FOOTBALL VIOLENCE
Nine Manchester United and Liverpool football fans jailed after mass brawl erupts inside Old Trafford
Fighting broke out between rival supporters during the Europa League clash last year
NINE football fans have been jailed after a fight at Old Trafford described as the "worst disorder inside a football stadium in Manchester for 18 years".
The violence between Manchester United and Liverpool supporters involved otherwise "intelligent hard-working" men with respectable jobs.
7
The incident, which was captured on film by police and members of the public, took place during a Europa League match on March 17 which Liverpool won 3-1 on aggregate.
It was sparked by away fans who had booked seats in a stand reserved for United supporters and started chanting "provocatively" in the 85th minute.
But then they went a step further - by unfurling a Liverpool banner.
This sparked what a judge described as an act of "tribalism" from United fans, who hurled abuse and then used their fists.
But punches were thrown over their shoulders.
The escalating melee, which took place on the front edge of the Upper East tier with a 50ft drop below, was witnessed by families and children.
7
7
Police and stewards formed a human cordon to divide the five Liverpool fans from the rest of the stand.
Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court heard it was Liverpool fans Patrick Cowhig, Carl Irvine, Joe McDonald, Ian Mullin and Sonny Parr who sparked the brawl.
The worst of the violence then came from United supporters Anthony Garner, Jonathan Silverwood, Daniel Ginocchio and Christopher Bullock, who handed themselves in after a police appeal.
The court heard that, having secured last-minute seats in the Upper East tier reserved for home fans, the Liverpool group sat quietly for the first 85 minutes.
They then rose from their seats, chanting "provocatively" and "revelling" in the attention of Liverpool fans in the stand below, before unfurling the banner and appealing for fellow fans below to take their pictures.
Faced with their team’s defeat and their jeering rivals, some United supporters surged forward.
Stewards suffered bruising in the violence that ensued.
Defending the Liverpool fans, one barrister said their part in the violence had been "in defence" and one was left "crying in fear".
7
7
But prosecuting, Michael Brady said: “This was not just an innocent celebration.
"Individually and collectively they caused a number of Manchester United fans to react in a variety of ways including, inevitably, the use of violence.”
Sentencing the two sets of rival fans in separate hearings on Tuesday, Judge Mark Savil noted that all were "intelligent, hard-working" men with good character references, respectable jobs and were largely a credit to society.
But he added that was often the case for those with the means to watch live football matches, adding: “The problem is that in this type of offence often there are two sides to the sort of people who behave in this way.”
Most read in news
“In that stand were not just hooligans but members of the public seeking to enjoy a football match, with families and children.”
After the hearing, Det Sgt Stephen Warrener, who was at the stadium on the night, said: “This is the worst disorder GMP has seen inside a football stadium in 18 years.
"I think the sentences are justified, as a father myself I want to be able to take my children to a football match and feel safe, as opposed to seeing these lunatics who cause a disturbance and ruin it for others.
On the tier where the clash unfolded, he added: “There was a considerable drop. Anyone falling over that edge would have sustained very serious if not fatal injuries.
“If they had fallen from the stand on to the people below it would have been potentially fatal.
"There was a also a child injured that day after other Liverpool fans threw seats.
7
7
All four United defendants admitted affray after handing themselves in following a public appeal.
Scaffolder Ginocchio, 22, of Morecambe, Lancs, was jailed for 10 months after being seen launching himself at the human cordon and throwing punches over officers’ shoulders.
Garner, 55, of Preston, was seen on CCTV throwing punches as his daughter tried to pull him back. He was caged for six months.
Electrician Silverwood, 24, of Morecambe, was sent down for six months while hotel manager Bullock, 33, of Newton-le-Willows, was jailed for seven months.
Cowhig, 27, of Liverpool, was jailed for 12 weeks and banned from football matches for eight years, while the rest received six-year bans.
Irvine, 26, a dad and electrician, who threw punches and helped unfurl the banner, was sent down for 12 weeks.
McDonald, 27, a Tesco sales assistant, was jailed for 10 weeks.
Mullin, 21, of Bootle, who "gestured triumphantly" to Liverpool fans at the end of the incident, was jailed for six weeks.
Parr, 22, was said to be "genuinely remorseful for his moment of madness" and was jailed for six weeks.