Sheffield United vs Birmingham City: Post match investigation into disorder will review video footage
Video footage circulating online and images from police body-worn cameras will be reviewed as part of a post match investigation into disorder after Sheffield United’s game against Birmingham City.
Fans clashed in the London Road area after the teams drew 1-1 and supporters left the Bramall Lane stadium yesterday afternoon.
South Yorkshire Police said the force is “aware” of footage circulating showing the response of officers to the disorder.
It will be reviewed as well as footage from police body-worn cameras which captured scenes after the game.
Chief Superintendent Simon Wanless said: “We are aware of footage circulating of our response to the disorder at yesterday’s match between Sheffield United and Birmingham FC.
“An investigation is now underway in to this disorder itself, which resulted in damage to a coach and a Sheffield pub. Two people have been arrested and work is ongoing to identify others involved. No injuries have been reported to us.
“A post-match investigation will follow during which we’ll review all the evidence, including officer body-worn video.”
It is reported that both home and away fans being directed by officers away from the ground ended up both meeting on London Road, where they clashed.
One reader said on Facebook: “The police caused all the issues by sending us all in different directions leading to the same bloody place, we all ended up on London Road, home and away fans.
“I told a policeman all about the issues that we would face by sending us down in the same direction, guess what he just laughed and actually pushed me away. It was a bloody joke, poor kids had to see that.”
A South Yorkshire Police spokesperson confirmed the post-match investigation is a routine review of how the police worked during the event.
They said it happens after every football match in the city, including Sheffield Wednesday matches in Hillsborough, in order to analyse what the force had done well and what could be improved for the next game.
There were reports yesterday that a fan had been stabbed during the clashes but nobody has come forward to the police to report such an injury.