'Fan' Smashes Football Player With Sickening Coward Punch

This was one of the worst incidents in professional sport in years.

English football is in shock today after a man was arrested for punching Aston Villa player Jack Grealish in a match in The Championship -- the second tier of English football, one level below the Premier League.

The occasion was the Birmingham Derby -- always a passionate contest between Birmingham City and Aston Villa.

Just nine minutes into the match with scores locked at 0-0, a man wearing a Birmingham City jacket ran onto the field and headed straight for Grealish. He didn't miss, collecting the midfielder with a sickening coward punch from behind.

He then blew kisses to the crowd as he was led away by stewards.

"Following the incident on the pitch involving an attack on an Aston Villa player; a man has been arrested and [is] en route to a custody block," West Midlands Police said on Twitter.

The incident follows another on Friday where a fan confronted Rangers captain James Tavernier on the pitch during the Scottish Premiership game with Hibernian in Edinburgh.

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Incredibly, Grealish stayed on the field and scored in the 67th minute, as ninth-placed Villa kept their playoff hopes alive.

He was booked for his subsequent exuberant celebrations, which seemed a bit harsh as you could certainly understand his joy in scoring.

"The EFL condemns the mindless actions of the individual who encroached on to the pitch at St Andrew's on Sunday afternoon," the English Football League said in a statement after the match.

"It's a situation no player should ever be faced with.

"Whilst this incident falls within the remit of the Football Association, we will work with all the relevant parties to address the issue of player and match officials safety on the pitch and ensure the appropriate action is taken."

With AAP.