The Dutch football association handed out twice as many stadium bans last season than in previous years, the KNVB has said.

In total, over 1,250 fans were banned from stadiums, mainly for throwing objects on the pitch or setting off fireworks.

Many of the bans stemmed from trouble at a small number of games – in particular the ADO Den Haag-Excelsior match in which ADO failed to win promotion to the Eredivise and riot police were drafted in to restore order.

This season too, crowd trouble has led to matches being halted. Ajax player Brian Brobbey has also been the subject of racist chanting.

Around one third of the stadium bans last season followed the intervention of the police or justice ministry. The rest were registered by clubs themselves.

‘Unfortunately, the number of incidents has increased, but … we are increasingly able to track them down and keep them out of the stadiums for a longer period of time,’ Marianne van Leeuwen, the KNVB’s director of professional football said.

‘These are not supporters because they are conning their own club and the real supporters. Football is better off without them.’