Police charge more than 40 away fans after major disorder outside Villa Park
Police have charged 46 men after Legia Warsaw supporters attacked police outside Villa Park in Birmingham on Thursday. West Midlands Police said five officers, two police dogs and two police horses were injured when missiles were thrown by visiting fans during the Europa Conference League fixture. In a statement confirming details of the charges, the force said 43 men have been charged with a public order offence, two with assaulting police officers and another with possession of a knife. The statement added: “Those charged are aged between 21 and 63, and around 40 are believed to be from Poland. A small number are believed to be UK residents. “All apart from one of the men is due in court today. He has been bailed to appear at a later date. A special court has been set up at Birmingham magistrates and will begin hearing the cases this morning.” Officers are continuing to review CCTV and body-worn video footage to identify further suspects after “what was an appalling and violent public disorder”. Two West Midlands Police officers, two from West Mercia and one from Derbyshire Police suffered minor injuries during the violence. Detective Superintendent Jim Munro, who is overseeing the criminal investigation, said: “Our investigation is very much continuing and we’ll be reviewing footage and speaking to witnesses over the coming days. “To charge this number of people so soon after such a major disorder has taken a huge effort by staff who have been working around the clock. “We’ve had a number of messages of thanks from the club and fans who were present on Thursday night and saw the policing operation first hand, and we are really grateful for that support.” Police said fans of the Polish side were not allowed into the stadium after missiles were thrown at officers before the start of the match. West Midlands mayor Andy Street has called for European football chiefs to take “strong action” as he thanked the “brave officers” and criticised the “deeply unpleasant scenes”. In a previous statement, Chief Inspector Tim Robinson said: “This should have been a great evening of football which was enjoyed by fans from both clubs. Unfortunately, there were appalling scenes which saw away fans dangerously throw flares and other missiles at our officers.” He said the “extreme violence” left police with no other choice but to prevent away fans entering the stadium, adding: “The safety of everyone is our priority and clearly we had no other option.” Read More Discipline has ‘let us down’ and must improve, says Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou Pep Guardiola: Spurs under Ange Postecoglou an ‘incredible advert’ for football ‘We never lost trust’: Sarina Wiegman remained confident of England comeback Erik ten Hag backs under-fire Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana Mauricio Pochettino understands reason behind early struggles for Moises Caicedo Ange Postecoglou knows he can succeed at Tottenham by sticking to plan
2023-12-02 18:19
Adam Driver gets reminded of THIS Star Wars scene 'every day'
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Football transfer rumours: Real Madrid's Mbappe offer, Liverpool dealt Wirtz blow
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2023-12-02 17:57
UFC champ Sean Strickland reacts to Joe Rogan hailing him for ‘heroic’ action against trespasser
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2023-12-02 17:56
Paige Spiranac faces backlash after she shuts down suggestion to get golf advice from 'alpha male': 'Statement is pretty condescending'
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2023-12-02 17:52
EIB to Support EU Wind Sector With €5 Billion in Bank Guarantees
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2023-12-02 17:51
'He's the GOAT!' The Weeknd's $2.5M donation for emergency meals in Gaza wins fans' hearts
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2023-12-02 17:47
Nick Cave pens tribute to Sinead O'Connor and Shane MacGowan
Nick Cave has written a poignant tribute to the late Shane MacGowan and Sinéad O’Connor as he reflected on performing at The Pogues frontman's 60th birthday celebrations.
2023-12-02 17:46
US joins in other nations in swearing off coal power to clean the climate
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Internet roasts Lamar Odom for giving dating advice to Travis Kelce amid Taylor Swift romance: 'Will say anything to stay relevant'
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2023-12-02 17:45
Tom Hanks tells Cher she's 'missing out' after candid revelation on Graham Norton Show
Tom Hanks was forced to interject on the Graham Norton Show on Friday night after Cher admitted that she wasn't a big fan of herself and rarely listens to her music or watches her films. Hanks and Cher were among a star-studded set of guests on the BBC show, sitting alongside other Hollywood royalty; Julia Roberts and Timothee Chalamet. During Norton's conversation with Cher he asked the entertainment icon if she ever listens to her own music or watches herself on screen. The 77-year-old simply replied by saying she's "not a big Cher fan" adding: "I don't usually listen to a song. Usually I like the songs that weren't hits." Norton then asked if she's ever sat down to watch any of her movies if they were on TV. She bluntly replied 'no.' Sensing that Cher was underplaying her impressive filmography, Hanks piped up and told her she was "missing out." The Academy Award winner enthusiastically continued: "Motion picture perfection? Mamma Mia 2. When she busts our Fernando the whole world stops. Suns clash into stars." Chalamet also pointed out that Moonstruck was a highlight, a movie that Cher won the Oscar for Best Actress in 1988. Hanks then said: "I think we should all go to the theatre and watch Cher movies, right?" or as Julia Roberts called it a "Cher-a-thon." Just in case Hanks didn't express enough in that snippet how big of a Cher fan he was he also started chanting her name shortly after she finished performing. Elsewhere viewers were in awe at the level of stardom on the show. One person wrote: "The level of stardom on #grahamnorton tonight is crazy! Everyone in the audience is SO lucky to be at this one!" Another said: "What an iconic sofa tonight." A third added: "What. A. Sofa. Lineup!!! Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-12-02 17:28
Pep Guardiola: Spurs under Ange Postecoglou an ‘incredible advert’ for football
Pep Guardiola expects Tottenham to come at his Manchester City side at full throttle this weekend. Spurs caught the eye playing dynamic and attacking football in a strong start to the Premier League season under new manager Ange Postecoglou. The Londoners have come unstuck in recent weeks, losing their last three games and suffering injuries to key players, but their Australian manager has determinedly stuck to his principles. “He’s been there from day one, from the first game of the Premier League,” said City boss Guardiola, whose treble winners host Spurs at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. “I have the feeling it doesn’t matter the result, it doesn’t matter the opponent, home or away – they do what they have to do. “I like that. I think that is so incredible an advert for our game, for our sport. When two teams (decide it) doesn’t matter what happens, I do my game, I go forward, there are always nice things to watch, all the time. “It’s impossible you don’t see an interesting game where both teams want to try to do it.” City midfielder Mateo Kovacic is back in contention after injury and John Stones, and unused substitute for the last games, is also close to returning to action. Kyle Walker, who has taken over the City captaincy so far this season with Kevin De Bruyne out injured, will face his old club. “I’m really, really pleased about what he’s doing,” said Guardiola of the 33-year-old right-back. “He’s the same guy who was involved before, when he wasn’t captain, but now the players decided to pick him, so he now has a little more responsibility. “When there’s some problems in the locker room or whatever, captains tend to solve it.” Read More ‘We never lost trust’: Sarina Wiegman remained confident of England comeback Erik ten Hag backs under-fire Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana Mauricio Pochettino understands reason behind early struggles for Moises Caicedo
2023-12-02 17:25