is no excuse for any form of anti-social behaviour.
“We strongly condemn any form of abuse and violence towards anybody, no matter how much we may disagree with a refereeing decision that has been made.
“We would urge all supporters to work with us to stamp out anti-social behaviour.”
This is how fans reacted as York City issue a statement on the incidents and fan behaviour as officials get escorted off…
@User68581: To clear things up: what’s happend is the @YCFCStadium staff have claimed that my mate had spat at a player / official. This is nonsense said friend was no where near the incident and had 10+ security and police on him for no reason. No being threatened with a ban. #yorkcity
@Ycfc173254: Maybe if the SMC weren’t “anti-social” towards the fans then we might cooperate ?
@Adamuddgren1: A bit of passion, unlike our lot clapping players off for getting sent off
@escrickite: Never mind the ref getting stick it’s about time the South Stand stewards were trained in civility – absolute disgrace today and we very rarely see them during “normal times”when perhaps they should be present – this from a 69 yr old man that has always been nothing but polite!!!
@sam_elsegood: Few more beers let through in the East Stand today. I’m all for it being allowed but @YorkSMC if you’re not going going to provide sufficient training for your stewards, or enough numbers of staff, there’ll always be issues. Can not wait for the catering company to be replaced.
@frazleach: I reported monkey taunts aimed at nwaboukei to one of the stewards today. Don’t think anything was mentioned to the club though.
@chipshopsteve: It was the players that lost it not us.
@iowecityYCFC: Fans spat at the ref
@LilyBrown2007: People spitting and throwing things at the refs
@smilerhopper: York city would also like to remind it’s players that most will have no job if they don’t improve.
@jonny_smithson: Is this anything to do with Tweeledum and Tweeledee in the East Stand constantly swearing at the opposition dug out (c word, f word) in front of young ones and being told countless times by other fans to reign it in?
@steveparker1978: Obviously this is aimed at our coaching staff & players that got booked when it was all going on.
@TomPutnam11: No need to apologise, we’ll get over it no matter how dreadful a display that was. Wait. What?
@Hengist123: Bootham Crescent was never like that.
@ajp354: The ‘spitters’ should be made to attend hospitality lounge next week and watch Zaziba’s foul on loop on a big screen for 90mins.
@User68581: I got called a d**khead by a steward today can we sort this out please
YORK CITY: Sykes-Kenworthy, Fallowfield, Akinyemi, Kouhyar (56’ Siziba), Howe ©, Batty, Chadwick, Amos, Hunt, Armstrong (90+3’ Castro), Fishburn (56’ John-Lewis).
UNUSED SUBS: Campbell, McLaughlin.
EASTLEIGH: McDonnell, Francillette, Taylor © (72’ Reeves), McCallum, Boldewijn, Langston, Croll, Nwabuokei, Maguire (61’ Hodson), Quigley, Vokins.
UNUSED SUBS: Atangana, Scott, Merry.
ATTENDANCE: 5,508 (137 Eastleigh supporters)
“I’m a bit baffled,” York boss Adam Hinshelwood said, per York Press.
“I was waiting for him to show a yellow [to Siziba], I’ve seen him show a yellow to Ryan Fallowfield and I’ve turned my back.
“I’ve heard the crowd and I’m waiting for him to give a free-kick on George and it just hasn’t come.
“I’m just baffled by some of his decisions really. Ultimately, we’ll look at what we can control and what we can control is better.
“There were five-and-a-half thousand that turned out to watch us today and we didn’t give their goalkeeper enough to do.
“I feel that we’ve been let down a little bit, but ultimately we were nowhere near good enough today.
“I’ve enjoyed watching us play in recent weeks, but I certainly didn’t enjoy watching us for large parts today.
“Of course it’s a foul [on Sykes-Kenworthy], he’s got hold of him, but you have to braver to come and deal with it.
“It’s definitely a foul, I don’t think that the ref is in a good position to see, he’s blindsided and needs help from the linesman. Everyone needed to see that it was a foul, but I thought that we were poor today, really poor.
“We’ve got to give them credit because they’ve come here, sat in a low block and made it difficult for us, maybe we don’t have enough quality to break teams down.
“We just need to deal with the ball when it comes in the box, and I don’t think we did well enough with that today.
“It was a big like a rugby game here, playing for set-pieces, putting it into the corners for their long throws and set-pieces. Fair play, you’ve got to deal with that. It was one team trying to get the ball down and play football, but ultimately we’ve come undone and have not come away with any points.
“For large parts we were comfortable and got the ball into the final third on numerous occasions, but nothing really came from it.
“On a day like today the key difference might be a long shot, and we had a few of them in the first-half, but it’s pointless when you’re going to be putting them over the bar.”
Hinshelwood also admitted that he hadn’t seen any replays of the decisions yet, but was clearly frustrated by the performance of referee Dean Watson.
“I’ve not seen them [replays] yet, and maybe when I look back on them [I’ll change my mind], because I’m just going off of my initial reaction.
“I’m gutted with what I’ve felt, but when we look back at them we might see why they have been given or not. With our goalkeeper you can see his shirt coming away from his body, when you see that you’re waiting for it to be given.
“Len’s [Lenell John-Lewis] gone in for a 50-50 and has been given a yellow card, it just didn’t seem to add up with the consistency today and we’re all about consistency with our players, being consistent. All we ask is that the officials are the same as well.
“It’s come from our own mistakes again, being sloppy on the ball.
“We had so much time out there that we didn’t know when to speed up the play, when to take our time with it and when you’re playing against a low block like that, the first goal is massive.
“You need to score for a chance and we didn’t do enough today.”
