Six arrested after brawls in Manchester ahead of Man United’s clash with Leeds
Six people have been arrested after brawls ahead of Manchester United's opening match of the season against visitors Leeds on Saturday.
Video on social media appeared to show clashes, including a chair being thrown and someone being hit with a bin.
Greater Manchester Police said that six arrests had been made over the course of the day – five in relation to public order offences and one on suspicion of drug offences.
A police spokesman said there were “isolated incidents of disorder in the city” before the game at Old Trafford, which the Reds won 5-1.
Gary Lineker tweeted “Oh for crying out loud, grow up you idiots” as he shared footage of a fight.
The force said that work was also under way in conjunction with football investigating officers from both Manchester United and Leeds United to identify people involved.
Chief Superintendent Stuart Ellison said: “Despite isolated incidents of disorder in the city centre prior to kick-off, today’s events at Old Trafford largely passed without police incident and I would like to thank the majority of the public for their cooperation throughout the day.
“Six arrests were made over the course of the day; five in relation to public order offences and one on suspicion of drug offences.
“These suspects remain in custody in cells in Greater Manchester for questioning this evening.
“Today was an important day for a lot of people with the return of capacity crowds at venues that have remained absent for such a long time, and I would like to thank the public, our officers and our partners from all agencies involved who helped make sure today was a safe and enjoyable affair for a vast majority of those concerned.”
Officers said they would remain in the city for the rest of Saturday to keep disruption to a minimum.
Unverified video on Twitter appears to show people in a cafe watching on as a large group of people runs through the street outside.
Some can be seen throwing projectiles and one person is seen falling to the ground as the group continues moving.
One person inside remarks "Good job we're in here" and police sirens sound as individuals outside clash.
An individual in a black top can be seen wielding a bin while someone else throws a chair.
