Football thugs were told they should be ‘ashamed’ of themselves after Manchester United and Leeds fans clashed in ‘running battles’ in the city centre.
Three more fans were hauled before a judge after being caught on camera as ugly scenes unfolded ahead of a Premier League clash between the bitter rivals. Bosses at a branch of Cafe Nero locked their doors after supporters threw chairs and other items.
Fighting broke out before police intervened and separated the thugs ahead of the Saturday afternoon game on August 14, 2021. The trio, who appeared at Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday (November 5), were told that if they had appeared in court months after the disorder, rather than three years later, that they would ‘almost certainly’ have been locked up.
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But Judge Nicholas Dean KC said there would now be ‘no deterrent value’ in jailing 22-year-old Alex Williams; 24-year-old Cameron Benn; and 27-year-old Connor Robertson. They were instead ordered to carry out unpaid work and were banned from attending football matches for three years.
Six men previously appeared in court in connection with the disorder. They were also given suspended prison sentences.
Prosecuting, James Hudson said: “This was the first day of the football season and Leeds United were the visitors to Old Trafford for the early afternoon kick off. The violence occurred at approximately 10.30am.
“Leeds United fans had congregated and were drinking on Albert Square. Manchester United fans were walking along Princess Street towards Old Trafford.
“Both sets of fans were verbally abusive towards each other, and various items were thrown. The police acted quickly to prevent any further disorder and any violence, and the Manchester United fans were escorted along John Dalton Street and onto Deansgate.
“A group of Leeds fans made their way down Lloyd Street towards the Manchester United fans, some of whom broke free from the police cordon, to confront the opposing set of supporters. Much of what occurred is captured on CCTV and mobile phone footage as a large number of males engaged in physical violence outside Café Nero.
“Numerous items were thrown including chairs, traffic cones and signs, mugs, bottles and flares. The Leeds fans retreated up Lloyd Street and the police were able to separate the two sets of fans and prevent any further violence.”
Benn was seen on footage as part of a group of Leeds fans, picking up a road sign, before discarding it. He was seen ‘shouting and ‘gesticulating’ towards United fans, Mr Hudson said.
Leeds fan Robertson was seen throwing a chair towards a group of opposition fans. United fan Williams was seen to pick up a ‘large metal item’ which he later discarded. Staff in Cafe Nero were ‘very shaken up’ by the incident.
Williams, of Inglewood Road, Chadderton; Benn, of Kingsbarn Drive, Stockport; and Robertson, of Heathfield Road; all pleaded guilty to violent disorder.
Defending Williams, Sonya O’Brien said that the defendant ‘feels a great degree of regret for his involvement’. She said the apprentice electrician has attended over 100 football matches since then without further incident.
For Benn, Emily Calman said the defendant is in employment and has a young child. She said he had made ‘foolish choices’ on the day.
Defending Robertson, Charlotte Rimmer said the defendant is a ‘highly skilled individual’ who works as a HGV technician. She said the dad-of-three is the ‘sole breadwinner’ for his family.
The judge told the trio: “You have now seen yourselves, not for the first time, on the CCTV and other images. I don’t know how you feel about what you saw. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
“You have all got families. I don’t know whether you have got the imagination to put yourselves, as it were, in Cafe Nero that day, witnessing what is going on outside, perhaps with children present with you.
“Even you might have been frightened by what you saw. This sort of running violence by football fans – whether in Manchester or elsewhere – is all too common.” But the judge continued: “No purpose would be served in sending any of you directly to prison.
“There is no deterrent value in sending you straight to prison, which some may think you deserve. Running battles in Manchester city centre would be something that, had it been dealt with swiftly, would almost certainly have led to relatively short immediate sentences.”
Williams, Benn and Robertson were all sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years. They were all ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work and made the subject of football banning orders lasting three years.
