On the second day of 2018, West Brom’s Jake Livermore rushed into the stands to confront a West Ham fan during an English Premier League match. On Wednesday, the English FA decided not to punish the midfielder. This stunning lack of a Jake Livermore punishment is wholly unacceptable.

First, it must be stated there were extenuating circumstances that led to Livermore rushing into the stands. The fan reportedly yelled something to the midfielder, who had just been substituted off the pitch, about his baby son who died in 2014. This action, too, is wholly unacceptable, and West Ham is taking all the right actions to confirm the story and ban the fan for life.

But Livermore’s actions were also wholly unacceptable. Regardless of what someone says, a physical altercation is never an acceptable response. 

If someone says your momma is fat, you don’t punch him in the gut. If someone says your girl is ugly, you don’t pull out a gun. If a politician urges you to act out against protesters, you don’t attack another human. If someone jokes about your dead son, you don’t rush toward him in anger. These are the responses of oafish fools, not responsible humans. Violence is never the answer, y’all. 

The English FA completely missed the mark on the Jake Livermore punishment. This wasn’t about Livermore responding to gross remarks; it was about a player charging into the stands, endangering the wellbeing of himself and others in the process. Livermore should not have escaped punishment altogether; he was in the wrong just as much as the fan. 

There was a similar event in the NBA in the U.S. in 1995. Houston Rockets guard Vernon Maxwell pinpointed a Portland Trailblazers fan who was heckling him over his wife’s miscarriage. Mad Max charged 12 rows deep into the stands to slug the man. Yes, the fan should not have yelled such horrible things, but Maxwell — admittedly one of my favorite players growing up — was completely in the wrong for turning to violence. The NBA rightly suspended him for 10 games and handed down a $20,000 fine. 

There is no excuse for hitting someone, even when it comes to some of the foulest comments imaginable. Likewise, there is no excuse for Livermore to charge into the stands to respond to a fan. Who knows what could have happened to the midfielder, who made six appearances with the Three Lions in 2017. He could have hurt himself or others. 

There will likely be plenty of people who disagree with me on this point, that Livermore was totally within his right to charge at a fan for the deplorable words thrown his way. You’re completely within your rights to disagree, just don’t try to attack me physically. 

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WEST HAM are investigating allegations that Jake Livermore was abused over the death of his child.

The West Brom midfielder, 28, shoved a fan and a steward in ugly scenes at the London Stadium last night.

Sky Sports

West Ham have identified the fan involved and have called them to the club for a meeting today.

Video footage has emerged which shows the West Brom midfielder involved in a confrontation as he was being substituted in the 64th minute.

Both clubs plan a full investigation.

Livermore’s son died in 2013 when his partner went into labour, sending the former Hull midfielder into a downward spiral that led to him facing a two-year ban after testing positive for cocaine.

Ross Parry – SWNS

The seven-cap England midfielder has previously spoken about agony he suffered over Jake Junior’s death.

In 2016, he told the Mail: “The way in which (his death) happened made it difficult to fight my own demons.

“If you lose a child in God’s hands it is completely different. To find out why he had died, that was too much for my head and my heart to take.

“That pain and hurt, it makes you do desperate things. I wasn’t thinking of the consequences.

“I was broken. Most people out there will have a son, a nephew, a little brother.

“So for me, it was a relief. The drugs were irrelevant. It could have been drugs, a gun, a car crash or whatever, the self-destruct button was the problem.”

Sky Sports

Sky Sports

Baggies boss Alan Pardew said: “The only thing I know is I see Jake in the crowd, which disturbed me. Obviously you don’t want to see a player in the crowd.

“There’s no way he’s going in the crowd — because I know him, he’s a great lad — unless he was provoked severely.”

Sky Sports

Pardew admitted he did not hear whether or not his player was abused.

He added: “I’m afraid I haven’t had a chance to talk to Jake.”

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HE’S A BIT ANDY West Ham 2 West Brom 1: Andy Carroll bags 94th-minute winner to seal dramatic three points for Hammers

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In separate footage, Albion No2 John Carver can be seen pointing and remonstrating with stewards after the altercation.

Livermore was eventually led away down the tunnel and both clubs will investigate today.

Sky Sports

The row overshadowed a dramatic match in which West Ham came from a goal down to beat their relegation rivals with an injury-time winner.

Two goals from Andy Carroll lifted the Hammers out of the bottom three.

Home boss David Moyes said: “Two great goals, a great centre-forward’s header, as good as it gets.

“I don’t think any defender could stop his leap and jump. The other shows great quality, tight angle, to complete the finish.”

Carroll, who had not scored since April 1, said: “It has been a while, I am obviously relieved.

Reuters

“It was a tough game. We are disappointed with the goal we gave away, but we had to keep pushing them and we did that and got the goals.

“It was tough, I was tired at the end, but if I didn’t get into the box at the end I would have been given some stick by the staff.”

Moyes added: “I’ve got to say, for long periods it didn’t look likely we’d win.

AP:Associated Press

“We lost a goal in the last minute at Bournemouth which should have counted. Newcastle scored an offside goal here. Tonight, things went for us.”

Pardew said: “It’s heart-breaking for the players. We were hanging on physically and mentally.

“It’s very evident on the pitch because we lose Matt Phillips in the warm-up, my most influential player offensively.

“But still we put in a great first half. It’s very difficult to criticise my team.”