Teen suffers broken cheekbone as two knocked out by football yobs
Plus: New effort to lead Burscough Curves campaign
Hello and welcome to the 29th edition of The Southport Lead.
Today we look at an incident which occurred after Southport FC’s home match with Chester on Good Friday. Usually the bank holiday fixtures are a highlight when big crowds attending but this occasion was less so.
On the pitch, another dismal season continued to limp to an end with another failure to score and another defeat and off the pitch, something much more unsavoury occurred - a violent assault which left two teenagers injured.
Today’s issue looks closer at that incident and see defences issued by both Merseyside Police and the football club about security provisions when the incident happened a stone’s throw from the stadium.
Also in today’s edition, paying subscribers can read about the latest effort to find a way to re-open the Burscough Curves train line.
Policing defended after derby day attacks leaves teens in hospital
By Jamie Lopez
Police and football club officials have defended security arrangements after two teenagers were knocked unconscious and hospitalised in an attack by rival fans.
Southport hosted Chester on Good Friday, with a large crowd from the promotion-chasing opposition contributing to the second largest attendance of the season at the Big Help Stadium.
It has become a common sight on such occasions for an increased police presence to be present before, during and after the game, notably in matches involving Chorley where there has been a history of incidents.
On Friday, violence erupted close to the stadium when two boys, aged 15 and 17, were assaulted by a group of Chester fans following a verbal altercation. Both boys were knocked out and according to the sister of one of the victims, one was left with a broken cheekbone and nose and the other required stitches to his lip.
Video footage of the incident, shared widely on social media, showed a group of fans watching on and chanting ‘Chester’ as the boys lay helpless. A photograph of the pair lying unconscious was shared in a post on X threatening a Wrexham fan of a future attack.
Ellie Clarke, whose brother Nathan was one of the two attacked, described what happened as “vile” and “sick”.
She told The Southport Lead: “You don’t expect children to get attacked like this. My brother does look very young, regardless how old you think he is, he’s clearly not an adult.
“My brother and his friends, there were four of them, they were just chilling outside the shop after the match.
“At first, it was about 10 of them giving them verbal abuse, shouting things. Being teenagers - my brother can be a bit gobby, they’ve shouted back. It was more ‘I’m not going to let them speak to me like that’ than anything else. Typical 15-year-old mindset.
“A man’s walked over and headbutted him and then 10 more came over. That’s where the physical altercation started. Two of his friends ran away, I don’t blame them for that, they were scared of what was going to happen.”
According to Ellie, a group of around 30 “men, fellas, lads, whatever you want to call them” came over and joined in the abuse. As the boys lay on the floor, punches and kicks were landed while the mob chanted “Chester, Chester, Chester”.
“That attack caused my brother’s friend to get knocked unconscious first. My brother remembers he saw him get knocked unconscious.”
The friend was left with a cheekbone broken in five places, a broken nose and an eye so swollen he couldn’t open it days later. Her brother was also knocked out as well when someone approached him from behind and punched him.
All the while, others in the group taunted the boys and celebrated their injuries, some recording video footage which was later shared online, with a screenshot used in the threatening X post.
“I think it’s absolutely vile,” Ellie said. “It’s disgusting. It’s a picture of two children lying in their blood. It’s absolutely sick.”
Ellie said Nathan doesn’t goto a lot of Southport matches and would not be the type to court trouble anywhere else. She said “He doesn’t go out looking for trouble but he stands up for himself. Even if he had started, which loads of people have told me he definitely didn’t, it doesn’t justify 30 or 40 men jumping in and attacking him like that.”
Days on from the attack, Nathan is still shaken from what happened, reluctant to leave the house. Meanwhile, Ellie has been left questioning why there wasn’t a larger police presence or quicker response.
According to others present on the day, two police officers were situated along the street but were not able to intervene without additional back up.
She said: “I understand why two officers couldn’t get involved with that many people but why weren’t there more there. You see 10 police cars rushing to something small but not when it’s kids getting beaten up.”
Other fans who attended the match told The Southport Lead they were surprised not to see a larger police presence to keep fans separate at full time, particularly as this has been seen in previous previous fixtures where large crowds were expected.
The Southport Lead asked Merseyside Police about what arrangements it had made for the fixture and while no specifics were given, a spokesperson said that it had ensured an increased presence. According to Southport, officers had also travelled from Cheshire to assist with operations.
A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: “The victims sustained minor injuries but have been left shocked and shaken. We are urging anyone with information on this crime to help us with our enquiries.
“Our planned police presence was increased for the match following the incident and Operational Football Officers attended. Our enquiries are ongoing and we are working with both clubs to identify the people responsible.
“The incident took place in a busy area when there would have been other fans present, who may have seen the assault take place. If you were in the Haig Avenue, Southport area at that time and witnessed the assault then please get in touch.”
A similar plea was shared by Ellie who said she couldn’t understand how anyone could be happy for the attack to go unpunished, regardless of what team they support. She said: “I just want anybody who was there to come forward. These are kids, they are children. I just can’t believe that anybody who was there knows nothing. If that was my uncle or my dad or my friends attacking kids, I’d give their names straight away.”
Security arrangements were also defended by Southport FC, with ground safety officer, Matt Parry pointing out there were no incidents reported to have taken place within the stadium.
He said: “Due to the large expected crowd, we increased our stewarding provision from a regular team of 12, to a team of 20 to ensure safety was paramount, Merseyside Police were in attendance, in addition to a number of Cheshire Police who travel with the away team.
“Southport FC and the Board of Directors have vowed to crackdown on anti-social behaviour alongside myself and Merseyside Police. Due to the rise in social media platforms, there has been a correlation in reported ASB at football fixtures in lower league teams all around the country.
“After some extensive work, we have made major progress this season, meaning for the first time in 15 years, we have unsegregated the ground on fixtures that carry a low risk. These fixtures have seen some really good feedback and we plan to continue this next season in our bid to bring back families and football fans to Haig Avenue.
“The club have been in regular contact with Merseyside Police around the incident on Friday and today we have been working gathering evidence where possible to assist the police in their investigation.”
Police are asking residents and visitors for any CCTV, smart doorbell or dashcam footage on that can assist the investigation to get in touch. Anyone with information is asked to DM MerPolCC quoting reference 25000316569. or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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New task force could lead Burscough Curves campaign
By Jamie Lopez
Councillors will be asked to consider creating an action group dedicated to fighting for the reopening of the Burscough Curves train line.
At a full Sefton Council meeting on Thursday, a motion from Cllr John Pugh calls for the creation of transport group in a bid to drive forward efforts to secure funding for the long sought after project.
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