Salford Red Devils could be hit with heavy fans following an outbreak of anti-social behaviour at their recent game against Hull KR this past weekend, where fans were reported for letting off pyrotechnics, throwing beers across the stands and two men were arrested on suspicion of assault.
The Greater Manchester rugby league side lost 12-0 in a fraught Super League fixture both on and off the performance on Saturday, 16 September, with the travelling Red Devils having to make their own inside Hull’s Craven Park stadium.
Sadly, however, the atmosphere amongst many supporters took a less-than-desirable turn for some as flares were set off in the stands and Salford fans reportedly began throwing beers at the home section.
According to local press, some of the anti-social behaviour took place outside of the ground as well, with five individuals being ejected from the stadium and two men being arrested on suspicion of assault causing actual bodily harm. Salford issued a response condemning the behaviour a couple of days later.
Salford Red Devils are set to punish their own fans once a full investigation has been carried out.
The statement goes on to explain that they are now “investigating incidents of anti-social behaviour” at the game and details how not only did the reported incident “place others at risk” but could also “result in the club being issued heavy fines.”
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While the club insisted they “are proud of the passion so often displayed in the stands by our fans” and “understand the excitement on the field can get us all carried away at times”, they reinforced that supporters have a “collective responsibility to ensure a respectful and safe environment for all to enjoy.”
Recognising that incidents of disorder were only committed by a small group of fans, they reiterated that they “should not and will not be allowed to give our supporters a bad name”, assuring that they will now be taking appropriate action and issuing bans where necessary.
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Speaking to ITV, fan Becky Green said that another woman in the stands had brought along her daughter for her first game and the young girl sadly had “beer thrown over her”, adding, “It’s the worst crowd of fans that we have had all years to be honest.”
Police are now said to be working with both clubs to identify the individuals responsible for the various incidents of anti-social behaviour and misconduct.
Humberside’s Chief Superintendent Christine Wilson said: “We know that the majority of people who go to rugby matches just want to support their team to win, and that was a great game marred by a small number of supporters who had the potential to cause real harm.”
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Authorities are yet to confirm where the two men arrested have been charged.
Featured Image — Salford Red Devils/Hull KR (via IG)/ Red Robins Podcast (via Twitter)
Sport
Wayne Rooney joins the cast of Gary Neville’s The Overlap
Danny Jones
Wayne Rooney has secured a new job just a few months on from departing as Birmingham City head coach, with the Manchester United and England legend being named as the latest member of The Overlap team.
Set to join the cast of the popular Stick to Football online series alongside the likes of former teammates Gary Neville and Roy Keane, as well as the rest of the recurring panel.
Rooney is also set to feature on various other shows across The Overlap channel, including the likes of their regular fan debates and other interviews with athletes and well-known figures.
They announced the signing in true transfer window fashion as well.
As transfer expert Fabrizio Romano quips in the video, Rooney “has signed an agreement with The Overlap” and is expected to make his debut very soon
‘Wazza’ has appeared as a pundit on Sky Sports in recent weeks and has even been spotted playing some FIFA with comedy YouTuber AngryGinge as part of his pro clubs series, but hasn’t been in a steady role since being sacked as the Birmingham manager at the start of the year.
Having already appeared as a guest in one of the most popular episodes of Stick to Football and clearly sharing a strong chemistry with his old friends – as well as the likes of fellow Scouser Jamie Carragher, Jill Scott and Ian Wright – it looks to be a natural fit for the sport-based channel.
The 38-year-old revealed some pretty interesting details about his playing and managerial career last time around, not to mention some of the other offers he’s had since…
Rooney reiterated during his own interview that his primary focus is still on coaching and finding his next managerial role, but for the time being, he’ll be bringing the insight of another ex-pro to the popular YouTube channel.
Speaking on his latest move, the former striker said, “I’m excited to announce that I will be joining my good mate Gary Neville and the team at The Overlap to appear on the channel across some of their brilliant shows on YouTube and the podcast. I can’t wait to get started”.
With an episode from at least one of their series going out most weeks, you can expect to see the footballing legend back on the channel soon.
Featured Images — The Overlap/Wayne Rooney (via Instagram)
Sport
Manchester City star Erling Haaland is now a playable character in Clash of Clans mobile game
Danny Jones
In yet more proof that footballers just live in an entirely different world from us, Manchester City star Erling Haaland has popped up in the popular mobile game, Clash of Clans – and it’s not just a little cameoeither.
Haaland‘s no stranger to the odd brand deal, so when we saw him cutting a promo for Clash of Clans we weren’t too surprised, but it’s safe to say we weren’t expecting to see footballers pop up in video games besides FIFA (sorry, EA FC) at any point this year.
The big number nine is not just a famous face to help push the already hugely popular mobile strategy and city-building game, they don’t need it; it turns out the lethal goalscorer is now going to be an actual playable character in the latest Clash of Clans update.
He even turned his hand to a bit of acting in the trailer:
As you can see, the 23-year-old stars in the new advert which sees troops appear in his home whilst he’s playing the game before being sucked into the game world.
Starring as the Barbarian King, he’s the first real person to ever feature in the game and will be available through a month-long football-themed seasonal event in-game.
When we stop and think about it, the Norwegian striker is pretty much a perfect fit given his Scandinavian heritage and the obvious Viking theme surrounding the franchise – not to mention the fact that he’s apparently been playing the game since he was 10.
He’s also been dropping a hint or two of late, in case you didn’t pick up on them.
Speaking on the collaboration, Haaland said: “I’ve been a huge fan of the game for a long time and know everything about it, so to appear as an in-game character is really cool”.
As for Finnish developer-publishers Supercell, CoC’s general manager Stuart McGaw said in an official announcement: “When we heard Erling Haaland was a fan of our game and that he wanted to partner with us, it was really a dream scenario.”
Haaland will be available to recruit in the game until 31 May, plus, if players raid his village and take down the Barbarian King himself, they can win additional rewards and a place on the leaderboards.
Danny Jones -
21st September 2023 
