'It was personal' - Eddie Howe's worrying 'what if' response after fan confronted & shoved Newcastle boss in major security breach during Leeds draw

A fan at Elland Road broke onto the pitch to push Newcastle manager Eddie Howe during Leeds' 2-2 draw with the Magpies.

Leeds in relegation zone
Newcastle drop points
One fan went after Howe

WHAT HAPPENED? In a heated encounter at Elland Road – which saw three penalties awarded and one red card given – things took a turn for the worse towards the end of the game. With the scoreline at 2-2, shortly after Leeds' Junior Firpo picked up his second yellow, an angry supporter confronted NUFC boss Howe, giving him a shove, before he was belatedly pulled away by stewards. It was not immediately clear why the fan decided to attack Howe.

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WHAT THEY SAID: "I can't repeat what he said but it makes you think 'what if'. It was personal to me." Howe told reporters. "We need to be mindful of security. Nobody should have to feel their personal safety is violated when trying to entertain the country. I didn't have time to be fearful, it was over in a flash. But it made me think about things after."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The Whites had taken an early lead but then the atmosphere soured when Patrick Bamford missed a penalty, with Callum Wilson scoring from 12 yards minutes later. The Newcastle man then scored another penalty in the second half before Rasmus Kristensen equalised. The game ended shortly after that red card to Firpo which seemed to send one supporter into a fit of rage. On the incident, Howe added to BT Sport: "It was a real surprise, I was concentrating on the game. It's the last thing you expect to happen."

WHAT NEXT FOR LEEDS? Sam Allardyce and Co. move ahead of Leicester by a point but remain one point shy of safety despite having played a game more than all the teams around them.