FOOTBALL club bosses have promised to ban any of their supporters found to be involved in an alleged assault of the mother and father of a team coach at last weekend’s game between Oxford United and Swindon Town.

The Us beat Swindon 2-1 at Swindon's County Ground last Sunday in a passionate derby encounter between the fierce League One rivals.

But Swindon's head coach Luke Williams used the club’s weekly pre-match press conference yesterday to reveal that the parents of first team coach Ross Embleton had allegedly been attacked in the ground's Arkell’s Stand.

Oxford United fans were not involved in the alleged incident.

It was claimed that, after remonstrating with a member of the crowd directing abuse at his son after the final whistle, Mr Embleton’s father was headbutted and shoved over by a fan before his mother was punched in the face by another person.

The incident was also witnessed by the club coach’s seven-year-old daughter and four-year-old son.

The club say that they are aware of the incident and will take action against those responsible if they are identified.

A Swindon Town spokesman said: “If any individuals involved are identified, then banning orders will be issued, as they would for anybody found committing anti-social behaviour at a game.”

Mr Williams said that while he accepted that verbal abuse directed towards dugouts is part and parcel of the culture of football, the unsavoury scenes involving his colleague’s family were unacceptable.

“Ross’ family were both struck by fans physically, which – I’m sorry – is not acceptable,” said Williams.

“By all means, there’s stick and people coming down to the dugout to lean over and swear at me, and call me obscene things. It’s not something that concerns me in the slightest, if I’m honest. Some of my family don’t come anymore to the games because it’s difficult to hear somebody being spoken about in that manner but the fans pay their money and I accept that, and I’m happy for them to vent through me.

“But hitting people and attacking peoples’ family physically is criminal, to be honest, and please, that needs to stop, and if you feel frustration and you want to vent your feelings, please do it towards me in a verbal way.”

Mr Williams rejected any suggestions that he and his management team were out-of-touch with supporters.

He added: “We’re working-class men. Everybody keeps telling me Swindon is a working-class town and we don’t understand that, and we live in a bubble – it’s not true.

“The moment we don’t work for Swindon, we need to find another job very, very quickly, so please, no more hitting our families.”

The Oxford Mail understands that Mr Embleton’s family are unlikely to attend another Swindon home game.