Aston Villa Team Bus Incident: A Dark Cloud Over Football
A Troubling Victory Journey
Amidst the euphoria of a triumphant 3-1 victory at Burnley, Aston Villa’s joy was tainted. As the Villa team journeyed back to the Midlands, they faced a stark reminder of the sport’s dark underbelly. The team bus windscreen was struck by a brick, a chilling act, just miles away from Burnley’s historic Turf Moor report BBC Sport.
The Moment of Impact
Journeying home via the M65, the incident unfolded around junction 10, post their Sunday Premier League fixture. Around 17:15 BST, from a footbridge, a brick was hurled, striking the bus as it manoeuvred the motorway.
The Voices of Concern
The gravitas of such an event wasn’t lost on Burnley FC, who were swift to express their relief over no injuries from the incident. Their official statement denounced the act emphatically: “We strongly condemn this behaviour and will support Lancashire Police in their efforts to find whoever was responsible.”
Supt Melita Worswick of Lancashire Police drew attention to the gravity of the situation, observing: “This incident occurred when a great deal of traffic was leaving the area following the football match between Burnley and Aston Villa. It is nothing but good fortune that the brick didn’t cause more damage, or result in somebody being seriously injured or even killed.”
A Pattern Emerges?
It’s troubling to note that this wasn’t the first incident casting a shadow over Burnley this season. After their curtain-raiser against Manchester City, the club felt compelled to address some supporters’ “unacceptable behaviour”, which involved item-throwing and pitch invasions. In that game, City’s Rico Lewis suffered a blow from a lighter tossed from the stands, and a zealous fan was held back, attempting to breach the playing field.
As these incidents become more prevalent, it begs the question – what’s next for football’s esteemed community?
