Mark Noble's Ugly Clash With Fan 'Highly Unlikely' to Lead to Retrospective Action

Mark Noble is 'highly unlikely' to be hit with a retrospective punishment following his clash with a fan during West Ham's 3-0 defeat to Burnley on Saturday.

It was just part of a troublesome afternoon for West Ham, with fans descending into anarchy in the stands and running onto the pitch numerous times. 

Captain Noble took matters into his own hands, man-handling a fan who had come onto the pitch to confront him. Many thought this would lead to some kind of punishment for the midfielder, but The Daily Mail has reported that he will not face retrospective action.

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Referee Lee Mason witnessed the incident and made the decision to take no action so Noble will not face any punishment. 

When speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Noble defended his actions, saying: ''People have got to realise we are footballers and we are targets, but we have got to protect ourselves.

''Obviously there were a number of fans that got on the pitch and a lot of them were running over to where the chairmen were sat. But if someone approaches me personally, I'm going to protect myself, for sure.''

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West Ham will be hoping the fan trouble does not impact their league form in what is a vital last few games of the season. The Hammer currently sit 16th in the table, just three points from the relegation zone and face a tough run in.

In their last eight games, West Ham have to play four of the top six and will need the fans full support if they are to avoid relegation to the Championship.