Fan Attacks Player Over Shared Girlfriend

The home fans storm the pitch after a huge upset. One punches out one of his own players. Why? Over a woman, of course.

Robert Fitzgerald was among the hundreds of Stevenage FC supporters who rushed the field after the League Two side's FA Cup win over Newcastle. He made a beeline for Stevenage defender Scott Laird, took a swing, then ran away. This was not just drunken hooliganism: this was a man on a mission, who had also thrown a hamburger at Laird earlier in the match when he came near the sidelines.

Fitzgerald's lawyer told the court that he did it because Laird used to date Fitzgerald's current girlfriend, and "did not treat her correctly."

This is the kind of thing that happens in League Two: women leaving players for fans. As you move up the football pyramid, it tends to be the other way around.

Fan who punched Stevenage's Scott Laird acted 'over girlfriend' [Guardian]