MAYHEM IN MANCHESTER PART II
TEN RIOT VANS, A BATTALION OF OFFICERS AND A MOB OF ANGRY PROTESTERS...
AN URGENT order went out for reinforcements and more riot police rushed to the front line. ‘Show of strength,’ shouted the commanding officer. ‘Draw batons.’
A mob of several hundred protesters had massed just yards away, having left the plaza in front of Old trafford where trouble erupted 11 days earlier and where steel barricades have since been erected to keep them out.
As a police helicopter hovered overhead, they advanced towards the rear entrance where the Manchester united and Liverpool team buses would normally access the stadium.
But, once again, this wasn’t a normal match day. the united players had arrived up to seven hours before kick-off, anticipating more problems. Meanwhile, the Liverpool team were involved in an elaborate game of hide and seek with demonstrators around their hotel in the city centre.
As expected, those gathered at Old trafford met with a show of force from greater Manchester Police and Controlled Solutions group, who provide the security at united, far greater than when they forced this fixture to be postponed first time around.
then, the police appeared to be caught out by how quickly a peaceful protest by more than a thousand fans had turned nasty, and been powerless to prevent some of them breaking into the ground. there was no chance of that happening again.
the front of the stadium was heavily fortified and defended. ten riot vans, half a dozen mounted police and a phalanx of armoured officers were waiting for the fans as they drew near, brandishing flares.
red, green and gold smoke filled the air and so, too, the sound of their favourite chant. ‘Joel glazer’s gonna die, cut him up from head to toe.’ the riot police blocked their path to the entrance gates, which remained firmly locked. On the far side, there was a small army of security stewards and more police with dogs.
For a few minutes it threatened to turn nasty. two bottles were thrown and that was the moment the police drew their batons.
Their colleagues on horseback moved in as the fans scattered around the street and the futility of their efforts became clear.
they regrouped briefly and resumed singing but the words began to drift off and, slowly, so did they.
Just as deflating for them was the news filtering through that the Liverpool team bus had made it to Old trafford in good time for the match.
Jurgen Klopp and his players arrived around lunchtime at the Hyatt hotel in Manchester. Having blocked the united players in the Lowry hotel on the last occasion, the protesters targeted their opponents this time.
Despite a heavy police and security presence around the hotel, they were able to blockade both ends of Kincardine road to prevent the official Liverpool team bus from getting out.
Several demonstrators tried to let the tyres down.
When police managed to clear them away and the bus began to edge forward, bizarre footage emerged on social media of it having to stop for a woman pedalling a man in a basket with a white poodle. Awful timing.
the bad news for the protesters was th that t th there was nobody on the bus. the Liverpool players had left the hotel through a different exit and travelled in two black coaches flanked by police vans and motorbikes. they arrived at Old trafford shortly afterwards and were let in via a different entrance on the west side of the stadium. adium
united had also used decoy buses throughout the day to throw fans off the scent when, in fact, the players were told to drive straight to the ground several hours earlier than normal. the club had not wanted to risk meeting at their Carrington training ground — as they did before the game against Leicester on tuesday — even though extra police and security were on duty there as well yesterday. Bruno