Soccer violence arrests Mar 21 2005
By James Glover, Liverpool Echo
THIRTY-THREE people were arrested when violence flared after yesterday's Liverpool v Everton derby.
A police horse suffered a nine-inch cut on the flank when police tried to stop Everton supporters attacking Reds fans passing the Blue House pub near Goodison Park.
Officers were looking at video footage to try to identify the thugs.
The violence comes a month after yobs suspected of being Liverpool and Everton fans attacked Manchester United supporters after an FA Cup clash at Goodison.
Trouble flared after the Anfield derby, which Liverpool won 2-1.
Although there were few problems for police at the ground, there were some outbreaks of disorderly behaviour in the four or five hours after the final whistle.
More than half of those arrested were picked up for public order offences like being drunk and disorderly. Others were arrested for theft, criminal damage, ticket- touting and assaulting a policeman.
Thirty-one of the 33 people picked up by police were released on bail to return to police stations later this week, with one man being charged with stealing a car and another being detained for being wanted on a police warrant.
The police horse was injured when Everton fans began hurling glasses and bottles at the cars of Liverpool fans as they drove past.
When police tried to break up the crowd the supporters threw missiles at them, one of which struck police horse Murphy.
A police spokeswoman said officers thought the policing operation had gone "very well" and that the trouble came in small isolated bursts, unlike the Everton v Man Utd disorder.
She said: "There were very minor incidents but no large-scale disorder. There were no confrontations like at the Manchester United match."
Everton spokesman Ian Ross said because the trouble did not take place at Anfield the football clubs should not be blamed for the violence.
He said: "The arrests are hugely regrettable but they were well away from the stadium and the question is whether this is a football problem or a problem in society."
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