PICTURES " NO TROUBLE IN RUGBY THEY ALWAYS SAY/BUT TODAY "

Daily Mail

Monday 28th March 2016

Fights broke out in the stands of a rugby league match after players jumped into the crowd to protect wives and children who were being squashed by their own fans.

The incident occurred at the end of a First Utilities Super League match between the Salford Red Devils and Huddersfield Giants at the West Yorkshire club's John Smith's Stadium this afternoon.

Players from Salford, including Junior S'au and Justin Carney, were shown rushing over to where their own fans were located in the ground apparently in response to cries from help from their own family members and other women and children situated near the pitch.

Eyewitness and Huddersfield fan Oliver Rounding, 24, told the MailOnline he had never seen anything like it in all his years attending rugby matches.

He said: 'It all kicked off at the end of the game when the Salford players started walking over to clap their fans and one of those in the Salford end jumped over the barriers and ran over to them but he was stopped by the stewards, and a certain group of Salford fans got angry about it.

'They all rushed to the front of the stand and started arguing with the officials and that's when a couple of the Salford players jumped in as well and it all kicked off a bit.

'The Salford fans had been being a bit rowdy the whole game and had even chucked a flare on the pitch after about 70 minutes. I feel sorry for the stewards because there was zero police presence so it was basically just them having to deal with these guys on their own.'

Another eyewitness, who wished to remain anonymous, said a few young fans had actually rushed to the bottom of the crowd to greet the players, to which other fans took offence.

'It's all nonsense and overblown,' he said. 'There was only about two punches thrown during the whole thing.'

Following the match, which Salford won 24-22, the club tweeted it was aware of the incident and said it would be looking to identify those involved.

A tweet on the club's official Twitter account read: 'We'd like to apologise for the behaviour of some of our fans today. We'll be working with @Gianrsrl to find those involved. We do not condone any behaviour of the sort.'

People soon took to social media to condemn the behaviour of fans themselves, with @joewardle91 writing: 'Scenes at the end of that game from Salford fans were disgusting, fighting with stewards and yourselves with kids there, what a joke!'

Scott Hedgecock tweeted: 'So apparently there was flares in Salford end?? Refusing to throw balls back, fighting with players and themselves, bunch of jokers.'

A fan club dedicated to Salford called Salford's Red Army added: 'Events that proceeded today's game have no place at Salford or in Rugby League.'

It is thought that certain members of the crowd had been causing trouble throughout the game and at the final whistle began arguing with stewards, with women and young children getting caught in the middle.

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Salford have just apologised, Well I hope the Police pick on them like they do football fans who don't even behave half as bad as these idiots

Salford have just apologised, Well I hope the Police pick on them like they do football fans who don't even behave half as bad as these idiots

Annis, sickening behaviour and very rarely that bad at football matches in the UK.

If it was in Wales, there would be no coverage on it as they like to think that rugby fans are whiter than white and football fans are the dark side of sporting fanbases.

Salford have just apologised, Well I hope the Police pick on them like they do football fans who don't even behave half as bad as these idiots

Annis, sickening behaviour and very rarely that bad at football matches in the UK.

If it was in Wales, there would be no coverage on it as they like to think that rugby fans are whiter than white and football fans are the dark side of sporting fanbases.

Correct Ned, They honestly need to start cracking down on rugby instead of picking on football fans for the slitest incident.
This is way above what happens at Football.

The picture of the young girl being crushed in that made feel sick, no trouble at rugby? A myth. Yet you could a small army at Bristol city arresting kids for swearing. Shocking.

football players couldn't mix it with the hools, 30 + Rugby League pros = free crowd control

Blimey,having a moment are we girls If this was football violence it wouldn't have got any coverage at all.

Some of us are old enough to know better and Annis you well know today's generation of football fans are paying the price for the behavior of our generation.

Its been going on for years at Rugby,just the Authorities turn a blind eye to it and pick on us for the siltiest incident.