Football officials in England expressed their shock after a fan chased referee Craig Hicks during a third division match between Port Vale and Portsmouth on Saturday. The incident occurred after Hicks awarded a penalty to Portsmouth in the 88th minute, from which Colby Bishop scored, leading Port Vale to lose 1-0 at their home ground, Vale Park. Just moments earlier, Hicks had refused to award Port Vale a free kick.
This result means Portsmouth remains at the top of the table, while Port Vale is just three points above the relegation zone in 20th place out of 24 teams. The League and the Referees Association said in a statement, "We are shocked by what happened. We condemn the irrational actions of this individual. We will give our full support to Craig and his team and will work in cooperation with Port Vale and the relevant authorities to bring this person to justice."
Port Vale condemned the actions of the fan, stating, "We remind all supporters that entering the pitch is a criminal offense." Port Vale confirmed that it would cooperate with the relevant authorities to hold the offending fan accountable.
