Jack Grealish was punched by pitch invader at the Birmingham Derby and went on to score the winner

Aston Villa forward Jack Grealish was punched by a pitch invader in the Birmingham derby at St. Andrews on Saturday morning.

In the 10th minute of the match the man, who was wearing a Birmingham City jacket, approached Grealish from behind and struck him in the back of the head. He was then apprehended by stewards and players.

– "An absolute disgrace!"

A fan has run onto the field and attacked Jack Grealish from behind. pic.twitter.com/PI1Wf3qXfP

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) March 10, 2019

He subsequently waved to the stands as he was escorted from the pitch. Some of the crowd cheered as he left the field, while some also booed Grealish’s later touches on the ball.

Grealish went on to score the opening and only goal in the match, securing a 0-1 win away from home for Villa.

#AVFC LEAD!

Jack Grealish scores a well-deserved goal

Watch live on Sky Sports Football or follow updates here: https://t.co/HvftpzFWLJ pic.twitter.com/GyaJFceEB2

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) March 10, 2019

Official responses

In a brief statement, West Midlands Police said the man had been arrested:

ARREST: Following the incident on the pitch involving an attack on an Aston Villa player; a man has been arrested and en route to a custody block. Further details to follow. pic.twitter.com/fed9KrHBgl

— West Midlands Police (@WMPolice) March 10, 2019

Meanwhile the EFL said in a statement that “It’s a situation no player should ever be faced with. In all circumstances the playing surface is for players, not supporters and those playing in the game must be able to do so safe in the knowledge they will not be subjected to this type of behaviour.”

an @efl statement on the fan running onto pitch and punching Aston Villa Captain Jack Grealish during derby pic.twitter.com/qF4AF94rxM

— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) March 10, 2019

Presumably the EFL intended to say they “condemn” the behaviour, not that they “condone” it.

Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie said at half-time: “How can you? This is absolutely embarrassing.

“If he was a Birmingham City fan, we’d be embarrassed to see that. That is literally the worst thing I have seen on a football pitch.”

Possible sanctions

The FA list measures that can be taken to prevent football violence. The fan could receive a ban from attending football matches, while Birmingham City could also be fined for his behaviour, or could receive a points deduction.

For more on the FA’s rules and governance, please see the FA website.