Post by saturdaysheros on Sept 4, 2006 0:46:05 GMT -5
A black day for Blackpool
FOOTBALL supporters clashed on a "black day for Blackpool".
Followers of Nottingham Forest, Leicester, Stoke City, Derby County and Blackpool were today blamed for a day of violence which swept through the town.
Large-scale brawls - with up to 200 thugs seen fighting outside one pub - broke out before and after Saturday's League One clash between the Seasiders and Nottingham Forest.
Police were forced to track gangs of rival supporters through the town in an evening described by one pub boss as "the worst in many years."
The trouble included:
* Supporters from both teams split by police after fighting outside The Castle, on Central Drive, before the match.
* Drunken Forest fans were ejected from the game by police.
* Mounted police had to separate groups as they clashed on the streets around the ground.
* Windows were smashed and furniture wrecked at The Swift Hound, on Rigby Road.
* Hours after the final whistle, trouble erupted between louts and a group of soldiers in Brannigans, on The Promenade.
* The Counting House, on Talbot Square, is engulfed by "mayhem" as drunken fighting continues.
Police were forced to boost the number of officers on the streets and specialist "spotters" as tempers spilled over into violence in what police believe was an organised meet up by hooligans.
One Forest fan was sprayed with CS gas in a flash of violence.
Cahoots boss Dave Daly said: "It was just terrible. It was a black day for Blackpool. They were running amok from 1pm causing trouble everywhere they went. There were police chasing gangs of supporters through the pubs."
Carl Woodthingy, at The Castle, said around 180 fans were fighting in and outside the pub.
He said: "We had to close the pub down. It is very, very rare that anything like this happens."
Darren Roberts, of The Counting House in Talbot Square, said: "It was mayhem and it came out of the blue. There was trouble all night and towards closing time the pub was trashed."
Hundreds of Nottingham Forest fans had travelled to Blackpool without tickets for the game, which was marred by trouble inside and outside the stadium.
Det Chief Insp Pete O'Dwyer, of Blackpool, said: "Incidents were mainly controlled with extra mounted police and support officers. There were about 20 ejections from the ground."
06 February 2006
FOOTBALL supporters clashed on a "black day for Blackpool".
Followers of Nottingham Forest, Leicester, Stoke City, Derby County and Blackpool were today blamed for a day of violence which swept through the town.
Large-scale brawls - with up to 200 thugs seen fighting outside one pub - broke out before and after Saturday's League One clash between the Seasiders and Nottingham Forest.
Police were forced to track gangs of rival supporters through the town in an evening described by one pub boss as "the worst in many years."
The trouble included:
* Supporters from both teams split by police after fighting outside The Castle, on Central Drive, before the match.
* Drunken Forest fans were ejected from the game by police.
* Mounted police had to separate groups as they clashed on the streets around the ground.
* Windows were smashed and furniture wrecked at The Swift Hound, on Rigby Road.
* Hours after the final whistle, trouble erupted between louts and a group of soldiers in Brannigans, on The Promenade.
* The Counting House, on Talbot Square, is engulfed by "mayhem" as drunken fighting continues.
Police were forced to boost the number of officers on the streets and specialist "spotters" as tempers spilled over into violence in what police believe was an organised meet up by hooligans.
One Forest fan was sprayed with CS gas in a flash of violence.
Cahoots boss Dave Daly said: "It was just terrible. It was a black day for Blackpool. They were running amok from 1pm causing trouble everywhere they went. There were police chasing gangs of supporters through the pubs."
Carl Woodthingy, at The Castle, said around 180 fans were fighting in and outside the pub.
He said: "We had to close the pub down. It is very, very rare that anything like this happens."
Darren Roberts, of The Counting House in Talbot Square, said: "It was mayhem and it came out of the blue. There was trouble all night and towards closing time the pub was trashed."
Hundreds of Nottingham Forest fans had travelled to Blackpool without tickets for the game, which was marred by trouble inside and outside the stadium.
Det Chief Insp Pete O'Dwyer, of Blackpool, said: "Incidents were mainly controlled with extra mounted police and support officers. There were about 20 ejections from the ground."
06 February 2006