Four arrested after football fight damages pub
Football fans broke windows and threw chairs at the Luckwell Hotel pub on Saturday, ahead of yesterday's (2 December) Bristol City v Millwall match.
After a fight broke out between opposing supporters, fans attempted to barricade themselves in the pub using stools and pool cues.
Avon and Somerset Police were called to the pub in the Bedminster district of the city at 6.20pm on Saturday evening, but those involved in the public order incident had dispersed by the time police arrived at the scene.
However, officers arrested four men from a hotel in the city yesterday.
'A war zone'
Pub owner Frank Sprackman, from the Elite Pub Company, said fans “were tearing the place apart” and it looked like “a war zone”.
“It was a mess and quite scary,” he told The Morning Advertiser. “Every window was pretty much put through and there was a lot of broken furniture.”
Despite there only being the pub manager on shift when the disorder occurred, the venue opened its doors just two hours after the fight.
“Everybody, locals, regulars, residents, all just chipped in and helped out. They swept up glass and within two hours it was back trading.
“Luckily there were no children inside at the time as it is a family-friendly pub,” Sprackman added. “It is not the norm to have anything like that, it’s a bit of a shake-up.”
'Unacceptable behaviour'
Avon and Somerset Police Superintendent Paul Mogg said: “Behaviour of this kind is completely unacceptable and has a significant impact on the local community.
“Fortunately, it does not appear anyone was seriously injured in the incident but the pub was significantly damaged.
“We’re working closely with Bristol City FC, as well as officers from the Metropolitan Police and colleagues from the Dutch police to apprehend those involved as we know a number of fans have travelled from Holland to watch the game."
The police said they were still trying to identify other participants in the disorder and urged anyone with footage of the incident to come forward.
