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Police probe Craig Bellamy’s clash with pitch invader
Andrew Hodgson21.09.09
Police have confirmed that they are investigating an incident involving Craig Bellamy at the end of the Manchester derby when the Welsh international appeared to strike a supporter who had come on to the pitch.
United won a dramatic game 4-3 with a late winner from Michael Owen in injury-time at Old Trafford yesterday.
City boss Mark Hughes was left angered by the amount of time allowed by referee Martin Atkinson when substitute Owen scored after 95 minutes and 26 seconds despite the fourth official holding up a board for four added minutes.
Emotions were clearly running high at the final whistle and the Football Association are likely to take a dim view of Gary Neville celebrating in front of City's travelling supporters as well as an earlier incident when Javier Garrido was struck by a coin thrown at Carlos Tevez as the players filed off at half-time.
But it is Bellamy who could be in the most hot-water. He had been the hero for City as he brought them level on two separate occasions with his second goal looking like it had earned the visitors a point before Owen's winner.
A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: “At the end of the derby between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford, a member of the public ran on to the pitch, and was detained by police and security staff.
“During this time, there was an altercation between the man and a player from Manchester City FC.
“No formal complaint has been made by either party but police are continuing to make inquiries.”
Hughes doubts Bellamy will get the Brian Clough treatment after his angry exchange even though the City boss believes the fan was in the wrong to be on the pitch.
“I seem to recall Brian Clough clipping someone around the ear, and he was lauded as a national hero,” said the City boss.
“Maybe it will be the same case with Craig — but I doubt it.
“I'm sure people will make a nuisance about it, but the guy should not have been on the pitch. That is not acceptable.”
Owen hopes his dramatic winner will finally win over any doubtful Old Trafford supporters.
Since joining in a shock free transfer from Newcastle during the summer, the former Liverpool player had struggled to make much of an impression, with his only previous goal coming in a convincing 5-0 win over Wigan last month.
He has made just one Premier League start and even moving to a Champions League club has failed to push him back into Fabio Capello's England squad.
But Owen, 29, came off the bench yesterday to score the decisive goal in what Sir Alex Ferguson described as the best ever derby.
He said: “If there was any doubt before then maybe this has sealed the deal.
“Me coming to Manchester United was always going to create a bit of noise but even if they didn't take to me it is still a privilege to play for Manchester United. The fact I've scored the winner in the Manchester derby hasn't sunk in yet.”
Wayne Rooney shot United ahead with less than two minutes gone but Gareth Barry levelled after Tevez forced an error from Ben Foster.
And after Bellamy twice equalised goals from Darren Fletcher, substitute Owen latched on to Ryan Giggs' through-ball to slot past Shay Given.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice last night as Real Madrid maintained their 100 per cent record in La Liga with a 5-0 win over Xerez.
Reader views (20)
John T, you clearly didn't see the incident.
You're assessing the action through a couple of snapshots that don't show the full picture.
It was not a punch by any stretch of the imagination! It was a shove/slap in the face, definitely not a punch.
- Michael, London
John T - I am always surprised that someone can see a single photograph in a newspaper and pretend they know everything about the incident.
The Police are obliged to charge the "fan" with committing a criminal offence for entering the field of play. The Police will at the very least ban him from all football grounds in the country, and as such utd will probably sell his season ticket to someone else. They want the £1000, and they don't want the bad publicity.
If this "fan" presses assault charges against Bellamy, then Bellamy will also press assault charges for being spat on. The criminality of both acts is inarguable but it's unlikely that the "fan" will make a complaint, let alone press charges.
Drogba and Carragher got 3 match bans for hurling a coin into the crowd. Bellamy will naturally get a 3 match ban for pushing the face of someone who spat on him after illegally entering the field of play. The punishment is the same no matter how severe the offence. The only uncertainty is whether the FA will charge Bellamy with the same offence as Drogba. It seems very likely.
- Tom Parish, Manchester, UK
"all you scums!" - charming! I like to think most of us would have more self control, Castro!
- Paul, London
Why should referees be giving man u preferential treatment week in week out?how can you all explain was allowed to go over 94mins.all you scums calling for Bellamy's would sure do more than he did in that situation.
- Castro, Uyo/Nigeria
Keith, if you look at the picture above - or indeed the pictures in ANY newspaper - you will see Bellamy 'slaps' the fan in the jaw with the front of his closed fist.
The technical term for slapping someone with the front of your closed fist is called a 'punch'.
