CHESTER HIT OUT AS FANS ARE HARD DONE BY

CHESTER FC will be contacting Greater Manchester Police to express their concerns over the treatment of their supporters prior to the match at Stockport County last Saturday.

A group of 60-80 Blues fans – including children and parents – say they were “kettled” by riot police and officers on horseback outside a local pub just minutes after stepping off the train at Stockport station.

‘Kettling’ involves police forming a tight cordon around crowds and is sometimes used to control large demonstrations.

Despite there being no hint of trouble with rival fans, the group of Chester supporters say they were held for up to an hour before police then issued a Section 35 dispersal notice, which forced them to get back on the train and go home.

As a result, some have contacted both clubs, The

NLP and the Football Supporters Federation (FSF) over the matter and to question the way the situation was handled.

Chester say they will be demanding answers from Greater Manchester Police with director Andrew Morris saying: “We are aware of the incident at the weekend and we will be contacting Greater Manchester Police and the relevant bodies in regards to the concerns our supporters have raised to us about the way it was handled.

“We are seeking observations on what happened and would welcome any fans who wish to get in touch with us regarding it.”

Member of Parliament for Chester, Chris Matheson, and Labour councillor Ben Powell say they are both looking into the matter, as are the FSF.

Caseworker Amanda Jacks confirmed: “We’ve received a number of emails from Chester FC fans who were concerned and upset at their treatment ahead of the match with Stockport County on Saturday.

“We are advising individuals behind the scenes and if anyone would like to get in touch please contact me at amanda.jacks @fsf.org.uk.”

A total of 617 Chester fans from a crowd of 3,700 were allowed into the game at Edgely Park, which finished 1-1.