A massive operation to quell predicted violence as Bradford City took on rivals Leeds United has been hailed a 'triumph for positive policing'.
One of the city's biggest policing operations - the largest ever at Valley Parade - was launched yesterday amid fears that trouble could erupt during the derby, which Leeds won 2-1.
Bradford City chairman Geoffrey Richmond and Leeds United's Peter Ridsdale had made an unprecedented appeal for calm in the week before the match. In the event, there were only 11 arrests and 15 people ejected from the ground.
Inspector Jeff Baker, of Bradford Central Police, said three months of planning had gone into the operation.
"It was a good day. There were some fans out there who were up for it and ready to have a go. But we had a high profile and overall the operation paid off," he said. "There were skirmishes, but at these events there always are. Most tend to be drink related."
Inspector Sam Sagar said: "It has gone very well. There were very few problems compared with the potential. We are very pleased with how it went. It was a success for positive policing".
Most pubs in the city centre and Shipley were closed in the run-up to the game, designated C+ - the highest warning code for potential trouble. That was backed up with around 200 police on duty in and outside the ground - more than treble the average for a Premiership game at Valley Parade.
One fan, believed to be a corporate guest, collapsed and died as the game got under way. The man, who has not been named, was in the Ciba stand and is believed to have suffered a heart attack as the players ran on.
After the game, a steward in the same stand - expected to be a powder- keg with hundreds of Leeds United supporters able to buy tickets to sit with home fans - dismissed the much-publicised 'zero tolerance' approach.
Only 15 fans were ejected from the ground, despite pledges that any Leeds supporters in home areas would be thrown out for celebrating a goal or causing trouble. Outside Valley Parade, a woman from the Anti-Nazi League was struck by a bottle as she handed out leaflets protesting about an assault on an Asian teenager outside a Leeds nightclub in January. Four Leeds players have been questioned about the incident.
A record number of stewards inside the ground saw that trouble on the terraces was kept to a minimum among the 18,276 capacity crowd.
Eleven arrests were made - the majority for public-order offences, three for drunkeness, one for pitch invasion and one for the assault on the anti-racist campaigner.
Mother-of-three Marie Stephenson, 39, from Baildon, was taken to hospital after being hit on the head by the flying bottle. A Leeds man was arrested. She was one of a group of ten handing out leaflets on behalf of the Anti-Nazi League. She said: "There was a scuffle and the bottle hit me. It was intended to hit an Asian who was being racially abused but it caught me." She was taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary for treatment to a one-inch head wound.
A steward in the Ciba stand said problems were caused by City allowing Leeds fans to buy tickets outside the away end. "We ejected 15 people, but that is 15 more than we would usually eject," he said. "There were 500 Leeds fans in the Ciba stand and with that number you cannot operate a zero tolerance policy."
In the Sunwin stand, Leeds United chairman Peter Ridsdale rescued a mother and her young daughter after they were verbally abused by supporters. Trouble started when the pair, sitting in the middle of Bradford City fans, celebrated United's second goal. Mr Ridsdale said: "The lady and her daughter were clearly distressed. I took them into the directors' box and they sat next to me for the rest of the game."
Mr Richmond criticised the woman, saying: "Throughout the match she had been jumping up and down every time Leeds United did something exciting. She was asked to refrain.
"When Leeds scored the second goal, the mother went into a jubilant war dance. Quite frankly she brought it on herself. She was a stupid woman though I feel very sorry for the young daughter."
T&A Opinion
Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article