A teenage footballer has claimed he was attacked by a pitch invader during a junior match. The 14 year-old, was taken to hospital after being 'knocked unconscious' as violence erupted during a game in South Manchester.
Tensions boiled towards the end of the under-15's match between West Didsbury and Chorlton AFC Wolfhounds and Wythenshawe Amateur Juniors Panthers on Sunday, October 9.
A challenge by a West Didsbury and Chorlton player is said to have sparked a confrontation which a number of the players and watching parents and spectators then became involved in.
One West Didsbury player claims that as the trouble flared after he was verbally abused by a man who invaded the pitch. He says the man squared up to him and punched him to the floor, which he believes briefly left him unconscious. He says he also received further blows whilst on the ground.
The boy, who we are not identifying but who hails from Stockport, told the Manchester Evening News: "Many players rushed over. I looked over wondering what was happening.
"All the parents who were watching were on my right-hand side, and they all rushed over, then they turned around and started making remarks to me and all the players around calling us c***** and telling us to get the f*** off the pitch and stuff like that.
"One of them was directing it to me, I said 'why are you saying that to us, we're just kids.' He got angry and came up to me face-to-face, forehead-to-forehead, trying to push me back with his head. I then felt a hit to the side of my head and I fell over.
"I think I must have been out as I don't remember much other than just being hit everywhere which was apparently me getting held and repeatedly round the head and the back by a man."
The teen says he also believes he may have also taken blows from others whilst on the floor.
The boy's dad is then said to have rushed to his side and dragged him away. The game was stopped and did not restart following the incident which occurred just a few minutes before the full-time whistle. It is listed as having been abandoned on the FA website.
Police were called and officers attended and spoke to the teen before he was taken to hospital to be checked over. He says he was left with two painful bumps on his head, a number of bruises on his back and a cut on his hand.
Officers say an 'initial investigation' has taken place but they have urged any witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. The M.E.N understands no one has yet been arrested or charged in connection with the incident.
"I never thought on a Sunday morning I'd end up in a police van getting checked out" the alleged victim said. "It's affected me quite a lot. It was scary at the time. And now I'm really not good, I tried playing football today but I couldn't as I was just shaking. And it's frustrating nothing has yet been done about it."
The boy's mum said: "I'm just disgusted that a grown man has attacked a child like that at a football game. It's lucky he didn't suffer broken bones or something, it could have been a lot worse.
"He's really apprehensive now about playing again because something like this could happen again. There's a real issue with violence in football at the moment. The police and the FA need to send a message that this is not okay."
A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said: "At around 1:30pm on Sunday 9 October 2022, Greater Manchester Police were called to a report of a disturbance on Hardy Lane, Manchester.
“An initial investigation into an alleged assault has taken place. Anyone with additional information that may help officers is asked to ring 101 quoting 1723 of 09/10/22.”
Wythenshawe Amateurs said they were unable to comment as it had been reported to the Lancashire FA who were now investigating.
West Didsbury and Chorlton AFC could not be reached for comment. A spokesperson for the Lancashire FA confirmed they are investigating an incident in the match but said they were unable to give any further information or make any comment as the investigation was ongoing.
A spokesman for the Timperley and District Junior League said they were unable to comment on the specific incident as the investigation is being handled by the county FA.
However, he said: "As a league, we are absolutely opposed and stand against any form of abuse or misconduct in the game. It's a fact that throughout the country there has been an increase in misconduct and we are committed to doing whatever we can to stamp it out."
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