Thursday, 29 January 2009

Social vow to hunt down hooligans

Welton S&SC have pledged to name and shame the hooligans who wound up the linesman in last weeks ill tempered reserve game at Tavern FC.

Tavern are seeking financial compensation from the village club after their linesman claimed he was being undermined and humiliated by sections of the Welton Crowd.

Mark Brewer, the Socialites managing director, admitted his club and others still had a long way to go to eradicate the "element" that turn up just to cause trouble.

He told Sky Sports News: "No one has worked harder than Welton to solve this problem but we need to realise that this problem is still there.

“We had similar problems in the first teams game away at Waddington earlier this season when one of our fans was accused of taunting the ref.”

“This fan was identified as a Mr Daly who lives in the Beck Hall area of Welton. He has been banned from attending any first team fixtures and thus far our strict policy has worked on this hooligan.”

"I don't think we're going back to the old days, but there were other incidents over the weekend unfortunately and we have to continue to work hard.

"although our fans were irate at some of the decisions the linesman was making, The relentless abuse he received was completely over the top.” Admitted Brewer

Taverns Linesman said he was on the end of vicious slurs like.

“No way! You Should have gone to specsavers! I’m a referee and I know the rules!”

The linesman said he felt quite intimidated and admitted he was relieved to move to the other side of the pitch in the second half.

The Football Association have called for the "strongest possible sanction" against the perpetrators. "We are working with the clubs and the police to investigate what happened."

Lincoln Police are conducting an investigation into the events and are confident of catching the troublemakers.

Chief inspector Mark Charles Hammer told BBC Radio Five Live: "We have got our own pictures already, and we are gathering photographs from press photographers.

"To be honest we know an awful lot of them already. We know the names, we know the faces because they have been involved in smaller level stuff and they have been trouble-causers for a while.

"I feel confident that virtually everyone involved in the disorder on Sunday will, at some point in the next few months, be brought to justice."

Police have released these images of their prime suspects and have urged anyone with any information to please contact them or get intouch with the Football club via the forum.