Crystal Palace will send their full observations from last Thursday’s pitch invasions at Goodison Park to the Football Association in the coming days, football.london understands.
Palace’s players and staff were left facing thousands of invading Everton fans as stewards and police failed to stop supporters from getting on the pitch on two separate occasions during the Toffees’ 3-2 victory on Merseyside. Fans first came onto the pitch following Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s goal to put Everton ahead in the 85th minute, with the game having to be paused while officials tried to remove spectators from the turf.
Another pitch invasion followed on the full-time whistle, with thousands managing to jump the barriers and fill Goodison Park in celebration as the club confirmed their Premier League status for another year thanks to the win. In the scenes that followed, several Crystal Palace players had trouble getting back down the tunnel, with manager Patrick Vieira spotted on television cameras getting involved in an altercation with a fan after being goaded.
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Merseyside Police announced they were looking into matters on Friday morning before confirming on Monday that no action was to be taken against Vieira or the fan he was involved in the incident with, after neither expressed a desire to take matters further. Reports also emerged that Palace striker Christian Benteke had allegedly been ‘slapped’ by a pitch invader following Calvert-Lewin’s goal, while both Wilfried Zaha and Eberechi Eze were spotted appearing to back away from Everton fans who brandished lit flares in their direction.
The FA have asked Palace to provide observations of the incidents which the club have accepted, with the Eagles providing extensive comments that will be forwarded to the governing body of English football over the coming days. football.london understands that Palace’s observations will focus extensively on the first pitch invasion and its aftermath, as well as on the post-match pitch invasion.
Speaking about the confrontation at Goodison Park after his side’s 1-0 victory over Manchester United on Sunday, Vieira said: “I think the Everton incident is bigger than just that incident. When you look at it in the Premier League, there were a lot of field invasions that can cause trouble. There are real issues here to reflect on and try to see what is the best way to manage it and to deal with it.
“You don’t know what can happen. When you don’t know what can happen of course you fear for anything, for the players. We want to be safe and the best way to do that is we need to reflect on what is the best way for those kinds of things not to happen on the field. As a coach, manager, player or staff we want to be safe in our workplace.”
He added: “I think there is a big issue on the FA and Premier League’s plate to deal with. They need the support and the club and the players to get involved. Everybody has to take responsibility and see what is the best way for those things not to happen.”
