WATCHING the ugly scenes unfold on Sunday were a shock and I can only echo all that has been said about the thug Paul Mitchell.

The cowardly act of the county man on Sunday, in throwing a punch from behind at Aston Villa player Jack Grealish, has deservedly resulted in him receiving a 14 week jail sentence.

Firstly some context. Yes I am a Birmingham City fan, and I am no way condoning Mitchell's actions - but I must also say there has been a massive overreaction in the aftermath too.

The first point is that all those calling Mitchell a 'fan', - indeed calling the other idiots who ran on pitches over the weekend fans - is totally wrong. Real fans, the majority, go to a sporting occasions and don't run on the pitch. They are able to enjoy a drink, support their team in a heated atmosphere like a derby, go home and have a pint with mates who support rival teams.

Numpties doing criminal acts may associate with themselves with a football club, but don't reflect an entire fanbase.

Which leads me to the social media storm, led by outspoken pundits who criticised Birmingham City as a club. Club officials dealt with the situation well, going further than the courts in giving Mitchell a lifetime ban, and have announced new security measures.

But Alan Shearer said the club should face "a points deduction or playing behind closed doors" with Gary Neville saying the punishment should be: "A points deduction or empty stadium for 10 games."

I suspect this is a classic case of pundits trying to outdo each other in spouting controversial rubbish. Would they have said these things if it had happened at their football clubs, Newcastle United and Manchester United? Of course not.

There have been similar incidents in the past, particularly goalkeeper Chris Kirkland being assaulted on a pitch in 2012. Little was said then.

No one wants to see this going on, but no one seems to have a genuine answer how to stop it. If someone wants to get on the pitch they will. There will be a number of pitch invasions in the coming weeks, as there always is at the end of the season, putting players safety at risk. Do we punish those clubs too for poor security?

If we are not careful we will punish the majority of law abiding fans, including families with kids, who just want to enjoy a football match.