‘Shameful’
Trouble off the pitch mars club’s cup clash:
HEBBURN Town Football Club has apologised after fans reportedly broke out into fights and sang slurs about the Hillsborough Disaster at Saturday’s match with City of Liverpool FC.
A record crowd attended Hebburn’s FA Vase match-up with the Merseyside team, which Hebburn won 4-0.
But trouble blighted the fixture, with Northumbria Police being called to deal with “shameful” scenes. Eyewitnesses say 20 police cars and vans were dispatched to Hebburn Sports & Social Ground to deal with fighting from both sets of supporters, Liverpool Echo reports.
Witnesses say match-goers sang songs about the Hillsborough Disaster at the travelling Liverpudlians. Hillsborough claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool FC fans in 1989. It was followed by a lengthy campaign to bring those responsible to justice. In 2016, an inquest ruled the fans were unlawfully killed, with police failings partly responsible.
One man who attended the match wrote: “My last taste of NL(non-league) Football for a while. Hillsborough chants, clearly underage drunks looking for fights, complete lack of control from the home club. Best of luck to both sides for the rest of the season.”
Another wrote: “Shameful scenes here at Hebburn Town. Locals causing trouble (all young kids) and away fans from City of Liverpool FC getting involved. Bottles and cones thrown.”
After the match, officials from Hebburn Town apologised for the trouble, which the club blamed on a “small minority” of followers, and pledged to review CCTV.
A spokesman said: “We’d like to apologise to all our neighbours and genuine fans who experienced some awful scenes at full time inside & outside the ground.
“Unfortunately a small minority of both home and away fans decided fighting was okay.
“Great game and majority of fans tremendous. The club would like to make it clear that we worked closely with all authorities before today’s game & we tried to ensure the best outcome in terms of spectators.
“Unfortunately, young spectators from both sides decides to engage in inappropriate behaviour...
“We would like to say the vast majority of both sets of fans from both clubs were fantastic and enjoyed the occasion as we wanted it to be a community event.
“We cannot unfortunately account for the minority from both clubs who wanted to spoil it.”
A spokesman for Northumbria Police said: “At around 4.45pm (on Saturday), police were called to a report of disorder at Hebburn Sports Ground in South Tyneside involving a number of football fans. Police attended the venue and subsequently escorted supporters from the ground.
“There are currently no reports of injuries, however, enquiries are continuing and a police presence remains in the area.”