Arsenal have confirmed that the two supporters who ran onto the pitch in the closing stages of last night’s defeat to Liverpool have been banned from Emirates Stadium for three years and had their club memberships revoked.
Clearly concerned by a spate of recent incidents, often in the closing stages of Carabao Cup matches which attract a younger crowd, the club has made clear they won’t hesitate to punish anyone who encroaches on the pitch without permission.
The warning isn’t just aimed at Arsenal supporters. On New Year’s Day, a Manchester City supporter, giddy at his side’s late winner at the Emirates, did something similar before being collared by stewards.
A statement from the club reads: “We strongly remind everyone it is a criminal offence under the Football (Offences) Act 1991 to enter the pitch without prior permission.
“During Thursday night’s match against Liverpool, we sadly witnessed a number of individuals run on to the pitch. This not only disrupts the match, but also has to be managed as a serious security risk to all players, officials and everyone in the stadium.
“All the individuals who encroached onto the pitch on Thursday night were caught by our stewards and subsequently identified. These individuals, and others who have encroached onto the pitch recently, have now received a three-year ban from Emirates Stadium. They have also had their memberships from our club terminated and their details have been passed on to the police for further investigation.
“If anyone is thinking of doing this please refrain, as all football clubs and the police are taking this matter extremely seriously.
“All perpetrators of public order offences, which includes pitch encroaching and other recent incidents of throwing objects and use of pyrotechnics, will receive lengthy stadium bans and further possible legal sanctions.”
Arsenal isn’t the only club that has had to warn supporters about pitch invading in recent weeks. Just before Christmas, Jurgen Klopp warned Liverpool fans that the problem “needs to stop” citing the possibility of transmitting Covid-19 to players, as well as causing them an injury.
In 2019, keeper Adrian suffered a severely swollen ankle after a pitch invader slipped trying to celebrate with the Spaniard after he’d helped the Reds to a penalty shootout win over Chelsea in the European Super Cup.
This really was embarrassing. For both fans, the club and the whole fanbase as such.
10 minutes to go, your team is still trying to make something happen (no matter how bad things were), and you go and do the stupidest thing possible. Like seriously, come on. Ban for life, no place for such “fans” in any stadium of any club.
Watching on TV I assumed it was Liverpool fans. Didn’t imagine that any arsenal fan would disrupt the game at that point.
What about players who get into the seats to physically confront fans eg Dier, Cantona?
Not really a point worth making though is it?
Cantona? That was a quarter-century ago, and he was banned for a long time (10 months?). The Dier situation (and he’s not a player I have any interest in defending) involved some special circumstances, as his family was being threatened. Apples and oranges with pitch invaders.
What about people who talk shite? Keep off the pitch and don’t be a prick. Basic.
come on… least, they are easily identified 😉
Talk about a storm in teacup. I imagine pretty much every one of these upvotes here have run onto a pitch for a bit post (or even mid) match frolicking. I remember as a kid watching test cricket in Sydney in the early 90s, I jumped onto the field to pick up some rubbish that was lying around the boundary fence, my Dad even encouraged me to do it and the crowd gave me a loud cheer. I’d probably spend the night in detention now and have my employment revoked these days. Kids being kids here, sure deter it from… Read more »
Of course, we never had to lock our doors…
I’m not even that old mate. Just this is being totally overblown like most things these days. This is an absolutely nothing situation and it’s being turned from a mole hill into a mountain. As I literally said in my message “sure deter it from happening”. But this pantomime of trying to blow this situation out of proportion is ridiculous. I mean people are quoting Hillsborough and Monica Seles… This could not be more distant from those situations. Fine then kids, ban them for a while, move on, FFS. This chat forum is fast becoming a popularity contest and people… Read more »
Unfortunately pitch invasions were one of the causes for putting up fences in football stadium. Fences were a reason for the Hillsborough disaster. Therefore don’t invade the pitch. Please don’t compare football with cricket. To do so shows you really don’t understand.
Kids??
At least you are consistent in your bad takes.
At least I don’t massage every take I have to ensure I get my precious upvotes. But each to their own, they clearly help you sleep at night so rest easy there buddy, I gave you an extra too!
One of each as far as I can tell, the one pictured is the Scouse one
I was near where the first one was removed last night and I can confirm he got absolute dogs abuse from the Arsenal fans
When the guy who approached Ramsdale came on, Gabriel started to move towards him and had to be dissuaded from carrying on by the ref. Knowing how Gabriel dealt with intruders at home, the pitch invader is probably glad for the ref’s intervention.
Why? It’s so weird. It does no one any harm. I feel the average football fan has been brainwashed by these press releases talking about ‘unacceptable’ and ‘sad’ and all this.
