A non league match had to be halted for 1 HOUR after crowd trouble in 1st minute, with further disorder reported post-match.
It took place at the Southern League – Premier South fixture between Yate Town and Weymouth on Saturday afternoon.
Play was suspended for around an hour after a serious incident involving fans after Weymouth had gone ahead 39 seconds in, with both sets of players were taken off the pitch shortly after.
It is claimed by Yate Town’s chairman Mark Thorne that suffered verbal abuse, and physical assault when he tried to manage the situation.
By half time, Weymouth had added another goal, making the score 2-0 to the visitors in front of 592 fans.
It takes the Terras to 15th in the table, 3 points above the drop zone, with 40 points from 36 games played. Yate are 20th with 35 points from 35 games played, and are also 3 points from safety.
Phil Sheppard: “It went old skool. No stewards or coppers. 30 Weymouth youth, couple of smoke bombs went on the pitch and the older Yate lot took umbridge.
“That got split then they moved Weymouth to the other end.
“Then 30-40 Yate youth turn up (Rovers at a guess) and the ref refused to restart until police got there.
“Game restarted at 4pm and train back to Weymouth was 5.30pm.
“All the young ones left to at a guess the awaiting Yate lot at the station by the sound of sirens heading that way.
“Ref also stopped the game second half for some random punch up in the crowd 😀”
🎥 Fan Cam Action!
⚽ Robinson’s goal in the 39th second of Saturday’s match against Yate Town! pic.twitter.com/0lzXfS5NpT— Weymouth FC (@theterras) March 23, 2026
Yate Town Chairman Mark Thorne has released the following statement following the shocking scenes witnessed at yesterday’s match.
https://t.co/X0ZPriC0Ot— Yate Town F(C) (@YateTownFC) March 22, 2026
YATE TOWN STATEMENT:
Mark Thorne (Chairman of Yate Town FC) – There were some regrettable incidents at Yate Town FC during the Southern League Premier Division South match, between Yate Town and Weymouth, on Saturday.
Just prior to kick-off, when the club encouraged the fans of both clubs to be in different parts of the ground and move to the end that their team was attacking, club officials were met with behaviour by certain people that we found totally unacceptable and the referee was forced to take both sets of players off the field and the match was only restarted after almost one hour.
Yate Town FC is run by volunteers, as most clubs are at this level of football, and the club has worked hard to involve the local community in projects and be supportive as we develop new initiatives, and the events of today have not been what we expected as we look to be a positive part of the Yate community.
When I spoke to the away fans behind the goal I was verbally abused and physically assaulted and this was not a pleasant experience and not what I expected to happen when I became involved in football. As a club we always look to be respectful to others. Most Weymouth fans were well behaved but as often is the case, a small minority can spoil things for the vast majority. I also noticed that there were some “supposed” home fans that we have never seen before who were seemingly intent on trouble.
The club totally and utterly condemns any sort of behaviour that brings disruption to the club and the town of Yate, that we are all representing, and we also expect that away fans show respect and behave in an acceptable manner. The joy of non-league football is that fans can mix and mingle and chat about the game and move freely and safely within the ground but on this occasion, just a very small minority of individuals spoilt the afternoon for the vast majority of well-behaved fans.
It is often commented on that Yate Town FC is a friendly club and a pleasant place to visit and, at our last home game against Wimborne, we received many positive comments about the club.
The events of Saturday’s game against Weymouth are thankfully very rare and is something in all the years of watching football I have never seen the like of.
As a club we can but apologise for what some fans witnessed and heard and will endeavour to learn from the experience and to take all the necessary actions to ensure that Yate Town FC is a safe and pleasant place to watch football.
I would like to thank the police for their support and the vast majority of people attending the game for their patience and cooperation on what was a difficult afternoon.
