Blues face possible FA charge after coins and clapperboards thrown at Aston Villa players
Blues face a possible FA charge after coins and souvenir clapperboards were used to target Villa players during yesterday’s Second City derby.
Ahmed Elmohamady was one of two visiting players to be hit by a coin, while there were reports of an assistant referee being struck by an object thrown from the stands as the rivals played out a 0-0 draw at St Andrew’s.
Plastic bottles were also thrown, with referee Andrew Madley twice forced to call a halt to the action for the playing surface to be cleared, such was the ferocity of the barrage.
The decision by Blues to hand out thousands of free clapperboards to supporters was later branded “ridiculous” by Villa boss Steve Bruce and “awful and naive” by West Midlands Police.
It is meanwhile understood Bruce and his team were unable to leave St Andrew’s until more than 90 minutes after the match had finished due to supporters congregating outside the stadium.
The clapperboards were placed on each seat in the home sections, with the intention of creating a vibrant atmosphere but Bruce, who spent six years in charge as Blues boss, blasted: “Whoever made the ridiculous decision to have clappers, they obviously don't know Birmingham fans.
“The Birmingham fans don't need a clapperboard – that's the last thing they need.
“They used them as a weapon – in all seriousness, somebody could have been badly hurt by them.
“They were rolled up, with elastic bands around them and they became like a rock.
“So whoever has made that ridiculous decision at having clappers at a game like this only fuelled it.
“We saw it at the first corner of the game we got – the game had to be stopped, as it was for free-kicks.
“Thankfully nobody got caught by it but people could have done. Two of the players got hit so whoever made that ridiculous decision, I don't think they will do it again.”
Blues boss Steve Cotterill said: “I am sure it is a decision the club will look at it in the future.
“(The clappers) might have actually hindered us. I know they were being thrown about and all of that business but they might have actually hindered us because when they came on the pitch, it slowed our momentum down.”
Responding to supporters on Twitter, West Midlands Police said they were not made aware of Blues’s clapperboard plan and would have advised against it, describing it as an “awful and naive idea”.
