FOREST Green’s investigation into an incident involving stewards and a Grimsby Town fan has proved ‘inconclusive’.

Photographer Duncan Young captured the moment stewards were seen to put 41-year-old Bryan Winship in a headlock and eject him from the ground before Saturday’s match with Forest Green. The incident was witnessed by shocked Mariners fans, including his 15-year-old daughter Janelle.

A Forest Green spokesman confirmed the club are now reviewing stewarding procedures.

The statement said:"The incident was regrettable and not the experience that Forest Green wants fans to have, given The New Lawn’s long term reputation as a friendly and welcoming venue for visiting fans.

“As a result, Forest Green are reviewing stewarding procedures in order to learn from the incident and make sure our stewarding is the best it can be.

“The investigation reviewed the stewards’ post-match report, had input from police, heard from fans, viewed a number of photos taken of the incident (there was no CCTV) and took into account statements given to the media by the Grimsby fan in question.

“The stewards’ report states they asked the fan to deflate or handover the football because an inflatable could interfere with play if it got onto the pitch during the game and the fan refused.

“The stewards say the fan then became abusive, so they made the decision to remove the fan from the ground.

“The fan admits he refused to hand over the football but denies he became abusive.

“There was no third-party evidence corroborating either side regarding this provocation.

“Regardless of the circumstances, the photos clearly show a ‘head-lock’ was used on the fan.

“Although stewards say they attempted to use a ‘chest-lock’ that went wrong because the fan struggled to avoid removal from the ground.

"Given the lack of conclusive evidence available, conflicting claims and lack of third party corroboration, we cannot conclude that there was intentional serious wrongdoing from either the stewards or the fan. The investigation’s findings are therefore inconclusive.

“Despite the incident, before leaving the stadium the fan and the stewards shook hands.”

A Grimsby Town spokesman added: “Incidents at football grounds of this nature, whilst not common could happen anywhere despite the level of the training that stewards receive.

"It is impossible for any club to legislate for how stewards interact and deal with supporter issues, you can only hope that you have equipped them with the necessary skills to perform their roles effectively whilst also putting the customer at the heart of everything that they do.

"From talking to our supporters, one thing is very clear and that is that GTFC supporters have always found Forest Green to be a warm and friendly stadium to visit."