VIOLENCE at children’s football matches reached a new low over the weekend when a man and a teenager were arrested, and a young boy needed medical treatment, after trouble erupted during an under-15s football tournament.
Five minutes before the whistle in the final, held at Bishop Auckland on Saturday, a parent stormed the pitch and grabbed hold of one of the home team players.
In the melee that followed, one boy was trampled and the police and ambulance service were called.
Former world cup referee George Courtney, from Spennymoor, described the incident as “abhorrent” and evidence of a deepening problem of spectators abusing referees and players.
Police officers attended the scene shortly after 4.30pm and arrested a 38-year-old man from Barnsley and a 14-year-old local boy in connection with the incident.
Durham Police has confirmed a small number of people required medical treatment and it is believed one boy was injured after being trampled on.
Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident to contact them on 101, quoting incident number 314 from July 9.
Full story Via Northern Echo HERE http://m.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/14610356.Arrests_after_violence_breaks_out_at_children__39_s_football_tournament_in_Bishop_Auckland/
Who ever has given a statement to the police about a man running on after a descision by the ref is absolutely wrong. A fight between the players broke out and then parents came in to intervene. The man who was arrested came on the pitch a little bit after the outbreak of other parents to PUSH not HIT the player that attacked his son. The people of Bishop Auckland provoked the people of Barnsley. Non of this would happen if the Bishop players played fairly and not accumulating yellow cards and potential goal chances. Absolutely shocking who has come and twisted the story