Man jailed 24 weeks for assaulting Sheffield United's Billy Sharp

It was previously learned that a man was arrested after Sheffield United captain Billy Sharp was assaulted during a pitch invasion shortly after his club's Championship semifinal promotion playoff loss to Nottingham Forest on Tuesday evening. 

That man will have plenty of time to think about his crime. 

According to Sky Sports and BBC News, Forest season ticket holder Robert Biggs has been jailed for 24 weeks for head-butting Sharp following Tuesday's match. Sharp required four stitches to repair an injury to his lip.

Biggs has been banned for life by Forest, and the 30-year-old also received a 10-year football banning order.

"The video clip proves to me that you were running towards Billy Sharp and that you dodged all the other spectators to get towards him," District Judge Grace Leong explained during sentencing. "I am of the view that it was a targeted act of aggression... even if it was not premeditated. The forceful impact resulted in a very unpleasant injury to Mr. Sharp. You must have seen him fall over but you did not stop to check if he was alright or whether he was seriously injured.

"This is so serious that a custodial sentence must be imposed."

Pitch invasions following end-of-season games and promotion semifinals not held at neutral grounds have become commonplace, but the English Football League declared Wednesday it could soon impose partial and even full stadium closures to discourage supporters from running onto fields of play down the road. 

"It is not acceptable for supporters to enter the field of play at any time given the EFL’s objective is to ensure our matches remain a safe and welcoming one for all," the EFL said in part of a statement. "Therefore, over the summer we will consider what further measures are now at our disposal, including the potential use of capacity reductions or other similar mitigations."

Clubs could be made to play at least one home game behind closed doors following future pitch invasions depending on actions embraced by the EFL this summer. Entering the playing surface is against the law in England, but Biggs had a charge related to that offense dropped.