Victory sometimes has a cost. After the match won 3-2 against Aston Villa last May, Manchester City supporters took to the pitch to celebrate the Premier League title, obtained with a one-point lead over Liverpool. But the party had degenerated: Aston Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen had been attacked and one of the goals had collapsed under the weight of the spectators.
The Mancunian club have been found guilty by the FA of ‘failing to ensure that spectators conduct themselves in an orderly manner and refrain from resorting to threatening and violent behavior while invading the pitch after the final whistle “. A fine of 260,000 pounds (295,000 euros) and a warning were imposed on Manchester City.
A global phenomenon
Several football grounds in England had been overrun in the final weeks of the 2021-2022 season. Everton were fined £300,000 last month for similar offences. A study published at the end of September by the British Ministry of the Interior showed that arrests on the sidelines of football matches in England and Wales reached a level last season unprecedented for eight years.
In total, all divisions combined, the British police authorities recorded 441 matches resulting in pitch invasions, up 127% compared to the 2018-2019 season, the last before the appearance of the coronavirus and its consequences on the social life.