Crystal Palace’s Patrick Vieira involved in altercation with fan at Everton game

The Crystal Palace manager, Patrick Vieira, was involved in a confrontation with a fan on the pitch after his side’s 3-2 defeat at Everton. In footage widely shared on social media, Vieira appears to aim a kick at the man taunting him.

Vieira did not comment on the incident, which came to light after his post-match press conference. The video clip shows Vieira, unaccompanied by staff or security, making his way across the pitch towards the away dressing room which is currently housed in the Park End car park. He is then confronted by a fan who appears to gesture in his face.

In the clip, Vieira appears to respond by first grabbing the man and then swinging a kick at him, before other supporters come to his aid and usher him away. The incident is likely to attract the interest of the Football Association, who may also look at pitch invasions after Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s 85th-minute winner and at full time.

The Everton manager, Frank Lampard, offered support to his counterpart after the game. “I feel for Patrick. I didn’t get him at the end. I would have said: ‘Come in with us,’ although he might not have wanted that. Of course, he ran 80 yards across the pitch and it’s not easy.”

On the post-game pitch invasion itself, Lampard said: “It was [the] pure elation of fans who have come on the pitch after avoiding relegation. If it is done in the right way, let them stay on the pitch, let them have their moment. As long as they behave, no problem.”

Earlier on Thursday, a Nottingham Forest fan was jailed for 24 months for assaulting the Sheffield United captain, Billy Sharp, after the play-off semi-final on Tuesday. Elsewhere the Swindon manager, Ben Garner, claimed his players were “physically and verbally abused” by fans who ran on to the pitch after Port Vale won their League Two play-off tie on penalties.