As of Friday morning, the Everton fan involved in an on-the-pitch altercation with Patrick Vieira had not made an official complaint to Merseyside Police.
Do not expect one to be forthcoming. His account is unlikely to cast him as a credible victim.
Precisely why, in a moment of pure elation, after a season of unbearable angst and the most dramatic of football matches, he felt the need to break away from celebrations and goad the opposition manager would make fascinating testimony.
It would be a case of peering into the mind of the mindless. There was no explanation for it – and no doubt, he would not be able to provide one.
In the context of the week that was, when a Nottingham Forest fan, also in a moment of unbridled joy, chose to assault Sheffield United player Billy Sharp, the Everton supporter could consider himself fortunate Vieira did not manage to get hold of him.
Robert Biggs, aged 30, was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison for headbutting Sharp during a pitch invasion after Forest’s penalty shoot-out victory in the Championship play-off semi-final on Tuesday.
Both incidents are evidence of a worrying trend in the game – particularly at a time when safe standing is being reintroduced because the sport has supposedly rid itself of its ugly, violent past.
The assault on Sharp was pure hooliganism. The Vieira incident was not quite to the same extent – but he certainly could not be sure of that, particularly so soon after the scenes at the City Ground.
Fortunately, these are still relatively rare occurrences. For now.
But they point to growing lack of respect for authority within football grounds – and the breaking of social codes that have largely been in place during the Premier League era and all-seater grounds.
On every occasion those barriers are broken, it paves the way for further infringements.
The truth is the policing at football stadia only works on the basis of trust. But in recent times, supporters have exposed the inadequacy of security for even the biggest occasions and the danger is that will be further exploited.
Manchester United fans have learned they have the power to have a game called off – with protests against owners, the Glazers, last season causing the postponement of their clash with Liverpool at Old Trafford. And that was a game played behind closed doors.
The scenes at Wembley for last year’s Euro 2020 Final are a stain on the history of the national game when thousands of ticketless fans were able to storm the gates of Wembley.
England’s upcoming behind-closed-doors game against Italy at Molineux is a reminder of that shameful day.
The sport now needs to ask itself serious questions about its next steps.
Increased policing can only do so much. There will never be enough police inside grounds to prevent a fan uprising. While the expectation of stewards to maintain crowd control is simply unrealistic, with many working on a part-time basis and not paid anywhere near enough to put themselves in harm’s way.
Bans are already in place for fans who enter the pitch – but the number who still do suggests that is no deterrent. While the policing of those bans may require closer scrutiny.
This remains a social contract. But it is one that is constantly being eroded.
Fortunately it remains the mindless minority who give the game a bad name – but the danger is those numbers grow.
Sharp was hurt. Vieira had reason to fear for his own safety.
How long before something really serious is allowed to happen?
