Teenager charged with assault and throwing an item onto the pitch after Aston Villa duo Matty Cash and Lucas Digne were struck by a bottle while celebrating goal against Everton at Goodison Park
- Two Aston Villa players were struck by a bottle thrown by Everton fans
- Matty Cash and Lucas Digne both went down to the turf holding their heads
- Several bottles were thrown from home stands as Villa celebrated their goal
- Everton confirmed that police had arrested one supporter after the incident
- A 19-year-old has been charged with assault and throwing an item onto the pitch
A 19-year-old man has been charged with assault and throwing an item onto the pitch during Everton’s Premier League game against Aston Villa on Saturday.
Roger Tweedle, of Cranehurst Road, Walton, was released on conditional bail to appear at South Sefton Magistrates Court on February 28, Merseyside Police said.
Two Villa players were floored by a bottle that was thrown from the crowd during their side’s 1-0 victory at Goodison Park.
Aston Villa players Lucas Digne and Matty Cash were struck by a bottle thrown onto the pitch by Everton supporters as they celebrated their team’s breakthrough goal at Goodison Park
Cash (left) and former Everton player Digne (right) were struck by the bottle thrown on
The bottle is picked up by Ezri Konsa with Cash still on the floor after being struck
Former Everton defender Lucas Digne, who had only left the Toffees nine days earlier, and Matty Cash both ended up on the ground after being struck as Villa players celebrated Emiliano Buendia’s first-half goal.
In a statement on their website after the match, Everton confirmed a supporter had been arrested after being identified using CCTV footage and that the club would ‘issue bans to any fans identified throwing objects’.
The game was Duncan Ferguson’s first in charge of his second spell as Everton caretaker manager following the dismissal of Rafael Benitez.
Both players fell to the turf after being hit before eventually returning to their feet
Security staff at Goodison Park spent half-time trying to find whoever threw the bottle
Ferguson said: ‘I never saw the bottles thrown, I’ve been told after and we don’t want that, it is bang out of order. That is not the way to do things. It is totally wrong.’
Security staff at Goodison were searching for the culprits during half-time and an announcement was made over the PA system asking supporters not to throw missiles onto the pitch at the start of the second-half.
The Everton statement on Saturday read: ‘Police have arrested a supporter at Goodison Park for throwing a missile onto the pitch during today’s Premier League match against Aston Villa.
‘Everton security staff and Merseyside Police identified the supporter using CCTV footage.
‘Several objects were thrown towards the pitch following Aston Villa’s goal at the end of the first half, with one missile appearing to strike two opposition players.
‘Investigations in conjunction with the police are ongoing, and the Club will issue bans to any fans identified throwing objects.’
Buendia celebrates with his Aston Villa team-mates after heading them ahead at Goodison
The Villa players celebrated in front of Everton fans after taking the lead in the league clash
Digne, who provided the assist for Buendia’s goal, only joined Villa from Everton in a £25million move nine days ago.
It is far from the first occasion that a Premier League fixture has been marred by an object being thrown from supporters at players.
On Sunday, Antonio Rudiger was targeted with a missile during Chelsea’s clash with Tottenham.
Burnley’s Matthew Lowton was struck in the face by a plastic bottle thrown by a Leeds United fan at Elland Road as they celebrated a goal earlier this month.
Manchester City players were also pelted with objects by Arsenal fans after they scored a late winner at the Emirates Stadium this month.
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