A TRAIN was wrecked during scenes of drunken violence as Sunderland fans made their way to last nightâs FA cup clash derby. Passengers on the 5.50pm service between Sunderland and Middlesbrough were taken off carriages at Hartlepool after a window was kicked out. Light fittings were also ripped from the trainâs roof, alarm cords pulled, seats torn up and the floor urinated on. Two railway staff are said to have been injured in the incident, which happened at 6.45pm, leaving one needing hospital treatment. Police restrained some fans as tempers threatened to spill over. Several hundred people were reported to have been travelling on the Northern Rail service and then transferred to another train originally destined for Newcastle. Dozens of police, including British Transport Police and Cleveland officers, were involved in tackling the disturbance. Another train was called in to take the passengers to Teesside when it is understood further damage was caused to the carriages. Superintendent Glenn Gudgeon, district commander for Hartlepool, attended the incident with his officers. He said: âThis was an extremely frightening incident for members of the general public. âWhen you see hundreds of young men running around in one location and you donât know what is going on it can be startling and frightening. âThe vast majority of fans were decent people and it was all down to a few drunken individuals ruining it for everyone. âThe incident had the potential to be serious and also have an impact on the rest of the town as it tied up resources. âA few people had to be restrained but officers did not make any arrests and we got the fans on another train and on their to Middlesbrough.â A spokeswoman for Network Rail said extra carriages had been put on the service. She added: âWhen the service arrived at Hartlepool at around about 6.30pm one of the windows had been put out in the rear carriage and obviously the service could not continue. âWe took the passengers from the train onto the platform to move them onto another train. âThis second train left Hartlepool at around 7.40pm and arrived in Middlesbrough around 8pm. âDuring the time the passengers were on the platform at Hartlepool, there was some disturbance and one of our staff members was injured and required hospital treatment before being released last night.â Other fans are said to have called taxis to reach Boro in time for kick off. The incident happened despite police calls for fans heading down to Middlesbrough for the match to use coaches laid on from the Stadium of Light to the Riverside Stadium. Cleveland Police have confirmed nine people were arrested in connection with last nightâs fixture. Two men invaded the pitch as the game entered its 89th minute, just moments before Sunderlandâs second and winning goal was scored in extra time.
A great shame that we are doing so well but a few brain dead so called fans want to try and spoil it, lock the daft bastards up and let them kick the **** out of each other.
I'm having a 'debate' with a colleague at work who's a Boro fan.... Were those pitch invaders Mackems or Smoggies??
just taken this off the smb... some little d**k kicked a window out in Hartlepool, we all got told coaches were coming and to wait about on the platforms for about 25 mins. Then were told to get back onto the trains which were so cramped due to the empty carriage being added to the others, a lad started having a panic attack and was shouting at the coppers to let him out as he was struggling to breathe, he started to go blue and eventually the coppers opened the doors after spending half an hour walking past laughing at him as they went past as he was going ****ing mental and shouting to get out, this lad sat down near the coaches and started crying and then subsequently got into an arguement with a copper as i was talking to a copper a few metres away this lad behind was told to shut the **** up and was pushed back, smashing his head off a glass wall. we were then stopped from getting on the coaches and told the trains were going instead, so we were told to go back to the trains, Cleveland Police charged about 300 fans into 2 carriages was ****ing manic, kids at the back being crushed against the back doors of the trains. a group of lads got off so these kids were given space to move a bit, were then threatened with either get back on the train or they would be arrested. after we were all crammed back into the trains and told to wait as someone was pulling the e-brake in our carriage....no one was as i was stood opposite it, then the plod told us another train was coming on the opposite platform. that train went to the station and we finally got to the ground 34 minutes in and just caught Colbacks goal. honestly we asked coppers what was happening and they were ****ting it and didnt have a clue what to do, the police should be ****ing ashamed of themselves, one old bloke said he started panicking when this lad started turning blue leading everyone round to surge and people started getting crushed, he said it was minutes from becoming Hillsborough on a train grown blokes in their 50s on my carriage panicking and begging the coppers to open the doors which they wouldnt Read more: http://www.readytogo.net/smb/showthread.php?t=672002#ixzz1lt1xbWbY
Just read the post on the smb from the lads who were on the train and it sounds like the plod didn't have a clue what to do and made it even worse
If what the SMB say & I've no reason to doubt them is true then that's ****ing shocking. Nowt will be done however, al a Hearts game. ****ing ****s think they're stormtroopers.
I've been of the opinion for a number of years now that the police cause a lot of the problems, mind you it doesn't help when some idiot puts a window out, anyway I'm sure we haven't heard the last of it, hope it's not like this on the way down to Wembley.
I've had very similar bother with Teeside police been absolute ******* which is why I didn't go back last night. I got locked in the 1-1 game down there for telling a policeman what I thought of him after he hit me several times with his truncheon (Something he later denied in court!) then they decided to tell the court I was a known football hooligan (Never been in both with the police in my life up until that point) I dedicated last night's win to the pr!ck. Happy days
I know from bitter experience that the police can cause major problems by the way they treat people, but that is still no excuse for putting the window out... As for the pitch invaders, they were definitely from Boro because if you look at the video closely, they both have seven fingers on their left hands...
Once again a minority causing problems for the majority. I believe the SMB's, it is nearly always kids who cause the damage, trying to make themselves look big. They are the same ones who disappear and leg it if a real fight starts between like minded opposition fans. Have I had fights with opposition fans? Yes. Have I ever caused any criminal damage or attacked innocent fans? Nope. And I don't know any one else personally who has, and I know some right heedtheballs. Have I been attacked and assaulted by the police for the crime of wearing a Sunderland top? On numerous occasions. One other thing good reporting? "Two men invaded the pitch as the game entered its 89th minute, just moments before Sunderland’s second and winning goal was scored in extra time."
