Saturday, 7 March 2015
Villa fans invade pitch after win.
Fabian Delph claims he was bitten during a mass pitch invasion at the end of Aston Villa's FA Cup win over West Brom.
A small number of supporters spilled out of the stands when Scott Sinclair scored Villa's second in a 2-0 quarter-final victory over their local rivals, and a significantly larger group invaded the pitch during added time.
Play was held up until the fans left the playing area, but the final
whistle brought chaotic scenes as several hundred fans ran on to
celebrate with the players.
There were also reports of seats being ripped out in the away
supporters' section during the 90 minutes.
Villa will now await word of any Football Association investigation while their captain Delph, who scored the opening goal, afterwards said he was bitten amid the mayhem.
"It was very, very scary," he said. "My armband got nicked, someone got my left boot, but I could appreciate the relief the fans are feeling after a result like that.
"It was dangerous. Someone tried to take my boot off. People tried to kiss me and were biting me. It was scary."
Albion boss Tony Pulis criticised the level of stewarding, saying: "It's a quarter-final of the FA Cup, a full house, you know it's going to be tasty.The hierarchy at Villa should recognise the need for stewards both ends of the pitch.
"It puts the players at danger and we don't want to see that. We were seeing it in the 1970s and 80s and we don't want to get back to that.
I'm sure the FA will look at it without me poking my nose in too
much."
Villa boss Tim Sherwoo said: "The stewards did their best, I saw them rugby tackle a few guys, but when they are coming on in such numbers it's difficult to stem it.
"I can't condone the fans entering the field, but I have to be totally honest I can understand their emotions, they've just beaten their local rivals twice in a week and once in the quarter-final of the FA Cup, so the emotions are running very, very high.
"But like I say, the club wouldn't condone that sort of action,
especially if anyone was touched."
Source: Skysports.
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