The end of the season in most European leagues, including the UK, was marked by many football club successes. Fans, in the heat of the moment, have on many occasions decided to run onto the pitch after the final whistle. "Pitch invasions" may have greater consequences than it may seem.

Manchester City, Bournemouth, Everton. These are just a few examples of clubs whose supporters went wild with joy and decided to run onto the pitch after the match was over. There are, of course, many more such cases and they do not just concern the United Kingdom, but it is in England where this subject is currently in the spotlight.

© jrb

Pitch invasion has been a part of British culture for years and the way fans celebrate the retention, promotion, or championship of their club. This time it has gone one step too far, and it is not just individuals but whole masses of supporters who are going to suffer.

During a championship celebration at Etihad Stadium, The Citizens' fans attacked Aston Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen several times. In Liverpool, just after the success of keeping Everton in the Premier League, The Toffees’ supporters provoked the manager of Crystal Palace, Patrick Vieira, and he decided to get justice for one of the fans right in the middle of Goodison Park.

© Paolo Pupillo

It seems that Americans can look back on the country of their ancestors laughing and grumbling at the sight of a pitch invasion. Nothing could be more wrong! Although the view of fans running onto the field is quite rare in the United States, the history of pitch invasion in Major League Baseball dates back 100 years!

Right after Game 7 of the 1924 World Series, fans of the winning team, the Washington Senators, left their seats at the now non-existent Griffith Stadium and ran onto the field. Wonder what the odds would be that in next year's final the supporters would decide to do a similar thing again? Betphilly's guide to mlb betting might know the answer to that.

Back to England - the consequences for fans could be dire. Partial stadium closures could be imposed on Football League clubs next season as authorities seek to crack down on pitch invasions and other fan disruptions.

Nottinghamshire Police have arrested a 31-year-old man after Sheffield United's Billy Sharp was allegedly attacked at City Ground after the Championship play-off semi-final against Nottingham Forest. It was the last straw that broke the camel's back.

© Stephan Hoogerwaard

The English Football League, together with the players' union, the Professional Footballers' Association and Nottingham Forest, condemned the incident and said it would consider strengthening measures to deter fans from inappropriate behaviour as well as "all options will be looked at".

 (…) it is not acceptable for supporters to enter the field of play at any time given the EFL’s objective is to ensure our matches remain a safe and welcoming one for all. Therefore, over the summer we will consider what further measures are now at our disposal, including the potential use of capacity reductions or other similar mitigations - EFL has thus expressed its dissatisfaction with the situation.