Two football fans have been charged after a pitch invasion at the end of the Premier League match between Manchester City and Aston Villa at the Etihad stadium on Sunday.
Thousands of supporters ran onto the pitch when City were crowned champions after a dramatic comeback but the celebrations were marred by reports of violence.
Greater Manchester Police said two men had been arrested and enquiries were ongoing into an alleged assault by a fan on Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen.
Phillip Maxwell, 28, of Anzio Row, Knowsley, was charged with throwing a pyrotechnic missile onto the pitch. He has been bailed and is set to appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
Paul Colbridge, 37, of Whitegate Drive, Salford, was charged with going onto the pitch. He was also bailed and is set to appear at the same court on 7 June.
City apologised to Villa over the alleged assault of Olsen. A club statement said: “Manchester City would like to sincerely apologise to Aston Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen, who was assaulted after the final whistle at today’s match when fans entered the pitch.
“The club has launched an immediate investigation and once identified, the individual responsible will be issued with an indefinite stadium ban.”
Sunday’s pitch invasion was the fifth in English professional mens’ football in a week and not the first to draw a police investigation.
A Nottingham Forest season-ticket holder was jailed for 24 weeks after after he deliberately charged at Sheffield United’s Billy Sharp and headbutted him following a pitch invasion at the end of the Championship play-off semi-final at City Ground on Tuesday.
A day later and Mansfield forward Jordan Bowery had a Northampton fan barge into him during the second leg of their League Two play-off tie at Sixfields.
After Port Vale fans rushed the pitch at Vale Park on Thursday when their team triumphed on penalties over Swindon to qualify for the League Two play-off final, video footage was shared which appeared to show punches being thrown at Swindon players.
The same night at Goodison Park, Everton fans stormed the pitch twice – first after a goal which proved to be the winner in a 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace that secured Premier League survival, and again at full-time.
The FA said on Friday it was concerned by the rise in anti-social behaviour in the closing week of the season. A statement from the FA said: “Football stadiums should always be a safe and enjoyable space for everyone, and these incidents are completely unacceptable and have no place in our game.
“It is illegal to enter the pitch area in any stadium and these actions are putting players, fans and people who run the game at great risk. This simply cannot continue and we can confirm that we are investigating all of the incidences.”
