Thirty-one Valletta football fans were fined and banned from attending matches after admitting to invading the pitch and disobeying police orders.

The incident happened on May 12 during the last game of the league, between Valletta and Hibernians, which the Paola team won 2-1.

Valletta had long before won the Bank of Valletta Premier League.

Lawyer Veronique Dalli, appearing for the supporters, aged between 16 and 35, told Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera that they had been provoked by rival fans, a number of whom are also expected to be arraigned.

She said the rivals had posted pictures on Facebook showing burnt Valletta flags, hoisted a Valletta flag upside down over the Hibernians football club and even formed the letters FIV on the grandstands, understood to be an expletive aimed at Valletta.

Twenty-seven of the fans were given a four-month ban, effective immediately, and fined €90 each.

Three committee members who tried to calm the situation were each given a two-month ban and also fined €90 and the youngest of the group, a 16-year-old girl, was conditionally discharged for a year and given a one-month ban.