Enda Stevens speaks as both professional footballer and eye witness to a serious attack. Robert Biggs (30) was sentenced to 24 weeks in jail having pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm after a flying head butt into the face of Sheffield United captain Billy Sharp at the City Ground on May 17th.
“I was out there with him, and it was just an absolute disgrace,” said Stevens of the unprovoked attack as Forest fans flooded the pitch after their win that put them in the play-off final.
Stevens understands their euphoria, but equally believes the vicious assault on Sharp should have been prevented by the very people paid to protect everyone attending sporting events in the UK.
“You’re actually fearing for your life,” said the Dubliner. “You’re on a pitch and thinking ‘I can be attacked at any moment here.’ There was no help for us, nobody there to protect us.
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“There were policemen beside us who didn’t help us and didn’t want to get involved. They seen it happen first-hand and done nothing, and then a few of our lads ended up trying to protect Billy when the second fella came up to his face. Now it seems the police are coming after [Sheffield United players and staff] and questioning them for what they have done, but all we could do was protect ourselves and help each other out.
“It’s something in football that needs to change. I don’t really blame the stewards because it’s very hard for them to contain 30,000 Nottingham Forest fans, but the situation was shocking and it shouldn’t be happening.”
Pitch invasions are back in vogue and with them comes increasingly dangerous situations for players, officials, managers and the Everton supporter who deemed it acceptable to stick a recording iPhone in Patrick Viera’s face.
Besides prison, Biggs was ordered to pay Sharp £500 compensation and he received a 10-year ban from football stadiums.
“It comes down to protecting us,” Stevens repeated ahead of Ireland’s flight to Yerevan for Saturday’s Nations League tie against Armenia. “We are the one’s isolated out there, and we had no protection at all. Something has to change. The fact of what happened to Billy, it was clear as day, and Billy wasn’t too far away from the tunnel and that’s where you should be policed the most. The stewards should be all around there protecting people from getting in. We were right beside the tunnel and again we had zero protection.”
In more upbeat news Michael Obafemi’s return to the Irish camp since winning his only cap as an 18-year-old against Denmark in 2018 has so far proved a success.
“There are a lot of different faces from the last time he was in,” observed veteran fullback Cyrus Christie. “He has been unreal this season since I joined [Swansea City]. On top of that, he is a lovely lad as well, he’s a funny character and he gets goals. He is so quick and he is a threat. I’m sure when he steps on that pitch everyone will see what he is capable of.”
Obafemi’s 16 goals for Swansea City in the English Championship eclipses Will Keane’s 26 goals for Wigan Athletic in League One, but it is the 21-year-old’s speed that could secure a first Ireland start in the coming fortnight against Armenia, Ukraine or Scotland.
“There is obviously more to his game than pace. He is a good finisher. When he gets on the ball and he turns the defence, it can be frightening. He’s got pace, he can dribble with the ball, he can go past people, and he puts himself in the right positions.
“He might not be in the game a lot, but when he is and he plays on that back shoulder of the defence, he can get himself in there and score goals, and that’s what you need as a striker. Their job is to finish the chances they get. If you provide him I’m sure he will put them away.”
