WEST HAM co-owner David Gold claimed he was the victim of a “vicious and outrageous attack” as he left Villa Park following the club’s 3-0 defeat.
Gold’s Rolls-Royce was stationary outside the King Edward VII pub when two “monsters” flew out and threw a bottle at the windscreen.
Gold, joint owner of Villa rivals Birmingham City before he and David Sullivan left for West Ham, said: “People had been waving and smiling when these two thugs flew at us screaming abuse before unbelievably throwing the bottle which, but for the toughened glass, could have killed my driver Jerry had it penetrated.
“I hope and pray the incident is reported to the local constabulary and these two thugs are caught.
“I have been in this game for 17 years and don’t deserve this. It was the worst and most frightening thing I have experienced in my life.”
The incident added insult to injury after West Ham’s defeat.
Manager Avram Grant said: “I was not pleased with the performance or the result, even though the first Villa goal was clearly offside.
“We didn’t play well, we didn’t pass the ball well.
“We started the second half well but did not take our chances and when they scored again it was the end of the game.
“Villa played sharp and quick, like we planned to do.
“One thing you see in all my teams before is that they react well to a defeat like this. There’s a lot to learn from this game and I am sure the season will look much, much better.”