A football fan has been arrested for storming the pitch during an FA Cup tie between rivals Nottingham Forest and Leicester City
A Leicester City supporter was taken into custody by police after a pitch invasion in which he appeared to attack at least two players during a heated FA Cup tie between rivals Nottingham Forest and the former Premier League champions.
The fan gained access to the pitch at Forest's City Ground as the hosts celebrated a goal in what turned out to be a surprise 4-1 victory for the Championship side in the latest edition of the East Midlands derby.
The incident came after Joe Worrall nodded in Nottingham Forest's third goal after just 32 minutes of action, when the supporter rushed the celebrating players.
Cell phone footage taken of the incident appears to show the supporter throwing several punches before he was restrained by stewards.
A 'fan' ran onto the pitch and attacked Nottingham Forest players while they celebrated scoring a goal vs. Leicester City today. pic.twitter.com/0wx9A5Icwg
According to BBC coverage of the FA Cup fixture, the unnamed fan was arrested and was immediately taken into custody.
“The club is appalled by such behavior and offers its apologies to Nottingham Forest and its players whose safety was compromised," Leicester City later said in a statement.
“We applaud the swift action taken by City Ground stewards in apprehending the individual involved, who will be subject to a lifetime ban from all Leicester City fixtures at home and away.
“We will offer every support to the relevant authorities in pursuing further appropriate action."
Former England international Jonathan Woodgate further explained the violent incident while commentating on the game for the BBC.
“There were definitely punches thrown and that is disgusting on the football field," Woodgate said.
“That just should not be happening, it is disgusting."
The East Midlands derby is a rivalry between the two football clubs which stretches back well over 100 years - but as was explained by Nottinghamshire Police after the match, the violent infraction was a blight on the game.
“Due to Leicester City's recent success, today's match represents the first time these rivals have met in nearly eight years, so I understand that both sets of supporters will want to win," Chief Inspector Neil Williams stated.
“While we want everyone who is attending the game to have a great time, it is important that people don't allow their emotions to get the better of them and spoil the day for others.
“Having spoken to fan groups beforehand, we know that the vast majority of supporters will be attending the match just to cheer their side on and to enjoy the feel of another local derby, so our main focus will be to ensure everyone is able to do this safely."
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