Trevor Brennan and the Ulster rugby fan

Toulouse player Trevor Brennan is facing a lengthy ban after an alleged assault on an Ulster supporter during the Heineken Cup between Toulouse and Ulster in France.

Brennan was warming up as a replacement shortly before he appeared to land a number of punches on the Ulster fan in the stand.

The Ulster supporter struck in the incident is understood to be London-based Ulsterman Patrick Bamford.

I saw at least half a dozen if not more punches using both fists, being rained down on this Ulster supporter, claimed BBC journalist Julian Fowler

Trevor Brennan runs a popular bar in Toulouse and eyewitness, BBC the north of Ireland journalist Fowler said that a number of fans had made disparaging comments about the Irishman's premises.

"A number of the Ulster supporters started to chant, 'Your pub's a load of rubbish'. 'Rubbish' wasn't exactly the word they used but it wasn't that much more offensive that that, He (Trevor Brennan) turned towards the crowd and climbed over a barrier and walked up the steps towards the eighth row where this fan was sitting. There was a sustained, repeated attack and I saw at least half a dozen if not more punches using both fists, being rained down on this Ulster supporter. The supporter was just a young fellow with a group of friends and I wouldn't have said that he was in any way drunk or aggressive."

The BBC reporter added that the incident had left the supporter's face bloodied and swollen. The fan told me that he had made a statement to police after the game but he wasn't sure last night what if any action he was going to take

"I also spoke to him at the airport six hours after the incident and he said that he was still in a state of shock. He didn't know why he had been singled out. He watched Brennan comes towards him and he actually thought he was going to shake his hand. The fan told me that he had made a statement to (French) police after the game but he wasn't sure last night what if any action he was going to take because he was still in a state of shock."

After coming on Trevor Brennan and Justin Harrison of Ulster were sin-binned, the incident had the Ulster coach Mark McCall insisting after that Brennan should have been given a straight red card. Coach McCall confirmed: "We will be lodging a complaint against Trevor Brennan for what he did to our player. "We are very lucky Justin has not got something seriously wrong with him."

Toulouse won the match 28-13

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Trevor Brennan and the Ulster rugby fan