Brunt charged by FA for alleged tunnel incident with match official

West Brom midfielder Chris Brunt has been charged by the Football Association (FA) following an alleged incident in the tunnel after Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final at Aston Villa.

The Northern Irishman is said to have confronted a match official as the players left the field at Villa Park, following a 2-0 victory for the hosts.

An FA statement read: “It is alleged that in or around the tunnel area after the end of the fixture the player used abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour towards a Match Official.”

The last-eight tie – settled by goals from Fabian Delph and Scott Sinclair – was overshadowed by a pitch invasion that saw thousands of fans spill onto the field at full-time.

A number of supporters had earlier entered the field of play following Sinclair’s 85th-minute effort and during stoppage time.

The FA are currently investigating those incidents, while Brunt has been given until Thursday to respond.