| Hateland -
Articles |
03/05/02
- Football Riot: 50 Police Injured
Sky News
Up to 50 police officers are now known to have been
hurt in the street battles that followed Thursday night's
Division One football play-off between Millwall and
Birmingham.
Six officers needed hospital treatment and three police
horses, one of which suffered a severed artery, were
badly hurt. The area surrounding the Millwall ground
looked like a warzone in the morning, with cars burnt
out and roads littered with bricks and stones.
Racist gestures
Police said several hundred Millwall fans had left the
club's stadium intent on attacking opposing supporters
after visitors Birmingham City triumphed with a last-minute
goal.
Missiles thrown included bricks, paving stones, flares
and fireworks. Sky Sports presenter Chris Skudder, who
was at the game, said the scenes were among the worst
violence he had seen in 35 years of going to games.
Throughout the match Millwall supporters chanted and
made racist gestures towards Birmingham City fans.
Cars set alight
Most of the Birmingham supporters had travelled by coach
and, as a result of the disorder, were delayed for more
than an hour before they could leave the stadium. After
their 21 coaches had been escorted from the area, around
50 police officers dressed in riot gear escorted about
200 Birmingham City supporters to a nearby Underground
station.
A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said that, of the 36 mounted
police officers on duty at the match, 24 were injured.
She said every member of one 21-strong territorial support
group unit was injured and officers hurt in every other
unit present. Two cars were set alight outside the ground
and the fire brigade held up by running battles in the
roadway.
'Worst in a decade'
Officers eventually cleared the scene and the fires
were put out. The spokeswoman said at least seven people
were arrested, four during the game and three for disorder
after the game. Chief Superintendent Mike Humphrey,
commander for Millwall, said: "This is my seventh
season as Commander for Millwall and this is the worst
yet.
"Sixty people have been arrested over the course
of this season for disorder. "As we have done so
before, we will be using video footage from this evening
to pursue those responsible. "Last night officers
had paving slabs, bricks, fireworks and other missiles
thrown at them - all in the name of football. We have
been filming and we will find those responsible."
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