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Thugs' baseball attack on Town fans
10:10am Monday 30th April 2007
Comments (61)A GANG of 20 hooligans armed with baseball bats attacked Swindon Town fans before the team's crucial match with Bristol Rovers.
The unprovoked violence took place at the Inn on the Green pub in Horfield, Bristol, at about 1.30pm as about 30 Town fans gathered for a friendly pre-match drink before the crunch encounter.
Fans caught up in the terrifying ordeal have described the attack as premeditated.
Karen Norton, 22, of Wantage, was among the Town fans targeted in the pub's beer garden. She said: "We were just sat in the pub garden and all of a sudden these blokes came in with baseball bats and started throwing glasses and bottles at us.
"It was completely unprovoked as we were just enjoying a quiet drink, there were even some Rovers fans there who we were getting on with. I got put behind a group of blokes for my own safety, but then a glass only just missed my face.
"The blokes with the baseball bats were just attacking the Swindon fans - there was blood everywhere. I was just crying my eyes out. I have never seen anything like it in my life."
One eyewitness said the gang were contacted via mobile phone by one man who then singled out the fans that were attacked.
Chris Doore, 33, also from Wantage, said that the yobs crashed through the beer garden's fence to make their escape.
He said: "The fence was demolished in the beer garden as they legged it. After about five minutes six or seven riot police arrived and I said you're a bit late.' "There must have been between 20 and 30 blokes in casual clothes and one of them was shouting they're over there' pointing to the Swindon fans.
"I saw one bloke get hit in the face and there were quite a few others who were injured."
Chris Chadwick, 18, of Old Town, was inside the pub when he heard glasses smashing in the beer garden.
"We looked outside the window and there were loads of what I assumed to be Rovers fans," he said. "Some of them had a lot of wood and they were throwing bottles and glasses at the Swindon fans.
"They came into the beer garden from the rear gate.
"It's the first time I have ever seen anything like that so it was fairly scary. The Swindon fans were coming back into the pub to get away from it all.
"One of the blokes that came in was holding his arm and he was in agony so I think he must have broken it, but there were a lot of people with gashes and cuts. I've been against the ground share from the start and what happened on Saturday makes me even more against it."
The landlord of the Inn on the Green confirmed the trouble had taken place, but declined to comment further.
Around 150 police officers were employed for the derby game and the Adver understands they were equipped with rigid Arnold batons for the first time in 10 years.
PC James Neighbour, Swindon police football liaison officer, said that he was aware of the violence at the Inn on the Green and said it was one of several flashpoints involving rival supporters before the game.
But he said the perpetrators of the violence would be dealt with by Avon and Somerset police.
He said: "As far as I am concerned, I'm aware that there was trouble in various different locations in Bristol.
"Avon and Somerset police are also aware and the matter will be dealt with accordingly.
"I thought Swindon fans were well behaved. What I can say is that small groups of Swindon fans were being picked off by larger groups of Bristol Rovers risk' supporters, in other words hooligans.
"It was disappointing to see, but there was a police helicopter with a camera, police units with cameras and lots of footage taken so we can arrest those responsible."
Your Say YourSwindon Advertiser
Alan, Swindon says...
8:32am Mon 30 Apr 07
Andrew, Kent says...
9:24am Mon 30 Apr 07
Average Joe, swindon says...
9:36am Mon 30 Apr 07
David, says...
9:59am Mon 30 Apr 07
BRISTOL ROVERS FANS WILL TRASH OUR TOWN WEEK IN WEEK OUT IF THIS IS ALLOWED TO HAPPEN!
Richard, London says...
10:11am Mon 30 Apr 07
I could write pages about what happened on Saturday afternoon, but I haven't the time. All I will say is that in 17 years of watching football and supporting Swindon Town, I have never seen anything like this.
My thoughts and best wishes go to those people who were not as lucky as we were.
No to the STFC/BRFC ground share.
