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Football

11th May 2015

Chesterfield captain claims he was “punched, kicked and spat on” by rival fans after defeat

Some strong claims by Ian Evatt

Neil Treacy

Some serious allegations here.

Preston beat Chesterfield 4-0 on aggregate to make it to the League 1 playoff final, but their fans’ behavious could land them in a lot of trouble.

Following a pitch invasion as the Preston players and fans celebrated a first trip to Wembley for 21 years, Chesterfield’s captain Ian Evatt claims he was physically assaulted on the pitch.

The BBC report that Evatt, who spent six years as a player with Preston’s rivals Blackpool, has labelled the abuse he suffered a “disgrace”, and has since made a statement to Lancashire Police, claiming he was punched, kicked and spat on.

“How long will this go on until there’s a serious incident? It’s too easy for fans to invade pitches,” Evatt said.

“To be attacked on a football pitch and fear for your safety is an absolute disgrace.”

Throughout the game, Evatt’s past as a Blackpool player saw him subjected to a lot of chanting and sledging from the Preston fans, but things allegedly became physical once they invaded the pitch at full-time.

Evatt added: “Something needs to be done about it. The more it goes on, the more likely there will be a serious offence and a real serious injury to a player.”