Three Manchester United fans who were part of an 'unruly mob' as protests against the club's ownership turned ugly have narrowly avoided jail for the 'disgraceful' scenes which led to a Premier League game being abandoned. Up to 2,000 fans descended on Old Trafford ahead of United's fixture against Liverpool in May last year, which was being played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus.
The game had to be postponed after some fans, who had attended a demonstration against the Glazer family and the proposed European Super League, became involved in a violent confrontation with police and stewards. Dozens of fans broke into the stadium and made their way onto the pitch, and during the ugly fracas a police officer suffered a serious facial injury after being hit by a bottle.
Now three United supporters have become the first to be sentenced for their part in the disturbance. They are the first of 40 defendants to be hauled to court, after admitting violent disorder, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
