British fans fight police

Press, 5 September 1983, Page 20

British fans fight police

NZPA London British soccer hooligans fought the police on Saturday at several matches and four policemen and two fans were injured. The worst violence was at Brighton, where the local team was beaten, 2-1, by Chelsea. Hundreds of Chelsea’s 8000 supporters then invaded the pitch, fighting the police who tried to stop them, and breaking a goal crossbar.

Two policemen, beaten semi-conscious, were carried away on stretchers and two others had severe leg injuries, said ambulancemen. Outside the ground, a London youth was stabbed and a man slashed in the face with a beer glass. Earlier, detectives said a cache of petrol bombs they found behind a central Brighton shopping street was apparently stored in readiness for fights between rival fans.

The Brighton police made 50 arrests and Magistrates fined five fans a total of $2185. The Brighton club’s chairman, Mr Mike Bamber, described the fighting as “absolutely terrifying,’’ and said the hooligans should be jailed for at least five years. Chelsea’s chairman, Mr Ken Bates, called the rowdies “mindless scum.” In north-east - England, Leeds supporters on their way to a match in Middlesbrough stopped off in Darl-

ington and rampaged through the main street. After their team drew, 22, with Middlesbrough, they ripped out several hundred wooden seats in the stadium there, threw the debris at the police, and wrecked a toilet block. The police said they made “many” arrests. Trouble was also reported at Stoke-On-Trent among Manchester United fans whose club beat Stoke City, 1-0. There were 30 arrests, the police said.