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England’s
Football Association has opened a police-backed inquiry into security lapses
which allowed thousands of fans to pour out onto the pitch at Aston Villa’s cup
tie derby against West Bromwich Albion.
“There is no progress on last
night except the FA knows about it and intends to look into it thoroughly,”
an FA spokesman told the media on Sunday.
RT.com reports:
West
Midlands Police has begun its own investigation into a ruckus at a pub near the
ground ahead of the match, as well as the subsequent loss of control.
“During the course of the
operation 17 men were arrested for various public order offences. An
investigation has been launched to identify people involved in a disturbance
before the match at the Witton Arms pub,” it said in a
statement.
“We will also be supporting the
Football Association to identify people involved in pitch invasions that
happened at the end of the match.”
Villa was on course for its second win over its rival in the past week, when
agitated West Brom fans began to tear out plastic seats and hurl them at the
supporters below.
But,
the home side was 2-0 up, when its supporters broke through the ranks of the
match day stewards and ran onto the Villa Park pitch. Booing resounded from the
stands above, and the match had to be suspended, as the referee tried to regain
control.
Once the final whistle was blown in the quarter-final, several thousand
supporters surged onto the grass, crowding the players from both sides, as they
attempted to make a hasty escape into the tunnel.
“It was very, very scary. My
armband got nicked, someone got my left boot, but I could appreciate the relief
the fans are feeling after a result like that,”
captain and scorer Fabian Delph told the BBC. “People tried to
kiss me and were biting me. It was scary.”
Aston Villa, which faces a fine, has apologized for its fans, while West Brom
officials say they are “deeply concerned” by the events.
Pitch invasions were
relatively common in England, where fans are traditionally close to the pitch,
especially in the 1970s and 1980s. However, they have since become rare, as
policing, stewarding and fan conduct has improved.
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