A serious brawl broke out over a divide between football fans last Saturday outside the Crown and Anchor pub in the centre of Manchester.
The football hooligans managed to do hundreds of pounds worth of damage whilst injuring the staff, including breaking a doorman’s arm.
The brawl broke out between a group of Manchester City fans within the pub and a group of around a dozen Manchester United fans who had made their way to pub whilst throwing various items including sticks, stones and an advertising board.
One bartender, Mike Fothergill, at Port Street Beer House, the pub next door, said: “There’s not really any trouble with this pub but occasionally drunk people from other pubs… their fights sometimes spill outside but very rarely. We never have any trouble here at all.”
Mike went on to explain that they still use doormen though: “Only on Friday or Saturday night from seven until close. When football’s on definitely. We wouldn’t open if the bouncers didn’t turn up. We’re not getting any fights.”
Another bartender, Sophie Jarvis, from the Stage and Radio further down the road added to this: “Generally it feels safe… but I’ve been in Manchester City Centre when there’s been problems with football fans before and it’s generally been controlled really quickly and easily.”
Sophie said: “Most trouble you ever have it is down to some sort of football relation. Either that or people that are far too intoxicated.
“It’s a shame because it’s a small proportion when you look at the amount of people that actually go to a game or follow football. They really are the minority but they’re also the people that are the most destructive.”
Anyone with further information can contact Greater Manchester Police on the non-emergency number 101.
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