Fine Reduced For Bradford Pitch Invasion

Reading Football Club has been fined £40,000 for the pitch invasion that occurred at the end of the Bradford FA Cup Quarter Final victory at the Madejski Stadium last season.

That figure is reduced from the initial £100,000 fine the club was faced with for "failing to ensure no spectators or unauthorised persons were permitted to encroach onto the pitch area" on March 16.

In an official statement, the club said:

The club appealed the charge and an initial fine of £100,000 and we are pleased that our appeal has been heard and upheld in our favour in terms of a reduced sanction.

However, after a total of 16 other celebratory pitch incursions took place at other stadia across the country last season, we were the only club penalised.

Reading Football Club are regularly among the clubs with the lowest number of arrests and banning orders in the division and we are also very proud of our supporters’ reputation for good behaviour, both at home and away, as a club we remain disappointed by the decision and feel that the processes undertaken by the Regulatory Commission in these situations need to be reviewed in the future.

The FA statement reads:

An Appeal Board has reduced Reading’s £100,000 fine for misconduct in relation to supporter behaviour after considering the club’s appeal.

"The club were sanctioned by an Independent Regulatory Commission after a charge of failing to ensure no spectators or unauthorised persons were permitted to encroach onto the pitch area whilst attending the Emirates FA Cup quarter final replay against Bradford City at the Madejski Stadium on 16 March 2015 was found proven.

"However, the fine imposed by the Regulatory Commission was reduced on appeal to £40,000 with the club being warned as to its future conduct.

All in all, a very disappointing set of circumstances has drawn to a close and everyone at the club will want to put this behind them and focus on the task at hand: promotion.