Man charged for slapping Man City’s Jack Grealish | Football News
A man has been charged with assault for allegedly slapping the Manchester City footballer Jack Grealish at Old Trafford on Sunday. Grealish was a 74-th minute replacement player in the drawn game against Manchester United. The slap is understood to have occurred at the end of the game near the tunnel on his way out of the arena.
A statement from Greater Manchester police on Monday said a 20-year-old man from Droylsden had been charged with assault: “He will appear at Manchester magrates court on 14 July. This charge relates to an incident which took place at Old Trafford yesterday.”
Incidentally, in 2019, when Grealish was playing for Aston Villa, he was similarly assaulted a fan from the opposing team Birmingham City during a second tier Championship game. Paul Mitchell, a 27-year-old former pub employee, had pleaded guilty at Birmingham Magrates’ Court to charges of assault and encroachment.
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Back then, Mitchell was sentenced to 14 weeks for running on to playing arena and punching Grealish. “The sentence must act as a punishment and a deterrent to others in order to send a message to the public and fans and players like Mr Grealish who should be protected at all times,” the Birmingham Mail had quoted magrate Alison Fisher as saying. Mitchell was also banned for 10 years from attending any soccer match in Britain and ordered to pay 100 pounds ($130.95) compensation to Grealish as part of costs amounting to 350 pounds.
During the Sunday match Grealish’s teammate Phil Foden was abused United fans, who made derogatory chants about his mother. It led to the City’s manager Pep Guardiola condemning them as lacking “class”.
