Alexis Mostrous
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Scuffles broke out late last night in West London between dejected Chelsea supporters and riot police. About 100 police officers equipped with riot gear, batons and shields formed a cordon around Fulham Road and charged a group of fans.
The supporters responded by throwing glass bottles and other missiles at officers. They claimed that officers had injured a female bystander when they charged. It was not immediately clear why the trouble started.
A tourist from Spain at the scene said that police had surrounded a group of supporters outside Fulham Broadway Undergound station. The police then formed a 30-strong line across the road before charging 300 metres down the street towards Stamford Bridge. The station was closed during the disturbances as police attempted to disperse fans.
More than 20 police vans were at the scene, which was littered with glass bottles. One supporter, who asked not to be identified said: “The police just went crazy. They pushed a woman and then charged us.”
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said officers had been called to the scene shortly before 11pm after reports of fighting. Several officers were seen retreating with blood pouring from their faces after receiving blows and at least a dozen Chelsea supporters, male and female, were treated by paramedics on the pavement. Some had blood pouring from gaping head wounds, after what witnesses described as a baton charge by desperate police.
One injured police officer said: “There’s a full-scale riot going on. They’ve really kicked off and we’re doing all we can to hold the line but it’s a very heated situation and we don’t know what’s going to happen.”
One witness, who asked not to be named, said: “It all kicked off soon after the game had finished. The police seemed to be panicking and I saw them charging at the crowd with batons and hitting people to beat them back but they couldn’t control them.
“They’ve dropped back and now they are sealing off the area to try and pen them in, but it’s not doing any good.
“They are like animals. It’s really scary. Someone could get killed.”
Another witness added: “There were around 100 supporters singing and chanting in the road. The police were just watching them. All of a sudden, I don’t know why, a proper riot broke out by the Tube station.
“They were really going for it, the fans and the police, bashing each other. I’ve seen police officers and Chelsea fans with blood pouring from their heads.”
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No co-incidence that Rangers and Chelsea fans have been involved in nasty incidents this week. They are clubs linked by a poisonous belief and disrespect for others. It is a minority - but that minority is bigger at some clubs than others.
Ray, New Orleans, USA
Tim - people say that simply because it's true. How many Chelsea fans are there? And how many were involved in the trouble?
It is a tiny minority, and while even a minority is still too many it's ridiculous to dismiss football fans as hooligans on the basis of the actions of less than 1%
Stuart, London,
Lampard was quite right to say what he said. The better team didn't win. Man Utd were potent for 25 minutes. From then on, there was only one team looking like winning the match. The best team doesn't always win. Good fortune has a part to play, and as a Liverpool fan, i should know that.
neil, Manchester,
Surely not, Maybe its Rangers fans since Chelsea fans got the blame of Manchester's Trouble!!!
Martin, Glasgow,
This made me smile after looking at what people were saying on the big screen TV U-turn article.
Will, Dublin,
I was there, the police basically started it, made it as bad it as it was. Ok so we blocked a bus in the road but they couldve just come along and got everyone out the road and stood by the side keeping everyone on the pavement so the traffic could carry on, but no
david smith, fulham, england
Maybe the fans were out of control but unless you were there it is impossible to know . But it does sound like the police over reacted yet again.
Gordy , kitzbuhel, Austria
Everything kicked off last night after someone was hit by a car. Things seemed to cool down and then a woman was hit in the face with a baton and about 20 people charged the police. The police were attacking everyone in sight, men women and children. It seemed as it was the cops who wanted to fight.
James, London,
Do you think this will affect England's 2018 World Cup and will Chelsea be banned from Europe... I mean similar to Rangers... No?
England should be ashamed of their supporters.
dachaidh, rhu, scotland
Chelsea, lack of respect for people in authority, crowd around aggressively and harass that authorative figure, bitterly complain when it doesn't go their way.
Who are we talking about here - fans or players?
Neil, london, uk
Tim from New York - never let facts about the incident emerge first and stand in the way of a bit of anti British generalising. Sounds like the police overeacted. They were overreacting all over London. I watched them arrest 2 guys doing nothing at all but wearing aChelsea flag and singing!
alison, London,
If Frank Lampard did say " the best team didn't win " then I'm afraid Chelsea will win nothing for very long time . If he and his team mates can't see where they went wrong last night then they are destined to lose ever more of these matches .
Nick Dixon, Sutton Coldfield, England
Dougie Ferguson - grow up.
Stuart, Glasgow,
Let,s just leave this until we all know what really happened..i've been in football crowds and it is not just the supporters who lose their heads. Yes, there's drink, but there's also confusion and rumour..and, believe it or not, sometimes the police get it wrong.
tim bultitude, london, uk
Graham Spiers: can your psychological genius fathom some sectarian poison as the root of this incident?
doug ferguson, houston, usa
Why is that after incidents of violence like this someone inevitably says "you can't tar everybody with the same brush", "don't let the actions of a small group tarnish everyone", etc. The reality is that there are a lot of fans from Great Britain who are violent thugs, it's simply can't be denied.
Tim, New York,
It's unfair to tar all fans with the same brush. There is a bad reputation surrounding Chelsea fans however, perhaps stemming from the poor sportsmanship of the team itself. Lampard tonight said that the best team had not won, a remark that can only be caused by a bereavement-related imbalance.
G.Burke, Waterford, Ireland
How very typical of, so called, football supporters when a result does not go their way. Fuelled by excessive amounts of alcohol, they just want to take out their anger on the police and for that matter, anyone else who happens to be in their way. Then they try to blame the police, disgusting!!
R. P. Dixon. , London,