Football thugs brought ‘terror’ to the streets as rival fans clashed in ‘scandalous’ scenes ahead of Manchester United match. Fans of United and arch-rivals Leeds United clashed in Manchester city centre ahead of a crucial Premier League match.
Six of those involved have been taken to court for their part in the ugly scenes before the match, which included ‘running battles’ in which chairs and bins were used as weapons.
The manager of a nearby Cafe Nero closed after being “shocked” by what she saw on a busy Saturday morning. Other businesses were forced to close all day due to the chaos. A number of people who appeared in court were told they were “very close” to jail.
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“This was a disgraceful episode,” Judge Nicholas Dean KC told them during a sentencing hearing at Manchester Crown Court. “It is an episode which brings shame on you, and shame on the football club which you claim to support.
“It is well known that the rivalry, indeed enmity, between Manchester United and Leeds United has existed for a long time and certainly gave rise to violence in the 1970s and 1980s when most of you were very young.
“It was largely gone or gone. It revived on August 14, 2021. You were unaware of the fear and terror that your actions and those of others would have caused others.”
Gary Stevenson, 43, Daniel Campbell, 20, Graham Jones, 51, Jordan Fassam, 40, Paul Lingings, 40, and John Catterall, 46, were all given suspended prison sentences and football bans.
The judge told them they were ‘men of an age who generally should have known much better’. He added: ‘To say you should be ashamed is an understatement of the way you behaved. You behaved brutally, with what in other circumstances might be called animal behaviour. You behaved in a brutal and primitive way.’
Prosecutors told how the violent disorder broke out at around 10.30am on Saturday 14 August 2021. It was the first day of the Premier League season, with United due to play Leeds at Old Trafford at 12.30pm. United went on to win the match 5-1, thanks in part to a hat-trick from Bruno Fernandes.
Tom Sherrington, prosecuting, said some Leeds fans were drinking in Albert Square while some United fans were walking along Princess Street towards the stadium. The rival fans exchanged verbal abuse and some items were thrown.
Police intervened to separate the supporters, with officers directing the United fans to John Dalton Street and then Deansgate. Mr Sherrington said a group of Leeds fans walked to Lloyd Street, in the direction the United fans had been taken.
Prosecutors said a “large number of men used physical violence” outside Cafe Nero on the corner of Lloyd Street and Deansgate. “Numerous objects were thrown including chairs, traffic cones, plates, mugs, bottles and torches,” Sherrington said. Shocking video footage showed the riot unfolding, with a bin being used as a weapon in one incident.
The manager of the Cafe Nero store locked the front door for a few minutes as the ugly scenes continued. She was ‘horrified’ to see ‘chairs and bins being used as weapons’. Police intervened again and the Leeds fans retreated to Lloyd Street.
The six men were picked out from CCTV footage analysed by police. Fassam and Lingings were both seen throwing punches, while Catterall kicked a man. Campbell grabbed a chair and chased the opposition fans for a short distance. Stevenson and Jones were also said to have been ‘actively involved’ in the disorder.
Cafe Nero branch manager Rebecca Clarke said her staff were “deeply shocked” by the incident, while the Slug and Lettuce pub on Albert Square was forced to close for a time due to the violence.
A shopkeeper in Lloyd Street closed his doors all day because he feared for his safety, and a hairdresser in the same street could only serve a limited number of customers because of the disorder.
Lawyers acting for the six defendants appealed to save them from jail. Stevenson’s lawyer Alex Bennie said the defendant is a bricklayer who has worked with the same colleague for 20 years. He said his colleague’s work would be affected if Stevenson were jailed.
Isobel Thomas, for Jones, said the defendant was “hardworking” and a “family man” who had become a grandfather. She said Jones, a logistics liaison engineer, was “embarrassed” by his behaviour.
Alex Bennie, who also represented Fassam, said the defendant works as a fundraiser for a charity that supports veterans. He said the father-of-two has a “long-standing” cocaine addiction, which he has “significantly” reduced. Ms Thomas, who also represented Lingings, said the defendant has worked as an electrician for 20 years and has led a “normal, law-abiding life”.
She said the defendant was “ashamed” of his actions and described them as a “serious error of judgment”. Emily Woodside, for Catterall, said the defendant, who recently became a grandfather, was “deeply ashamed”.
She said he has cut down on his drinking and now watches football matches at home or in the pub. Charlotte Phillips said Campbell was “punishing” himself after the incident by handing in his season ticket. She said Campbell, a pupil who was 17 at the time, was “caught up in the chaos” and was now “ashamed” of his behaviour.
Stevenson, of Worcester Close, Chesterfield; Campbell, of Abney Road, Mossley; Jones, of Lomond Grove, Ellesmere Port; Fassam, of Margate Road, Kent; Lingings, of Horrocks Street, Tyldesley; and Catterall, of Whit Lane, Salford, all pleaded guilty to violent disorder.
The sentences complete:
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Gary Stevenson – sentenced to 22 months in prison, suspended for two years. Ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £1,000 in court costs. Banned from football matches for five years.
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Daniel Campbell – was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years. He must carry out 120 hours of unpaid work and pay £500 prosecution costs. He was banned from attending football matches for three years.
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Graham Jones – was sentenced to 21 months in prison, suspended for two years. He must carry out 180 hours of unpaid work and pay £1,000 in court costs. He was banned from attending football matches for five years.
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Jordan Fassam – He was sentenced to 20 months in prison, suspended for two years. He must complete a 12-month drug rehabilitation program and 15 days of rehabilitation activity. He was banned from attending soccer matches for three years.
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Paul Lingings – was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years. He must carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and pay £1,000 in court costs. He was banned from attending football matches for three years.
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John Catterall – was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years. He must carry out 220 hours of unpaid work and 20 days of rehabilitation activities, and was ordered to pay £1,000 in court costs. He was banned from attending football matches for five years.