Pitch invader decked by Sam Kerr can't be arrested because it was a women's match - Yahoo Sports

The man who walked onto the pitch and was only made to exit after receiving a body slam from Sam Kerr will not face legal ramifications for the act, The Athletic's Charlotte Harpur reported.

That's because the law enacted to curtail disorderly fan conduct at soccer matches in the UK does not apply to the women's competition, per the report. So the Metropolitan Police department has not arrested the fan from Wednesday's incident, it confirmed to Harpur, and it has no intention to do so.

It's a troubling loophole as the women's game grows in popularity.

No arrest for fan decked by Sam Kerr

A young fan walked onto the pitch during a women's Champions League match between Chelsea and Juventus on Wednesday. Security was nowhere to be found and a Chelsea player attempted to push him gently toward the sideline to get off the pitch.

When he sauntered back toward the players still taking a video of himself, Kerr dropped a shoulder and decked him. What appeared to be a trainer or coach ushered him off the pitch at that point.

(NSFW language warning for video below:)

Full unedited video here for any journalist that wants to use it. Don't need to ask permissions as I'll be asleep for next 8 hours. pic.twitter.com/PI76WC87Uw

Kerr was given a yellow card and the club suspended the fan. But the police department confirmed to The Athletic no arrest was made, even though Section 4 of the Football (Offences) Act of 1991 would seem to allow for such an arrest.

Disorderly fan conduct law does not apply to women

The law states: “It is an offence for a person at a designated football match to go onto the playing area, or any area adjacent to the playing area to which spectators are not generally admitted, without lawful authority or lawful excuse [which shall be for him to prove].”

source: https://sports.yahoo.com/soccer-pitch-invader-decked-by-sam-kerr-cant-be-arrested-because-it-was-a-womens-match-160214587.html

Your content is great. However, if any of the content contained herein violates any rights of yours, including those of copyright, please contact us immediately by e-mail at media[@]kissrpr.com.