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“Based on the past good behaviour of Crewe fans a decision was made on Saturday to allow them access to the block of seats immediately behind the goal in the South Stand and segregation netting was removed accordingly.
"Unfortunately, a heavy rain shower just before this seating was occupied meant a small number of rows of seats at the front of the stand became wet and no longer suitable to be used comfortably.
"Stewards in the concourse were therefore asked to request that fans wishing to enter this area should follow their directions to the seating available elsewhere.
"Unfortunately, a considerable number of Crewe fans chose to ignore this request and went into the wet seat area and would not then sit down.
"This caused other supporters behind them to also stand and, despite repeated requests, they flatly refused and remained standing.
"Persistent standing while a game is in progress in all-seater stadiums is prohibited under the ground regulations, copies of which are displayed throughout the stadium.
"This has been the case since the recommendations of Lord Justice Taylor following the Hillsborough disaster.
The 3,000 fans who travelled were angered by the stewards after one steward made an 'obcene gesture' towards the away fans after chucking a Crewe fan out for encroaching the pitch.
"Stoke City Football Club takes pride in the standard of stewarding at the Britannia Stadium and expects all stewards, including agency staff, to act professionally at all times.
"Any stewards found to be performing otherwise would be dealt with in accordance with the club’s internal procedures.
"Two Crewe fans were arrested on the day for encroachment onto the track area during the game, which is prohibited in the club’s Supporters’ Code of Conduct and is also a criminal offence. These arrests are now a matter for the police.”
Crewe Alexandra stadium manager, Cliff Simpson, blamed poor stewards from agencies and 'double standards' from the Staffordshire team.
"I was in the control room and so i saw a lot of what happened.
I know the two lads that run Stoke's ground and i had a word withg them at the end of the game and i shall certainly be writing to Stoke to express the views of our supporters. I must say that the agency stewards were poor and I would not have employed them. You have to set your own standards and if you do employ outside agencies them make sure they're up to your standards."
Whilst two Crewe fans jumped the barriers after Steve Jones scored the opener, around 6-10 Stoke fans entered the field of play when Chris Greenacre equalised. Both Crewe fans were literally KICKED out whilst the Stoke fans were all just ushered back to the seats. Cliff Simpson:
"That's another stewarding problem and it's double standards. You've got to be doing the same thing for both sets of fans. If you do that sort of thing then you are causing yourself a lot of problems.
"You've got to be fair and implement the ground regulations, but at the end of the day you can't have double standards. What's good for away supporters is good for home supporters."
Meanwhile Stoke City's Jonathan Fuller denied it all, despite 17,000 other witness':
"I certainly never saw a pitch invasion by Stoke fans"
If you were at Stoke on saturday and like to write to either club, you can send your views to Crewe's stadium manager at:
Cliff Simpson
Stadium Operations Manager
Crewe Alexandra Football Club
The Alexandra Stadium
Gresty Road
Crewe
CW2 6EB
Or, if you wish, send donations for spectacles to Jonathan Fuller...
Jonathan Fuller
Britannia Stadium,
Stoke-on-Trent,
ST4 4EG