FANS WHO LET TEAM DOWN

UGLY SCENES AS PARTY SPIRIT TURNS SOUR

HUNDREDS of ticketless fans trampled through security barriers and caused chaos as they tried to storm Wembley before the final.

Video footage showed fans streaming in after battling past security guards, leaving those in high-visibility jackets scattered on the floor or clutching at thin air as they ran past.

Inside the stadium, supporters with £800 tickets saw gangs of young hooded men suddenly swarm the area, chased by just a handful of stewards. Others reported ‘carnage’ with yobs rushing past scared families at turnstiles to try to force their way inside.

There were also multiple reports of others attempting to gain access by ‘tailgating’ those with tickets. Sportsmail man Mike Keegan witnessed the bedlam. He said: ‘Stewards closed entry points to try to gain a modicum of control over the gatecrashers. That left many with tickets who had been patiently queuing in a state of panic.

‘One man was heard pleading that his 70-year-old father-in-law was on the verge of passing out. The crush, with hundreds pressed together, had to be seen to be believed... About an hour before kick-off, there was pandemonium in Block 102, in which tickets were priced at more than £800, when at least 40 hooded youths, many carrying cans of lager, raced down the steps. Stewards were powerless to stop them.’

The FA had bolstered security after ticketless fans got into the Denmark semi-final. But an hour

before kick-off, onlookers saw dozens of men breaking into the stadium. And video footage showed them overwhelming security staff.

There were also chaotic scenes in other parts of the capital prior to the game with some fans clashing with police. As kick-off approached, the atmosphere began to turn nasty outside the stadium. Just before 6.30pm a brawl broke out between around 20 young men on the famous Wembley Way.

Some were brandishing broken glass bottles as weapons.

One man suffered a large wound to his hand and wrist.

Other fans chanted controversial England songs such as Ten German Bombers and F*** the IRA. Wembley Way was littered with broken glass bottles and empty cans.

A police spokesman said: ‘There was a breach of security which resulted in a small number of people getting into the stadium without a ticket.’

Mayhem: Fans disgrace themselves and trash Leicester Square in central London yesterday afternoon as pre-match celebrations turned ugly in a sea of alcohol

Lout: An out of control youth climbs on top of a police van’s roof in the West End

Lashing out: One fan aims a kick as he defies a police officer’s order

Clashes: Stadium stewards and police try to control the mob as railings are sent flying in shaming scenes before kick-off

Barricades, what barricades? Ticketless fans breach security outside the stadium last night

Charge: They race up steps – Wembley later admitted some got in the ground illegally