PITCH INVASIONS are often jubilant affairs and an occasion for supporters to celebrate… but this week they have turned nasty.
Patrick Vieira being goaded into kicking an Everton fan was just the latest example after a week in which several players have been assaulted by fans.
Patrick Vieira kicks out at an Everton fan after fans storm the pitchCredit: pixel8000Swindon Town players were mobbed and assaulted by Port Vale fans at the end of their semi-final play-off defeatCredit: RexKinsey Wolanski famously streaked at the Champions League final in 2019Credit: Getty
Emotions among fans run highest at the business end of the season, with the play-offs a particular trigger for some.
In fact, this week there has been a pitch invasion in every play-off second-leg across the EFL this season – and all have been soured by fan behaviour.
And sometimes it is not just fans behaving badly – with rogue characters and even club owners acting wild on occasion.
Here, SunSport take a look at the ten wildest pitch invasions:
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Nottingham Forest vs Sheffield United, 2022
Jubilant scenes as Nottingham Forest progressed to the Championship play-off final on Tuesday were quickly overshadowed by the behaviour of a minority.
One 30-year-old supporter charged and headbutted Sheffield United captain Billy Sharp as he stood innocently on the touchline.
Sharp required stitches and the culprit has since been fined and sentenced to 24 weeks in prison, as well as being banned from attending matches for ten years.
Some Forest fans also wound up Oli McBurnie and the striker is now being investigated for an alleged stamp on a fan.
Billy Sharp was headbutted as Nottingham Forest fans celebrated getting to Wembley
The Midlands derby is often a tense affair but one fan got far too carried away at St. Andrews the last time the two teams faced off.
Paul Mitchell, a Blues fan, ran onto the pitch in the tenth minute and punched Jack Grealish from behind, knocking the then Villa captain to the ground.
The England star recovered to score the winner while Mitchell was jailed for 14 weeks and also given a 10-year stadium ban.
Jack Grealish was punched by a Birmingham City fan in the Midlands derbyCredit: Sky Sports
Nottingham Forest vs Leicester, 2022
Sadly, Sharp’s attack is not the only incident where a fan has assaulted a player at the City Ground this season.
In a FA Cup fourth round match in February a Leicester fan bolted onto the pitch and began to throw punches at Forest trio Keinan Davis, Brennan Johnson and Ryan Yates.
Thankfully nobody was injured and the fan was quickly subdued and taken away before being charged with assault.
A Leicester fan invades the pitch to attack Nottingham Forest players earlier this yearCredit: Rex
Newcastle vs Sunderland, 1990
Not long after fences were removed from stadia across the country, Newcastle fans poured onto the pitch in a bid to get a derby game abandoned.
Sunderland travelled to St. James’ Park for the second leg of the Division Two play-off semi-final, with the scores level on aggregate.
The Black Cats took the lead before adding a second in the 86th minute, sparking bedlam.
Toon fans stormed the pitch in a desperate attempt to nullify the result, but the game was completed after being suspended for 20 minutes with Sunderland victorious.
Newcastle fans poured onto the St. James’ Park to get a derby match abandoned
Tottenham vs Liverpool, 2019
Kinsey Wolanski wrote her name into Champions League folklore by streaking in the final between Tottenham and Liverpool.
The American influencer later revealed the stunt aimed to promote her then-boyfriend’s X-rated porn website, with her actions landing her in jail for five hours.
Wolanski was dealt with quickly but not before Spurs midfielder Harry Winks got quite the eyeful – she also gained two million Instagram followers in the process.
Wolanski shot to fame for her Champions League final stuntCredit: GettyHarry Winks had a front row seat as Kinsey was taken off the pitchCredit: Alamy Live News
Nottingham Forest vs QPR, 1989
Brian Clough was a figure adored by Forest fans but he was not afraid to dish out punishment to a few when they stepped over the white line in 1989.
Following Forest’s League Cup quarter-final win over QPR fans ran onto the pitch, but some soon found themselves on the receiving end of a few Cloughy haymakers.
As supporters made their way back to the terraces Clough clocked no less than four with his right hand – the video of the legendary manager never fails to resurface on social media following modern pitch invasions.
Brian Clough punches his own fans for celebrating a win over QPR on the pitchCredit: Youtube – Steve Richards
Hamburg vs Bayern Munich, 2014
Hamburg were fined £42,000 following a pitch invasion that resulted in Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery being hit with a scarf.
The fan in question also gestured obscenities at the Frenchman with Hamburg issuing an apology after the match.
A Hamburg fan attacks Franck Ribery with a scarfCredit: Getty
PAOK vs AEK Athens, 2018
PAOK owner Ivan Savvidis invaded the pitch at the end of a game against AEK Athens, fuming his side had a last-minute goal chalked off.
As if that was not bizarre enough, the Greek carried a GUN on his waistband as he joined his fans in protest on the pitch.
The game was eventually abandoned after a two-hour delay and PAOK were fined and docked three points – Savvidis was also banned from football for three years.
PAOK owner Ivan Savvidis reaches for his gun on the pitch at the end of a game against AEK AthensCredit: AP:Associated Press
Brazil training session, 2016
On a lighter note, a handful of fans burst onto the pitch at the end of a Brazil open training session shortly after their Olympic success in Rio.
One fan managed to embrace a smiling Gabriel Jesus and while some were tackled by security, others evaded the stewards brilliantly.
Their hard work paid off as they reached Neymar, and such was their excitement they bundled the star to the ground, much to his amusement.
Brazil fans get carried away in a friendly nature as they bundle Neymar to the ground
Oldham vs Salford, 2022
With Oldham looking destined to drop out of the EFL for the first time in their history fans decided to take things into their own hands in April.
First fans took to the pitch against Barrow to protest the owners with their side 3-0 down but their numbers were too few to make an impact.
Police investigating Vieira incident after Palace boss KICKED Everton fan
So a few weeks later when Salford went 2-1 up and relegation was about to be confirmed, Latics supporters piled onto the pitch and caused the match to be suspended.
They thought they had acheived their goal of abandonment too only for the remainder of the match to be played out behind closed doors, confirming Oldham’s relegation to the National League.
Oldham fans protest the club’s owners on the pitch at Boundary ParkCredit: Getty
