Soccer fans brawl by Lodi Grape Bowl
Four injured in Saturday fight during exhibition game
Four people were injured in a fight between rival soccer fans outside the Lodi Grape Bowl on Saturday afternoon during an exhibition game between two teams from Mexico.
One victim was stabbed, according to Lodi Police Sgt. Steve Maynard, and three were treated for head wounds from blunt weapons such as golf clubs and baseball bats.
Approximately 50 people were involved in the altercation, said Sgt. Eric Versteeg, and 30 officers from the Lodi Police Department, California Highway Patrol and San Joaquin Sheriff ’s Department, as well as the Lodi Fire Department and AMR, responded to disperse the gathered fans and treat the wounded.
Witness Anthony Silva, who lives near the Grape Bowl, told FOX 40 that families ran in fear while fans fought one another.
“One of them was split open from the head and he was all bleeding and one of them, the knee was all bleeding,” Silva said. “You see kids — little kids, like 3 or 4 —running away scared. Like, crying and stuff,”
Players from both teams, Club Deportivo Guadalajara — also known as Chivas — and Club América had signed autographs before the game. Following the brawl, ticket sales were halted and no more fans were allowed to enter, although the game continued as scheduled.
The Las Vegas Sun reported a similar altercation between the teams’ fans at Sam Boyd Stadium in July 2013 with six people injured, and ESPN UK reported two riots between the teams’ fans in 1983 and 1986.
“We had no idea that these teams were playing, or that they have a history of violence at their games,” Maynard said. “If we had known, we would have had officers on scene and this never would have happened.”
Kini Sanborn, president of Sanborn Chevrolet who sponsored the game, said she was not aware of the history of violent altercations between the two teams’ fans and that Saturday’s brawl will not affect their decision to sponsor similar events in the future.
“We had an incredibly peaceful event. We had families turn out for it, people came from the Bay Area,” Sanborn said. “The organizers were fantastic. The brought some great talent to our small stage and we stand completely behind them in wanting to have future events.”
Sanborn did not know why Lodi police were not informed of the game, saying it was “well-advertised ahead of time,” and that there are currently no plans to increase security at future games.
“I think we had a really terrific event here, we wouldn’t change a thing. We’re really happy with how it went, it was a great event attended by great people,” Sanborn said.
Maynard said that the majority of witnesses interviewed were from out of town, and asks any local witnesses with video footage of the event to contact Lodi Police Dispatch at 209-333-6727 to help identify perpetrators.