Police say they are received no reports of injuries or stabbings following Saturday’s draw against Middlesborough despite claims on social media that a Boro fan had been stabbed and a video which was claimed showed a knive in the hands of a young West Ham fan.
An eyewitness subsequently told the Middlesborough Gazette how she watched in horror as a Boro fan was stabbed during post-match violence at West Ham.The eyewitness claimed that a fan was stabbed in the leg, and a video, filmed by Boro supporters.
Julie Henry, from Marton, said: “They stabbed someone in front of me. Stewards came and laid him on this bench and the blood was just pouring out of him.There was an open wound in his left leg. He was about 55 years old and was just laid there.A little boy was hiding under the bus, he was that scared. I’ve been going to Boro games all over the world since 1968 and I’ve never seen anything like that.”
Metropolitan Police said they had no reports of any injuries. Of the three arrested, two were on suspicion of affray, with one suspected of possessing an offensive weapon. The third was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer.
It is not yet known if those arrested are Boro or West Ham supporters.
Coach driver Gary Buxton, who drove one of the club’s official coaches to the Olympic Stadium, said: “As soon as they scored there were bottles of beer being thrown into the crowd.We didn’t see a police presence at all. I’ve never seen anything like that in my life, and I’ve been going for 30 years. About 70-80 supporters were taking refuge in our bus.”
Another fan, Matthew Cooke, was hit in the head with a two pound coin. He said: “It was absolute bedlam. After the match, outside the away end, there were fans being kept back by stewards.There were kids crying and women screaming.Once the police turned up, it had stopped.”
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “Three men have been bailed pending further enquiries following their arrests in connection with a disturbance outside the ground following the West Ham and Middlesbrough match on Saturday 1 October.”
A 26-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of affray has been bailed. A 49-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of affray and possessing an offensive weapon has also been bailed.
A 47-year-old man, who was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer, has been bailed.
A Middlesborough club spokesman said: “We are disappointed to hear of the allegations concerned with events during and after yesterday’s game.As a club we will support and cooperate fully with any subsequent investigations.”
I am a fan and season ticket holder of some 55 years, having experienced the full range of issues inside and outside grounds from a number of “perspectives”.
The price cut notwithstanding, West Ham went from a 36k capacity ground to 57k+ in an all-purpose ground barely fit-for-purpose.
My actual point is that, at a stroke, 20k+ fans suddenly appeared, as if by magic.
Having experienced infiltration, first-hand, I would suggest that a number of the new fans do not support West Ham and/or are not football fans at all.
In my opinion, the owners’ (and their Lady’s) desire to mistakenly believe THEY could be one of the ‘big boys’ has done nothing but exacerbate the farcical situation we experience on and off the pitch.
Should be arresting politicians and local bureaucrats, not drunken northerners on a day trip.
4ff mentions it above and I have to agree with him. The desire to sells season tickets and the farcical +2 situation has led to an influx of all different types of supporters. There is no doubt in my mind that there are many non West Ham fans with seasons tickets for the Olympic stadium and lots of young thugs with no interest in the club who have been able to get a season ticket for next to nothing. I’m not laying the blame on this totally but it is most definitely a contributing factor. It seems obvious to me that there is a lot of jealously regarding us get the LS amd what better way for an idiot to make a point then to get a ticket and cause a scene.
The club have an issue here and should start researching who has a season ticket to the LS. A little search on social media will no doubt find several who openly support a different club. They should then have their tickets rescinded and sold to genuine West Ham fans.
It would be dead simple to identify non supporters through social media.
I could actually do this for the club! How about a recommendation Hugh
‘showed a knive in the hands’. How many knives? One? That will be KNIFE then. How come, when your own ‘comments’ facility includes a S-P-E-L-L C-H-E-C-K-E-R you still get it wrong so many times? Don’t be ashamed of being dyslexic (my son’s dyslexic) – just try harder – pleeeeeeeeze.
Here he is, telboy for his weekly moan & English lesson.
We are talking about a possible stabbing and a fan with potential life threatening injuries and Telboy wants to discuss spelling mistakes. Oh yeah Tel. Glad to see you have your priorities right.
You know how it is on here 66,if we dont get a troll a day something is wrong in the world 😀