A non-league game between Kingstonian and Bognor Regis Town ended in chaos last night after the home goalkeeper jumped into the crowd following the final whistle in an attempt to attack a fan.
As the referee brought the Ryman Premier League clash to a close, goalie Rob Tolfrey jumped over the advertising hoardings and dived into the stand behind his goal.
A mass brawl then developed as players and staff from both sides rushed towards the incident before the police were eventually called in.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police is reported to have said:
Police were called to a fight at Kingstonian FC around 9:45pm and we are currently investigating.
Bognor Regis Town supporters club have called on fans to assist with the investigation.
It’s unclear what the motivation behind Tolfrey’s reaction at the end of the game was, but his Kingstonian team-mate Josh Casey has claimed on Twitter that the supporter threw the first punch and the clip that has been shared does not tell the whole story:
@RavitAnand not the full incident Rav!!
— Josh Casey (@JoshCasey14) February 23, 2015
@RavitAnand never seen a player punched in the face by a fan whilst on the pitch before…
— Josh Casey (@JoshCasey14) February 23, 2015
Massive well done to the Bognor fan that punched our keeper in the face ?? it's a game of football…absolutely pathetic.
— Josh Casey (@JoshCasey14) February 23, 2015
@Bakler1 @Rog0109 yeah it doesn't show prior to that the fan punching him in the face…
— Josh Casey (@JoshCasey14) February 23, 2015
Some are also alleging the use of racist language at the game:
@TaimourLay @JoshCasey14 @alikazemiuk been informed that there was racist language used, yet to be confirmed though..
— Ravit Anand (@RavitAnand) February 23, 2015
@RavitAnand @JoshCasey14 @alikazemiuk heard directly by my friend who is planning to report it. can't repeat it here. appalling.
— Taimour Lay (@TaimourLay) February 23, 2015
Watch the full Kingstonian goalkeeper jumps into crowd video, filmed after the final whistle of their match against Bognor Regis Town, below: