'Not safe anymore': Mansfield player attacked by pitch invader who threw flare at team

After Sheffield United's Billy Sharp was assaulted by a Nottingham Forest fan at full-time of the Blades' defeat on Tuesday, Manfield's Jordan Bowery was shoved by a supporter who encroached the pitch at Sixfields during Northampton's loss in the League Two play-off semi-final.

The game was halted as a Cobblers supporter ran onto the field during stoppage-time, threw a flare at the players, and attempted to fight coaching staff.

Bowery appeared unharmed and the fan was led from the pitch by security, as some of the Northampton faithful attempted to attack him on the touchline.

The events unfolded on talkSPORT 2 and sparked yet more concern about the safety of footballers.

Commentator Joe Shennan said: "That is disgraceful. Jordan Bowery has just been shoved by a Northampton supporter.

"He calls himself a supporter, he's no football fan, we need people like him out of the game.

"He's still trying to get at the Mansfield players, these are disgraceful scenes.

"He is a disgrace to the club and a disgrace to the game. There are Northampton fans who are standing up in disbelief.

"There's a flare and a bloom of orange smoke making its way across the pitch, the idiot is being led across the touchline.

"Hopefully he'll never be back again. And it's getting worse now, there are fans trying to attack the pitch invader.

"A bottle was thrown at the fan - he'll surely be arrested. These are very ugly scenes and a very sad end to Northampton's season.

"After the scenes we saw at the City Ground, it's time to acknowledge that there is, not necessarily a major problem, but certainly a problem with spectator encroachment that is getting worse."

Co-commentator Adrian Clarke added: "That was horrendous to watch. It was ugly. A complete thug.

"He throws a flare at players, it's very lucky it didn't hit a player.

"He shoves Jordan Bowery, he wants to fight members of the coaching team, his own fans have booed him out of the stadium.

"What an idiot! What is wrong with these people?"

Reacting to the incident at full-time, talkSPORT 2 host Dan Windle insisted footballers simply aren't safe anymore.

The events at Nottingham Forest, just 24 hours prior to Northampton's defeat, already had many questioning the security of footballers during pitch invasions.

Windle said: "Once more, we have to speak about the behaviour of football fans.

"However small that minority is, whether it is one fan or several more, is the game going to continue to deal with these issues retrospectively?

"The game has to take a long, hard look at itself. Football fans need to take a long, hard look at themselves.

"Our players, simple as this, are not safe anymore.

"If you were sat in your office, would you expect somebody to come in and assault you? No.

"If it takes heavily reduced crowds, proper measures, long queues, weaving around so everyone gets checked… that is what the future could look like."