It’s a young lad running on the pitch for a laugh! There’s nothing “despicable” about it. All this hand wringing is a bit embarrassing.
A pitch invasion after a title win – have at it.
Game delayed as Sky loses broadcast and makes stadium fans wait around- also acceptable.
The opportunity to beat Jose Mourinho with your oversized manhood- borderline..
During an actual match that fans would actually like to watch- unacceptable.
Feel free to use this as a guideline for all future sporting events.
This is great! 🤣 👍🍺
I didn’t buy a ticket to what some tosser get slow tackled by a steward – it’s not “despicable” just twatty
Bell end
Maybe I’m a bit scarred from the Monica Seles attack when I was a kid, but all I would say to this is it does no one any harm…until it does. That’s the worry.
Some young guy may look harmless, and he probably is, but that’s certainly fooled people before. Players shouldn’t have to have that worry in the backs of their minds.
If I was a player I would take it as a threat and two foot one of the little pricks. Fragile egos wanting the spotlight to be on them instead of the game. Bellends.
I assume flogging them isn’t an option?
It’s not funny at all but imagine slipping and injuring one of your teams main players when you’ve stupidly run on the pitch and fallen over… 🤦♂️🤦♂️
Seem to remember Grealish taking a slap from a fan last year I think which is not something that should be allowed on a football pitch but you’d be sorely tempted with all his antics 🙈 but on a serious note I can still remember Monica Seles getting a knife in the back from a fan during a match which is always a possibility with the amount of odd ones that are out there.
Never heard of this Monica Seles incident until now – man, that’s rough.
Tennis player happened during a match while she was sitting down.
I was sat behind of of the goals and there were more then 2 that ran onto the field, at least 3 adults and 2 children run onto the pitch. One group nearby set off a flare and stewards did nothing …. All to get banned and Arsenal fined
Encroaching on a pitch is a serious security breach that endangers the life of all in the pitch. I’ve always wondered why some fans do it.
Not sure 3 years is lengthy enough to deter people
I remember when Bielik got kicked in the bollocks by accident when a supporter came running on the pitch when he was on loan at Charlton
https://wittyfutty.com/2019/01/video-krystian-bielik-gets-comically-injured-by-charlton-fan/?amp
I only invaded the pitch at Highbury once – and it was somewhat out of necessity. We were playing West Ham in the spring of 1982 and I was the ripe old age of 14. After the FA Cup Final in 1980, which we should have strolled, but a combination of European Cup Winners Cup ties, three replays in the FA Cup Semi Final against Liverpool and an extremely hot day at Wembley meant our paper thin squad were knackered (sounds familiar?). In the 13th minute the ball hit Trevor Brooking on the head and went in. We huffed and… Read more »
OMG Qualitee. I was there in the North Bank that day and it was exactly how you described. You could feel the tension queuing up to get in b4 the match. I always (along with 2 pals) would usually get in the stadium 1 1/2hours b4 ko. We’d always stand behind the goal in NB 1st stantion. Great view. I remember players coming out 45 mins b4 ko and Alan Ball had this ritual where he would place the ball on corner of 6 yard box and try to curl it in. If he did you’d know he was gonna… Read more »
Btw I know Ball was gone b4 that particular match but as I’m 59 allow me my moment to take a trip down memory lane
Bally was a special player, no doubt about it – and whilst Bertie Mee seemed to be doing his level best to break up the Double side long before they should have been (years later I had the same feeling when Arsene started dismantling the Invisibles) Alan Ball was mid 70’s Arsenal icon. I also remember Brian Kidd and then Supermac being early playground bubblegum card heroes. Do you remember the Met Police Band who played near the dugout before the game and then marched up and down at half time? To say Highbury is a melting pot of memories… Read more »
There you go, I thought I was old and alan ball was before my time lol.
West Ham were always trying to help themselves from that north west corner of the North Bank. I remember in March 1985, we beat them 2-1 but it was with one eye firmly on that corner all the time. By the second half things seemed to have calmed down and then at full time the North Bank en masse went out as one towards the Gillespie Road exit and – sure enough – West Ham were pouring through from behind the West Stand and it all kicked off again. I have an image of a mounted copper smashing the crap… Read more »
Alan ball? Are you sure.
Yeah. Alan Ball played for the Arsenal in the 70’s.
Red hair, white boots.
A three month prison sentence would discourage any future idiot.
A three-month prison sentence gets all upvotes?! WTF kinda world are we living in? Is this 1984?
Maybe it was for the Calvin Klein backpack.
Great picture to be fair “no I won’t so feck off back into your seat” 😂😂
The kid looks like he’s selling dodgey credit cards for a pyramid scheme and Ramsdale made the fatal error of looking at what he was selling instead of just not engaging at all.
Lookie lookie 😂