West Midlands Police have confirmed that 17 arrests were made yesterday as the FA Cup quarter-final tie between Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion turned sour.
Seats were thrown from the Albion section and Villa supporters invaded the pitch twice as the hosts won 2-0 to reach the last four.
The Football Association have said that they will carry out an investigation into the multiple disturbances in and around Villa Park.
West Midlands Police Chief Superintendent Chris Johnson said in a statement that they would assist the FA in their investigation as well as look into a pre-match incident at the Witton Arms pub, close to the stadium.
"We carried out a large policing operation for the FA Cup yesterday evening (March 7) to ensure supporters could enjoy the game in a safe environment," said Johnson.
"During the course of the operation 17 men were arrested for various public order offences. An investigation has been launched to identify people involved in a disturbance before the match at the Witton Arms pub."
Villa midfielder Fabian Delph, who scored the home side's first goal, said after the match that it was "very scary" when the hoards of fans invaded the pitch at full time.
Pascal Lemesre
