Motherwell issue warning after fan incidents cost £80k

Motherwell have issued a plea over supporter behaviour after revealing fan-related incidents have cost the club almost £80,000 this season. The Fir Park side are to pay £63,000 to repair HJK Helsinki's LED advertising boards, which were damaged when some visiting fans climbed over them to enter the pitch in the Conference League third-round qualifier. That incident also brought a £12,800 fine from Uefa, who had earlier imposed a £3,400 sanction for the blocking of passageways in the John Hunter Stand at Fir Park against Havnar Boltfelag. As Motherwell prepare for their play-off second leg against Freiburg in Germany on Thursday, the club said: "We are not targeting a specific group of supporters or anyone in particular for these matters, but if you know you jumped over the barrier, or even worse, entered the field of play, you know who you are. "And we're asking you to please restrain yourself should another celebratory moment arise. This moment created a lot of uncertainty, and the safety of the fans was compromised, as anyone could have been injured. "Last week during our home match at Fir Park against Freiburg, despite our calls for everyone to remain in the stands, Uefa flagged supporters jumping over the wall from the John Hunter Stand. "Even one supporter entering the field of play is regarded by Uefa as a pitch incursion, and this is subject to an ongoing disciplinary decision. A second offence results in a minimum penalty of a further €24,000. "We fully appreciate how big these moments are, and we can all get a bit carried away. But such behaviour is taking things too far, and it's causing a financial strain on the football club, as well as the further risk of harsher punishments growing."