Fighting erupts at non-league ground April 1997 Innocent Gloucester City supporters were caught up in a violent fight at promotion rivals Gresley Rovers during their Dr Martens Premier divison match on Saturday. Gresley won the game 3-1 and in so were presented with the league championship in front of their biggest attendance of the season so far. However their Moat Ground stadium does not fit the Vauxhall Conferences requirements so will not be able to gain promotion. Sixteen minutes into the first half Gresley scored the games first goal and a battle on the terraces ensued as fans from both sides fought, with eventually the fighting spilling out on to the pitch. The referee was left with no choice but to bring the players off the playing area. Injured Gloucester City midfielder Simon Cooper was another who was caught up in the fierce fighting as he decided to stand with the city supporters rather than watch the game from the bench. One man from Gloucester, who is disabled, was taken to hospital after receiving head injuries.Derbyshire Constabulary believe the Gresley thugs involved were in fact an element of the Premier league firm "Derby County Lunatic Fringe" who preferred to take in the Gresley game rather than watching Derby, who were playing Chelsea at Pride Park. Despite the game being delayed for almost twenty-five minutes no arrests were made, although the police confirm that several supporters from both sides were escorted out of the ground. Gloucester City Supporters Club members were angry at the attitude of the stewarding and police. "It was obvious what was going to happen, there was a lot of goading between both sets of supporters yet there was no segregation at all. There were around 15 guys from Gresley who didnt watch the game. The fighting was the most frightening Ive ever been caught up in. The police came in, after about ten minutes of fighting, and it calmed down. They told us that the hooligans had been ejected yet when the second half kicked off it seemed as though nobody had left at all. Despite several supporters pointing out the perpetrators the police did not take any action." City supporters anger towards Rovers grew stronger as news of the violence went out on local radio. Concerned friends and relatives from both sets of supporters who called the club were told by Gresley officials that visiting Gloucester hooligans caused all the trouble.

Gresley (a): The worst incident of the year was easily what occurred at Gresley's Moat Ground. A big crowd knew that the Derbyshire side could win the title if they beat Gloucester, still chasing a promotion spot Gresley couldn't take because of the standard of their ground. The match began usually enough, but within 10 minutes City fans became aware of a group of just over a dozen Gresley fans who seemed particularly threatening in their vocal support. This bunch gradually moved round the ground to stand beside increasingly uneasy and subdued City supporters, especially threatening in the cramped covered standing. It was obvious that they intended trouble, and they were dressed in the labels that hooligan "firms" consider particularly fetching. The City away support was largely young men, but also included older people, girls and a large number of children. It was certainly not what could be described as a gang or a mob, never mind a firm. Also trying to edge away were a couple of injured City players who were regretting opting to stand with the supporters. When Gresley scored a northern voice shouted, "Who wants it then?" It turned out he was not offering sweets, but initiating a fight. It was an extremely violent, frightening and prolonged running riot that makes everything else mentioned here pale into insignificance. Such was the extent of the violence that scared children and fleeing combatants spilled on to the pitch, away from the narrow confines of the corridor-like terrace. The game had to be stopped and the players escorted away, although to his credit Simon Cooper, City's midfield terrier of the time, did try to help the fans involved in repelling the attack. The fight was terrifying in its intensity, and indiscriminate in its victims, carrying on for a good while as the Gresley scum tried to regroup and relaunch their offensive. After what seemed an eternity the police arrived and set to batoning the Gresley yobs, some of whom appeared to have been arrested. After a confused period the police volunteered the opinion that those involved were a locally based Derby County firm who had heard we had "a bit of a reputation" and fancied a go at us. This shows how dangerous it is for people to make inaccurate sweeping statements about City fans. The police also accepted that we were not to blame, but refused to take statements even though we could point to our attackers, now waving at us from the opposite side of the pitch. Despite Gresley's claims they didn't know those involved some appeared to be known to some of their officials who were seen joking with them. The game eventually restarted, with these thugs still in the ground taunting the shaken City supporters. When Gresley eventually secured the title and were presented with the Champions shield, City fans still applauded. Not exactly the behaviour of committed troublemakers is it? The thugs then milled around spitting on and threatening the City fans as they boarded their coach under police supervision. Again the police did not arrest the perpetrators, despite repeatedly having them pointed out and many fans volunteering statements. To add insult to cuts and bruises I was later told that concerned relatives who heard about the trouble on local radio had been told scandalous lies by Gresley office staff. When asked if anyone was hurt they replied no, when we had several people taken to casualty. They were also told that "it was all caused by Gloucester, as you'd expect". Well they were wrong, and are at best ignorant of their legal duty of care to visiting fans. Some of your supporters are scum and you know it. Sort it out - and an apology wouldn't go amiss either. An interesting postscript to this tale comes from the 1997/8 visit to a much more sparsely populated Moat Ground. While there it was apparent that Gresley fans had repeatedly been told the trouble was started by City fans, although a short column in the match day programme thanking City players (not fans mind you) for clapping at their title presentation suggests something of a guilty conscience. I really hope so. Further discussion led me to find out I was talking to the local MP, who admitted that fear of potential violence from the local people was one reason why a fundraising game against Manchester United had been played at the ground of local rivals Burton. Another interesting discovery was that two of these "unknowns" who attacked us were once again present, suggesting they attend games regularly. So if you're from Gresley and see a man with a distinctive black Victorian pirate style beard, nick him for me, because I vividly remember him stamping on my chest.