11 arrested after rival football gangs clashed at train station

“A TOTAL of 11 people have been arrested in Plymouth and Exeter in connection with a violent organised football hooligan battle at a train station.

British Transport Police said that two gangs – thought to be rival Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City football team supporters – squared off at Exeter St Thomas Railway Station on June 27 and the arrests made on Tuesday following dawn raids in both cities.Police said that bottles had been thrown in the fight and onlookers had witnessed the violent encounter, where one man was left unconscious.Sgt Paul Curtis, of Plymouth’s BTP team, said that a series of planned raids were carried out in homes in Plymouth and Exeter at about 6.30am on Tuesday.BTP police and members of the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary joined forces to conduct the raids

“Interviews and enquiries led to raids on seven people’s addresses in the Plymouth area. Six arrests were successful.“Sgt Curtis said that four homes in Exeter were also raided at the same time and four men were arrested – making a total of 10 in one morning.All 10 – as well as the one arrested at the scene on June 27 – have been interviewed by police and have been placed on bail until September, pending further enquiries.No ages or names have been released by the police, but Sgt Curtis said they are all white and aged between 17 and 40-years-old.Sgt Curtis said the injuries caused at the fight – and the exact details of what took place – also can’t yet be confirmed.More than 40 BTP officers simultaneously attended the addresses on Tuesday to arrest ‘the majority of those thought to have been involved in the incident’.

The incident, said the BTP, took place at about 7.45pm on Saturday June 27. They said that members of the public, railway staff and local residents witnessed the brawl at the railway station.BTP said it was believed to be between a group of at least 14 rival Exeter City and Plymouth Argyle football fans.After viewing CCTV footage, officers identified 11 men – four from Exeter and seven from Plymouth. Officers who attended their homes yesterday located 10 of the 11 men.Enquiries are still ongoing to trace one man from Plymouth who was not located during Tuesday’s operation, said the BTP.

Chief Inspector Kevin Marshall, of BTP, said: “This incident appears to have been pre-arranged disorder between two rival groups of football supporters, even though their teams had not played on June 27.”Those who took part in this disorder should be left under no illusions that this type of behaviour is unacceptable and will not be tolerated by British Transport Police or Devon and Cornwall Constabulary.”Members of the public going about their everyday business should not have to witness groups of men fighting and throwing bottles.”They can rest assured we will be doing our utmost to bring all of the offenders to justice and we will press for the strongest sentences available to be handed out by the courts.”

( Plymouth.co.uk )

Portsmouth have accepted an offer from Tottenham for England striker Peter Crouch, says Pompey boss Paul Hart.

“A reported £10m deal was agreed on Saturday after Spurs made a renewed effort to sign the 28-year-old.Crouch is expected to sign a five-year deal with Spurs, where he will reunite with former Pompey boss Harry Redknapp.

“Given the severe financial restraints in place here we had no choice but to accept an offer from Spurs,” Hart told the Sunday Mirror.”Obviously, I’m disappointed to see Peter leave. (But) I think people need to realise that Pompey have been punching way above their weight and could no longer sustain the level of spending that has gone on here over the past three years.”And even though a new owner is poised to come in, our dealings in the market will be modest in comparison to the past.”Crouch is expected to sign early next week and could even travel with the club to Beijing, where Spurs will compete in the Asia Cup alongside West Ham, Hull and Beijing Guoan.Tottenham, with whom Crouch started his career, will be the third club at which the striker has played under Redknapp, after spells with the 62-year-old at Southampton and Portsmouth in the past.

“(Spurs chairman) Daniel (Levy) is talking to (Pompey chief executive) Peter Storrie and the pair are very good negotiators,” said Redknapp.”Portsmouth have a price they want but myself and Daniel have spoken and we have a price we think is fair. Hopefully a compromise will happen and we’ll get something done.”The deal comes despite hints from Redknapp last week that it would be too expensive.

He said at the time: “I just feel that for that type of money it is an awful lot of money. It is an expensive deal because there is no return on it.“I don’t know whether it is possible for us to do that type of deal. It is an expensive deal. The whole package looks expensive.”However, Portsmouth reportedly agreed to drop their £12m asking price in order to do the deal after Crouch made it clear he wanted to return to Tottenham.His arrival could hasten the departure of Darren Bent, with Sunderland reportedly keen to sign the 25-year-old.Portsmouth, meanwhile, could yet offload more players this summer despite Sulaiman Al Fahim’s takeover of the club nearing completion.The property tycoon has been named Pompey chairman, but Hart does not expect a Manchester City-style spree.”It’s important everybody understands that we have to cut our cloth,” Hart, who has been appointed on a permanent basis, told BBC Radio 5 Live. “The days of £20m buys are over in the short-term, but maybe not longer-term.”

( BBC Sport )