Post by Madhatter on Oct 13, 2015 11:35:17 GMT
An Atherstone Town supporter denied being involved in the violence that marred the biggest game in the club's history – despite trying to snatch an away fan's flag.
Roy Hall argued during his police interview that he had not raised his arms to anyone and had not thrown any smoke bombs during the incident, asking: "Where's the violence in that?"
Hall (51) of Denham Close, Atherstone, is one of six men on trial over the violence which erupted at half time in an FA Cup third-round qualifying match against much higher-ranked Barrow FC.
He and the other five, Matthew Evans (22) of Long Street, Lewis Cooper (21) of Leicester Crescent, Daniel Austin (29) of St George's Road, Samuel Barsby (24) of Austin Close, and Ben Brookes (22) of Daniel Road, all Atherstone, have pleaded not guilty at Warwick Crown Court to a charge of violent disorder.
The incident at half time in the match, described as 'the biggest game in Atherstone Town's history,' two years ago brought shame to the club when a number of its fans launched an attack on Barrow supporters.
Evans and Cooper were among a group who, with Atherstone losing 4-0 at half time, it is said made their way round the pitch and into the stand where the Barrow fans were housed, after at least one flare had been thrown into the stand.
The other four defendants are said to have run across the pitch to join in or lend support to the incident in which up to ten mainly older Barrow supporters were injured.
But when the police interviewed Hall following his arrest, he insisted: "I didn't threaten anybody, I didn't raise my arms to anybody, I didn't hit anybody, I didn't throw any smoke bombs. Where's the violence in that?"
Hall, who said he had had 3-4 pints before the game, told the police: "There was a pitch invasion. People went round the sides, and smoke bombs go off. Some people went on the pitch, 20 or 30, I suppose."
He said he was not taking much notice at first, but thought he saw a relative of his in the first group as it made its way round the pitch towards the Barrow stand.
"I jumped on the pitch and went to get the relative out of it. It looks like it backfired on me, but I didn't threaten no-one and I didn't raise my arms to anyone.
"I didn't go to a Barrow fan. All I did was try to keep someone out of trouble. I ain't prepared to say who.
"I went on the pitch, but I did not go for an altercation with anyone from Cumbria. It was to go and drag him out. The lad done nothing anyway, he just got caught up in it."
Asked what he saw on his way across the pitch, Hall replied: "Just a gang of lads and a smoke bomb going off.
"When I got there it spilt out the back. There was no-one in the stand, so I walked back round the ground. I didn't see any violence."
Told there was violence in the stand when middle-aged to elderly gentlemen among the Barrow fans were hit indiscriminately, Hall responded: "I didn't see any of that."
He first said he stepped on the wall at the front of the stand but did not go over it, but then said he did step over the wall to 'have a look' but did not go out the back of the stand.
Asked whether he saw anyone with a flag, he said: "No."
Hall was shown one of many photographs of the incident, and accepted he was the person wearing a green beanie hat.
But when he was asked what he was doing, he insisted: "I ain't pulling that flag. I can't for the life of me remember pulling that flag. I can't remember doing that."
The jury has heard the flag belonged to a young Barrow fan, who had draped it over the front of the stand and managed to hold on to it as Hall and others try to pull it away.
And of the picture, prosecutor David Lee had commented: "That is a clear indication Mr Hall is one of the people trying to pull it away from her. He's trying to take a trophy."
The police put to Hall that that was not him looking for a relative, but he responded: "No, but I ain't causing any trouble am I? I haven't raised my hand to anyone.
"I didn't cause any trouble. You ain't got a picture of me raising my hand to anyone. I didn't assault anyone." The trial continues.
Read more: www.tamworthherald.co.uk/Man-denies-violent-disorder-Atherstone-Town/story-27972958-detail/story.html#ixzz3oRlk2332
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Roy Hall argued during his police interview that he had not raised his arms to anyone and had not thrown any smoke bombs during the incident, asking: "Where's the violence in that?"
Hall (51) of Denham Close, Atherstone, is one of six men on trial over the violence which erupted at half time in an FA Cup third-round qualifying match against much higher-ranked Barrow FC.
He and the other five, Matthew Evans (22) of Long Street, Lewis Cooper (21) of Leicester Crescent, Daniel Austin (29) of St George's Road, Samuel Barsby (24) of Austin Close, and Ben Brookes (22) of Daniel Road, all Atherstone, have pleaded not guilty at Warwick Crown Court to a charge of violent disorder.
The incident at half time in the match, described as 'the biggest game in Atherstone Town's history,' two years ago brought shame to the club when a number of its fans launched an attack on Barrow supporters.
Evans and Cooper were among a group who, with Atherstone losing 4-0 at half time, it is said made their way round the pitch and into the stand where the Barrow fans were housed, after at least one flare had been thrown into the stand.
The other four defendants are said to have run across the pitch to join in or lend support to the incident in which up to ten mainly older Barrow supporters were injured.
But when the police interviewed Hall following his arrest, he insisted: "I didn't threaten anybody, I didn't raise my arms to anybody, I didn't hit anybody, I didn't throw any smoke bombs. Where's the violence in that?"
Hall, who said he had had 3-4 pints before the game, told the police: "There was a pitch invasion. People went round the sides, and smoke bombs go off. Some people went on the pitch, 20 or 30, I suppose."
He said he was not taking much notice at first, but thought he saw a relative of his in the first group as it made its way round the pitch towards the Barrow stand.
"I jumped on the pitch and went to get the relative out of it. It looks like it backfired on me, but I didn't threaten no-one and I didn't raise my arms to anyone.
"I didn't go to a Barrow fan. All I did was try to keep someone out of trouble. I ain't prepared to say who.
"I went on the pitch, but I did not go for an altercation with anyone from Cumbria. It was to go and drag him out. The lad done nothing anyway, he just got caught up in it."
Asked what he saw on his way across the pitch, Hall replied: "Just a gang of lads and a smoke bomb going off.
"When I got there it spilt out the back. There was no-one in the stand, so I walked back round the ground. I didn't see any violence."
Told there was violence in the stand when middle-aged to elderly gentlemen among the Barrow fans were hit indiscriminately, Hall responded: "I didn't see any of that."
He first said he stepped on the wall at the front of the stand but did not go over it, but then said he did step over the wall to 'have a look' but did not go out the back of the stand.
Asked whether he saw anyone with a flag, he said: "No."
Hall was shown one of many photographs of the incident, and accepted he was the person wearing a green beanie hat.
But when he was asked what he was doing, he insisted: "I ain't pulling that flag. I can't for the life of me remember pulling that flag. I can't remember doing that."
The jury has heard the flag belonged to a young Barrow fan, who had draped it over the front of the stand and managed to hold on to it as Hall and others try to pull it away.
And of the picture, prosecutor David Lee had commented: "That is a clear indication Mr Hall is one of the people trying to pull it away from her. He's trying to take a trophy."
The police put to Hall that that was not him looking for a relative, but he responded: "No, but I ain't causing any trouble am I? I haven't raised my hand to anyone.
"I didn't cause any trouble. You ain't got a picture of me raising my hand to anyone. I didn't assault anyone." The trial continues.
Read more: www.tamworthherald.co.uk/Man-denies-violent-disorder-Atherstone-Town/story-27972958-detail/story.html#ixzz3oRlk2332
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