Stadium of Light: Home of Sunderland(credit:
Wikipedia)
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce wants a lengthy ban for the supporter that confronted Newcastle United goalkeeper Steve Harper at the weekend.
Asamoah Gyan netted a last-gasp equaliser as the Black Cats rescued a 1-1 draw in Sunday’s North East derby, and following the goal home supporter got on to the pitch at the Stadium of Light and barged into Harper.
The incident angered Bruce, and he has called for a lengthy ban for the guilty fan.
He said: “All I saw was Steve Harper on the floor. I didn't know what had happened at the time.
“I would like say a 'well done' to the Sunderland fans who gave the kid up - and he is a kid, that's what I can't understand either, the age of the lad - but the Sunderland fans gave him up, and rightly so. He's in police custody as we speak.
“The one thing we are up here, we love the football and the passion and all the rest of it, but you don't need to see any scenes like that. I hope they ban the kid for a long, long time because he deserves it.
“When I saw the age of him, I just really can't understand society today.
“What goes through his mind when we have just scored with a minute to go? Why the hell he has got to come on to the pitch and confront Steve Harper baffles me.
“When you see the age of this young kid, it is quite remarkable how has got that in his mind, to run on to the pitch.
“Why don't you just celebrate with 50-odd thousand like everybody else did?
“Unfortunately, it is a sad indictment of where we are with the youth of today. He's a kid. It's ridiculous.”