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10:26 06/04/2022
Officers made six arrests during Saturday’s Chesterfield FC v Grimsby Town FC match – with more expected in the coming days and weeks.
Five Grimsby supporters were arrested for a range of offences including public order, pyro possession, drugs, and pitch encroachment – while a Chesterfield fan was also arrested for breaching his football banning order.
However, more arrests are expected in the coming days and weeks, as officers trawl through video footage from before, during, and after the game following further complaints from members of the public.
PC Adam Collins, the dedicated officer for Chesterfield FC, said: “This weekend we saw significant incidents of disorder both inside the ground and in the wider town area.
“As a force we work closely with the club and supporters’ groups to ensure that matchdays are a safe and family friendly event.
“The vast majority of those who come to matches, from both home and away teams, are fantastic ambassadors for their clubs.
“But those who took part in the various incidents of disorder on Saturday are the absolute opposite.
“Put simply, their behaviour was totally unacceptable and over the coming days and weeks we will be reviewing CCTV, including high-resolution drone footage, to identify those involved.”
A serious assault occurred during the game, at around 4pm at the Donkey Derby near to the ground. A Grimsby fan in his 30s, suffered a serious head injury during a disturbance involving a number of fans from both clubs.
Officers are appealing for anyone with any information, in particular any drivers with dashcam footage that may have captured the incident, to contact the force with reference 22*187483.
A drugs operation run at the town’s train station during the day also recovered 15 dealer bags of cocaine and saw two men arrested for drug offences.
PC Adam Collins said: “The planning for this game identified that a larger number of officers were required to deal with potential issues caused by a small proportion of those attending the fixture, with horses from South Yorkshire Police utilised to help provide further support to officers on foot.
“We also worked closely with colleagues from Humberside Police – and will continue to do so to identify travelling fans involved in any criminality.
“However, that small minority should not take away from the vast majority of fans who will be equally angered by the actions of those responsible for the scenes over the weekend.”
Anyone with any information, in particular those with footage of any incidents, are asked to contact the force with reference 193-010422.
For those with information about the assault at the Donkey Derby, please use reference 22*187483:
You can also anonymously contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111, or by visiting the CrimeStoppers website