David Scott, Swindon says...
12:08pm Mon 30 Apr 07
Please sign the petition http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/no2roversgroundshare/ and lets show this board the amount of opposition there is to this. Say no to Rovers.
Martin, Swindon says...
12:15pm Mon 30 Apr 07
Rob, says...
12:21pm Mon 30 Apr 07
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145365&command=displayContent&sourceNode=145191&contentPK=17197740&folderPk=83726&pNodeId=144922
Suzanne, Swindon says...
12:22pm Mon 30 Apr 07
brizle, says...
12:27pm Mon 30 Apr 07
TC, Swindon says...
12:39pm Mon 30 Apr 07
They should make an announcment immediatly that they have no intention of sharing our ground with this scum!!!
With any luck Cheltenham would follow suit and Rovers would have to suffer the finacial consequencies of playing at a tinpot ground...
brizle, says...
12:57pm Mon 30 Apr 07
LOYAL GASHEAD!, Bristol says...
1:00pm Mon 30 Apr 07
Steve, Swindon says...
1:25pm Mon 30 Apr 07
LOYAL GASHEAD! wrote:My daughter didnt throw any seats at you.... & she had a bottle smashed on her head... hows that work then you stupid c#nt.
To be honest the fans got what they deserved after throwing seats at us
Rob, says...
1:25pm Mon 30 Apr 07
Ali, Swindon says...
1:29pm Mon 30 Apr 07
LOYAL GASHEAD! wrote:What a sad little life you must leed "loyal gashead" if thats the best argument you can come up with to justify it being ok to attack women & children.
To be honest the fans got what they deserved after throwing seats at us
Lee, wantage says...
1:50pm Mon 30 Apr 07
As others have said I have never witnessed anything like this in the time I have been going to watch Swindon and I have been to alot of away games. Them fans (Bristol) are just thugs, and Iam afraid its very sad and very pointless attack what do they achieve from it???, As for the ground share their haveing a laugh!!!
Average Joe, swindon says...
1:58pm Mon 30 Apr 07
LOYAL GASHEAD! wrote:Gashead sounds about right - It's obviously what your skull contains rather than brains. I'm sure there are many Bristol Rovers supporters who are ashamed to be associated with cockroaches like you. I'm sure there are many cockroaches who would be ashamed to be compared to you.
To be honest the fans got what they deserved after throwing seats at us
Steve, says...
2:10pm Mon 30 Apr 07
james, swindon says...
2:14pm Mon 30 Apr 07
The police were poor that day, there wasn't enough police to contol he fighs before and after the game!
Matty, Bristol says...
2:16pm Mon 30 Apr 07
rovers go **** yourselves, says...
2:21pm Mon 30 Apr 07
so resort to beating up shirters and terrosing women and kids.
call that a result you inbred scum!
Blueboy, Brizzle says...
2:28pm Mon 30 Apr 07
Voice of Reason, Swindon says...
2:31pm Mon 30 Apr 07
Voice of Reason, Swindon says...
2:41pm Mon 30 Apr 07
Blueboy, Brizzle says...
2:50pm Mon 30 Apr 07
Average Joe, swindon says...
2:52pm Mon 30 Apr 07
Voice of Reason, says...
2:55pm Mon 30 Apr 07
brizle wrote:No thats what gets peoples backs up you moron. He hit me first so I did it back, that belongs ibn the PLAYGROUND not Football Ground. I am actually from Manchester just choose to live in Swindon...
swings and roundabouts!! i remember coming to your ground, seeing seats being thrown at women and kids!! what goes around comes around!
Blueboy, Brizzle says...
3:05pm Mon 30 Apr 07
steve, bristol says...
3:09pm Mon 30 Apr 07
Voice of Reason, says...
3:18pm Mon 30 Apr 07
Blueboy, Brizzle says...
3:25pm Mon 30 Apr 07
Hope 2 see u soon in the playoffs...x x x x
blueboy all mouth, swindon says...
