Swindon Town manager Ian Holloway has vowed to ‘hunt down’ one of the club’s own fans after someone allegedly threw part of a seat at an opposition player.
Walsall hosted the Robins in the League Two clash at the Bescot Stadium on Saturday, with the home side scoring a stoppage time goal to win 2-1 on the opening day of the season.
Holloway will have been frustrated with the result but it was not the scoreline that was angering him in the aftermath of the contest.
Late in the game Walsall goalkeeper Myles Roberts was on the floor seemingly injured and an object was thrown from the crowd, with Saddlers player Connor Barrett handing it to the referee.
Holloway was stunned by the incident and called for the fan to be banned as a result.
‘Disgusted with our crowd for throwing something on the pitch, who the hell do you think you are? You represent us and represent me,’ the veteran boss told Sky Sports.
‘How dare you do that? That’s absolutely disgusting, so I hope whoever that was gets banned. Anybody in football who thinks they can do that, it’s just unacceptable.
‘Hopefully we’ll find out who it was. I’m bitterly disappointed that it was a Swindon Town fan, it must me, and for that person I don’t like you and I don’t think you should ever come to football again. That’s how I feel about it. Hopefully they’ll catch you and I don’t want you anywhere near us.’
The 62-year-old former Premier League boss added: ‘I am a human being who loves this game but I also love other human beings.
‘I am here to represent my wonderful football club in a way that is courteous in defeat – tenacious as well, I want to fight for things, but you don’t rip out a seat and throw it at someone.
‘I wouldn’t want Walsall thinking that about all of us, so anyone stood next to them, I want them dobbed in because that’s not right.
‘These people creep into football and no one does anything about it. I am standing up for Swindon Town, a magnificent club and we don’t want anything to do with this.
‘Whoever you are, you should be ashamed of yourself. I am going to hunt you down and find you.’
Walsall boss Mat Sadler, in contrast, was delighted with the home fans who he felt helped his side recover from a Brandon Comley red card just 21 minutes into the contest.
‘Football is back,’ he said. ‘Firstly, I thought the supporters were unbelievable from the very first minute of the game.
‘They got us through, especially in the first half once that sending off had happened, I thought they got us through that period.
‘It’s difficult when it’s at that far end and going towards their fans but again they sucked it over the line. We showed that real togetherness as a football club.’