Newshub Europe correspondent Lloyd Burr has responded after he was assaulted while covering England and Croatia's Football World Cup semi-final on Wednesday night (UK time).
Assigned to cover the reaction at a London pub, Burr and his camera crew were a popular addition to the occasion, with England holding an early 1-0 lead.
But that mood changed dramatically as the game progressed and the Croatians took control, equalising late on before snatching an extra-time winner to advance to their first-ever World Cup final.
Burr copped a beer in the face from a disgruntled patron, just as he crossed live to The AM Show.
"It's gone from jubilation to frustration, then anticipation... now it has turned to anger," he said, wiping the beer from his face.
He later tweeted: "First time to Croydon, south London and what an initiation! Apart from the beer in the face (by a drunken Aussie), it was an epic atmosphere to watch a great game."
He said himself and cameraman Simon Morrow were okay following the incident, and thanked everyone for their supportive messages.
Burr has received a wave of support online about the way he handled the situation.
"Very professional recovery," one person wrote on Twitter.
"What professionals. Good to know you guys are ok. Hope it wasn't that warm stuff some drink over there," another user wrote.
Burr explained that after the cross, the pair told the man they were Kiwis.
"And he said 'I'm from Australia'. To be honest, he was so drunk I couldn't even make out his accent," he said.
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Newshub head of broadcast news Richard Sutherland says Lloyd and camera operator Simon Morrow handled themselves with "utmost professionalism".
"Everyone here is relieved that they are okay and it's a tribute to them that they carried on working as if nothing had happened," he said.
"However it's unacceptable that reporting staff attempting to carry out their professional duties should be exposed to such thuggish behaviour.
"Anyone who decides to engage in a criminal assault because they're upset about the result of a sporting fixture needs to take a long hard look at themselves and perhaps reconsider their life choices."
Newshub.
