A teenage Sunderland fan who invaded the pitch and pushed Newcastle United's goalkeeper to the ground has been given a three-year football banning order. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-14855292? Really? Is this lad intent on causing trouble in every game he goes to? is the fact that his parents forced him to write written apologies not enough for a 1st? Or did the courts also need to give him some kind of punishment? is 3 years realistic?
I think he was lucky it was'n a life ban to be honest, it only take's 1 idiot to start a pitch invasion.
Not here to start an arguement but the fact that his parents had to make him write a letter of apology makes it sound like he shows no remorse for his actions. I'd say a lifetime ban would be a more realistic for assaulting a member of the oppositions team.
I have to say i agree with Topcat. You should never enter the field of play, but to do it, and make contact with the oppo keeper, it's not ****ing on. Harper was a right ***got mind, but then, would you expect any less from a man who clearly spends as much time on the sunbeds as he does playing football. He's lucky it weren't a life ban.
Imo he should have been given a life time ban. He's clearly a moron and shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the Stadium again or any other sporting ground.
He was only about 15 at the time of the incident, and by his dad's reaction, he will have been left in no uncertain terms that what he did was out of order. I feel that he has certainly been made an example of, and it will hopefully be a lesson to others to keep of the pitch in future.
IMO about right daft we lad but still needed punished. We've all got to learn to take responsibility for our actions.
Sorry to invade but I know the lad and a lot of my mates are very good mates with him. After the incident he immediately went and got a Sunderland tattoo on his leg, posted it to facebook with a message of "suck on that Steve Harper". Since then he's always been pretty proud of what he did, talks about it pretty much non stop. He feels no guilt for doing it which is why without a severe punishment he's clearly one of those people at risk of doing it again.
If this is true, then it's a shame the lad didn't get a longer ban. He is just a kid mind, not that i'm saying that excuses it, but we all did daft things as a young un.
As I said daft wee lad I'd have banned him for 3-5 years, hopefully he'll learn his lesson either that or he'll just watch his supposed beloved Sunderland in the pub.