3:37pm Mon 30 Apr 07
its so hard hitting placid people that dont want trouble aint it.gobshite!
Rovers Fan, Bristol says...
3:51pm Mon 30 Apr 07
Sorry again to the innocent fans caught up in this.
Voice of Reason, SWINDON says...
3:51pm Mon 30 Apr 07
Michael, Swindon says...
4:37pm Mon 30 Apr 07
From that point we went straight into the ground.
At least someone had his head screwed on.
As for the ground share "NO CHANCE"
Blueboy, Brizzle says...
4:39pm Mon 30 Apr 07
DONKEY KICK, The Habit says...
4:43pm Mon 30 Apr 07
The poor little kid, being protected by her Dad looks terrified, and why? Are there no children in the lives of those who wanted to fight ... I'll bet they wouldn't like to put their families into such a situation?
Two relatively small-time football clubs, these days, just happen to be playing what they seem to think is their rivals in an important match. Even the STFC players didn't seem to take it very seriously!
I don't get it, I support STFC and Swindon Supermarine FC , yet I don't, personally wish Bristol Rovers any ill feeling. Neither Bristol City for that matter, there are more important issues in life ... look at the photos of the poor kids with less than the required amount of vision a few pages further on, then it all gets into some kind of perspective!
Ground sharing is a suicidal move for STFC.
Town fan, says...
4:51pm Mon 30 Apr 07
LOYAL GASHEAD! wrote:I was in the beer garden too - and the events were very sad indeed. What is more sad has to be the attitude of somebody who can two days later seek to justify the acts of violence. Nobody on here condones seat throwing (which was two way) nor the people who did it - every club has it's bad eggs - and we detest those that claim to be Swindon fans as much as Bristol fans. What happened in the beer garden was unprovoked and callous and I hope you, loyal gashead, have the decency to apologise on here. We are all individuals, and i personally don't condone any violence or attack on any football fan, no matter hat club you come from - but to gain pleasure from that attack - you are a simple simple being.
To be honest the fans got what they deserved after throwing seats at us
ET, Outer space says...
5:12pm Mon 30 Apr 07
Voice of Reason, Swindon says...
5:19pm Mon 30 Apr 07
onlooker, swindon says...
5:20pm Mon 30 Apr 07
steve wrote:least we have our own ground!
we dont want to play on your sh-t ground anyway
Villan in Swindon, exiled in Swindon says...
5:20pm Mon 30 Apr 07
You little chav burberry clad wannabes. I'm sure the footballing world is so proud that when you wanted to pick a fight with Swindonians you chose people who didn't wish to fight at all ? Your firm.... or whatever it is... is a joke. Everyone knows City are the REAL contenders in your hole of existence. Thats why nobody takes you seriously.... or your **** football club for that matter
STFC_Gazza, Swindon Wilts says...
6:54pm Mon 30 Apr 07
Steve, Trowbridge says...
7:27pm Mon 30 Apr 07
steve wrote:Do you really think any clubs will be welcoming us with open arms if this sort of thing keeps happening? Rovers and Swindon both have an undesirable element - accept it. Coming on here with stupid comments like that isn't doing Rovers any favours.
we dont want to play on your sh-t ground anyway
wsmgashl, says...
8:20pm Mon 30 Apr 07
St George, Bucks says...
9:09pm Mon 30 Apr 07
We may have a small ground but at least we've got one and don't need to go cap in hand to a little town.
Even your big , more intelligent brothers don't want to share with you because you and your like are real scum of the earth, you brainless tw#t.
I can just see what will happen next time you moronic low life come to our little town, I don't think there will be enough police to save you.
Charlie, Bath says...
9:40pm Mon 30 Apr 07
I don't necessarily think this would be a problem if we were to share with Swindon, but having said that Cheltenham surely is the only sensible option. Why take the risk?
reeves4england, Swindon says...
