WEST HAM – MILLWALL? MY ARSE
Police arrested 13 people and more than 170 were injured
when the Rome derby match between Lazio and AS Roma erupted
into a pitched battle between police and fans late on
Sunday.
The match was abandoned in the second half after a false
rumour circulated that a young boy had been killed by a
police car outside the Olympic Stadium.
Police denied the rumour but rioting broke out in the stands
with some supporters setting fire to the seats and raining
flares and bottles down upon lines of riot forces.
Police responded by firing tear gas, while outside the
stadium, fans set up barricades in the streets and fought a
running battle that newspapers said lasted around six hours.
"It was true guerrilla warfare," one police source said.
Some 155 police officers were wounded, one with stab wounds,
and 21 fans were hurt, Rome officials said.
The second half of the match was four minutes old, with the
score at 0-0, when a fan walked on to the playing area
behind the Roma goal to interrupt the match with the rumour
of the death.
Both sets of players gathered in the centre circle to
discuss the situation with referee Roberto Rosetti as flares
rained down on riot police positioned underneath the south
stand, where the majority of Roma's supporters were sitting.
The police department of Rome quickly denied the rumour via
the stadium announcer.
After a 15-minute delay -- during which tear gas and then
smoke billowed into the stadium through the exits in the
south stand -- the match was abandoned.
when the Rome derby match between Lazio and AS Roma erupted
into a pitched battle between police and fans late on
Sunday.
The match was abandoned in the second half after a false
rumour circulated that a young boy had been killed by a
police car outside the Olympic Stadium.
Police denied the rumour but rioting broke out in the stands
with some supporters setting fire to the seats and raining
flares and bottles down upon lines of riot forces.
Police responded by firing tear gas, while outside the
stadium, fans set up barricades in the streets and fought a
running battle that newspapers said lasted around six hours.
"It was true guerrilla warfare," one police source said.
Some 155 police officers were wounded, one with stab wounds,
and 21 fans were hurt, Rome officials said.
The second half of the match was four minutes old, with the
score at 0-0, when a fan walked on to the playing area
behind the Roma goal to interrupt the match with the rumour
of the death.
Both sets of players gathered in the centre circle to
discuss the situation with referee Roberto Rosetti as flares
rained down on riot police positioned underneath the south
stand, where the majority of Roma's supporters were sitting.
The police department of Rome quickly denied the rumour via
the stadium announcer.
After a 15-minute delay -- during which tear gas and then
smoke billowed into the stadium through the exits in the
south stand -- the match was abandoned.