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
Details released of Andy Burnham’s meetings with Manchester City owners while Mayor
Emily Sergeant
Details of Andy Burnham’s meetings with Manchester City owners during his tenure as Mayor of Greater Manchester have been released.
In case you need bringing up to speed on the situation a little first, Manchester City was found guilty back in September all of its charges related to the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period, and on top of that, was also found guilty of the majority of charges in relation to its failure to co-operate with the League’s investigation.
According to the Premier League, the independent Commission found that Manchester City had arranged so-called ‘sham’ commercial deals with a number of its sponsors.
These were part of a disguised funding scheme – with those sponsors only required to pay a portion of the relevant sponsorship fees.
The remainder was then funded by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd (ADUG), which owned the club.
The Commission also concluded, as quoted by the Premier League, that the club had ‘made concerted efforts to stop and frustrate the Premier League investigation’.
Within the past week or so, it has since come to light that now-Prime Minister Andy Burnham had dealings with Manchester City during his tenure as Greater Manchester Mayor, and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has now issued a public statement, giving details on the matter and what these ‘dealings’ entailed.
A spokesperson for GMCA confirmed that Burnham had a ‘formal meeting’ with Man City Chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, back in October 2021.
The statement reads in full: “In October 2021, Andy Burnham, in his role as Mayor of Greater Manchester, had a formal meeting with Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the UK Government’s Global Investment Summit arranged by the Department for International Trade.
“In his capacity as Mayor, he was a guest of Manchester City FC at home matches on a small number of occasions, including attending Vincent Kompany’s testimonial match in September 2019, where he met the Chairman informally in the stands. These have been declared in the usual way.
“Also during his time as Mayor, representatives of Greater Manchester sporting clubs would routinely join business delegations as part of Mayoral international visits.
“This included representatives from Manchester United travelling to Austin and Dublin, Lancashire Cricket Club joining a delegation to India, and Manchester City FC staff supporting visits to China and Japan.”
Featured Image – Lauren Hurley / Number 10 Downing Street (Press Image via Flickr)
Sport
Multiple arrests made for ‘tragedy chanting’ and police officer assault as Man City defeated Liverpool
Emily Sergeant
Multiple people were arrested over the weekend as Manchester City defeated Liverpool in a Premier League clash.
Merseyside Police have confirmed that a total of 10 people were arrested during the policing operation at Liverpool’s home ground of Anfield as they hosted Manchester City on Sunday 11 October.
One man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police constable, five were on suspicion of tragedy chanting, one on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly, two for affray, and one on suspicion of throwing items onto the pitch.
Police are now appealing to the public, and are particularly looking to speak to witnesses of the assault of the officer.
At around 6:35pm, as fans left the stadium, a police officer sustained a ‘serious facial injury’ during the arrest of a man on Anfield Road, and was subsequently taken to hospital for treatment but is now recovering at home.
Investigating officers are now conducting enquiries, speaking to witnesses, and analysing CCTV and camera phone footage.
Chief Inspector Leanne Hobin said it’s ‘extremely disappointing’ that an officer has sustained a serious injury while carrying out their duty.
“I hope the arrests send a clear message and act as a deterrent to others,” Chief Inspector Hobin continued. “Anyone who engages in this abhorrent behaviour risks ending up in custody and getting a criminal record.
“Despite the actions of a few, the overwhelming majority of the 60,000 fans in attendance behaved well and I want to thank them for their co-operation.”
Manchester City ended up defeated Liverpool 3-0 during the Premier League clash at Anfield.
Danny Jones -
21st September 2023 
