‘Villa fans are over there’: Micah Richards shares fight that nearly broke out with Leeds fan

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Micah Richards told Match of the Day’s Top 10 Podcast that a fight nearly broke out between himself and a Leeds fan at Elland Road because he was seemingly seen ‘cheering’ for Aston Villa.

The TV pundit is making reference to him watching Leeds vs Aston Villa in the Championship when he was still with the Midlands side.

When Richards wasn’t selected in Villa’s matchday squad, the Yorkshire-born defender decided to sit with the Leeds fans to watch the game, alongside then-Villa manager’s son, Alex Bruce.

At one moment during the match, Richards shared that he ‘clapped’ a shot Villa had, which annoyed a fellow Leeds supporter.

It resulted in both coming face-to-face, as Richards shared in full what went down on that day.

“I am from Leeds, we were playing away and Villa v Leeds, trying to come up from the Championship and there was a bit of a rivalry,” said Richards. “I have gone to watch the game but I am in the Leeds end.

“Villa have had a shot and I must have just clapped my hands. I didn’t go cheering or anything. Then some guy next to me says ‘what you doing in here fella’. I said ‘what are you on about I am watching the game’. He said ‘why are you cheering for Aston Villa. The Villa fans are over there mate’.

I said ‘you what?’. He didn’t know I played for Villa. He then said ‘you here now, come round here’. He doesn’t know I am from Chapeltown in Leeds. We can handle ourselves. At the same time, I have to be professional.

“So, I was with Steve Bruce’s son, Alex Bruce, and he was sat behind me and was saying ‘calm down’. Then the fella stands up. If someone stands up then you have to stand up as well, so I stand up. He didn’t try to hit me but he comes to my face. I am thinking ‘if I fight here then I am going to get into trouble’, so I left it.

“But after I said ‘me and you outside, no camera, no nothing’. And he **** himself. That’s the only experience I have from Elland Road.”

Richards is more than likely making reference to Villa’s trip to Elland Road in 2016 (their first season in the Championship) when they lost 2-0.

Or one year later when Henri Lansbury came off the bench to help his side record a 1-1 draw.

Those were the two occasions Bruce was in charge of Villa, with Dean Smith being in charge of that infamous game that resulted in Leeds handing the away side an uncontested goal.