Man charged after Grealish assaulted during Birmingham derby
'Part of football died' after three violent incidents over the weekend
A man has been charged with attacking Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish on the pitch during a Championship match at Birmingham City.
Grealish was struck by a man who ran on to the pitch about 10 minutes into Sunday's derby.
It was one of three such incidents over the weekend. Yesterday, a spectator was arrested after running on to the field of play and shoving Manchester United defender Chris Smalling during their tie at Arsenal.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
On Friday, a man was arrested after Rangers' James Tavernier was confronted during the Scottish Premiership draw with Hibs.
Sky News sports editor Nick Powell says “a part of football died” when Grealish was attacked, adding: “Things will never feel quite the same again.” The Mirror talks of a “Derby Day of Shame” while The Times describes it as a “dark day for English football”.
The Times’s chief football writer Henry Winter says: “The authorities cannot allow a copycat escalation. Their action has to be robust.” The Daily Star describes the attacker as a “coward”.
Following the attack, Villa captain Grealish sat on the St Andrew's pitch before being helped up by players from both teams. He was able to continue and scored the winner in the 67th minute.
The Football Association said it “strongly condemned the incident”, promising that it would be “working with the police, the relevant authorities and the club to ensure the appropriate action is taken”.
Birmingham City apologised to Grealish and Villa. It added that it would be reviewing its stadium safety procedures.
Arsenal apologised to Smalling and said it will be “working closely with the Metropolitan Police in their investigation”.
Hibernian chief executive Leeann Dempster described himself as “raging and furious” after Friday’s incident, vowing that “nothing is off the table” in response.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - October 13, 2024
Sunday's cartoons - the swing of things, fear of facts, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 timely cartoons about climate change denial
Cartoons Artists take on textbook trouble, bizarre beliefs, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Kris Kristofferson: the free-spirited country music star who studied at Oxford
In the Spotlight The songwriter, singer and film-star has died aged 88
By The Week UK Published
-
English football and the etiquette of leaving the stadium early
Talking Point The belief that 'true fans stay to the end' does not always apply
By The Week UK Published
-
Manchester United and Mason Greenwood: duty of care or double standards?
Talking Point The 21-year-old footballer’s possible return has provoked an outpouring of dismay from supporters
By Jamie Timson Published
-
Premier League: Man City vs. Arsenal predictions
feature What the pundits say about tonight’s title race showdown at the Etihad
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
Liverpool 7 Man Utd 0: ‘welcome to Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool 2.0’
feature Anfield’s ‘new front three’ were on fire in the humbling of their bitter rivals
By Mike Starling Published
-
Man Utd win the Carabao Cup: how Erik ten Hag has ‘transformed’ the Red Devils
feature United lifted their first silverware since 2017 after beating Newcastle at Wembley
By Mike Starling Published
-
Pros and cons of VAR in football
Pros and Cons String of mistakes has put new technology under the microscope
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Can Arsenal really win the Premier League title?
feature How the pundits reacted after the Gunners’ late 3-2 victory over Man Utd
By Mike Starling Published
-
Jim Ratcliffe: petrochemical billionaire turned Man Utd bidder
Why Everyone’s Talking About The Ineos owner is the first to publicly bid for the 13-time Premier League winners
By Richard Windsor Published