11 men arrested after Oldham and Wrexham fans clash in violent street fights

GMP confirmed the arrests were made after fights broke out between fans before the National League match with Wrexham condemning the behaviour of the "small minority" of fans

Ben Haslam

17:32, 02 Oct 2022

The shocking footage was shared across social media

11 people have been arrested after a violent street fight between Oldham Athletic and Wrexham fans broke out hours before their National League match on Saturday.

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Shocking footage was shared online of fans violently punching and kicking each other as Greater Manchester Police officers tried their best to get a handle on the clashes that broke out next to Tesco Extra in Failsworth.

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The two groups of fans are shown to be fighting in the street before officers arrive and try to break up the violence before what appears to be a Wrexham fan throws a bin into the crowd. The larger group of fans then break out into a chant singing "Wrexham" as they march on.

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In another video shared, men can be clearly seen kicking and punching each other in vicious street fights as others launch objects at each other in shocking scenes. One police officer can be seen bravely trying to break the fights up with a baton but is easily outnumbered before support arrives.

GMP has now confirmed that 11 men aged between 18 and 30 have been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder, with them all being bailed pending further investigations. The police force also confirmed it was forced to issue dispersal powers on around 60 football fans yesterday (Saturday, October 1), with fans of both clubs ordered to leave the area.

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Do you think either side should face a penalty for the fan violence? Let us know in the comments section below

Fans fought on the street before police intervened

Police rushed in after violent scenes on the streets of Oldham

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Superintendent Phillip Hutchinson said: “Disorder and violence at football matches is unacceptable and we have launched a post-match investigation to identify more offenders who will be arrested and placed before the courts, where we will seek football banning orders.

"We appreciate the passion and support that fans want to show for their team, however violent disorder and anti-social behaviour will never be tolerated in our communities.”

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Wrexham AFC CEO Fleur Robinson said: “We would like to thank the vast majority of our travelling fans for their incredible, passionate and vocal support at yesterday’s game. We are sorry that the actions of a very small minority have created more negative headlines, but we can only reiterate our zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviour at our matches.

“Our true supporters within Boundary Park showcased the best of our fanbase, with their support contributing to a comeback win – with players and staff all highlighting the impact this had. Anybody who acts to sour this reputation has no place at our football club, and we will continue to work with the police to ensure they face the strictest possible consequences for their unacceptable behaviour.”

The match finished 2-1 to the visitors after Paul Mullin scored the winner from the spot in the fifth minute of added time to send the promotion hopefuls back to Wales with a tainted three points.

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