7 odd objects to be thrown onto a football pitch

Under-fire Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce was the victim of a vegetable-based protest before his side’s Championship match with Preston on Tuesday night. On Wednesday he was sacked by the club.

The leafy green food was the latest bizarre object to be thrown on to a football pitch by an angry supporter.

Here, Press Association Sport looks back at some of the other things flung from the stands:

A pig’s head

Luis Figo was one of Barcelona’s biggest stars. Adored by the fans, he sent a dagger through their hearts when in July 2000 he signed for their arch rivals Real Madrid for a then-world record fee of £37.2million. Barca fans expressed their disgust every time he returned to the Nou Camp, but never more so than in November 2002. When Figo jogged across to take a corner midway through the second half, debris rained down towards him from the stands. In among the coins and bottles was a pig’s head.

Toy pigs and crisp packets

Charlton fans threw plastic money pigs on to the field of play in protest at the club’s owners (PA)

Charlton fans have staged a series of protests against the club’s owner Roland Duchatelet. During a 2016 League One clash with Coventry, the match was brought to a halt after hundreds of toy pigs were thrown on to the pitch. Most recently this season, packets of crisps were launched on to the turf at The Valley during the home match against Fleetwood.

Tennis balls

Earlier this year in February, Hull’s derby clash against Sheffield United had to be halted after Tigers fans threw tennis balls on to the pitch in protest against the club’s owners Assem and Ehab Allam. It was the second time it had happened at the KCOM Stadium that season after Hull’s home game against Nottingham Forest also saw balls hurled on to the pitch.

Beach ball

In October 2009, a beach ball thrown on to the pitch by a Liverpool fan condemned his side to defeat at Sunderland. A Darren Bent shot hit the inflatable and deflected into the net past Jose Reina. The goal was allowed to stand and it proved the winner in a 1-0 Sunderland victory.

Vespa scooter

Inter Milan fans once tried to throw a burning Vespa scooter on to the pitch at the San Siro (Peter Byrne/PA).

In 2001 a group of Inter Milan fans somehow got a scooter into the San Siro, set it on fire and attempted to hurl it from the tiered stand on to the pitch. Fortunately they were unsuccessful.

Wheelbarrow

In 2004, supporters of Mexican club side America saw Inter Milan’s scooter – and raised them a wheelbarrow. The Copa Libertadores quarter-final clash with Sao Caetano saw an on-field brawl between players after the final whistle. Fans duly joined in with the chaos and one, from somewhere, managed to lob a wheelbarrow on to the pitch.

Mars bar

Paul Gascoigne was pelted with Mars bars by opposition fans while playing for Newcastle (Owen Humphreys/PA).

No such list would be complete without Paul Gascoigne. Known to be a fan of Mars bars, Gazza was pelted with the confectionery treat by opposition fans while playing for Newcastle. During one game, he picked one up, opened it and ate it. After leaving Newcastle, Gazza had frozen Mars bars thrown at him by home fans on his return to St James’ Park as a Tottenham player.