Birmingham councillors could be axed from key safety roles at sports grounds following the Jack Grealish attack to reduce their legal accountability.
Currently, city councillors chair safety advisory groups (SAGS) at Birmingham City and Aston Villa football clubs as well as Warwickshire County Cricket Club in Edgbaston .
But it is feared the position is too 'technical' and requires a safety expert.
The concerns have been amplified after Blues fan Paul Mitchell, aged 27, from Rubery, invaded the pitch during the second city derby at St Andrew's on Sunday and punched the Villa captain from behind.
He has since been jailed for 14 weeks while Birmingham City has been charged by the Football Association for failing to control spectators.
Earlier this week Cllr Barbara Dring (Lab, Oscott), chair of the Licensing and Public Protection Committee, said: "There are some legalities over whether elected members should be chairing those SAGS because of the liabilities that go with the chairing position."
Chris Neville, acting director of regulation and enforcement at the council, explained that the move was ultimately about making councillors less 'accountable'.
He said: "It boils down to the fact that we are putting elected members into a role which is actually a very technical role, around the safety of sports grounds and we need to make sure that we are not putting them at risk really.
"Although the incident that happened on Sunday was unwelcome, nobody lost their life.
"If something dreadful happened, as the chair of the safety at sports ground advisory group that person might be held accountable for that and the council wants to ensure that a) elected members aren't put in that situation and b) that the sports grounds advisory groups are chaired by people who have got the technical expertise."
The move has not been approved at this stage and will be subject to a further report, with legal advice, due to come to the next committee meeting.
If councillors are removed as chairs it is still likely they will still remain on the SAGS which also include representatives from other emergency authorities.
Cllr Mike Leddy (Lab, Brandwood and Kings Heath), who is chair of the Aston Villa SAG, criticised the proposal.
He said: "I think that the removal of councillors from that position, a position that is independent of everybody else, is a retrograde step."
Cllr Majid Mahmood (Lab, Bromford and Hodge Hill), who has been chair of the cricket club SAG for more than five years, stated he would object to being removed.
He said: "We have a really good relationship at the cricket club and we have made a number of changes around things like traffic management and resident liaison.
"I would be disappointed if the council decided we could no longer be on the SAGS, in fact I would object.
"As primary stakeholders in the city it helps to have that platform to have a conversation about things.
"We have been chairing them for a number of years why change now?
"The usual public complaint is who they have to contact in the council about football grounds or the cricket ground, as chairs of those groups we are the point of contact."
