Stewards removed the Leeds fan after he made his way into the technical area from the stands and confronted Howe.
Leeds gave the individual a lifetime club ban following the arrest to that Leeds fan. Howe, however, claimed that the episode demonstrated the need for more measures to ensure the safety of managers and players in difficult settings.
While Newcastle is vying to finish in the top four, Leeds is fighting to avoid relegation. “I actually can’t remember whether he pushed me or not, I’ve got no idea, it’s such a strange thing because you’re concentrating on the game and you don’t expect it to happen,” said Howe.
“He accosted me, said something that I can’t repeat, and was then led away. I’m fine, but incidents like that do make you stop and consider… my top priority at any Premier League and Football League games is the safety of the personnel and players. We must exercise caution since security is so crucial.
“I don’t know if I had time to be afraid because it happened so quickly, but it makes you wonder, ‘What if?'” These kinds of incidents, in my opinion, should prompt people to consider ways to increase staff and player safety.
