Zola deputises for the Paras

The sight of a spectator invading the pitch after a penalty award against his team is enough to unnerve any referee. Peter Jones, however, was able to put just such an incident into perspective at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.

Last month Jones was in Kabul, where he refereed the historic match between an Afghan team and one drawn from Allied soldiers. "I drew on that experience to stay calm," he said yesterday. "It was a bit different. On Wednesday, when the police spoke to us before the game, they were warning about crowd problems with spectators throwing coins. In Kabul they were telling us what to do if someone threw a grenade. The instruction was to hit the deck, stay there and someone from the Paras would get you."

The Loughborough official added: "It was a humbling and emotional experience. It made me realise that spectators in this country don't realise how lucky they are. They should stay behind the barrier and enjoy the game.

"The things that happened out there will live with me for ever. I took a mini-disc player to do interviews and record a diary for a local radio station. I was doing an interview about half-an-hour before kick-off and suddenly I heard shooting nearby."

"I didn't really feel threatened on Wednesday. I'm not sure what he was coming on for but he wasn't aggressive. I remember at Newcastle a few years ago Stuart Pearce bear-hugging a guy who was heading for me. That was very scary." On Wednesday it was Gianfranco Zola who intervened and Jones added: "My first reaction was: 'Is he coming for me or going for a player?' I need to compliment Gianfranco for the way he conducted himself. The fella was off the pitch very quickly.

"There will be a report on it because it's disappointing that fans do get on. It only takes one idiot to spoil it for everybody else. Spectators on the field isn't what we want. It only takes one person with some bad intent. People in football know how serious it can be. As a referee, at every Premier League game we feel confident in our security. You might have something in the back of your mind but you use your experience not to over-react."