‘Don’t touch me’: Female sports reporter says she was ‘violated’ by rowdy US college football fans during filming (VIDEO)

US sports reporter Lyndsey Gough claimed she was “violated” by college football fans as she attempted to present a piece to camera at the game between Clemson and Georgia at the weekend.

Gough, who is sports director of WTOC 11 in Georgia, shared footage of her attempts to film at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, after Georgia ran out 10-3 winners against their rivals.

“Please don’t touch me,” Gough was seen telling one fan who came up to her at the start of the clip.

Continuing to look pensively into the camera, Gough seemed perturbed as numerous fans shouted and celebrated behind her.

“Please don’t touch my equipment,” she said, before adding: “How long do I have? I’ve gotta move.”

Captioning the clip, Gough wrote: “After the first guy touched me I started rolling... this isn't even all of it. So uncomfortable. Can we please respect people's space.”

In a preceding tweet, Gough had complained: “Got all kinds of violated during my first live hit by fans.”

Gough won support and sympathy from some sections of Twitter. 

“Don’t understand why people think because they see a camera set up they can act irrationally,” said news anchor Zoie Henry.

“This is our job, no one comes to your job invading your space or acting crazy thinking it’s funny.”

But others thought Gough should have foreseen the boisterous scenes, not least as fans were returning to stadiums in large numbers to watch college football.

“This will always happen. What did she expect?” read one response.

“Well when people see a TV camera, they go crazy, it should have been expected,” came another.

“Nobody has a right to touch you, but thinking nobody was going to play to the camera as they exit the game is pretty f*cking stupid,” tweeted actor Bob Clendenin.

“I agree you should not have been touched and people should stay out of your face but why is anyone surprised?” said another.

“It’s a sporting event, a HUGE win, excited people, some had a few too many drinks and you are set up where you are to catch the atmosphere. That’s exactly what you did!”

Sports reporter Jamal Kennedy replied that the fans had “walked into Gough’s workplace” – earning derision from some quarters.

Taking note of the critics, Gough continued to assume the moral high ground, tweeting: “Also I wasn’t even rude lol trolls can beat it.”