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Man U fans blasted Security chief labels them 'worst in the country'
Posted: Friday April 16, 1999 11:24 AM
LONDON (AP) -- Manchester United fans were branded the "worst in the country" by a security chief Friday after storming the field following United's FA Cup 2-1 semifinal win over Arsenal at Villa Park in Birmingham. Villa Park head of security John Hood, a former police superintendent, said Manchester United should call its fans to task after 17 were arrested and 13 injured in on-field skirmishes following Ryan Giggs' injury-time winning goal on Wednesday. The Football Association was Friday investigating the pitch invasion by 700 fans. Meanwhile, tough new laws to combat soccer hooliganism were being proposed in British Parliament. Friday's Daily Mirror tabloid printed a back-page picture clearly showing fans tangling with security officers under a simple one-word headline: "Mindless." The Mirror quoted Hood saying the United fas were a disgrace. "I'm fed up with the behavior of United's supporters," he said. "They created the risk of a major incident. This is how major problems start. Anyhing could have happened to [the players] in that crowd." Hood said the Manchester United fans nullified the affect of all-seater stadia by refusing to sit down and filling walkways. "I know it was an exciting match and realize there was a lot of tension and excitement but that was not an excuse," Hood said. "United fans are notorious for this." The pitch invasion highlighted inadequacies in crowd control, particularly coming on the eve of the 10h anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster -- where 96 Liverpool supporters were crushed to death during the FA Cup semifinal against Nottingham Forest in 1989. Independent Manchester United Supporters Association chairman Andy Walsh said Hood had overreacted. "Emotionally it was a very highly-charged game and whilst recognizing that Mr. Hood has his job to do, he's also got to understand that after one of the greatest FA Cup semifinal games ever and certainly one of the best goals ever scored in the FA Cup semifinals, emotions run high," he said. "We don't condone people running on the pitch, but United fans should be congratulated that it was only a few hundred rather than a few thousand." British politicians continued a push Friday to stamp violence and hooliganism out of soccer. Conservative member Simon Burns said existing laws had helped curb violent behavior but isolated incidents involving "mindless, moronic football hooligans" now occurred away from the major grounds. "The damage that these idiots do to our international reputation and the misery they cause is unforgivable and needs to be dealt with," he said. The proposed new laws will widen the power of courts to impose international banning orders to prevent thugs from travelling to overseas matches. The law changes include powers to ban soccer hooligans from matches at home, give wider powers to crackdown on racist chanting and ticket touting, and allow offencss away from grounds before and after matches to be dealt with as "football-related."
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