CUP TIE RIOT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17028, 30 April 1923, Page 9

CUP TIE RIOT.

CARRIERS BROKEN BY CROWD. A THOUSAND INJURED. Telegraph—Preas Association—Copyright Australian and N.3S. Cable A«onaiioi;. LONDON, April 2h. Oue of the most sensational scenes i;. the history of Cup T’imths was u itnttsaed at Wembley, where 80110-i \\ anclerers heat West. Ham United by two j£«.»ai> to nil Thousand*; broke through the gates and jumped the rads •su arming over the jiiteh, until the v hole green was covered, and it was impassible to commence the game on Mounted police were summoned to the ground to aid the helpless foot police, who were overwhelmed by tlio huge mobs. .\t three o'clock forty thousand were thousand* broke in without paying. The first indication of trouble was v. lion the turnstiles were closed at twe o'clock and the crowd forced through the main staff entrance. Simultaneously, thoee inside lea pec tiie rails and swarmed over the pitch. The ground was soon covered by twenty thousand people. The police gallantly

Once the situation was so alarming that bolstered revolvers were handed round among the police. The mobs rushed pell-mell all ovei* the ground, and pandemonium reigned. Scores of women and girls fainted and linally, the politre were, compelled Lc give up the unequal struggle. The crowd thereupon took charge. The King arrived at three o’clock, and was greeted with a deafening roar and an amazing outburst of the crowd of 200.000 singing the National Anthem. When large bodies of mounted men rode on to the ground, the crowd was ti actually forced off. ft is estimated that two hundred cases wer© attended by ambulance men. The ambulances were requisitioned to hi.ndle the injured, and stretchers were continually being carried off the play rng Held. At 3.10 o’clock the teams took the field and endeavoured to persuade tjie crowd to withdraw, hut it was not until •> -10 that the ground was sufficiently ck-ared to allow the game to commence. Ton minutes inter the gnmo had to be stopped for twelve minutes owing to further rushes of people breaking in r.t the gates. An official statement by the Controller's office says that the turnstiles were dosed after GO.OOO had passed through, although there was standing room for 90.000. It it estimated ‘that 30,000 with tickets were unable to enter, and that 200,000 were on the ground altogether. First aid dealt with one thousand cases, including a number of broken legs and serious eye injuries. Sixty were sent to hospital. A number of women were badly crushed against the railings, and one is unlikely to recover. The stadium authorities’ explanation is that an inspection was made at 1.30, when the standing accommodation waa found nearly full, so orders were given to close all the gates. Thousands continued to arrive in mass round the entrances. Police reinforcements were summoned, but the crowd broke through the barriers at 2.15. From then *until the King's arrival it is estimated that 100.000 got through without payment. The total of those who paid or who broke the barriers is estimated ,to exceed 200.000. Mr Wall, secretary of the Football Association, assures the public that the arrangements wore not in their hands, apd he will not accept l responsibility. The previous record attendance for n football match in England was 127.307. at the International between England and Scotland at Hampden Park on March 23, 1912. The largest gate receipts were £13.414 at the Cup Final at Stamford Bridge on April 23, 1921.