Fans group fears fatality

A leading Manchester United fans’ group has warned supporters will be killed unless UEFA finally takes decisive action to stamp out the growing incidents of violence at European games.

For the second European away-day running United’s 4,000-strong travelling army were charged by riot police.

Ugly scenes erupted at the Stadio Olimpico as United slipped to a 2-1 defeat against AS Roma, with many complaints that supporters were still being struck by baton-wielding police even when they were lying on the ground with blood pouring from head wounds.

Eye-witnesses were shocked by the mayhem, with many questioning why police were stationed only on the United side of a perspex barrier segregating the two sets of supporters.

In the aftermath of the problems in United’s previous away trip to France, host club Lille were fined £42,000 (€61,600) for a range of offences, while the Red Devils were hit with a £6,300 (€9,200) penalty for the ’improper conduct’ of their supporters at the Stade Felix-Bollaert.

However, Mark Longden, chairman of the Independent Manchester United Supporters Association, believes the time has come for UEFA to take firm action or risk dire consequences

“Enough is enough now,” said Longden.

“There can be no more whitewashes, with £3,000 (€4,400) fines here and £10,000 (€14,700) fines there.

“We have gone beyond that now. This is a time for decisive action and if UEFA don’t take it, I truly believe someone will get killed.”

Although Longden has some sympathy for police, who saw one of their colleagues killed at the Sicilian derby between Catania and Palermo two months ago, he feels the reaction to last night’s disturbances was completely over the top.

And he compared the way potential flashpoint games are policed in this country compared to Italy and questioned why England’s lead in not being followed.

“There is no bigger rivalry in Europe than Manchester United and Liverpool.

“But there are no perspex screens between the two sets of fans at those games. Generally speaking all you have are two sets of stewards.

“Apart from the odd incident outside the stadium, those games seem to pass off reasonably peacefully so why should it be different in Italy.

“It seems to be if you need perspex screens inside stadiums, you have a problem. It is one that has to be sorted out.

“Questions must also be asked why the police were only on the United side of the barrier. Surely there should have been some on both sides because, while missiles were thrown from the United end, our information is that people were only lobbing things back that had been aimed at them in the first place.”