Local derbies can be very intense occasions, and the Second City derby between Birmingham City and Aston Villa is no different. The two clubs have a fierce dislike towards each other, and that often presents itself on the field of play. However, we don't think we've ever seen anything like this before.
The two sides faced off today in a Championship clash, and there was a shocking incident inside the first ten minutes. While there was a break in the play, a Birmingham City fan ran onto the field and blindsided Villa's Jack Grealish with a punch.
Grealish is of course a local lad, and wouldn't be the most popular figure amongst the supporters of Villa's rival club. He can rub people up the wrong way at times, but there is certainly no place for this type of incident in football.
The player himself didn't really know what to make of what had just happened, and the Birmingham City players were quick to apologise for the actions of the supporter.
Regardless of your opinion of the player himself, we can all agree that we don't want to see this in the game. Physical violence directed towards players should be considered the lowest of the low. As for the person who committed the act, they are highly unlikely to be permitted to attend a football matcha anytime soon.
Gary Neville has even called for a massive punishment to be enforced on the club themselves to deter further similar incidents.
We definitely have not heard the last of this one.
