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Next Game: Rushall At Home In The League On Saturday 30th November At 3.00pm

Thursday, August 31, 2023

NLN club's relentless battle against troublemakers continues after flares thrown

Banbury United are banning fans
National League North side Banbury United have said they've refused four fans entry to the ground and will be banning certain people.

It comes after flares were thrown during the club's 1-0 win over Chester on 19 August, with directors saying new measures will be followed "relentlessly".

After the game, the directors said they would get letters from the FA outlining the fines - thought to be hundreds of pounds - for the disorder.

Two weeks later when Banbury hosted Buxton on bank holiday Monday, a game which saw the Puritans slump to a 3-0 defeat, the club said, with support of the local police force, they'd refused entry to four people.

That was based on "previous evidence gathered", a statement said.

They said those fans weren't from the Banbury area, but would be "contacting individuals with letters, communicating bans and restrictions and in some cases offering acceptable behaviour contracts".

The club also said another six fans were spoken to and four were told they could enter the ground and watch from a designated area, which they adhered to.

"We are pleased that as a result of these measures taken at the gate, there were no breaches of ground regulations and both home and away fans were able to enjoy the match," the directors said.

"Spectators can have confidence that our focus towards those who break the rules and threaten the reputation of the club will not subside. New measures put in place will be followed relentlessly at every match."

There is also the threat of lengthy or lifetime bans, with CCTV being installed to support this, the club said in a statement after the Chester trouble.

"We are well aware that most people reading this are not part of the handful of culprits of this detrimental behaviour," a statement at the time said.

"However, we hope that through this communication and the networks of you, our true fans, we can manage to push out the signal that Banbury United Football Club is more strictly enforcing its ground regulations this season."

A Thames Valley Police spokesman, as reported by This Is Oxfordshire, said after Monday's trouble-free Buxton game: “Officers were at Monday’s fixture supporting Banbury United in refusing entry to four individuals and speaking to a number of others.

“Thames Valley Police will continue to work with Banbury United to make it a safe environment for the vast majority of fans who want to watch the Puritans play."