Match clash report biased and misinformed - police

A report looking into crowd trouble following a Hartlepool United v York City match in January has been labelled as "biased and misinformed" by police.

The York City Supporters' Trust (YCST) published its findings last week, examining the events during which police, home and away fans clashed in Hartlepool on 27 January.

The trust called for better crowd management and improved communication between police, clubs and fans, and heavily criticised Cleveland Police's tactics used on the day.

Cleveland Police said it was disappointed the trust had not engaged with the force to produce the report, saying it contained factual errors and lacked context.

Supt John Wrintmore from the force said: “This is particularly disappointing as, following the fixture in January, I was proactive in inviting representatives of the YCST and York City FC to meet with me to listen to their concerns and to explain the actions taken during the policing operation."

The trust said the disorder highlighted multiple areas where planning, communication and management of away supporters could be improved to ensure a safer and more positive match day experience.

Among its recommendations, it said supporters should show courtesy towards other fans, stewards and police, while police should focus on de-escalation at "key interaction points".

According to Cleveland Police, a minority of people caused disorder on the day, which included flares being thrown in the stadium and clashes between supporters in pubs.

Videos shared on social media showed pockets of violence erupting after the game as people made their way to the railway station.

Eyewitnesses quoted in YCST's report accused police of being "heavy-handed" and "aggressive", with some reporting innocent bystanders, such as children and the elderly, being treated like troublemakers.

The force said the disorder on the day had required an immediate and dynamic response, which had been robust and proportionate, to prevent escalation.

Supt Wrintmore added: "I firmly believe that had we not responded as we did, people may have been injured."

Cleveland Police said all complaints received had been reviewed independently by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and no findings of misconduct had been identified.

Furthermore, the force said while there had been no mention of it in YCST's report, a number of York City fans had received criminal convictions and football banning orders.

The force said it would continue to work with football clubs and supporters to ensure fans could enjoy football matches in a safe environment.

YCST said it would advocate for an independent review of the force's policing practices and work to implement the report's recommendations.

In addition, the trust said it would continue to educate fans in understanding their responsibilities and rights at football matches.

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