Patrick Vieira appeared to kick an Everton fan during a pitch invasion following Everton’s win against Palace. The Merseyside Police were checking on this issue. And we now hear that Patrick Vieira will not be subject to any legal actions.
“We worked with Everton FC to gather all available CCTV footage and spoke to witnesses,” Merseyside Police stated.
“Officers have spoken to both men involved and the opportunity to make a formal complaint or support a prosecution was declined.”
Chief Constable Mark Roberts, the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Football Policing Lead, said: “It has been alarming to see a rise in the number of fans entering the pitch during matches over the past couple of weeks.
“This has at times resulted in assaults and altercations with players, managers and club staff – which is totally unacceptable. The pitch is the players’ place of work and like everyone else, they should be able to feel safe.
“I know emotions are running high when clubs are getting promoted or avoiding relegation, but having large numbers of fans rushing onto the pitch at the end of the game is a safety risk for everyone, and I would urge all fans to remain in their seats and celebrate in the correct way.
“It is the responsibility of clubs to ensure that fans can view matches in safety. And we will continue to work with clubs to see what can be done. To help prevent these incidents in future.”
