Supporters receive football banning orders

VIOLENCE . . . Police footage of rival Manchester United and Sheffield United fans in confrontation

TWELVE men, including two from Failsworth, involved in a violent confrontation between rival fans before a Manchester United match have been given football banning orders.

On January 6, last year, Manchester United faced Sheffield United in the FA Cup third round at Old Trafford.

Before the match police monitored a group of around 80 Sheffield United supporters who were inside a pub in the Northern Quarter.

The group left the pub and walked to the Ancoats area in order to find a group of Manchester United supporters.

When the Sheffield United group reached Bengal Street a group of around 40 Manchester United supporters came out of a pub and made their way along the street and disorder broke out.

Video footage captured by police showed punches being exchanged, as well as supporters goading each other.

An unknown man threw two glass bottles towards officers from behind a parked van. Fortunately no-one was injured.

Additional police officers arrived at the scene and kept the two groups apart, with some of the Manchester United group heading back into the pub and the others leaving the area.

Police contained the Sheffield United group before issuing Section 35 notices which required them to leave the area.

Following the incident, 15 Manchester United supporters were identified and summonsed to court.?

Police Constable Alex Robinson, a GMP Football Banning Officer, said: "This was a violent incident which resulted in significant disorder and would have been extremely frightening for anyone who witnessed the events that unfolded.

"Thanks to police intelligence, officers were able to identify the potential for conflict and ensure the disorder was quickly brought to a close.

"The vast majority of supporters behaved impeccably before, during and after the match but, unfortunately, there can sometimes be a minority intent on causing trouble and seeking out confrontation.

"These 12 men fall into this category, but have now received significant banning orders which will stop them attending any match for a number of years.

"These orders should send a clear message to any supporter considering committing offences on a match day that they will be caught and dealt with robustly."

The following received five-year banning orders: Gavin Pinder (39), of Lord Lane, Failsworth; Karl Anderson (31), of Woodward Street, Ancoats; Lee Berrie (27), of Heather Close, Burscough, Ormskirk.

The following received three-year banning orders: Gareth Yates (41), of Boothdale Drive, Audenshaw; Louis Bates (24), of Kearsley Road, Crumpsall; David Kerr (48), of Trevor Road, Burscough, Ormskirk; Conor Gavin (25), of Sedgley Road, Crumpsall; Anthony Ewbank (33), of Old Road, Failsworth; Simon Wale (41), of Hesters Way Lane, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire; Jay Cornforth (21), of Ashton Old Road, Beswick, Manchester; Gary Singleton (37), of Crown Street, Farington, Leyland; Michael Hughes (25), of Bollington Road, Manchester.