The bizarre fallout from Sam Kerr brilliantly flattening a pitch invader during a game last week has taken another strange turn.
It was during Chelsea’s 0-0 Champions League draw with Juventus that play was halted when a pest ran onto the playing field, seemingly attempting to take selfies with the athletes.
Kerr – the Australian national captain – dropped a classic hip-and-shoulder into the man, sending him to the ground in hilarious scenes. Kerr, though, was yellow carded by the referee for the incident.
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But the fallout didn’t end there.
It was subsequently revealed the man could not be charged by the police for his actions, despite the Football Offences Act giving police the power to arrest a member of the public for illegally entering the field of play during a professional game.
A loophole was exposed, essentially revealing women’s football does not currently fall under the banner of “designated football match”, and are instead dealt with under public disorder law.
Now, the bizarre incident has made it all the way to British parliament.
Reports say eight British MPs have signed a letter addressed to the sports minister, demanding women’s football be brought under the Football Offences Act, which would allow future pitch invaders to be arrested and charged.
“Given the growth of the professional women’s game, this is enormously worrying,” the letter says.
“We strongly urge you to consider an immediate change to the legislation to ensure that professional women’s football is listed as a designated match, thus bringing parity of protection to female footballers afforded to their male counterparts.”
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