Football supporters are being warned to keep off the pitch in the closing weeks of the season - just days after a fan invasion at Priestfield.

There was trouble up and down the country with incursions onto the playing fields last season, including at Gillingham, where trouble flared after the match against Rotherham United.

On Tuesday, there was a notably larger police presence at the ground, but it didn’t stop several hundred Leyton Orient fans invading the pitch to celebrate their promotion. On this occasion, there was no confrontation, as visiting players and their supporters celebrated together.

The pitch invasion came despite the heavy policing and numerous announcements pre-match and during the game. Gills chairman Brad Galinson wrote before the League 2 match about the need to stay off the playing field.

He wrote: “I appreciate emotions run high, but I kindly request you remain in your seats at all times.

“It is an arrestable offence and the club will work alongside the relevant authorities to take appropriate action if anyone is caught on the pitch.”

Kent Police confirmed that no arrests were made in connection with the game. During the match one man was arrested on suspicion of affray, however, he was not charged and will face no further action.

Another man was arrested before the game for drug offences and has since been charged.

Gillingham fans refrained from entering the pitch after the win over Orient which confirmed their League 2 status.

On Thursday, English football authorities, including the FA and the EFL, released a statement asking fans to stay in the stands.

It said: “The passionate support of fans is a vital part of what makes football so special in this country. It is completely understandable that emotions run high, particularly at this stage of the season when there is so much to play for.

“However, we must remind supporters that in the interests of safety and wellbeing for everyone inside our stadiums, the pitch is for players, managers and officials, while the stands are there for fans to support their team.

“At the end of last season, we witnessed some unwelcome scenes when fans entered the field of play without permission at several grounds. Even if this is done in celebratory fashion, any supporter who comes onto the pitch is breaking the law and putting the welfare of players, coaches, club staff and fellow fans at risk.

“We know that this unacceptable behaviour is carried out by a minority of fans, and their actions do not represent most supporters, but they risk ruining the fantastic experience of a football match for everyone.

“At the start of this season, the Premier League, EFL, NLS Leagues and The FA worked with the Football Supporters’ Association to introduce new measures and stronger sanctions to tackle anti-social and criminal behaviours, such as entering the pitch and the use of pyrotechnics.

“This includes automatic club bans and police action, and we have seen cases this season which have led to fans receiving criminal records. This can impact employment and education prospects, restrict ability to travel overseas, and could result in a prison sentence. Club bans can also extend to accompanying parents or guardians of children who take part in this activity.

“As we reach the exciting culmination of another thrilling football season, we want fans to continue to show their positive support as this can make all the difference to a team’s fortunes.

“But our message is clear: fans must stay in the stands and avoid any unnecessary disruption at such a crucial point of the season.”

Gillingham head to promotion chasing Bradford City this weekend before finishing their home campaign against Newport County next Saturday. There will be nothing riding on that game at Priestfield.

Last season’s match against Rotherham led to numerous bans and one person was jailed, following an investigation into trouble at the game.

More than 20 people appeared in court to receive punishments ranging from unpaid work to jail time and suspended sentences.

Following the sentencing superintendent Ray Quiller of Kent Police said: "There is absolutely no place in football or anywhere else in society for the type of violence and behaviour that occurred following this particular match.”

There were a number of football banning orders issues. On matchdays those fans must be further than five miles from their team's stadium for four hours before a match and two hours after any game.

On Tuesday night, a “section 34 dispersal order” was put in place across Gillingham up until 1am on the Wednesday morning in anticipation of the 1,600 supporters from Leyton Orient who were attending the game. There was a crowd of 6,629 inside the ground for the match.

The visiting side had promotion confirmed on the night, with many supporters celebrating the success in the dark as a power failure in the ME7 area led to the lights going out.

Gillingham made use of their power generator for the first time, to get the floodlights working again, and for the final 10 minutes of Tuesday night’s match to take place. Gills’ safety and Orient’s promotion was already confirmed before play resumed.