If you type in Arsenal’s ex-captain Patrick Vieira’s name into YouTube, the first video on offer to you is titled, ‘Vieira lost his mind and kicks an Everton Fan’.
If you had zero idea what had happened, you are left picturing not a true account of reality.
It’s the same if you search his name on Google where the most searched stories are how the Palace Manager kicked an Everton Fan – but zero mention of why.
Context is everything.
Picture yourself walking away from a football ground in isolation and thousands of rival supporters charge you, shouting, swearing, gesturing, shoving you.
You try to get through an army of bodies that are surrounding you.
That’s essentially what our ex-captain faced at Goodison on Thursday.
He would have been intimidated and fearful for his safety. There’s zero point trying to pretend these were a group of Toffees just wanting to have a good time, and the former midfielder being a sore loser.
The 45-year-old would have been in the knowledge that 24 hours previous, Billy Sharp was headbutted while Forest fans ‘celebrated’ on the pitch.
Both League Two playoffs were overshadowed by crowd trouble.
Dion Dublin, a pundit on Sky, fears Vieira could be in trouble, but if the Premier League have any gumption, they defend the Clubs over the fans in this scenario.
Fans won’t like that; they seem to think that in the confines of a match day they can act and behave how they like.
The excuse is often they don’t feel they are related to.
The fact is most stadiums (including the Emirates) have signs which tell you it’s an offence and you could be prosecuted if you make that choice to leave your seat and enter the pitch.
On that grass, any player, manager, reff, member of staff, etc, has a right to feel safe.
Security and police failed to provide that safety.
It’s an embarrassment of English Football that this has become an issue and if most are honest, we would judge other nations if it were happening.
What a horrible week for the City of Liverpool. The red half booing the national anthem, the blue side trying to pick fights on what was supposed to be a happy occasion for them.
By the way, why are Everton having parties on the pitch for being 16th in the table?
Surely this week proves why safe standing shouldn’t be an option.
I have always maintained that adults in this country can’t be trusted at sporting events. One incident is one too many. If Everton fans can’t be trusted when sitting down, imagine if they were standing up.
The minority ruins it for the rest.
Pitch invasions when promoted or staying up have never been lawful, but unofficially accepted as part of our footballing culture.
That’s ruined now. The likes of the FA will now have to have a zero tolerance towards it, and you can’t blame them.
Robert Biggs, who headbutted Sharp, was jailed for 24 weeks for headbutting Sharp. I would have sent him to jail for life. That would stop people from going on the pitch.
The only good thing is this is public so it should cost him his job.
We should debate that, not Vieira.
On behalf of the Justarsenal – Family Vieira, we support you.
Once a gooner always a gooner
Dan
Learn more about Arsenal History – Decade by Decade CLICK HERE to visit our new Arsenal History section
Video – Mikel Arteta talks ahead of our last game of the season
“ The only good thing is this is public so it should cost him his job.”
The guy is from Liverpool. He’s not going to have a job to get sacked from!
🤣🤣🤣🤣
He looks about 14 he’s probably still at school 😂
He actually did to be fair lol
😆👍
Every club, no matter who they are, will always inherit thugs. Players and staff member’s safety should be paramount. I don’t care, there’s no excuse for fans being on a playing pitch. Way too unsafe for players etc. Deduct clubs 3 points as punishment. Better still,, maybe reintroduce those caged fences. That will stop people. It will also stop those clowns from throwing dangerous objects onto the pitch. Football is meant to be a family outing. Now that people are seated in stadiums, I can’t see why the government can’t bring in those fences. You can have the ones that automatically come safely down in case of emergencies. And if the do gooders carry on about Hillsbrough, that was many years ago. When you go to a live concert, you are always met by barriers or barricades in front of the stage. As I said, you can have those steal fences that come down immediately in case of emergencies. It would be a shame, but players and staff safety should come first. I would loved to be a cop with a button. One good wack around the back of the head, and that will be the first and last time they do it. It only takes one crazed maniac to start a tragedy
”One good wack on the back of the head”.
And then you might just up before the beak on a manslaughter/murder charge.
Should have kicked him harder!
When I saw the video I was upset, didn’t like what Vieira did. SHOULD HAVE KICKED HIM MORE the maybe add a punch as a parting gift.
Vieira should have just kept walking, which isn’t to suggest that the other party involved wasn’t a total dickwad, but these situations can be considerably problematic for those with the most to lose…let’s face it, albeit rather amusing, since no one really got hurt, this wasn’t a great look for anyone involved
TRVL 👍
Welcome back Big man,TRVL
that’s quite a humbling shoutout from someone named Tyson…Cheers bud
Think you need to watch ….
https://youtu.be/0Z-WcS-amX4
Vieira should never have been put in that position
Agree that the oik deserved a harder kick, and I do feel for PV if he faces an FA charge or worse for reacting. Not a shrinking violet by any means is Patrick.
Incredibly there are reports that Vieira might be in trouble for reacting. If that happened to me and I WERE IN HIS POSITION AND THEN FINED OR BANNED, I would get the best QC in the land and sue the pants off the Prem league , FA OR WHOEVER TOOK ME ON.
I PASSIONATELY HOPE HE DOES PRECISELY THAT, IF HE IS SANCTIONED IN ANY WAY. I would also demand a public apology. And he deserves one and not because he is an Arsena legend but because he is an innocent Prem manager victimised.
