Cops had received thug alert
POLICE had been tipped off about violent Hannover Ultras, before they turned Turf Moor into a battleground.
Burnley’s so-called friendly on Saturday was abandoned at half-time after Hannover fans – armed with knives and missiles – attempted to attack home supporters.
On police advice, the game was called off at the break by referee Chris Kavanagh.
Some Hannover fans were involved in ugly skirmishes with Union Berlin supporters in April, and it was known in Germany a group of ultras was travelling to England to cause trouble at Burnley.
That news was passed on to Lancashire police who reacted by increasing their officer numbers, at what originally had been deemed a low-profile friendly.
Chris Bithell, of Lancashire Police, said: “The disorder we saw has no place in football.”
Despite being tipped off, police were surprised by the ferocity of the violence, which occurred just before the interval after the Clarets had gone 1-0 up. One officer was knocked unconscious while a steward suffered a dislocated shoulder.