Fans clash in city centre
Shoppers looked on in
horror as rival football 'fans' clashed in Chester city
centre – resulting in hundreds of pounds worth of
damage to pubs.
Trouble erupted between Chester City FC 'fans' and Hereford United 'supporters' before Saturday’s match among hundreds of shoppers.
Fights both inside and outside bars had the police and publicans on red-alert from about 11am.
Pubs in Watergate, Frodsham, Bridge and Brook Street were all targeted, one pub owner saying the bloody barroom brawls were disgusting and a poor advertisement for the city.
The police also urged landlords to lock their doors after the match and maintained a high police presence in the city centre to deter fans of both clubs from causing any further serious trouble.
Officers attended the match in an attempt to diffuse any further violence inside the ground.
A police spokesman said: “We were keeping an eye on both groups and constantly monitoring the supporters on CCTV, but after the initial incidents, the behaviour from both sides was generally acceptable.
“Police officers also walked fans to the train station and stayed until the final train had left to ensure there were no serious confrontations after the game.”
Jean Summerhill of the Ye Olde Cottage Inn, in Brook Street, said: “We locked our doors just before 5pm. There were some football supporters who hadn’t gone to the match in here drinking, but all was pretty quiet,” she said.
“Then we heard some mobile phones going off and in a matter of seconds we had a brick come through the window and the lads drinking heading outside to join in.”
Detectives are appealing for witnesses to the incidents to come forward. Contact Detective Constable Paul Evans at Chester CID on 01244 613134 or the anonymous Crimestoppers hotline on 0800 555 111.
Trouble erupted between Chester City FC 'fans' and Hereford United 'supporters' before Saturday’s match among hundreds of shoppers.
Fights both inside and outside bars had the police and publicans on red-alert from about 11am.
Pubs in Watergate, Frodsham, Bridge and Brook Street were all targeted, one pub owner saying the bloody barroom brawls were disgusting and a poor advertisement for the city.
The police also urged landlords to lock their doors after the match and maintained a high police presence in the city centre to deter fans of both clubs from causing any further serious trouble.
Officers attended the match in an attempt to diffuse any further violence inside the ground.
A police spokesman said: “We were keeping an eye on both groups and constantly monitoring the supporters on CCTV, but after the initial incidents, the behaviour from both sides was generally acceptable.
“Police officers also walked fans to the train station and stayed until the final train had left to ensure there were no serious confrontations after the game.”
Jean Summerhill of the Ye Olde Cottage Inn, in Brook Street, said: “We locked our doors just before 5pm. There were some football supporters who hadn’t gone to the match in here drinking, but all was pretty quiet,” she said.
“Then we heard some mobile phones going off and in a matter of seconds we had a brick come through the window and the lads drinking heading outside to join in.”
Detectives are appealing for witnesses to the incidents to come forward. Contact Detective Constable Paul Evans at Chester CID on 01244 613134 or the anonymous Crimestoppers hotline on 0800 555 111.