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All ten “high-risk supporters” who remain in custody are “men aged between 20 and 60”.
Manchester City vs Manchester United in Manchester derby (X)
Greater Manchester Police have arrested some locals who were allegedly involved in the pre-planned fight between fans ahead of the Europa League match at Old Trafford in September. A group of around 50 hooligans wearing face masks clashed in Lower Broughton a day before the match between Manchester United and Twente. Once the situation was settled there, another mass brawl reportedly broke about between the Dutch fans and the home supporters at a nearby pub. All ten “high-risk supporters” who remain in custody are “men aged between 20 and 60″.
GMP recently mounted a dawn raid across several properties in the city where they found the suspects, as per The Times. With the arrests, the department wanted to send a stern message ahead of the Manchester derby scheduled at the Etihad Stadium on December 15. The suspects, however, are expected to be released before the big-ticket Premier League fixture.
“Intelligence was gathered that a targeted and organised large-scale fight took place over two months ago in Lower Broughton in Salford before heading towards the city centre. With the Manchester derby only days away, this is another strong reminder that violence of any sort, whether it’s linked to football or not, will not be tolerated,” GMP shared in a statement.
Echoing the same sentiment, Chief Superintendent Colette Rose said, “We want to send a reassurance that our specialised officers will be deployed to ensure you remain safe and peace is maintained, so you can enjoy the game. On occasions when enforcement is needed, those who are intent on causing harm will have to answer for their actions,” as quoted by Goal.
Both the Manchester-based clubs have been going through a difficult season. Ruben Amorim’s United are reeling in the 13th place in the Premier League. They have won just five league matches this season to claim 19 points. Before heading to the derby, the Red Devils will face Viktoria Plzen in an away Europa League game on Thursday, December 12.
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have won just one of their last five Premier League matches. They were recently thrashed by Juventus in a Champions League outing away from home. The visitors conceded two goals in the one-sided clash in Turin.