I would write exactly the same were it Conte, Mourinho or ANY OTHER INNOCENT MANAGER DEFENDING HIMSELF FROM IDIOTS ON THE PITCH.
and this coming from a supposed “realist”…I must check my calendar as it surely must be opposite day AGAIN!!!
😂😂
Remind me TRVL exactly HOW LONG you were banned for why?!
maybe I was on a self-imposed sabbatical…btw nice sentence Yoda
My take. From what I saw although the kid taunting him was a complete arseWipe who I’d love to dig myself (violence isn’t the answer kids;) however he didn’t actually lay a finger on him as far as I can see and the problem for Patrick is he very much did. That’s GBH right there in the eyes of the law. Be amazed if he gets off with this (not read the news so he may already have been tagged for this).
Silly really, can understand his frustration and annoyance but you can’t get physical with fans. Ask Cantona! 🥋
Difference could be this fan was essentially on privaite property , the same as someone running into your house swearing and waving a phone at you being aggressive
It’s illegal to be on the pitch
It is , but if you use excessive force (yes even in your own home on an intruder) you can get time.
I should know! Arsene Will probably never forgive me!
I think that you are too conventional that’s what makes you not to see the reality nor to put yourself in other people shoes
Dan, you say that this is a good case for safe standing not to be an option – Goodison Park doesn’t have a safe standing area does it?
Even if I’m wrong, the fans came from every side of the pitch, so I really cannot see what your point is…. unless you want to ban spectators completely?
Patrick reacted as any normal person would have done (in my opinion) and the only ones that should face punishment are Everton for not controlling their fans and the FA / PL for not ensuring said club had all their rules and regulations checked.
The solution?
Deduct Everton enough points to see them relegated… that will ensure other clubs will not let it happen at their grounds.
For those who say it would be impossible to tell what fans have invaded the pitch – very easy to police, by using cameras to pinpoint where the pitch invasion took place.
Spot on KEN! I suggest that various opinions on what should be the outcome of this matter depends on whether or not you believe- as I DO – that the original offender should be punished and not the man defending himself from possible GBH type violence.
OR whether you regard the original offender as a poor victim of society’s unfairness and that a rich, well known and so called “privileged”manager should instead be punished for reacting as any normal human would do”, as you correctly say was all PV was doing!!
Good point, but that assumes that PV wasn’t verbally or racially abused which then caused his outburst. All guesswork until we hear further
I don’t see how verbal abuse justifies a physical reaction, ever. This idea has gained more acceptance recently, and it may be understandable in many cases, but it’s wrong.
Agree with you having watched it. Vieira’s reaction may have been understandable, partly depending on what was said to him, but that doesn’t make it legal or right.
Violence is only acceptable in self defence or in defence of another, and that wasn’t the case here.
He could have made the situation far worse as well if others in the crowd had reacted as he did.
ArseOverTit, it was nowhere near GBH. For someone to be charged with GBH, the victim needs to have suffered serious injury, and that Scouser just got a kick on his legs. The most he would be charged with would be assault.
Fair enough.. was just making the point that he had actually assaulted someone physically as opposed to being annoying and verbally aggressive. As a manager in his position you cannot be seen to do that no matter how much the litttle runt probably deserved it!;)
Hey mate
My point is when it’s argued that standing encourages risk , some fans will argue the can be trusted and that we moved on from the 80’s .
Nights like thursday prove we have serious issue in this country of fans thinking they can act how they want at a football ground
Trust me if standing is allowed Everton new stadium will have standing to increase capacity
I agree with your solution
Sue P…there is a video of what was said
Just seeing if admin will allow me to post it
Dan, thanks for the reply.
I’m still not sure what your advocating though!?
We’ve had pitch invasions at Highbury and just like the Everton one, it was because of passion.
I went on to the spud ground when we beat them for the first part of the double under Bertie Mee and I never thought for a minute it was wrong.
It will be interesting to know exactly what made Patrick react, but I’m certain that, if one is confronted with thousands of people bearing down on oneself, self preservation becomes a necessity.
I’m not sure mate
I think when discussing safe standing you risk aseess
If there a rise in bad behaviour
I see a link
Post it mate… but soon coz I’m off to bed
Go to link at 9.16 guys
Disgusting what happened at Everton. A woman hitting a Palace player on the back when he was grappling with Deli Alli for the ball so he could take a throw in, then what happened to Vieira. Why on earth Everton are still making the opposition use a portacabin to change in now Covid restrictions are over, meaning the opposition manager and staff have to walk across the pitch at halftime and fulltime ?
Dan Smith, if that Forest fan headbutted someone on a night out around town, he would more than likely get a fine and a suspended sentence. Life sentence 😂, what would you sentence a murderer to, hung, drawn and quartered ? Steal a loaf of bread and get deported to Australia ?
Excellent and realistic piece DAN. I endorse it all ,with the single exceptionof a”life sentence” for the guilty man.
JAIL HIM, YES but a life sentence sounds more like Putin, China or even Trump, than true justice to me. But as Martin Samuel argues so passionately in todays Daily Mail, a sentence of one or two years would help sort this growing problem of pitch invasions.
Jail for what exactly? For all we know he was just bantering Vieira about the result. What you and Martin Samuel are proposing sounds very putin or China in fact.
The worst the unknown man did was trespassing, I suppose, but i think Vieira was the one in the wrong here, at least from the video I saw.