Hooligan central in HULL
 

Lincolnshire Echo
VIOLENT RAMPAGE WHICH BROUGHT SHAME ON CLUB


10:30 - 01 March 2004

Thousands of football fans flooded into the centre of Lincoln to enjoy a game on Saturday - but their day was marred by violence which left the inside of a hotel in tatters. Lucy Hawkins reports on the day.

Police were prepared for the worst when football supporters began to arrive for the big match.

A total of 7,069 Hull City and Lincoln City fans attended the teams' Third Division fixture.

And Lincolnshire Police, concerned about potential violence between the two sides, designated the match Category C. This put officers in attendance on the force's highest level of alert.

Intelligence officers from Humberside Police joined the operation, as did a mounted section from Nottinghamshire Police. British Transport Police were also on standby.

Tensions between fans of both clubs had been running high for months.

Hull City fans ambushed a train carrying Lincoln supporters as it arrived in Hull's Paragon Station last season, throwing bricks and bottles at carriages.

Only a rapid police response prevented further trouble.

Last season more Lincoln fans were arrested than at any other club in the Third Division.

Lincoln City chairman Rob Bradley was "saddened" by the events of Saturday afternoon, which ended in 74 arrests when a group of Hull "supporters" without tickets rioted after they were locked in the Barbican Hotel.

"The club will be investigating for any problems. It is just unbelievable and beggars belief that in this day and age people can behave like that.

"The irony is that it is now very safe inside the ground. It's just a small minority causing trouble outside and sadly this is still linked to football."

The owner of the Sun Cafe in Lincoln's St Marys Street, Nimali Jayasuriya, witnessed the events of Saturday.

"I couldn't believe it," she said. "At first we didn't know what was going on.

"We saw the fans all escorted through the city as normal but later there were police everywhere around the Barbican.

"There must have been 200 officers in the street.

"We were told to stay inside and we watched them bring out the staff at around 5pm.

"This is the sort of thing you expect to see on the television - not on the streets of Lincoln."

Lincolnshire Police intelligence manager Detective Inspector Simon Craft said: "The difficulty is that a lot of these violent groups just attach themselves to football clubs.

"The vast majority of fans are always very well behaved.

"The main thing is that no-one was hurt and that the violence was away from the people and families going about their business in the town."

I know it happens in football, but none the less, still disgraceful.

Its only because Hull are seriously doing backwards anyway.

There was trouble in Bristol saturday night. Bolton, Middlesbrough, Bristol city and Cardiff were all about.

Bolton and Middlesborough fans behaved well, there wasn't a single arrest, and considering there was 72,000 people there that is damn good.

Because they were fighting saturday night.

I blame Junior Lewis.

Yeah Bristol City, Rovers, Middlesbrough, Bolton and Cardiff fans basically all went into the Bristol city centre on Saturday night and kicked the shit out of eachother.

Just send Millwall up there they will deal with it.

:lol: they wish.

Maybe if it was at millwall

It's an unfortunate part of football world wide. England has lifted their game in recent times and cleaned up their act but for some countries it's still the same fucking shit.

I know this isn't football related, but did anyone see the brawls in the basketball a few days ago between PAOK Salonika and Red Star Belgrade in Belgrade?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16rMxwQ6bQk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVKjeroJiBs

:eek: :eek:

Lol bet the cardiff fans gave them a good hiding after today.

Unlike on the pitch you mean??

Wins against Leeds and Leicester in the next two games will see us towards saftey

Yeah.

Duh.

Probably cos Hull is a dump and they are all angry.