A Tottenham Hotspur supporter who assaulted Aaron Ramsdale following the January north London derby has admitted to beating assault.
After assaulting Arsenal goalie Ramsdale at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on January 15, 35-year-old Joseph Watts entered a plea of guilty to assault by beating. The case was heard at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court.
Ramsdale was allegedly attacked while celebrating his win and gathering his items from behind the goal. Watts kicked Ramsdale, who was facing away from him, after sprinting down the stairs from where he was sitting, climbing over a barrier, and landing on an advertisement banner. Then, he dashed back into the audience.
Ramsdale said in a victim statement read in court that he sought massage therapy because his back felt “heavy,” but no marks were left behind.
I’ve never had someone enter the field and kick me; I don’t think it’s right that I should be harassed at work, he continued. The England international also expressed his concern for future occurrences of instances of a similar nature.
Watts, who acknowledged getting intoxicated after consuming six beers, also flung four coins at the field. Before entering the pleas, Watts, of Dalston in Hackney, east London, showed up in person to verify his identity, age, and address. He is reputed to have a sterling reputation.
Ramsdale was attacked at the conclusion of last month’s derby, which Arsenal won 2-0. He was scooping up his water bottle from behind the goal when he was struck.
Watts was seen kicking Ramsdale while reaching over the billboards to retrieve the bottle, which prompted his teammates to hurry over.
Stewards and security personnel rushed to diffuse the conflict and remove the players from the stand as a brawl quickly broke out between players from both teams.
Video of the incident showed Watts kicking Ramsdale and then fleeing back up the stands, with Sky Sports’ cameras following him until he vanished into the crowd.
Co-commentator Gary Neville labelled him an idiot after the incident, with Ramsdale later asked about what had happened after the match.
“The Spurs fans gave me some throughout the game,” explained the Gunners keeper. “I was giving some back. The people I did give it to greeted it sportsmanlike but one fan tried to give me a little punch on the back.
“It is a shame as it is just a game of football at the end of the day. Both sets of players tried to bring me away but thankfully nothing too drastic happened. It is a sour taste but I’m sure we will enjoy it when we go back into the dressing room.”
Spurs also released a statement after the match which read: “We are appalled by the behaviour of a supporter that attempted to attack Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale at the end of today’s match. Violence in any form has no place in football.
“The club has reviewed its CCTV footage to identify the supporter and will be working with the Met Police, Arsenal and Aaron Ramsdale to take the strongest possible action, including an immediate ban from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.”
