Whoever agreed to schedule Aston Villa’s FA Cup quarter-final with West Bromwich Albion at 5.30 on a Saturday evening showed a dangerous lack of foresight. It seems nobody at the Football Association, the BBC, the clubs or West Midlands Police seriously considered that trouble might follow a day off work when fans of the two local rivals had all afternoon to drink. That miscalculation contributed significantly to scenes described by several former players as from the 1970s — pitch invasions, seats ripped out and used as weapons, players barged and forced to fight their way to the sanctuary of the dressing rooms. Police clash with unruly fans in  scenes reminiscent of the  of the 1970s following Aston Villa's FA Cup defeat of West Brom . West Brom players look concerned as Aston Villa fans invade the pitch at the end of their FA Cup quarter final . Aston Villa fans celebrate by racing on to the pitch following their 2-0 victory over West Brom at Villa Park . Fans of both Villa and West Brom behaved irresponsibly and have been condemned by their own clubs. Action will follow. But it is clear questions need to be asked about the way matches that carry the potential to be ‘tasty’, as Tony Pulis described this fixture, are arranged. In the past, police have insisted derbies kick off early in the day. In this instance, the local force claim it was out of their hands, with the decision down to the FA. Sources at English football’s governing body say scheduling is a collaborative effort, including police guidance. The wishes of broadcasters play a huge part and evening slots are good for ratings. It is the reason some Arsenal fans will find it impossible to get back to London from Manchester by train. Insufficient numbers of police and stewards attempted to deal with the hundreds who invaded the field of play . Police attempt to halt fans who ran on to the pitch after Aston Villa booked their place in the semi-finals . Villa fans leap over hoardings at the final whistle - while the decision to stage the game at 5.30pm is being questioned . But the BBC, who reportedly paid up to £120million for the rights to show the world’s oldest competition over four years, declined to accept responsibility. A spokesman said: ‘Both West Brom and Villa, along with the police, agreed to the kick-off time and raised no objections.’ If this was a ball rather than the buck, Villa boss Tim Sherwood would be pleased at how quickly it was being passed. Following the match, the national lead officer for football policing appeared on BBC Radio 5Live, and he questioned the decision to play the match on a weekend evening. 'Saturday night football is here to stay, we appreciate that, Friday night football is due to be coming in,' he said. West Brom manager had described the Midlands derby fixture as 'tasty' ahead of the game . West Brom goalkeeper Boaz Myhill is mocked by an Aston Villa fan following the home side's second goal . 'When you have these fixtures you have to be careful about which ones you play. All games have potential (for crowd trouble) but clearly some games have more potential than others. 'They are big clubs, not clubs that particularly have a troublesome following but when you have that sort of fixture, late on a weekend in particular, alcohol is a factor. 'If you give people four, five, six hours more drinking time, don't be surprised if in a highly-charged atmosphere, their behaviour isn't good. 'Broadcasters as well as the football authorities need to start taking these issues seriously. 'What we want is a sensible dialogue so that we schedule the game appropriately. If you look at the four games for the FA Cup quarter-finals this week, you couldn't probably have picked a worse one to have on a Saturday tea-time than a local derby between two big clubs.' The West Brom goalkeeper attempts to make his way safely off the field following the full-time whistle . Scorer Scott Sinclair (second left) is mobbed by a fan and team-mates Ashley Westwood and Jack Grealish . Fans sing and chant on the pitch following Aston Villa's win during what has been a disappointing season . West Brom sources suggested the kick-off time did cause concern but no formal objection was made. Similar timings have been used before for derbies but with 6,500 West Brom fans travelling across town on Saturday — significantly more than usual — the risk of trouble was surely increased. Villa face the prospect of a fine in the region of £100,000 for failing to adequately control hundreds of fans who ran on to the pitch before referee Anthony Taylor blew for full-time. The top-end punishment would be a partial stadium closure. The FA have