9:42pm Mon 30 Apr 07
Okay so there was seat-throwing at the CG, I'm not hiding that. It was stupid and pathetic. But how you can justify breaking the bones of innocent people young and old, male and female is beyond me.
The groundshare WILL NOT happen. I hope Cheltenham don't agree to it either for the sake of their own locals.
St George, Bucks says...
11:17pm Mon 30 Apr 07
Every time those scum have a "home " game at Swindon , downtown Swindon will be a balltefield , decent, innocent people will not be able to have a reasonably quiet night on the Town.
Come on Mr Carson & co see sense and veto the groundshare, we don't need a couple of quid from this lot.
I realise that there are some decent and proper Rovers supporters , but sorry folks for the safety of innocent people you have to look elswhere for a groundshare.
I wish you good luck and hope the thick cowardly brainless moronic scum that alledgedly "support" your team realise the error of their ways and what it may cost you all eventually.
kombatt88, heaven says...
12:50am Tue 1 May 07
Alan wrote:what do you expect from these village twats,these farmers from *ristol have always been cowards sa proved again on saturday,when it comes to the real people to deal with,the farmers never show,bri**ol rovers are now proudly now known as woman and child beaters
Absolutly pathetic..... what a bunch of cowards attacking women & children, i hope these people are caught & dealt with harshly. My friends daughter was there & she along with others also had her wallet & phone stolen by these thugs while running for cover from flying bottles. Well lets hope the proposed ground share between Swindon & Rovers doesnt go ahead next season now as i can see it desending into chaos on match days now....
BigMac, Swindon says...
2:03am Tue 1 May 07
We are coming back for revenge.
brizle, says...
8:36am Tue 1 May 07
onlooker, if you botherd to do some research brfore posting your dribble you might actually find we have our own ground. it is the rugby club that doesnt NUMB NUTS!
kombatt88, heaven says...
9:53am Tue 1 May 07
brizle wrote:don't worry *rizle,truth hurts,scum *overs are women and child and shirt beaters,you must feel so proud,just picture you know,sat there with your straw hat with some barley hanging out,you stroking your sheep next to you in bed,maybe your a pimp sorry a shep'd with a flock of sheep,what else will you do today,give the tractor a polish,maybe take your whore of a sheep and scum of lambs to the beach on the back of your tractor,your a small time club,always will be,it must hurt you so that your manager is from SWINDON,how sad is that,well he was sh*t here and now he has gone to a small farm full of pigs and sheep and cows,mirror image of the village locals,lets all have a minute silence for them
bigmac, that has got to be the funniest post i have ever read!!
onlooker, if you botherd to do some research brfore posting your dribble you might actually find we have our own ground. it is the rugby club that doesnt NUMB NUTS!
stfc town ender, town end says...
10:42am Tue 1 May 07
Villa81, says...
10:44am Tue 1 May 07
brizle wrote:inbred, thick, retarded and most of all.... women beaters. Nice one Rovers. **** club, **** fans, tin pot stadium and staying in League 2. Tell me Brizle, your some sort of cnut aren't you ? Sat behind your PC screen giving it charlie big b0ll0cks.... are you posting on your school break in your ICT class ? Were you unloved as a child ? mummy and daddy didn't pay you much attention ? Too scared to pick on a proper firm eh ? One day sunshine...... one day
bigmac, that has got to be the funniest post i have ever read!! onlooker, if you botherd to do some research brfore posting your dribble you might actually find we have our own ground. it is the rugby club that doesnt NUMB NUTS!
brizle, says...
12:38pm Tue 1 May 07
Villa81, says...
1:24pm Tue 1 May 07
Back to special school little retard...
Thunderlips, Town says...
3:59pm Tue 1 May 07
brizle, says...
8:32am Wed 2 May 07
Riot police move into action outside the Memorial Ground
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Town Fan, Oxon says...
8:28am Mon 30 Apr 07