Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Norwich (2-3 pens)
by Dan Nolan
at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

WHILE Norwich players celebrated with fans after the whistle on Wednesday night, Eric Dier was scaling the home stands of Tottenham to confront one of his.

After scrapping out a dazzling cup game — allegedly something of a dying breed — all the way through to a gripping penalty shootout, football headlines were again seized by off-field acrimony.

And by the time Jose Mourinho appeared for his post-match press conference, a full-blown, social media-fuelled investigation had begun.

Its flawed conclusion appeared to be no mistake. Dier was already being congratulated for tackling the fan who’d supposedly “hurled racist abuse” at Gedson Fernandes — claimed to be the “brother” referenced in various videos of the incident — presumably after the Portuguese prospect’s decisive shootout kick was saved.

It’s a true indictment that this seemed, to reporters and fans, the most plausible explanation. And if that was indeed Dier’s intention, his ferocious response to racism against a teammate must be applauded, no matter what view the FA might take of it.

But Mourinho, on unsettlingly good behaviour, had a different story to tell, opening his answer to the inevitable question by saying: “I think the game was so fantastic. I think it was a real representation of what the FA Cup is and what it has to be.”

As the manager understood it, Dier had relatives in the stands who had taken exception to abuse hurled in the England player’s direction and the midfielder, specifically, had leapt to defend his little brother.

Describing the section’s “privileged position,” right near players walking down the tunnel, Mourinho even called into question whether the fan in question — sat where you’d expect “a lot of corporations, a lot of invitations, a lot of people with some special status” — was a Spurs supporter at all.

“I think Eric Dier did something that we as professionals can not do,” he said conclusively, “but in these circumstances I think every one of us would do.”

Whatever confusion remains about Dier’s intentions, a statement or two — and, no doubt, some formal investigations — will clear up for good.

But the incident should remind those who’d hurl abuse at players that the line between detached professional and 26-year-old defending his family is very thin, much thinner than the marketing and TV screen would have you believe.

And given the impunity that can usually be found in a crowd of over 58,000, that the fan in question tried to scamper away when they saw Dier coming shows how little response was expected to whatever abuse may have been given.

Don’t forget the on-field sparring — a generational battle summed up by the exuberant penalty of young Troy Parrott, saved by mature Norwich stopper Tim Krul, the latter consulting tactics sagely written on his water bottle as he went.

But if a parable against hatred — of whatever kind — surrounding a sport’s field of play was ever needed, football surely needed it now.