Fallout: Beckham vs. Fan [VIDEO]
- by Soccer America , Jul 21, 2009
"We regret the incident that happened ...," read Arena's statement. "While it is important that our fans remain free to voice their opinions, they must do so in an appropriate manner. We appreciate our players and fans passion for the team and the game, but we all must aim to hold ourselves to higher standards."
"We have a very good relationship with the [supporters' club] LA Riot Squad and have already reached out to them to set up a meeting to discuss moving forward together in a positive direction. In addition, the LA Riot Squad has informed us that they have issued a lifetime ban to the fan that went onto the field of play."
On his way to the locker room, Beckham approached fans who were heckling him and began climbing on a barrier about 10 feet from the stands while shouting at the fans.
In a report by Yahoo! Sports, Galaxy fans said Beckham challenged them to fight, gesturing that they should come down to the field.
L.A. Riot Squad member Josh Paige told Yahoo! Sports he was the fan who entered the field and was later handcuffed and escorted out of the stadium.
"He came over and directly confronted us," Paige, 32. "I remember the look on his face, and he definitely was jawing right back at us, pointing at me and then to the ground in front of him a couple of times. ... I looked at the video. "
"I regret it because I wish that I had been the bigger man. [Beckham] prides himself on being the consummate professional and he's calling his own fans down to fight."
VIDEO
In his statement, Arena also said, "We want to move in a positive direction as an organization, and ask our fans to support our players and our club as we look to return to the playoffs for the first time in three years. We need the support of our fans to continue providing an amazing home environment at The Home Depot Center as we look to reach our shared goal of qualifying for the playoffs."