Of course the fan in question was a disgrace for running onto the pitch, (he should be permanently barred from attending further matches) but that doesn't give Bellamy the right to run up and punch him in the face - especially when he was already in the custody of the stewards.
And Lanre, as much as I dislike Rio Ferdinand, (and United in general) Ferdinand was hauling Bellamy away from assaulting him further - hardly a 'bookable offence' given the context...
- John T, London
So, where are all the United fans who were so vehemently condemning the conduct of the Arsenal fans last week?
Now your own lot are throwing coins and invading the pitch you're not quite so talkative!
- Steven, London
Bellamy didnt punch the fan and the fan shouldn't have been on the pitch. End of story.
- Paul R, London
The real villain of the piece was the ref who allowed the game to go well over time until Man U scored the winner.
If Bellamy had clocked the ref I might have applauded.
- George, Cambridge UK
Strange that the police can find time,resources & energy to onvestigate this but never moved on the blatant thefts committed by MPs and ministers in their expense claims.No doubt scccer players do not beong to the right masonic lodges.
- P Doff, audierne france
the media have once again done the diversionary trick. how come no one is talking about Rio Ferdinand grabbing Craig Bellamy by the throat in the same in incident. surely thats a bookable offence. Always one law for United and another for the rest.
- Lanre Oladipo, lagos, nigeria
I prefer 'ironic' to 'sarcastic', but thanks anyway STG ;o)
- Paul, London
I watched the video of the incident repeatedly and there is no punch. Hughes was right to say United fans shouldn't be running onto the pitchh threatening players like that. Also throwing coins at City players' heads was disgraceful.
- Keith Price, Luton England
David, you know that in England it is a running joke that Man Utd supporters are all from Surrey or further afield. Paul was being sarcastic. If you're a Man Utd supporter, then living in Pretoria you probably live closer to Old Trafford than 96.2% of the club's "fans".
- S T G, London
Agree 100% with Pat.
I'm not a ManU fan, (not that that is relevant) but what Bellamy did was a cowardly assault.
- An assault for punching someone in the face who posed absolutely no threat to him in anyway.
- Cowardly because the 'victim', (himself an idiot for being on the pitch) was already physically restrained and totally unable to defend himself.
The police MUST prosecute Bellamy for his unprovoked and unjustified violence.
- John T, London
Lucky for the fan that he didn't have his golf clubs anywhere near!
- Fresh, London
Paul,you know that the "travelling supporters" means the away team supporters
- David, PRETORIA SOUTH AFRICA
Why do these sportsman/women behave in this manner? It was a disgrace, the fan, who was totally wrong to come onto the pitch and was apprehended by security and police, he did not try to assault Bellamy nor was he anywhere near to him. But this thug Bellamy walks upto him and assaults him, that is a criminal offence. For goodness sake FA sort these footballers out, there's Bellamy and Diof, every week there's a player involved in some sort of episode. Stop this behaviour, there are lots of young people watching and we wonder what has become to our kids, we don't need to look far as we can see their role models giving two fingers to authority. Mark Hughes shouldn't defend this man, he should openly state that is not the correct behaviour. The FA should deal with this before these incidents get out of hand, or the Police should deal with it as I know what would have happened if I had assaulted someone in the same way.
- John, London
There is a world of difference between Brian Clough and Bellamys treatment of a pitch invader. In Cloughs case he 'lightly' cuffed a young fan around the ear as he ran past him onto the pitch, this caused little if any injury to the young fan involved. In Bellamys case he has deliberately assaulted a fan on 2 seperate occasions, once by pushing his hand into his face and secondly by punching him fully in the face with his right fist. On each occasion the fan was being firmly held with his arms behind his back by Man Utd stewards. This was not a reflex defensive action by Bellamy, but a deliberate and predmeditated assault and battery. He should be charged with assaulting the fan by Manchester police before any action by the FA. Bellamy's previous footballing confrontations are a further sign that he suffers from 'little man syndrome'. And as for Mark Hughes, the Man City manager, is he becoming another myopic Arsene Wenger when it comes to distinguishing right from wrong where his own players are concerned?.
- Pat, Croydon Uk
We all clearly saw the assault by Bellamy, which must be dealt with both by the police & the FA. The conduct of City players is a discrace, with Mark Hughes idiotically condoning their behavoir.
- Rob G, London
"In front of City's travelling supporters!" Travelled from where exactly? You can bet there were more United supporters who had 'travelled' - it's a long way up from Surrey! City supporters actually come from Manchester!
- Paul, London