launched an investigation and will ask why only a dozen or so stewards were at the Holte End corner where Villa fans burst on to the pitch, causing a two-minute delay. There had been invasions after both goals and the final 60 seconds were played out with a mass of people congregated on the sidelines. Thousands spilled on when Villa’s win was confirmed. Many were in a celebratory mood, wishing to hug their players, even if first goalscorer Fabian Delph was inadvertently bitten by fans overly eager to plant a kiss. On this basis, pitch invasions have been previously celebrated. But there was a sinister undercurrent too. Many wanted to goad beaten opponents. Albion goalkeeper Boaz Myhill was repeatedly shoved in a confrontational manner. A group encircled him, filming on their mobiles. He picked one phone up and chucked it away. Aston Villa players Leandro Bacuna (centre) and Jack Grealish (right) are mobbed by fans after the game . Goalscorer Fabian Delph claims fans nicked his captain's armband as well as his left boot during the invasion . West Brom forward Callum McManaman is escorted off the field after a row with an Aston Villa fan . Callum McManaman had to be shepherded to safety after an altercation with a Villa fan left him shaken, while sub keeper Ben Foster had a finger pushed in his face. Even those who feel pitch invasions can joyously mark a momentous occasion must recognise the inherent danger of Saturday night. During the 93rd-minute surge those who remained in their seats booed loudly. Former Villa striker Stan Collymore said on talkSport: ‘Absolute disgrace, drunken yobs besmirching the name of Villa.’ Mark Lawrenson, commentating on the BBC, said: ‘There are not enough stewards at the Holte End. There are about 15. It’s like a scene from the 1980s all over again.’ An Aston Villa supporter is escorted off by stewards after invading the pitch before full time . Sinclair is crowded by Aston Villa supporters after scoring his goal in the 2-0 victory . There appeared to be almost three times as many stewards at the other end, forming a line in front of the North Stand housing West Brom fans above those supporting Villa. Those seating arrangements have been questioned after one fan was left with a bloody wound when a seat ripped from the tier above hit him on the head. Kevin Phillips, who played for both clubs, said: ‘Seeing those seats come down, it could kill someone. Those people should be found and banned.’ A West Brom statement read: ‘The club is aware of reports of serious misbehaviour involving some of its own supporters. It issues an uncompromising reminder that any supporter found guilty of disorder can expect the appropriate sanction from the club. We will continue to operate zero tolerance to any fans who bring the club’s reputation into disrepute.’ Privately, West Brom were perplexed about the seating arrangements. A match against fierce rivals from across town, finishing as night descended, was always going to carry an edge. Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood admitted he could understand the fans' emotions after the victory . The pitch at Villa Park can barely be seen s supporters cover practically every blade of grass . Also of concern will be coins thrown at Craig Gardner as he took corners. West Brom chairman Jeremy Peace is said to have left Villa Park in a rage. No injuries have been reported to West Midlands Police, who said 17 arrests had been made for public order as well as drunk and disorderly offences. Chief Superintendent Chris Johnson said a probe had also been launched to identify people involved in a disturbance before the match at the Witton Arms pub, down the road from Villa Park. Stadium CCTV will be studied as will any footage obtained from the police helicopter. But those investigating should look at themselves. Aston Villa fans celebrate victory on the pitch after what has been a highlight of a lacklustre season . Aston Villa supporter Mark Villers needed his hair cut and wound glued together on Saturday night .
Aston Villa moved into the FA Cup semi-finals with a 2-0 defeat of West Brom at Villa Park on Saturday . Villa and Baggies fans behaved irresponsibly by invading the pitch, ripping out seats and abusing players . The BBC has declined to accept responsibility for the 5.30pm kick-off time, which was agreed by both clubs . The FA has questioned why there were so few stewards at the Holte End when Villa fans invaded . Villa face the prospect of a fine in the region of £100,000 for failing to adequately control hundreds of fans . Goal scorer Fabian Delph claims he lost a boot and was bitten during the chaotic scenes .