Coast derby turns into a war zone: officer injured and arrests made after Southampton fans' madness
Mounted police intervene to stop the chaos
The final whistle at the south coast derby settled nothing. Southampton had won 1-0, but outside the walls of St Mary's Stadium the real trouble was only starting. Barriers came down, fans clashed, and riot police and mounted officers moved in on scenes that belonged to the darkest days of English football hooliganism.
Groups from both clubs tried to get at each other once the game between the traditional rivals had finished, following an exchange of insults and hostile chants.
Hampshire Police confirmed, according to "The Sun", that supporters vandalised and pulled away the dividing barriers in a bid to reach one another. Officers and stewards stopped them meeting head-on and regained control.
It took a large-scale security operation to clear the angry crowds that had gathered outside the ground, with riot units and mounted officers both deployed.
One officer injured and four arrested
A police officer picked up a minor injury in the chaos and received treatment. Four people were arrested.
Police set out the arrests as follows in their statement:
Before the match: the arrest of two young men, a 20-year-old from Southampton and an 18-year-old from Ringwood, on suspicion of possessing prohibited flares.
After the match: the arrest of a 38-year-old man from Southampton, on suspicion of obstructing traffic on the motorway as the Portsmouth supporters' coaches were leaving.
Away from the match: the arrest of a fourth man during a police patrol in Hoglands Park, on suspicion of possessing stolen drinks, in addition to the detention of a 50-year-old man found in possession of an iron tool, who was arrested on suspicion of shoplifting and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.
Clarification from the police
Assistant Chief Constable Simon Dodds, who commanded the security operation, played down the severity of the events and called the operation "extremely successful" despite some problems.
Dodds said: "We saw close to 30,000 supporters arrive at the match and return from it safely. Unfortunately, a small number of fans tried to take advantage of the opportunity to cause disorder, but our teams on the ground, supported by club stewards, were able to act decisively and take control of the situation."
He added: "I would like to thank the professionalism of our officers and staff who worked side by side with both clubs to ensure this was another safe match for everyone. Unfortunately, the actions of that small group caused a delay in the departure of the away side's coaches, but I am pleased that there were no serious injuries."
Extensive investigation using drones
Investigations remain ongoing, a Hampshire Police spokesperson confirmed, with detectives set to review all footage to identify everyone involved.
The spokesperson said: "Investigators will now review all available footage, including body-worn camera footage from police officers, videos filmed by evidence-gathering teams, CCTV cameras and drones."
Tensions had also peaked inside the stadium in the 53rd minute of a match he described as "chaotic", before the disorder moved from the pitch to outside the ground after the final whistle.
