Two men arrested after an assistant referee was struck by a smoke bomb during a Premier League game at Villa Park have been released on bail, police announced on Monday.
The pair, aged 25 and 47, were detained after linesman David Bryan was hit on the back by a smoke canister thrown from the stands during Tottenham Hotspur's 2-0 win at Aston Villa on Sunday.
West Midlands Police said they had been freed on police bail, pending further inquiries.
The incident occurred shortly after Andros Townsend put Spurs ahead in the 31st minute. Bryan escaped unharmed and was able to continue officiating.
The Football Association said that it would wait for referee Phil Dowd's match report before deciding upon which course of action to take.
"The FA will investigate this matter, which is unacceptable," said an FA spokesman.
"We will await the match officials' report and will be speaking to the clubs. Such incidents highlight the dangers of pyrotechnics being used in a football stadium."
Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas condemned the incident, saying: "Obviously it is not great to see. It should be avoided completely.
"I think situations like this do not have a place in football. I sincerely hope it does not happen again."
Source: AFP
