Since when has a bit of provocative chanting been against the law and a commensurate reaction being a beating with a baton?
AN EVERTON FC supporters’ group lodged an official complaint with Leeds United after seven people were arrested at the Blues’ away game this week.
West Yorkshire police clashed with some fans chanting “police murderers” and “justice for the 96” after Everton’s 2-1 defeat to Leeds in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday night.
Supporters claimed batons and truncheons were used against them by police and many have made official complaints to Leeds United FC over poor crowd management after the game.
James Lyon, of Rice Lane Supporters’ Club, said the group as a whole had lodged a complaint and many of its members had raised individual grievances.
He told the ECHO: “Many fans were not happy with the way things were managed. We have lodged a complaint with Leeds, who I believe will also have to inform the relevant police force.”
Police claimed that “what trouble occurred was isolated and attributable to the actions of a small minority of visiting supporters numbering no more than 50” who “chanted provocatively” at officers.
In a statement the force claimed a number of smoke bombs were let off in the West stand during the match, which led to the arrest of a man for public order offences.
It said a small group of fans gathered in the West Stand car park after the match and “chanted provocatively” among “a congested crowd that were dispersing in an orderly manner”.
But one fan, who asked not to be named, said trouble arose when police tried to usher Everton supporters up a flight of steps after the match.
He said: “It was a bottleneck and there was not enough room for everyone to go up, so people started turning back.
“Officers than started shouting at people to move and some of the fans started shouting back, saying ‘you killed our mates’.
“It was just really poor management on the part of the police.”
In total seven people were arrested. West Yorkshire police said they were now looking at footage to see if they could bring football banning orders.
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