Albion manager Tony Pulis called on the police to find the guilty party, while also highlighting the growing danger of fans becoming stoked up by social media and then letting their emotions run wild when their team fails.
Advertisement
He said: “Probably not, but it would show and make him a bigger man than what he was to throw a coin from 20 yards away to hit me in the head if he owned up to it. You are throwing football back 20 years with some of the behaviour there”.
Reading FC, one of the lowest seeds remaining in this year’s FA Cup, pulled off the upset on Saturday, dispatching Premier League visitors West Bromwich Albion (and their idiot of a coin-throwing fan). Its absolutely disgusting, Northern Ireland worldwide Brunt told BBC Sport.
It is a sad reflection on the game that fans “transmogrify into foul-mouthed yobs” when the action begins and brushing off such incidents “stops us from asking why at football, nearly uniquely among mass entertainment events, vitriol has such currency”.
West Brom’s Chris Brunt reacts after a coin is thrown at him from the crowd at The Madejski Stadium.
“That’s outrageous really, it’s not right and proper”, he said.
“Chris had given his shirt to a little girl”.
“It’s worth noting it’s a criminal offence, too, and we will support any police prosecution if we can identify, along with the police, those individuals responsible for that behaviour today”, added the club. That’s criminal, and I mean criminal. “A small minority obviously ruined it for the rest of the 400 who were there paid good money for a day trip” said Brunt. I hope the police get involved, never mind the club.
They sealed the win in stoppage-time when substitute Lucas Piazon applied the finishing touch to a counter-attack.
Reading manager Brian McDermott promised that his club would do everything in their power to help identify the culprit, while the Football Association confirmed it had also launched an investigation.
Albion are 14th in the Premier League but have won only two of the last 11 games in all competitions, and they host Palace on Saturday.
Former England captain Alan Shearer said the incident was “disgusting”, while Harry Redknapp described it as “cowardly”.
The police are treating the incident as an assault.
Advertisement
Pulis has spoken of his desire to build lasting success at West Brom, targeting a regular top 10 finish, but has been frustrated at certain issues behind the scenes.
