(Reuters) - West Ham United have been fined 100,000 pounds ($130,000) by the English Football Association for the crowd disturbances that marred their 3-0 home defeat by Burnley in the Premier League last March.
Supporters had invaded the pitch, with one brandishing the corner flag and another tussling with West Ham captain Mark Noble in chaotic scenes at the London Stadium, the centrepiece of the 2012 Olympics.
Fans also directed their anger at West Ham co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan, both of whom were forced to leave the directors' box early for their own safety.
West Ham had been fined for "failing to ensure that its spectators conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and that no spectators or unauthorised persons encroached onto the pitch," the FA said in a statement on Tuesday.
West Ham banned a number of fans for life after investigating the disturbances and issued an apology on Tuesday.
"Following the conclusion of the FA inquiry, we would like to reaffirm our sincere apologies for the scenes witnessed at our home game against Burnley almost a year ago," West Ham said in a statement on the club website.
"In line with our zero-tolerance approach, immediate action was taken against the perpetrators, resulting in 23 banning orders being issued. There is no place for behaviour like that at our club."
($1 = 0.7743 pounds)
(Reporting by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru; Editing by Keith Weir)
