In this weeks column Clarkeonenil’s Monday writer Graeme Garvey gives (hopefully) the final word on Brunton Park.
There’s a fantastic black and white photograph of some helmeted police, truncheons in hands, mounting a fence behind the goal to get at the Leeds fans. The Yorkshire Evening Post kindly loaned it to us for inclusion in ‘Fanthology’. The playful caption penned by my co-editor Robert Endeacott described it as, “Yet another unprovoked attack on Leeds fans by the constabulary.”
It certainly looks like they were the aggressors, not the fans, although I doubt if that’s how the police saw it. The photograph focuses on eight police standing on the wall which surrounds the pitch, holding onto and leaning over the metal ‘cattle fence’ that all major grounds had to have until the tragic scenes at Hillsborough on 15th April 1989 led to their removal. Three of the eight are swinging their truncheons, a fourth is poised ready and four more officers are close by. Two of them seem happy just to watch, the third is preparing himself to climb up and join his colleagues whilst the other looks to be in a tearing hurry to join the fun, truncheon at the ready.
The Leeds fans are mostly obscured by the policemen’s bodies but appear to be doing no more than watching this macho performance from the boys in blue. Only one fan can be seen to be on a level with the eight police. He is standing on a crush barrier near the fence. In the background, calmly observing their pals at work, are two more police officers.
Compare this with 5 images currently on LUFC’s official website. They show the recent pitch invasion following Carlisle’s win on penalties in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy Northern Final. Gone are the fences of yesteryear. Carlisle fans roam freely across the pitch, some assaulting Leeds players. Who is trying to stop them? No one. There are a few bods in fluorescent green jackets but it is hard to tell with the level of definition of the web pictures if they are police or stewards. What is clear, however, is that no one is trying to restrain those intent on entering the pitch. All except one of those in fluorescent jackets have their arms by their sides, making no attempt to control fans. In the second image, which includes an assault on Shane Lowry by a Carlisle fan in blue jeans, I can count at least eight officials who are merely standing still and there is not a single one on the pitch.
What did Chief Inspector Mark Pannone, Commanding Officer at the match have to say?
“The policing and the stewarding of the match was conducted in a restrained and professional manner. The job of the police is to support the stewards, to prevent disorder and respond to incidents as they occur, which is exactly what we did.
“As soon as the pitch invasion commenced we began working with the stewards to clear the pitch and protect the away fans.
“No stewarding or policing is ever going to prevent a large-scale pitch invasion, but the way we managed it was pretty much textbook.
“We had some minor disorder, which we were able to deal with. People worry about Leeds playing, but for the importance of the game I think the majority of fans behaved themselves quite well.”
What insulting rubbish! The rozzers who mounted the fence must be blushing with shame. But that’s modern policing; denied truncheons, nowadays our public servants ‘support’ or in other words hide behind stewards, then get their bosses to trot out a load of porkies! Pannone isn’t interested in the truth, only in covering their backs.
Graeme Garvey.