Club Statement | Yate Town – 21st Marchhttps://t.co/zNxtKohufF
— Weymouth FC (@theterras) March 23, 2026
WEYMOUTH STATEMENT:
Ralph Ricardo (Weymouth Football Club Chairman) – Following the incidents at our away game against Yate Town on Saturday 21 March, it was deeply disappointing to be involved in such events and then have to manage the situation in order to allow the game to continue safely for everyone present, our supporters, Yate Town’s supporters, and both teams.
Acts like this have a negative impact on football. While our supporters were not the only people involved, and we were told that Yate supporters were also involved, we travel as a club representing our fans, ourselves, and the club they claim to love.
We are currently working with Yate Town, at their request, to help identify the individuals involved, and we will continue to provide any assistance and support we can.
We understand that some of the incidents involved younger supporters and stemmed from rivalries with fans of nearby clubs, in some cases influenced by communication through social media, something that is becoming an increasing concern across football.
This included individuals from the Yate area who later attempted to enter the stadium to seemingly cause trouble. While we worked hard to keep them out and to separate supporters, it was an extremely challenging situation.
Grounds such as Yate’s, excellent as they are as a community club, do not always have the facilities to provide natural segregation, which meant that our officials as well as the Yate officals had to do everything we could to help manage matters and ensure the game could continue safely.
Away support is incredibly important to us, and we value those who travel to back the team. However, it is vital that this support is not used by any group as a backdrop for disruption. Everyone associated with the club has a responsibility to represent it in the right way.
At home, we have introduced measures that allow us to identify everyone in the stadium, including those under the age of 16, and we will continue to explore ways to support clubs we visit in maintaining safe environments.
As officials, we are volunteers who attend matches to represent the club, and while we will always step in where necessary to help manage situations, that should not be required in the way it was on this occasion.
We would also encourage all supporters, particularly younger fans, to recognise the importance of responsible behaviour. Those attending matches should be doing so safely and appropriately, and it is worth reflecting on whether those responsible for them would be comfortable with the situations they may find themselves involved in.
I will also say that these incidents had a negative effect on our team. Yate Town were absolutely right, and the referee was correct, to take the players off the pitch while the match was delayed before restarting. However, the disruption still affected our squad.
Fortunately, our players showed great character and determination to dig deep and secure the win we so desperately needed. But the flow of the game would undoubtedly have been very different from the outset had these incidents not occurred.
I would say this to any supporter: if you truly support our club and understand how important that game was, you should be there to act as the 12th man, not to create the kind of disruption that happened in the very first minute of open play.
Ultimately, our priority is to ensure that football remains a safe and positive environment for everyone involved, and we all have a role to play in making that happen.
📸Today’s Post Match interview 2-0 Win against Yate Town FC. pic.twitter.com/hrmYJ4CdjX
— Weymouth FC (@theterras) March 21, 2026
We caught up with Darren after a disappointing defeat against Weymouth. pic.twitter.com/SA7f8kUMy2
— Yate Town F(C) (@YateTownFC) March 21, 2026
Avon & Somerset Police has confirmed to Dorset Echo that stewards removed several people from the ground and that British Transport Police responded to ‘an altercation’ involving a group of people at Yate train station.
Neighbourhoods’ Inspector Stephen Baines said, per Dorset Echo: “We are supporting the club as part of an investigation into the incident at the ground, as well as disorder post-match in the local area, and we will be swiftly working to identify those involved and take appropriate action.
“We will be working alongside officers who attended the incident, our neighbourhood team, our football liaison unit, and our colleagues at Dorset Police to proactively target those who engage in violence at football matches, which is entirely unacceptable. Once the offenders are identified, we will be making arrests.
“Enquiries surrounding CCTV and body worn video will be carried out. We would appeal to any witnesses, those with information on the identities of the individuals involved, and anybody with relevant footage, to contact us to assist with our enquiries.”
Anybody with information is asked to call us on 101 quoting reference number 5226078154 or complete our online appeals form.
You can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers 100 per cent anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their Anonymous Online Form.
