Jesus, there is nothing in the least complicated about this issue.
It's nothing to do with whether the guy was a top blue, a great lad, he's often bought me a pint down the local! It's also nothing whatsoever to do with being a boring ****!
I defy anybody who knows me to tell me that I'm a glum **** at matches. I often go home and I'm semi-hoarse from singing (especially on derby days or against the dippers). I've had glum cunts in the row in front of me turn round to tell me to pipe down.
Nothing to do with all that. Nothing to do with “Oh, it's a bit of high spirits, get a life!".
You cannot have people going on the pitch in the course of a match. It's not on. Do you people think you can make selections as to who does it?? As to whether it's a home fan, or an opposition fan?? As to whether it's somebody just expressing their passion, or somebody who's not quite right in the head?
Do you think they're going to present their i.d. to a steward, and the steward's going to say “That's all right lad, you're ok, fella, on you go?”.
It's not new, I can remember lads occasionally running on to the pitch to get their thirty seconds of glory before being rugby tackled, then escorted off with their head firmly in a headlock, going all the way back to the sixties. I thought it was a bit of a laugh then. As you do, when you're thirteen. I don't hold with it now.